APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday October 26, 2016
Quote of the Day #1:
“Sooner or later, what you don't know will hurt you.”
--Haaretz columnist Bradley Burston writes about why NGOs like B'Tselem and Peace Now are so valuable to Israel's democracy.*
--Haaretz columnist Bradley Burston writes about why NGOs like B'Tselem and Peace Now are so valuable to Israel's democracy.*
Quote of the Day #2:
“The left doesn’t respect the painful narrative of fear. I don’t doubt my mother's fears. She
spent most of her life in shelters under the threat of rocket fire. Speaking their language means I'm
not preaching, and I'm not constantly explaining to someone why he's wrong.”
-- Avi Buskila, a gay Mizrachi Jew and the new Peace Now Secretary General, gives a fascinating interview in Yedioth weekend magazine.**
-- Avi Buskila, a gay Mizrachi Jew and the new Peace Now Secretary General, gives a fascinating interview in Yedioth weekend magazine.**
Quote of the Day #3:
“May G-d curse those who caused you emigrate, you are our other half. You are the blood that I wish
will flow in our veins. We have not forgotten you, nor will we forget. Send my greetings to all Iraqi
Jews.”
--An Iraqi from the city of Karbala commented on the internet video message of Jewish Iraqi, Edwin Shuker, who is working to mend relations between Iraqi Jews who left Iraq and Iraqis living in Iraq.***
--An Iraqi from the city of Karbala commented on the internet video message of Jewish Iraqi, Edwin Shuker, who is working to mend relations between Iraqi Jews who left Iraq and Iraqis living in Iraq.***
Front Page:
Haaretz
- IDF probe: (Palestinian) Youth was shot to death despite not endangering lives
- Weapons from the ‘60’s, makeshift uniforms and suspicion: Haaretz correspondent reports from the battle against ISIS in Iraq
- Egyptian policeman killed 15-year-old (Israeli) who worked on the border fence for the Defense Ministry
- Court confirmed: (MK) Oren Hazan ran a casino in Bulgaria and used drugs
- Suspicion: Within three days, two women from Jaffa were murdered by their relatives
- MK Michaeli acted to appoint an associate as head of an NGO, and promised to raise money
- Puppet theater // Haaretz Editorial
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Suspicion: She was murdered by her brother
- Court ruled: MK Oren Hazan used hard drugs
- The unbelievable story of the Israeli woman who fell in love with her father and had two children with him
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Effort to prevent today another UNESCO resolution against Israel
- Report in Iraq: ISIS had a thousand rockets carrying chemicals in the Mosul area
- Tragedy near Petach Tikvah: 15-year-old rode on electric bike and was run over and killed, his 19-year-old friend was seriously injured
- “(MK Oren) Hazan ran a casino and used hard drugs”
Israel Hayom
- Condition for new teachers: knowledge exams and personality
- 15-year-old killed on Egyptian border
- (MK) Hazan’s shame: “Suspend him from the Knesset”
- He cannot remain // Haim Shine
- “Entertainment on Yom Kippur? It would never have happened with the Maccabbi Tel-Aviv team of the past”
- Trump attacks: “Biased polls, we are winning”
- Death on the roads: 15-year-old killed and 19-year-old critically wounded while riding electric bikes
News Summary:
Two of three killings of 15-year-olds, the calls for the suspension of controversial MK Oren Hazan after a court ruled he took hard drugs, pimped prostitutes and ran a casino, and the Israeli diplomatic attempts to soften a UNESCO resolution condemning Israel were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
A 15-year-old Bedouin-Israeli boy who was working on the Israel-Egypt border fence with his father, an Israeli Defense Ministry contractor, was killed by Egyptian police, who apparently thought he was a smuggler. His father blamed “the IDF, which was neither present when it happened and did not respond in real time afterward.” Family members slammed the Defense Ministry and the IDF. The father of Nimr Abu-Amar said that usually an IDF jeep stays with them while they do their work, but none showed up this time and only after he son was injured. “The army abandoned us,” said family members, many of whom were there and have served in the army. Moreover, neither the IDF nor the Defense Ministry sent a representative to give condolences. “Is there a lack of soldiers? Is it because we are minorities so it doesn’t matter?” said Nimr’s uncle. “Someone from the Defense Ministry called me and asked if it was okay to come. Why wouldn’t it be okay? Half the family was in the army. His father was a career soldier. No one here will bite them if they come.”
