News Summary:
Aside from the US-Russia agreement on a Syrian ceasefire, the biggest story of the day was the video, in which Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the world in English that support for evacuation of settlements was support for ethnic cleansing – for which he was accused of undermining the two-state solution and damaging US-Israel ties. Israeli political commentators had a field day. Netanyahu’s video address denounced the Palestinian Authority for its demands that settlements be removed. 

**But ‘Netanyahu is not stupid,’ wrote top Yedioth commentator, Nahum Barnea, noting that the reason for such an outrageous statement could be related to the corruption probes against him and his dropping popularity in polls. (See translated Op-Ed below). On the day of the release of the video address, a second poll, this one by Channel 1, showed that MK Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party would receive 27 Knesset seats if elections were held today, while the ruling Likud would receive only 23 seats, compared to its current 30. And a Channel 2 report the same day revealed that the new fraud inquiry into Netanyahu focuses on a suspected attempt to directly solicit bribes. 
 
Off the radar of the Hebrew media was the dire situation of three Palestinian hunger-strikers, who are protesting with their bodies being held by Israel without charge or trial – and whose health situation has drastically deteriorated. Just two days following an Israeli Supreme Court decision last week to temporarily suspend the detention of the hunger-striking Balboul brothers, an Israeli court Friday suspended the administrative detention of Malik al-Qadi, 25, who has been on hunger strike for 55 days in protest of his detention. But it may be too late. Israel urgently summoned Al-Qadi's mother to hospital giving her a permit to enter Israel after her son slipped into a coma. On Saturday, Mahmoud Balboul suffered severe chest pains on his 68th day without food. He and his brother, Mohammad have continued their hunger-strike after rejecting the High Court’s temporary suspension. But Palestinians are keenly aware of their situation. In Bethlehem, a sit-in was staged at the ICRC office in solidarity with the hunger-striking prisoners. The weekly Friday protest in Kafr Qaddum protest was held in solidarity with the three. Numerous Palestinians suffered tear gas inhalation. 

Quick Hits:

• Israeli forces kill 18-year-old Palestinian in Gaza after shooting him in head during protests - While rioting and throwing stones at IDF troops at the technical fence separating Israel and Gaza, a Palestinian man was killed; The IDF maintains no live fire was used; Gazan sources say man was shot in head. (Ynet and Maan) 
• Body of presumably last missing person in parking lot collapse found - The Home Front Command workers at the site of the parking lot that collapsed on Monday extracted the body of who is believed to be the last person missing under the rubble; together with the two bodies found on Friday, this brings the total body count thus far to six. (Ynet) 
• Israeli forces continue siege on Nablus villages for 7th consecutive day - Israeli forces Saturday continued to impose strict closures on Nablus-area villages of Beita, Einabus, Urif, and Huwwara for the seventh consecutive day, claiming rocks had been thrown by Palestinians at settlers vehicles on the Huwwara main road. (Maan) 
• Bicycle marathon in Gaza demands end to Israeli-imposed siege - The marathon, which was organized by the group Youth for Gaza, started at 6 a.m. as dozens of youths gathered at the al-Samer crossroads in Gaza City before setting off down the streets, waving Palestinian flags until they reached the Erez crossing. (Maan) 
• World Vision reportedly lays off 120 employees in Gaza after Israel freezes group's bank accounts - The move follows the Israeli authorities freezing the organization's bank accounts, after which it was unable to pay salaries to the workers, most of whom were appointed in the aftermath of the 2014 Israeli assault on Gaza. (Maan) 
• Plans for new village for Gush Katif evacuees raise objections - A popular beach for southern residents may be turned into a fishing village for residents of expelled Gush Katif residents; while the Nature and Parks Authority is against the idea, the Minister of Agriculture assures that all considerations have been taken into account. (Yedioth/Ynet)
