APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday September 15, 2016
Quote of the day:
“This is proof that Netanyahu is leading Israel toward the establishment of a bi-national state and is
investing the public’s money in the settlements at the expense of the Negev, the Galilee and the rest of the
country.”
-- Peace Now group responded after data was released showing that housing starts increased 17% over the Green Line while falling 7% across Israel.*
-- Peace Now group responded after data was released showing that housing starts increased 17% over the Green Line while falling 7% across Israel.*
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Interior Minister Deri thwarting increased transparency of local councils
- Even after 48 hours, in Syria, fear of ceasefire is greater than of war
- Former president Peres’ health situation is serious but improving
- Israel and US signed aid agreement
- Virtual reality // Amos Harel
- The other side of the agreement // Barak Ravid
- Labor court: Suspicion that Solel Boneh company is trying to silence employee who claimed there were safety flaws (Hebrew)
- New degree at Ben-Gurion and Tel-Aviv universities: Jewish-Arab cultural studies
- Kahlon wants to hide the secrets of the Ashkelon-Eilat Pipeline Company
- British boycott // Yair Ettinger
- Minister Regev cancelled the Authors’ Law and the prices are soaring
Yedioth Ahronoth
- “Father never gave up” - Former president Peres' health situation continues to be serious
- The husband: Director of hospital fighting over Peres’ life; The wife: Responsible for the crisis over the Ofek 11 satellite
- $38 billion dollars until 2028 (from the US)
- The letter Netanyahu is compelled to write // Nahum Barnea
- Between Givat Ulpana and Amona outposts: “They shouldn’t pull one over on you”
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Praying for his health (Peres)
- The agreement was signed: $38 billion (from the US) over 10 years
- Nothing new under the money // Yossi Melman
Israel Hayom
- $38,000,000,000 (from the US)
- Not just money – strong friendship // Yaakov Amidror
- Concern and hope (for Peres)
- 60 years later: Battalion 890 reconstructed at Palmachim the Mitla Pass parachuting
News Summary:
Former President Shimon Peres’ health has improved but is still in serious condition and he sparked a clash in Knesset and the enormous US military aid package to Israel which comes with conditions were today’s top stories in the Hebrew newspapers. Not in the Hebrew press were the latest actions to free three very ill hunger-striking Palestinians being held by Israel without charges or trial.
Doctors said they were 'cautiously optimistic' as 93-year-old Peres showed signs of improvement after suffering massive stroke. Meanwhile, the Jewish-Israeli vs. Palestinian narratives clashed in the Knesset over Peres’ legacy, when an Arab-Israeli lawmaker called Peres “a tyrant covered with our blood.” MK Basel Ghattas called Peres “a pillar of the arrogant, imperialist Zionist enterprise" and said he "is the one who inflicted the most damage and brought a plethora of disasters to the Palestinian nation and to the Arab world. Yet despite all of this, Peres is viewed as a dove, and even won the Nobel Peace Prize." Jewish MKs slammed Ghattas. Abroad, Western leaders and even NBA stars sent wishes to Peres for a speedy recovery.
The ‘historic’ US military aid package to Israel signed Wednesday may he the biggest the US has ever given any country and a US official said the aid wasn’t “American compensation for the agreement with Iran. It never was.” But the newspapers’ analysts, with the usual exception of Israel Hayom, noted the conditions that came with the package – most importantly, writes Yedioth’s Nahum Barnea, “Obama asked to stop, once and for all, the involvement of Congress in the Administration’s relations with Israel. He achieved that in this agreement. Israel cannot play between the authorities in Washington, getting something from the White House and afterward sending the Jewish lobby to Senators, in an attempt to get something more. After Republican Senator Lindsey Graham announced that the agreement does not obligate him – he will give Israel aid beyond the agreement, Netanyahu was forced to write a letter whose content has yet to be published. In this letter, Israel commits not to ask for additional aid from Congress. Israel gives another commitment: If Congress gives it any money without asking for it, it will return the amount to the Administration. This is an extraordinary commitment. On the plus side, it shows that the two most important political institutions in the world are competing over who will give Israel more; on the down side, it shows the suspicion that prevails in the Administration towards the Israeli government and towards Israel’s friends in Congress. The agreement also cancels the two bonuses that were given to Israel in an the previous understanding draft: the budget for purchasing oil, which was $400 million a year will be cancelled from the moment the agreement goes into effect on October 1st, 2018. And the budget for acquisitions from Israeli security industries, which was $850 million a year, will be gradually cancelled. The budget for oil was a nice present back in the day, but now that Israel is a gas powerhouse, it’s unnecessary. The budget for purchasing from Israeli security industries hurt the US security industries. It’s justified to cancel it. One must give credit to the Americans that they did not cut the amounts of aid…(and) US officials whispered in my ears last night the flexibility of the agreement: If Israel is in an emergency situation, another war or gets into an intifada, it will be possible to discuss increasing the aid.”