Oddly, Maariv’s front page did not mention Nimr’s killing, but instead reported on the killing of a 15-year-old Jewish Israeli, who was run over while riding his electrical bike. And only Haaretz reported on its front page that that an IDF probe found that IDF soldiers killed a stone-throwing 15-year-old Palestinian even though he wasn’t a threat to their lives.
A libel suit filed by controversial Likud MK Oren Hazan backfired and now Israeli lawmakers on the left and right are calling for Hazan to be dismissed from the Knesset. A court ruled that the ex-deputy Knesset speaker used hard drugs, managed a Bulgarian casino and pimped prostitutes.
Israel was trying hard to soften a UNESCO resolution that condemns Israel for its actions towards Palestinians in Jerusalem (right-wing pro-Israel organizations also tried)
and which doesn’t specifically mention the Hebrew name for the Temple Mount or discuss the Jewish connection to the place. UPDATE: The UNESCO resolution passed. Another UNESCO vote to disregard Jewish connection to Jerusalem. (Meanwhile, Dana International dedicated a song to the ‘stupid UNESCO decision.’)
Two of three killings of 15-year-olds, the calls for the suspension of controversial MK Oren Hazan after a court ruled he took hard drugs, pimped prostitutes and ran a casino, and the Israeli diplomatic attempts to soften a UNESCO resolution condemning Israel were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
A 15-year-old Bedouin-Israeli boy who was working on the Israel-Egypt border fence with his father, an Israeli Defense Ministry contractor, was killed by Egyptian police, who apparently thought he was a smuggler. His father blamed “the IDF, which was neither present when it happened and did not respond in real time afterward.” Family members slammed the Defense Ministry and the IDF. The father of Nimr Abu-Amar said that usually an IDF jeep stays with them while they do their work, but none showed up this time and only after he son was injured. “The army abandoned us,” said family members, many of whom were there and have served in the army. Moreover, neither the IDF nor the Defense Ministry sent a representative to give condolences. “Is there a lack of soldiers? Is it because we are minorities so it doesn’t matter?” said Nimr’s uncle. “Someone from the Defense Ministry called me and asked if it was okay to come. Why wouldn’t it be okay? Half the family was in the army. His father was a career soldier. No one here will bite them if they come.”
Oddly, Maariv’s front page did not mention Nimr’s killing, but instead reported on the killing of a 15-year-old Jewish Israeli, who was run over while riding his electrical bike. And only Haaretz reported on its front page that that an IDF probe found that IDF soldiers killed a stone-throwing 15-year-old Palestinian even though he wasn’t a threat to their lives.
A libel suit filed by controversial Likud MK Oren Hazan backfired and now Israeli lawmakers on the left and right are calling for Hazan to be dismissed from the Knesset. A court ruled that the ex-deputy Knesset speaker used hard drugs, managed a Bulgarian casino and pimped prostitutes.
Israel was trying hard to soften a UNESCO resolution that condemns Israel for its actions towards Palestinians in Jerusalem (right-wing pro-Israel organizations also tried)
and which doesn’t specifically mention the Hebrew name for the Temple Mount or discuss the Jewish connection to the place. UPDATE: The UNESCO resolution passed. Another UNESCO vote to disregard Jewish connection to Jerusalem. (Meanwhile, Dana International dedicated a song to the ‘stupid UNESCO decision.’)
