APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday August 31, 2016
Quote of the day:
"Another gatekeeper has broken the silence."
--Zionist Union MK Nachman Shai reacted to the lecture by former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, who said that the dangers posed from within are more serious than external threats, such as Iran and Hezbollah.**
--Zionist Union MK Nachman Shai reacted to the lecture by former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, who said that the dangers posed from within are more serious than external threats, such as Iran and Hezbollah.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Education Ministry cancels small-group learning in elementary school
- Studies about the rise of Fascism will be reduced
- Pardo: (Israeli) society is divided, I fear we will reach a civil war
- Lieberman: Abbas is the leader of a corrupt government, he is the obstacle to the economy
- (Police Commissioner) Alsheikh on (police) violence against Ethiopians: It’s natural that police suspect them more
- Education for the rich // Haaretz Editorial
Yedioth Ahronoth
- 200,000 shekels – Education costs (to parents) of one child from age 3 through high school, according to Yedioth probe
- Police Commissioner on Ethiopian-Israelis: “It’s natural to suspect them”
- Mr. Police Commissioner, why are you calling me a criminal? // Dani Adino Ababa
- Between Raanana and Dimona – probe – how does the city you live in affect success in studies?
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- “The Police Commissioner is turning our children into punching bags”
- Not educational – Stormy arguments in government cabinet meeting ahead of opening of new school year
- “Fuad will be missed by the country” – Binyamin Ben-Eliezar was laid to rest
Israel Hayom
- Poll - 64%: What children learn from parents is more important than school
- “The Police Commissioner’s words were not meant to hurt the Ethiopian-Israelis”
- Binyamin (Fuad) Ben-Eliezar was laid to rest; his widow eulogized him: “Now we are all orphans”
News Summary:
Today’s Hebrew papers were filled with stories (and arguments within the government) about the education system the day before the school year begins, Israel’s Police Commissioner sparked a storm when he explained police violence against Ethiopian-Israelis by saying that “it’s natural to suspect Ethiopians more” because statistically they are involved in more crime, and former minister Binyamin (Fuad) Ben-Eliezar was laid to rest, making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
**Also in the print papers, former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo said Israel’s greatest threat is the internal division within Israeli society and that he feared a civil war. He also spoke about the Iranian threat and belittled comparisons of the Iran nuclear agreement with the 1938 Munich Pact, saying it was like comparing "zucchinis and pears." And Hezbollah was not a threat, but a pest, he said. (Also Maariv and Ynet)
Quick Hits:
- Israel extends gag order on footage of Palestinian siblings’ death for fourth time - Maram Abu Ismayil (pregnant) and her (teenage) brother Ibrahim Salah Tahah were apparently killed by civilian security guards while allegedly attempting to commit an attack, but the details of the investigation will be barred from publication for over 100 days. (Haaretz+)
- New bill aims to limit state-funded volunteers at Israeli left-wing NGOs - Legislation follows similar criteria as controversial 'NGO law,' by targeting organizations that receive at least half of their funding from abroad. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli Schools to Teach African Jewry Instead of Italian Fascism - Committee charged with strengthening Sephardi heritage in education prioritizes the history of Jews from Arab countries over teaching why some democracies collapsed. (Haaretz+)
- **Radio presenter Gabi Gazit: "The state discriminates with malice against non-Jewish pupils " - 103FM Radio presenter in examining the data of percentage of those who in each community who are able to take matriculation exams: "Jewish children in major cities have an iPhone, Druze and Muslim children in northern villages have a brain." (Maariv)
- Israel blocks Marwan Barghouti’s son from entering for family event - A key Israeli Arab legislator calls it ‘senseless abuse’ of the family of the Fatah leader serving life sentences for his role in the second intifada. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli Military Shuts Palestinian Radio Station, Arrests Five Journalists - Israel alleges the Hebron-area station's broadcast support violence. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- Lieberman: Abbas’s Corrupt Reign Main Bar to West Bank Development - Israeli defense minister says dozens of Palestinian politicians and businessmen have told him the president must go. (Haaretz)