Scores of Palestinian prisoners launched a solidarity hunger strike with the three Palestinians who haven’t eaten for over two months and one is now in a coma. Muhammad and Mahmoud Balboul and Malik al-Qadi, have continued their own hunger strikes in protest of being placed in administrative detention -- internment without charge or trial. A Palestinian leader called on the UNHRC to help save the three. Malik al-Qadi, who has entered his 60th day on hunger strike, was fighting death at Israel’s Wolfson Medical Center after slipping into a coma on Saturday.
Former President Shimon Peres’ health has improved but is still in serious condition and he sparked a clash in Knesset and the enormous US military aid package to Israel which comes with conditions were today’s top stories in the Hebrew newspapers. Not in the Hebrew press were the latest actions to free three very ill hunger-striking Palestinians being held by Israel without charges or trial.
Doctors said they were 'cautiously optimistic' as 93-year-old Peres showed signs of improvement after suffering massive stroke. Meanwhile, the Jewish-Israeli vs. Palestinian narratives clashed in the Knesset over Peres’ legacy, when an Arab-Israeli lawmaker called Peres “a tyrant covered with our blood.” MK Basel Ghattas called Peres “a pillar of the arrogant, imperialist Zionist enterprise" and said he "is the one who inflicted the most damage and brought a plethora of disasters to the Palestinian nation and to the Arab world. Yet despite all of this, Peres is viewed as a dove, and even won the Nobel Peace Prize." Jewish MKs slammed Ghattas. Abroad, Western leaders and even NBA stars sent wishes to Peres for a speedy recovery.
The ‘historic’ US military aid package to Israel signed Wednesday may he the biggest the US has ever given any country and a US official said the aid wasn’t “American compensation for the agreement with Iran. It never was.” But the newspapers’ analysts, with the usual exception of Israel Hayom, noted the conditions that came with the package – most importantly, writes Yedioth’s Nahum Barnea, “Obama asked to stop, once and for all, the involvement of Congress in the Administration’s relations with Israel. He achieved that in this agreement. Israel cannot play between the authorities in Washington, getting something from the White House and afterward sending the Jewish lobby to Senators, in an attempt to get something more. After Republican Senator Lindsey Graham announced that the agreement does not obligate him – he will give Israel aid beyond the agreement, Netanyahu was forced to write a letter whose content has yet to be published. In this letter, Israel commits not to ask for additional aid from Congress. Israel gives another commitment: If Congress gives it any money without asking for it, it will return the amount to the Administration. This is an extraordinary commitment. On the plus side, it shows that the two most important political institutions in the world are competing over who will give Israel more; on the down side, it shows the suspicion that prevails in the Administration towards the Israeli government and towards Israel’s friends in Congress. The agreement also cancels the two bonuses that were given to Israel in an the previous understanding draft: the budget for purchasing oil, which was $400 million a year will be cancelled from the moment the agreement goes into effect on October 1st, 2018. And the budget for acquisitions from Israeli security industries, which was $850 million a year, will be gradually cancelled. The budget for oil was a nice present back in the day, but now that Israel is a gas powerhouse, it’s unnecessary. The budget for purchasing from Israeli security industries hurt the US security industries. It’s justified to cancel it. One must give credit to the Americans that they did not cut the amounts of aid…(and) US officials whispered in my ears last night the flexibility of the agreement: If Israel is in an emergency situation, another war or gets into an intifada, it will be possible to discuss increasing the aid.”