Quick Hits:
- IDF Probe: Soldiers Who Killed Teenage Palestinian Stone-thrower Were Not in Danger - Internal army investigation of recent West Bank incidents shows that soldiers who shot Palestinians were not at risk, and could have avoided opening fire in some cases. (Haaretz+)
- Trial of soldier involved in Hebron shooting enters final evidentiary stage - Among witnesses to take the stand are pathologist Dr. Hadas Gipes, who performed the autopsy on the terrorist shot by Sgt. Elor Azaria. Defense attorneys: Her opinion has already been completely refuted by the former head of Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, [Prof. Yehuda Hiss who was dismissed for his bad and unethical work – OH]. (Israel Hayom)
- Elor Azariya’s lawyer said to settlement security officer: "Can you help me eliminate the brigade commander?" - Settlement security director, Yoni Bleichard, who was present at the incident at Tel-Romeida (in Hebron), talked about the attempts by the defense team to bring him to the witness stand. Soon the coroner will testify that “the terrorist was killed by the shooting” (of Sgt. Elor Azariya). (Maariv)
- Top Palestinian diplomat urges Obama to take action on occupation after U.S. election - Obama 'has the opportunity not to be remembered as the U.S. president who allowed the two-state solution to disappear,' Saeb Erekat writes in Washington Post op-ed. (Haaretz)
- Police reject judgment that criminal suspects arrested 'because they were Arabs' - After Petah Tikva Magistrates' Court rules that four Arabs were arrested for criminal acts in the city based on their ethnicity, citing ‘no reasonable’ grounds for arrests, police seek to rebut the ruling, offering evidence to the contrary; ‘There were reasonable grounds.’ (Ynet)
- Arab Israelis mark 60 years since Kafr Qasim massacre (Land Day) - A press conference marked six decades since the incident in which dozens of Arab residents of the Arab Israeli city were killed by members of the Border Police. A new art gallery marking the massacre's anniversary was opened recently. (Ynet)
- During Sukkot, Palestinians illegally built a road near the "Lieberman Road" - Heavy machinery operated at nights to establish a road that connects the village of Wadi al Hummus to Road 398. COGAT: "They worked without a permit." (Maariv)
- Record number of Jews visit Temple Mount for holidays - Over 3,000 Jews frequented the holy site during October holiday period, including a group of soldiers; though Palestinian social media is ablaze, no altercations have been reported. (Haaretz+)
- Police recommend allowing MKs to make limited visits to Temple Mount - PM: ‘No change yet’ - Year-long ban on politicians visiting the flashpoint site was put in place in bid to quell tensions behind Palestinian terror wave. (Maariv, Israel Hayom and Times of Israel)
- Secret documents expose Israeli politicians, senior defense officials as KGB spies - Thousands of documents copied and smuggled to the West by a former KGB archivist reveal the Soviet intelligence agency's network of agents and assets in Israel, including 3 MKs, an IDF major general and a Shin Bet officer. The full story will be published on Friday on Ynetnews. (Ynet)
- Lieberman lambasted on all fronts for Palestinian media interview - Following defense minister’s failure to mention the fate of Lt. Hadar Goldin and Sgt. Oron Shaul during a recent interview with Palestinian media, Lieberman finds himself subjects of severe criticism by families, Arab MKs and former defense minister. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Lapid at Gaza border: Lieberman's formula is correct - The Yesh Atid party leader toured Gaza-adjacent towns with foreign ambassadors and endorsed the minister of defense's idea of tying the strip's rehabilitation to cessation of hostilities by Hamas. (Ynet)
- Fatah concerned Israel may torpedo its party convention in Ramallah - The entrance of hundreds of Palestinian delegates from Gaza, Lebanon and Syria into the West Bank dependent on Israeli permits. (Haaretz+)
- Russian and Egyptian paratroopers in joint drill - Watch: Russian and Egyptian paratrooper participate in first ever joint drill called 'Defenders of Friendship 2016'; the massive drill, in which 800 Russian soldiers are participating in, are being carried out to practice anti-terror techniques; drill comes as relations between Cairo and DC turn colder. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Heading Netanyahu off at the pass, Israel's new broadcaster says ready to launch by new year - Promised early start date puts pressure on Netanyahu, Finance Minister Kahlon to approve Kan going on air within two weeks. (Haaretz+)