- Israelis near Lebanon protest lack of state funding: 'We believe Nasrallah, not Bibi' - Residents of towns like Kiryat Shmona say they have ‘no health care services, no employment and no quality of life.’ (Haaretz+)
- AG says will release details of Netanyahu investigation when possible - Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit spoke at an Israel Bar Association conference, stating that he sees importance in releasing information about investigations involving public servants. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- UN: Violations of Israel-Lebanon cease-fire could spark war - Security Council extends mandate of UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, expresses concern at 'limited progress made towards the establishment of a permanent cease-fire.' (Agencies, Haaretz)
- WATCH: IDF's new system to allow firing without exiting the APC - The Drakonit system will permit IDF soldiers to fire at targets up to 1.5 kilometers away without exiting their armored vehicles, providing them with greater protection. (Ynet)
- Former Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer Laid to Rest - Hundreds attend funeral for decorated Israeli politician, who was mired in corruption scandal before his death. Prime Minister Netanyahu and former President Shimon Peres among those who eulogized him. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- No need to put a ring on it: 30% more Israeli couples forgo marriage - A new study has has shown that from 2012 to 2014, unwed Israeli Jews living together has jumped; however, Israeli Muslim couples getting traditionally married has increased. (Ynet)
- WATCH: Ukrainian forces drill hostage situation at Israeli Embassy - Ukrainian Special Forces simulate takeover of embassy building in Kiev by 'terrorists' who posed as visitors; when the 'negotiations' with the kidnappers 'failed,' the forces stormed into the building, regaining control over it. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Memory of 1988 Iran Mass Execution Rekindled by Newly Released Tape - Hossein Ali Montazeri recorded condemning Iran's execution of thousands of prisoners at the end of the country's bloody war with Iraq in 1988, warns those gathered they've committed 'the biggest crime in the history of the Islamic Republic.' (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
Three Bikers' Tale Shows Why Palestinians Don't Go Riding Around the West Bank
They were guilty by virtue of being Palestinian – and miraculously, the Israeli soldiers did not sentence them to death. A few short hours later, an unarmed man was not so lucky. (Amira Hass, Haaretz+)
A baller against all odds
Itay Erenlib lost both of his legs and was seriously injured in his arm in an IED explosion in Nablus during his IDF service. After a miraculous recovery that amazed all of his doctors, Erenlib returned to the army to finish his service, got a degree in life sciences and is now training to play wheelchair tennis at the Rio Paralympic Games next month. (Yehuda Shochat, Yedioth/Ynet)
'I Wanted to Make a Left-wing Movie, but Ended Up Showing How Wonderful We Are'
Nili Tal, whose documentary 'Saving Nur' tells about Israeli volunteers who aid a sick Gazan girl, says she doesn't think the movie is too forgiving. (Itay Stern, Haaretz+)
Meet the Israeli-Palestinian Duo Behind Berlin's Hippest Hummus Joint
Kanaan is something of a dream come true. And that’s not just because its hummus is 'oh yes,' as one German blogger recently described it. (JTA, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
They were guilty by virtue of being Palestinian – and miraculously, the Israeli soldiers did not sentence them to death. A few short hours later, an unarmed man was not so lucky. (Amira Hass, Haaretz+)
A baller against all odds
Itay Erenlib lost both of his legs and was seriously injured in his arm in an IED explosion in Nablus during his IDF service. After a miraculous recovery that amazed all of his doctors, Erenlib returned to the army to finish his service, got a degree in life sciences and is now training to play wheelchair tennis at the Rio Paralympic Games next month. (Yehuda Shochat, Yedioth/Ynet)
'I Wanted to Make a Left-wing Movie, but Ended Up Showing How Wonderful We Are'
Nili Tal, whose documentary 'Saving Nur' tells about Israeli volunteers who aid a sick Gazan girl, says she doesn't think the movie is too forgiving. (Itay Stern, Haaretz+)
Meet the Israeli-Palestinian Duo Behind Berlin's Hippest Hummus Joint
Kanaan is something of a dream come true. And that’s not just because its hummus is 'oh yes,' as one German blogger recently described it. (JTA, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Israel Is Sitting on an Education Time Bomb (Haaretz Editorial) The achievement gap between Jewish and Arab students is a serious
existential threat. The government must do everything in its power to correct it, but the chances of that
actually happening are low.