Scores of Palestinian prisoners launched a solidarity hunger strike with the three Palestinians who haven’t eaten for over two months and one is now in a coma. Muhammad and Mahmoud Balboul and Malik al-Qadi, have continued their own hunger strikes in protest of being placed in administrative detention -- internment without charge or trial. A Palestinian leader called on the UNHRC to help save the three. Malik al-Qadi, who has entered his 60th day on hunger strike, was fighting death at Israel’s Wolfson Medical Center after slipping into a coma on Saturday.
Quick Hits:
- Israel: Homes of Palestinian teen Mohammed Abu Khdeir’s killers needn't be demolished - The state says the homes of terrorists’ families are only destroyed to create deterrence, something that does not apply to less-frequent Jewish terrorism. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli Housing Starts Up 17% in West Bank, Despite Falling 7% Across Israel - Peace Now: Israeli settlement construction increases by 40% in first half of 2016. West Bank shows second-highest growth in housing starts, second only to Jerusalem, with 1,195 housing starts in the first half of 2016. (Haaretz and Maan)
- Minister orders UN envoy to be 'shunned' over policy criticism - Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman reportedly tells defense officials to "boycott" U.N. Middle East envoy Nikolay Mladenov after he blasts Israel's counterterrorism, settlement policies • Move harms Israel's interests, former Foreign Minister Livni warns. (Israel Hayom)
- ADL chief harshly rebukes Netanyahu's 'ethnic cleansing' rhetoric on Palestinians - Jonathan Greenblatt says the term the prime minister used was inappropriate to describe the Palestinian demand to remove settlers from the West Bank. (Haaretz)
- Israeli bulldozers level lands in southern Gaza Strip - Witnesses said that four Israeli military bulldozers entered some 50 meters into Palestinian lands from the Sufah military site between the districts of Rafah and Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. (Maan)
- Outrage as Muslim cemetery becomes terrorist pantheon - East Jerusalem cemetery where many terrorists are buried has become a magnet for Palestinian radicals, with visitors laying flowers on terrorists' graves • Advocacy group warns the site is "a breeding ground for incitement," calls for ban on access to it. (Israel Hayom)
- Palestinian who killed Israeli soldier in Tel Aviv in 2014 sentenced to life imprisonment - Killer of Sgt. Almog Shiloni testified he was motivated by Jews 'defiling' mosque on Temple Mount. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli Arabs suspected of smuggling hundreds of cars to Hamas in Gaza - Three Bedouin reportedly dismantled cars and smuggled their parts into Gaza by concealing them in other cargo. (Haaretz)
- Paratroopers Brigade conducts large-scale drill in Golan - Amid IDF assessments regarding threats on the border with the Syrian Golan, the Paratroopers Brigade conducted a large-scale exercise simulating an operation against ISIS-aligned terrorist organizations and Hezbollah; Drills included raids on terrorist concentration centers in Syrian villages, destruction of weapon caches and seizure of enemy territory. (Ynet)
- Volkswagen teams up with ex-Shin Bet chief on cyber security - Yuval Diskin and the German automaker form CyMotive Technologies to develop cyber security systems for internet-connected cars and self-driving vehicles. (Haaretz+)
- Jerusalem festival to assemble Mideast's largest singing circle - Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival, which opens Saturday, hopes to blur lines between performers and audience and to celebrate diversity with a night of communal cross-cultural singing • "Music connects people in the most natural way," says director. (Israel Hayom)
- Hamas: internal elections to be held in 2017, prisoner swap deal decisions in hands of military wing - Hamas official Ahmad Youssef told Ma’an that al-Qassam Brigades insisted that Israel release all prisoners who were freed as part of the Shalit deal but have since been re-detained, before starting talks in a new prisoner swap deal. (Maan)
- Syria: Israel trying to sabotage ceasefire with airstrikes - After IAF attacks Assad regime targets in retaliation for mortars fired into Israel, Syrian Defense Ministry claims IDF trying to escalate tensions by supporting extremist Islamist rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra. (Ynet)
- Israel's National Library Buys 11th Century 'Afghan Genizah’ - The main importance of documents cache is the treasure trove of information it contains about the Jewish community in Afghanistan a thousand years ago. (Israel Hayom)
- ISIS Lost Half of Its Territory in Iraq to U.S.-backed Forces, U.S. Official Says - Despite a series of major defeats in recent months, ISIS still controls Mosul, Iraq's second largest city. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Amid Bickering and Security Fears, Aid Waits on Turkish Border on Third Day of Syrian Cease-fire - U.S. and Russia agree to extend cease-fire by 48 hours; Russian army says cease-fire violated 60 times; Human rights watchdog records no deaths in first 48 hours. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
With U.S. Military Aid, Are Netanyahu’s Strong Beliefs Worth $7 Billion? (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The prime minister persuaded the Gulf states that Israel was countering Washington’s defeatist, conciliatory approach to Iran. But in the long term that strategy might fail.