- Police investigation exposed: Organ trading ring - out of greed - Two of the suspects who were arrested identified potential kidney sellers who needed money. The third suspect - a doctor - helped to advance the procedure, which was carried out in Turkey. (Maariv and Israel Hayom)
- Ignoring travel warnings, 20,000 Israelis flood Egypt's Sinai over holidays - The 22-percent rise over last year reflects record number of Israelis ignoring government warnings, burgeoning number of Jewish Israelis visiting Egyptian peninsula. (Haaretz)
- Israeli, Cypriot officials to meet for natural gas talks - Senior officials from energy ministries to try to finalize agreement on the development of shared gas fields Aphrodite and Yishai • Israeli official to fly to Athens on Thursday to discuss the building of tripartite pipeline to export gas from Israel. (Israel Hayom)
- ISIS Reportedly Committing Massacres Around Mosul, UN Says - The militant group reportedly killed 50 former police officers while Iraqi security forces discovered the bodies of 70 civilians, the UN said, citing preliminary information from sources near Mosul. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
A year in Nazareth: Capturing a Galilean dynasty’s culinary tradition
The 18 months Michal Waxman spent in the kitchen of the Safdi clan – one of whose members is the chef of Nazareth's famed Diana Restaurant – yielded 'Baladi,' cookbook of Arab cuisine. (Ronit Vered, Haaretz+)
IN PICTURES: IDF and Jerusalem in EPA's photos of the year
The European Pressphoto Agency selected its favorite photos from 2016: The burning skyscraper in Dubai, a month-old hippopotamus in Prague, and Israel's Midburn festival all feature in the album. (EPA, Ynet)
Commentary/Analysis:
*As an Israeli, B'Tselem and Peace Now Protect Me. Who Will Protect Them? (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) Lately, Netanyahu seems to be threatened by a lack of external threats. Which brings us back to his deepest fear: any challenge to the integrity and permanence of the settlement enterprise and its shield, the occupation.
It’s not Netanyahu, it’s the left-center leaders (Haim Ramon, Yedioth/Ynet) Barak, Livni, Lapid and Herzog are all to blame for cooperating with the prime minister’s deception. As long as the leaders of the Zionist left and center avoid confronting Netanyahu, they are abusing their position as heads of the Jewish state camp.
Thanks to Trump, We Can Better Understand How Hitler Was Possible (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) America isn't Nazi Germany and Trump isn't the Führer. But today it is easier to grasp how millions of people accepted the outrageous lies and dangerous delusions offered by the tyrant.
Amos Oz, to the Barricades: How to Bring Down the Occupation (Larry Derfner, Haaretz+) The Israeli peace camp has not exhausted all possible means to end the occupation of the Palestinians. Far from it. We need to start raising some non-violent hell, and keep it up.
Order of the day: the educational curriculum must start discuss the Arab minority (Nasreen Haddad Haj-Yihiyeh, Maariv) The State Comptroller’s report gave Bennett the opportunity to make it a priority to narrow the deep rift between Jews and Arabs. The strength of Israeli society depends on it.
David Bitan’s horror show (Ran Edelist, Maariv) Likud MK and coalition chairman David Bitan’s proposal to revoke citizenship [of B’Tselem director Hagai El-Ad for speaking against Israeli occupation at UN Security Council – OH] will remain long after the storm over B’Tselem passes. It can be assumed his numerous initiatives were not born in his feverish brain.
Israel's National Puppet Theater Heads to Settlements (Haaretz Editorial) Habima theater's consent to put on a show in Kiryat Arba is a 'moral stain worthy of condemnation.'
Israel's Habima Theater Must Perform in Kiryat Arba (Alit Karp, Haaretz+) Habima, together with the left-wing journalists, authors and poets, should rise up from its prolonged armchair revolution and go forth to settle in the hearts of the settlers, the people of the periphery and others.
Trump Can Save Amona (Uzi Baram, Haaretz+) 'All the bad spirits that began to spread as a result of Trump’s candidacy are trivial. Israel’s main problem, according to right-wing reports, is the settlements and the need to put an end to the Obama initiative.'