The high school principal in Beit Jann: This is how you reach first place in the matriculations index (Ali Salalha, Maariv) For years we have taken care of all our students, both the weak and strong, and directing them towards higher learning. For that reason, over the last ten years 15% of the residents of Beit Jann are in academia.
Racism-as-Zionism. Don't Call It 'pro-Israel.' Call It What It Is: Disgusting (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) It's time to stop pretending that racism can ever be good for the Jews.
Fuelling the flames in Hebron (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) When observing the conflict through Hebron—and that's what's happening in the international community—Israel's haters register more and more successes. The chance of changing the cursed status quo in the city is close to zero.
'Neutralize' a Terrorist? Just Say a Bullet to the Head (Adv. Avigdor Feldman, Haaretz+) The trial of Elor Azaria is teaching us the meaning of 'neutralized.'
What the Hebron Shooter's Trial Is Really All About (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) A testimony at the trial of Elor Azaria, the soldier who killed a subdued Palestinian assailant in Hebron, reveals that the real battle taking place isn't about the army's values.
Who's afraid of the Jewish state? (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) Why did I stop demanding that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state? Mostly because it's a misdirection act. Many Israelis support the demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state; but why aren't we demanding the same from our own government? The idea of a national home for the Jewish people is the founding principle of our country.
Trump Can’t Love Israel and Hate the World (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) On Israel, he pushes all the right buttons, but it’s hard to see how that squares with his isolationist foreign policy.
In Iran, Small Victories in the Anti-regime War Emerge (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Although Iran's prisons are filled with people who 'insulted' the country's leadership, it is not totally out of touch with the public mood.
Welcome, Kids, to the First Day of Becoming Israel-loving Dolts (Yitzhak Laor, Haaretz+) Our state does not need teachers. It needs agents, and on the cheap. You too, children, will become agents.
The high school principal in Beit Jann: This is how you reach first place in the matriculations index (Ali Salalha, Maariv) For years we have taken care of all our students, both the weak and strong, and directing them towards higher learning. For that reason, over the last ten years 15% of the residents of Beit Jann are in academia.
Racism-as-Zionism. Don't Call It 'pro-Israel.' Call It What It Is: Disgusting (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) It's time to stop pretending that racism can ever be good for the Jews.
Fuelling the flames in Hebron (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) When observing the conflict through Hebron—and that's what's happening in the international community—Israel's haters register more and more successes. The chance of changing the cursed status quo in the city is close to zero.
'Neutralize' a Terrorist? Just Say a Bullet to the Head (Adv. Avigdor Feldman, Haaretz+) The trial of Elor Azaria is teaching us the meaning of 'neutralized.'
What the Hebron Shooter's Trial Is Really All About (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) A testimony at the trial of Elor Azaria, the soldier who killed a subdued Palestinian assailant in Hebron, reveals that the real battle taking place isn't about the army's values.
Who's afraid of the Jewish state? (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) Why did I stop demanding that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state? Mostly because it's a misdirection act. Many Israelis support the demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state; but why aren't we demanding the same from our own government? The idea of a national home for the Jewish people is the founding principle of our country.
Trump Can’t Love Israel and Hate the World (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) On Israel, he pushes all the right buttons, but it’s hard to see how that squares with his isolationist foreign policy.
In Iran, Small Victories in the Anti-regime War Emerge (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Although Iran's prisons are filled with people who 'insulted' the country's leadership, it is not totally out of touch with the public mood.
Welcome, Kids, to the First Day of Becoming Israel-loving Dolts (Yitzhak Laor, Haaretz+) Our state does not need teachers. It needs agents, and on the cheap. You too, children, will become agents.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.