The walking dead of the Azaria trial (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) Dr. Dov Shimon's claims that the terrorist Sgt. Elor Azaria shot in Hebron was already dead are reminiscent of the claims made by doctors in the Bus 300 affair, who claimed the terrorists seen taken alive out of the bus were actually already dead. One guy can die without knowing it, but two?
Israel's Next National Crisis (Haaretz Editorial) Israel has encouraged Israelis to buy new cars, while shelving alternative public transportation projects. By 2030, its economy will lose $10 billion due to decreased mobility, loss of work hours, traffic accidents and pollution.
Don’t despair of politics – protect the gatekeepers (Yoel Esteron, Calcalist/Ynet) When it comes to honest gatekeepers the likes of the attorney general, the police commissioner, they deserve our full trust and support. This is material in enabling them to become even better protectors of democracy.
The Ashkenazi Enemy (Na’aman Hirschfeld, Haaretz+) A political pressure group's use of a scapegoat, which channels the violence, is a classic tactic intended to create social cohesion and gather political power.
Assad is sending a signal to Israel (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) Now that the Syrian president has some breathing room, he can turn his attention to the operations Israel has reportedly been carrying out while the country is embroiled in civil war.
Assad's Attack on Israel Intended to Defend His Honor, Not Country (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The Syrian firing of missiles at Israeli jets doesn’t necessarily point to a critical situation on the border. If the shooting continues, however, Israel will be obliged to eliminate the danger – and the road to a direct clash won't be that long.
Conversation by fire (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) Syria's rockets into Israel and Israel's response are really a conversation that conveys messages through fire rather than words.
Trump Would Be Proud of Netanyahu's anti-Palestinian Ethnic Cleansing Canard (Peter Beinart, Haaretz+) Even if you ignore history, the prime minister's suggestion that contemporary Israelis would never dream of expelling Palestinians is painfully false.
Israel bolstering its Mideast status (Eli Podeh, Israel Hayom) Israel's geographic position now reflects its political and military status. This should teach us not to rely on the idea of Jews as "a people that dwells alone."
My Proposal: A Third Way for Israel (Ari Shavit, Haaretz+) My way is a long, gradual process of dividing the land, one that isn’t based on comprehensive agreements but on partial understandings, and of building the nation.
Shimon Peres, Outsider Who Wanted So Much to Be Loved (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) With his Yiddish accent, jacket and tie, he wasn’t seen as a real Israeli. In a state that invented the new Jew – sabra, tanned, a soldier, a daring adventurer – he was the old Jew, the exilic Jew.
Is America's Silence on Israel's Nuclear Ambiguity About to End? (Victor Gilinsky, Haaretz+) Since the Carter presidency America’s turned a blind eye to Israel’s nuclear activities contravening the conditions Congress set for countries to receive U.S. aid. America’s new political volatility may mean that’s about to change.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.