The courts should not run the military (Dr. Gabi Avital, Israel Hayom) The recent state comptroller's report on cross-border tunnels hurts the military, and setting up commissions of inquiries ties the hands of Israeli soldiers.
A Vulgar Rightist Twist on Darwin (Tzvia Greenfield, Haaretz+) To expose the moral and ideological foundations of the dispute between right and left, one must present the fundamental assumptions that have shaped the views of the right throughout history.
The microcosm of Mosul (Prof. Eli Podeh, Israel Hayom) The results of the offensive against the Islamic State group's stronghold in Iraq could have a significant impact on the future of the Middle East.
The Long Arm of Israel's Attorney General (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) In probe against Netanyahu's possible criminal wrongdoing, Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit has appropriated the role of chief of the investigating team for himself.
In West Bank, Layers of Institutionalized Violence (Amira Hass, Haaretz) A look at a West Bank checkpoint 'that provides the Jews land and rights that it deprives the Palestinians of, a violence of the overlord that is intravenously fed into the veins of every Israeli.'
The 18 months Michal Waxman spent in the kitchen of the Safdi clan – one of whose members is the chef of Nazareth's famed Diana Restaurant – yielded 'Baladi,' cookbook of Arab cuisine. (Ronit Vered, Haaretz+)
IN PICTURES: IDF and Jerusalem in EPA's photos of the year
The European Pressphoto Agency selected its favorite photos from 2016: The burning skyscraper in Dubai, a month-old hippopotamus in Prague, and Israel's Midburn festival all feature in the album. (EPA, Ynet)
Commentary/Analysis:
*As an Israeli, B'Tselem and Peace Now Protect Me. Who Will Protect Them? (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) Lately, Netanyahu seems to be threatened by a lack of external threats. Which brings us back to his deepest fear: any challenge to the integrity and permanence of the settlement enterprise and its shield, the occupation.
It’s not Netanyahu, it’s the left-center leaders (Haim Ramon, Yedioth/Ynet) Barak, Livni, Lapid and Herzog are all to blame for cooperating with the prime minister’s deception. As long as the leaders of the Zionist left and center avoid confronting Netanyahu, they are abusing their position as heads of the Jewish state camp.
Thanks to Trump, We Can Better Understand How Hitler Was Possible (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) America isn't Nazi Germany and Trump isn't the Führer. But today it is easier to grasp how millions of people accepted the outrageous lies and dangerous delusions offered by the tyrant.
Amos Oz, to the Barricades: How to Bring Down the Occupation (Larry Derfner, Haaretz+) The Israeli peace camp has not exhausted all possible means to end the occupation of the Palestinians. Far from it. We need to start raising some non-violent hell, and keep it up.
Order of the day: the educational curriculum must start discuss the Arab minority (Nasreen Haddad Haj-Yihiyeh, Maariv) The State Comptroller’s report gave Bennett the opportunity to make it a priority to narrow the deep rift between Jews and Arabs. The strength of Israeli society depends on it.
David Bitan’s horror show (Ran Edelist, Maariv) Likud MK and coalition chairman David Bitan’s proposal to revoke citizenship [of B’Tselem director Hagai El-Ad for speaking against Israeli occupation at UN Security Council – OH] will remain long after the storm over B’Tselem passes. It can be assumed his numerous initiatives were not born in his feverish brain.
Israel's National Puppet Theater Heads to Settlements (Haaretz Editorial) Habima theater's consent to put on a show in Kiryat Arba is a 'moral stain worthy of condemnation.'
Israel's Habima Theater Must Perform in Kiryat Arba (Alit Karp, Haaretz+) Habima, together with the left-wing journalists, authors and poets, should rise up from its prolonged armchair revolution and go forth to settle in the hearts of the settlers, the people of the periphery and others.
Trump Can Save Amona (Uzi Baram, Haaretz+) 'All the bad spirits that began to spread as a result of Trump’s candidacy are trivial. Israel’s main problem, according to right-wing reports, is the settlements and the need to put an end to the Obama initiative.'