• In Israel, Attorneys Decry 'Postponed Justice' When It Comes to Jewish Terror Suspects - Lawyers of the suspects in politically motivated crimes assert that the Shin Bet is denying legal counsel to their clients as a matter of course. (Haaretz+) 
• To shoot or not to shoot? Simulator puts IDF trainees in Elor Azaria's shoes - Israeli troops deployed in the West Bank are trained stay cool under pressure, but in the moment of truth they face the dissonance between the army’s rules of engagement and the 'Hebron law,' which dictates shooting first and explaining later. (Haaretz+)
• Gilad Sharon to follow footsteps of father, brother into politics - More than a decade after his father split Likud to form Kadima, late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's younger son Gilad is preparing to follow in his brother Omri's footsteps and run for a spot on the ruling party's next Knesset list. 'Likud is a pragmatic party which understands that we cannot reach Scandinavian peace right now,' he says. (Yedioth/Ynet) 
• After FBI Tip-off, Israel Arrests Two for $600,000 Cybercrime Operation - Police alerted to activities of two 18-year-olds from central Israel, whose online hacking operation has allegedly been behind numerous attacks to knock websites offline. (Haaretz+)
• Palestinians claim ownership of land declared 'absentee' by Israel for leasing to settlers - Palestinian residents of several villages in the central occupied West Bank district of Ramallah have claimed ownership on Thursday of land Israeli authorities deemed “absentee” last month as they announced plans to transfer the illegal Amona outpost to the area. (Maan) 
• The land Moshe Dayan gave to Palestinians - Head of the Jordan Valley Council alleges that Palestinians 'invaded our land;' in a surprising twist however, an internal document discovered last year confirms that Moshe Dayan gave verbal approval for 2 Palestinians to work the land in the 70s. (Yedioth/Ynet)
• Border Policemen who damaged a civilian's scooter suspended - The two Border Police officers who were filmed damaging an Old City resident's scooter have been suspended from their unit following a Police Internal Investigations Department investigation. (Ynet) 
• Plans for industrial park in Jericho moving forward - After nine years of delays and two and a half years of no communication between parties, the plan for a new industrial park in Jericho intended to stimulate the Palestinian economy by generating thousands of jobs is finally moving forward; Likud minister: 'I hope the successful meeting will contribute more to a positive atmosphere, after such a tense and pessimistic period.' (Yedioth/Ynet) 
• Hajj begins in Mecca, one year after deadly crush - Over 3 million Muslims have come from over the world to participate in the pilgrimage, one year after a stampede that killed over 2,000; Saudi authorities are taking precautions to prevent similar incidents. (Agencies, Ynet) 
• US lawmakers hosts first-ever anti-BDS conference - Over 100 people attend a Capitol Hill event on anti-Israel boycott activities in an effort to devise ways to counter them • "BDS activities sabotage the only real example of peaceful coexistence in the Middle East," Samaria Regional Council head says. (Israel Hayom)
• N.Y. venue nixes Black Lives Matter benefit over Israel-bashing platform - 'As we can’t support these positions, we’ve accordingly decided to cancel the concert,' the owners and managers of Feinstein’s/54 Below said. (JTA, Haaretz) 
• For the love of gefilte: Scottish inmates converting to Judaism for better meals - Inspired by an episode of ‘Orange is the New Black,’ more than 130 Scottish inmates have become Jewish to receive kosher meals, which are considered better than the standard meal plan. (Ynet) 
• Israel's role in South Sudan under scrutiny - The Jewish state is coming under scrutiny following Netanyahu's visit to African leaders who have dark human rights records, specifically looking at Israel's relations in South Sudan which is in the midst of a civil war; Israeli opposition politicians question how involved Israel truly is in the conflict. (Agencies, Ynet) 

Features:
Bisected by a Jews-only road, a Palestinian neighborhood in Hebron is dyingThe heavily-armed elite IDF soldiers tasked with ensuring that Aref Jaber doesn't expand his house bravely leap into action when faced with any security threat, be it a child or a camera crew. The house has been declared a closed military zone, they say. (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) 
Plugging the brain drain
Given the private sector successes of many veterans of IDF special technology units, the problem of retaining personnel who can earn double or even triple their army wages has come front and center. As such, the head of the Directorate of Military Intelligence of the IDF has formulated a plan to address the issue. (Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth/Ynet)
This Israeli American acted as therapist to Arafat's bodyguard in Germany
Arrivals / Departures: Reuven Goldberg worked at a center for torture survivors in Berlin when he was assigned the case of one the late Palestinian leader's bodyguards: 'It was a very exceptional encounter'; Julien Scholl, a French circus artist, explores conflict through performance. (Liat Elkayam, Haaretz)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
Comparing Palestinian Citizens of Israel With Illegal Israeli Settlers Is Immoral, Irrational and Ahistorical (MK Ahmed Tibi, Haaretz+) If Mr. Netanyahu really wants to know what ethnic cleansing means, he should ask the Palestinian citizens of Israel. 85% of the Palestinians living in what is now Israel were forced out in the 1948 Nakba - just because they weren't Jews. 
Face It, Israel, Sometimes Countries Just Commit Suicide (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) Ari Shavit believes Israel can be saved if we can find a way to make Israelis see sense about the dangers of the occupation — even though, after numerous attempts by many fine patriots, no one has managed it to date.
The Israeli Military's Unspoken Contract With Its Soldiers (David Zonsheine, Haaretz+) Soldiers cannot be expected to carry out the crimes necessary for the occupation unless the state tacitly agrees not to prosecute them. This is the true reason the army brass is coming to Elor Azaria’s defense.
Netanyahu’s Claim of 'Ethnic Cleansing' Sets a Guinness Record for Chutzpah (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) After years of fighting the loaded term, the prime minister is pushing it through the front door. If evacuating Jewish settlements for peace is a crime against humanity, then Begin and Sharon were perpetrators and U.S. presidents are all inciters. 
**The emperor’s clothes (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth) Our Prime Minister is not an emperor, and the he does not need a tailor. His new clothes he sews himself. Over the weekend, he released to the world his new propaganda film in condemnation of the Palestinian Authority. His English is perfect, both the words and the accent, his rhetoric is memorable, and his face caves under the burden of concern, just like in his propaganda video clip about the Arab on buses [his race-baiting video on the eve of elections when he said the ‘Arabs are going in droves’ to the polling stations - OH]. Netanyahu denounces the Palestinian Authority it does not agree to settle Jewish settlers within its borders. "This is ethnic cleansing," he states. Ethnic cleansing is a crime against humanity: the Serbs perpetrated it against the Bosnians, the Hutus against the Tutsis, and of course, the Nazis against whole nations, primarily against Jews. It’s unnecessary to shout in this case "The emperor is naked." Netanyahu is not stupid: he knows that the speech shows him naked. But times are not easy, and sometimes you have to do exceptional things. Every headline, just not those titles about the police probe (into corruption suspicions) that never ends, about the indictment affair the official residences, about the flights and gifts and favors. So is running around in recent weeks from one media outlet to another, from event to event, from photo opportunity to photo opportunity, just like the emperor of that story. The emperor is stitching and sewing. Netanyahu is digging and digging. I suppose these lines, that try to explain why the world rejects this speech out of hand, he will read with satisfaction. Everything. Just not about investigations. The West Bank is occupied territory. It’s not I that said it: the Israeli government said so. According to international law the occupying state is forbidden to transfer population into the territory. Over that there is a consensus in the world. Our High Court chose a different interpretation and allowed the settlers to settle on state land. At no stage did Jews agree to live under Arab sovereignty, not in Taba, not in Sinai and not in the ongoing negotiations on the fate of Gaza and the West Bank. I think their refusal was logical and justified by the circumstances… Settlements were built for Jews only. Palestinians were not allowed to live in them, nor in the cities that were built. Some were built on private land, and others were built and are being built today for one purpose: to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state. The most violent breed of settlers have taken over thousands of acres of farmland, in Shiloh Valley and other areas. The settlers enjoy plenty of water, while neighboring villages have dried up until the water tanker arrives. On this our forefathers said: the pot calling the kettle black. Those who live in glass houses won’t rush to throw a stone. This statement holds true also for what Netanyahu said in his speech to the Israeli Arabs. Only a year ago he incited fiercely against this sector, not once, but twice. Now he raises this sector as flak jacket settlement policy, as a human shield. And he does it without blinking. His bending back and forth is perfect: Alexander Shatilov, our gymnastics champion, you have a successor. 
Yes, Netanyahu, Let's Talk About Ethnic Cleansing (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Turning Israeli settlers into victims is the prime minister's most staggering act of chutzpah yet. The only mass ethnic cleansing that took place here was in 1948, when some 700,000 Arabs were forced to leave their lands. 
What Israel Stands to Lose From the Syrian Cease-fire Deal (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Israel, which isn’t involved in efforts at a diplomatic solution in Syria, just as it’s not meddling in the war, is skeptical at the deal – especially as fighting spills over from across the border.
The role of foreign powers in Israel's creation (Jonathan Adelman and Asaf Romirowsky, Yedioth/Ynet)The notion that colonial and great powers were the main force behind the State of Israel's establishment is not supported by history, yet it is the 'history' that Palestinians continue to teach younger generations. 
How Israeli Politicians Took Peace With the Palestinians Off the Table (Daniel Bar-Tal, Haaretz+) Beyond the violence and disputes, Israeli leaders' adherence to conflict-supporting narratives creates psychological barriers that are very difficult to remove. 
Obama: See no evil, hear no enemies (Elliott Abrams, Israel Hayom) Obama has blurred the lines between friends and enemies. It will be up to the next president to distinguish between them and show that America is back. 
The enemy of the people (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) A recent poll projected victory for Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid party over Prime Minister Netanyahu's Likud. Lapid's appeals to the center seem to be working, but can he sustain his standing until the next elections?
Netanyahu's 'Ethnic Cleansing' Video Pushes Obama Closer to UN Security Council (Barak Ravid, Haaretz+) White House was again reminded that Netanyahu has no qualms about attacking them, even when he needs them. PM's comments were almost word-for-word on hasbara talking-points penned by far-right political strategist. 
If Lapid is to lead, unpopular steps may be necessary (Nadav Eyal, Yedioth/Ynet) Yair Lapid has proven that he is the main non-Netanyahu candidate for prime minister; now he must prove that apart from his desire to win, he is willing to take brave (yet unpopular) steps as a leader in the opposition. 
Israel allocated the work of the occupation unfairly, but that's changing (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) There won’t be a critical mass for change as long as the dirty, contemptible work of maintaining the occupation isn’t divided equally among all classes of society.