The courts should not run the military (Dr. Gabi Avital, Israel Hayom) The recent state comptroller's report on cross-border tunnels hurts the military, and setting up commissions of inquiries ties the hands of Israeli soldiers.
A Vulgar Rightist Twist on Darwin (Tzvia Greenfield, Haaretz+) To expose the moral and ideological foundations of the dispute between right and left, one must present the fundamental assumptions that have shaped the views of the right throughout history.
The microcosm of Mosul (Prof. Eli Podeh, Israel Hayom) The results of the offensive against the Islamic State group's stronghold in Iraq could have a significant impact on the future of the Middle East.
The Long Arm of Israel's Attorney General (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) In probe against Netanyahu's possible criminal wrongdoing, Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit has appropriated the role of chief of the investigating team for himself.
In West Bank, Layers of Institutionalized Violence (Amira Hass, Haaretz) A look at a West Bank checkpoint 'that provides the Jews land and rights that it deprives the Palestinians of, a violence of the overlord that is intravenously fed into the veins of every Israeli.'
Interviews:
**Peace Now's new director is a different kind of leftist
Avi Buskila has no intention of being a 'pet Mizrahi' for the left-wing NGO; in his first interview since taking over 6 months ago, he declares, 'I won't apologize for spending more time in the army than Bennett, or for being in the periphery longer than Miri Regev. I also won't apologize for thinking it's our turn to take the peace camp forward.' (Interviewed by Nevo Ziv in Yedioth’s Friday magazine, ‘Musaf L’Shabbat,’ cover story and Ynet)
***Return to the days of glory: the businessman who is trying to save the Jewish holy places in Iraq
An Iraqi Jew’s three-minute video message wishing Muslims a Happy New Year and appealing to Iraqis to safeguard their Jewish heritage has garnered hundreds of thousands of views. Following his appeal in classical Arabic, Edwin Shuker, an Iraqi-born Jewish businessman living in London, received an offer from the leader of the most important of Sunni tribes to work with Jews. After consulting with Muslim acquaintances, Shuker decided to make his video appeal when he discovered that the Muslim New Year 1438 coincided with the Jewish New Year 5777. He uploaded the video to his Facebook page and was astonished at its impact. "Every morning I wake up to another few thousand views," he told Jack Hugi of Maariv newspaper. In the interview, Shuker returns to the story of his family's escape and talks about renewal of the historical relationship between the two nations in a special interview. (Interviewed by Jacky Hugi in Maariv, partially translated to English in JewishRefugees blog)
**Peace Now's new director is a different kind of leftist
Avi Buskila has no intention of being a 'pet Mizrahi' for the left-wing NGO; in his first interview since taking over 6 months ago, he declares, 'I won't apologize for spending more time in the army than Bennett, or for being in the periphery longer than Miri Regev. I also won't apologize for thinking it's our turn to take the peace camp forward.' (Interviewed by Nevo Ziv in Yedioth’s Friday magazine, ‘Musaf L’Shabbat,’ cover story and Ynet)
***Return to the days of glory: the businessman who is trying to save the Jewish holy places in Iraq
An Iraqi Jew’s three-minute video message wishing Muslims a Happy New Year and appealing to Iraqis to safeguard their Jewish heritage has garnered hundreds of thousands of views. Following his appeal in classical Arabic, Edwin Shuker, an Iraqi-born Jewish businessman living in London, received an offer from the leader of the most important of Sunni tribes to work with Jews. After consulting with Muslim acquaintances, Shuker decided to make his video appeal when he discovered that the Muslim New Year 1438 coincided with the Jewish New Year 5777. He uploaded the video to his Facebook page and was astonished at its impact. "Every morning I wake up to another few thousand views," he told Jack Hugi of Maariv newspaper. In the interview, Shuker returns to the story of his family's escape and talks about renewal of the historical relationship between the two nations in a special interview. (Interviewed by Jacky Hugi in Maariv, partially translated to English in JewishRefugees blog)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.