APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday October 31, 2016
Quote of the day:
"I am ashamed of the mistakes I made with regards to people in general and women in particular. I am
ashamed that I did not behave correctly to my wife and children. I am embarrassed about the consequences of
what I did."
--Renowned journalist Ari Shavit said in a statement released Sunday announcing that he was resigning from Haaretz and Channel 10.*
--Renowned journalist Ari Shavit said in a statement released Sunday announcing that he was resigning from Haaretz and Channel 10.*
You Must Be Kidding:
“Within the framework of this contract period, the institution will not criticize the ministry’s
policy in any way, or that of the government, on matters of economics, economic policies, and so on,
whether in a press conference, press interview, public speech, broadcast, newspaper or
book.”
--Section 20 of the Israeli Tourism Ministry tender inviting proposals for academic studies to be prepared on behalf the Ministry. The clause was later removed.**
--Section 20 of the Israeli Tourism Ministry tender inviting proposals for academic studies to be prepared on behalf the Ministry. The clause was later removed.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Change in poll trends in the US: Trump closing the gap with Clinton
- Ministers approved: Internet service providers will keep list of users visiting porn websites
- Question of price, not values: Kahlon is willing to close the public broadcasting corporation
- Foreign Ministry: Moving Amona outpost to vacated land breaks international law and will cause Israel heavy damage
- No asylum seekers have entered Israel for 1.5 years; increase in rate of departure
- Ari Shavit resigned: “I am ashamed and take responsibility”
- Soldiers and historians: Story of the ‘Zvika Force’ is a documented truth
- For the first time, central annual rally in commemoration of Rabin won’t be held
- Nu, nu, nu Naftali (Bennet) // Raviv Drucker
- Prosecution demands: 3-5 years for Nochi Dankner
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Close – 8 days to US elections
- Elimination operation – April 2016: Netanyahu signs on appointment of council for public broadcasting corporation; Yesterday: Netanyahu announces that on Sunday the government will vote to dismantle it
- Paranoia // Sima Kadmon
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- War of nerves (over closure of public broadcasting corp) - Photo of Netanyahu and Kahlon
- Empty cartridge // Ben Caspit
- Taking no prisoners // Ran Adelist
- (Former attorney general) Weinstein is a legal advisor – now also in Europe
- US Elections: Close race
- Covering up for Clinton // Shmuel Rosner
- The illusion of the polls // Shlomo Shamir
Israel Hayom
- US elections: Neck-and-neck
- Trump’s renaissance // Boaz Bismuth
- Postponing the eviction from Amona – on the way to the High Court
- Israel Broadcasting Authority employees: cut the budget but don’t close us down
- (Twins) Born together, killed together (in car crash)
- Want to watch porn? Sign up
- Sexually harassed and took responsibility: Ari Shavit resigned
News Summary:
The Knesset's 120 MKs took their seats today at the opening of the winter session, which faced three big questions: the fate of the public broadcasting corporation, the fate of the settlement outpost 'Regulation Bill' and the political fate of Likud MK Oren Hazan, whom a court found had pimped, used drugs and ran a casino. Indeed the first two issues were top stories yesterday and remained today’s top news stories as some of the players involved pulled back: Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu retreated, for at least a week, on his plan to shut down the new public broadcasting corporation, the government cabinet postponed its vote to legalize West Bank outposts after the deputy attorney general informed Haybayit Hayehudi ministers that the state would not defend the legislation before the High Court, (and meanwhile, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said that the suggested compromise of relocating Amona outpost would damage Israel diplomatically because it is in violation of international law), and a renowned journalist Ari Shavit resigned from Haaretz and Channel 10 after a second woman accused him of sexually harassing her when she was a J Street staffer.
Not mentioned in the Hebrew media, but very interesting was statement of support by Hamas for the two-state solution. Maan News Agency reported that Wafa, the Palestinian state news agency, reported that at a reconciliation meeting in Qatar between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leaders, Khaled Mashaal and Ismail Haniyeh, the two sides agreed that reconciliation between their parties was the key to “saving the Palestinian national project and facing the Israeli government’s plans of destroying the two-state solution.”
The Knesset's 120 MKs took their seats today at the opening of the winter session, which faced three big questions: the fate of the public broadcasting corporation, the fate of the settlement outpost 'Regulation Bill' and the political fate of Likud MK Oren Hazan, whom a court found had pimped, used drugs and ran a casino. Indeed the first two issues were top stories yesterday and remained today’s top news stories as some of the players involved pulled back: Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu retreated, for at least a week, on his plan to shut down the new public broadcasting corporation, the government cabinet postponed its vote to legalize West Bank outposts after the deputy attorney general informed Haybayit Hayehudi ministers that the state would not defend the legislation before the High Court, (and meanwhile, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said that the suggested compromise of relocating Amona outpost would damage Israel diplomatically because it is in violation of international law), and a renowned journalist Ari Shavit resigned from Haaretz and Channel 10 after a second woman accused him of sexually harassing her when she was a J Street staffer.
Not mentioned in the Hebrew media, but very interesting was statement of support by Hamas for the two-state solution. Maan News Agency reported that Wafa, the Palestinian state news agency, reported that at a reconciliation meeting in Qatar between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leaders, Khaled Mashaal and Ismail Haniyeh, the two sides agreed that reconciliation between their parties was the key to “saving the Palestinian national project and facing the Israeli government’s plans of destroying the two-state solution.”
Quick Hits:
- Three Israeli troops hurt in West Bank car-ramming - Palestinian driver reportedly shot dead after running over troops in Beit Omar. (Haaretz, Ynet and Maan)
- Israeli forces demolish family homes in Bedouin village for second time in October - For the second time this month, Israeli forces demolished several homes belonging to a Bedouin family in the village of Bir Hdaj in the Negev desert in southern Israel on Sunday. (Maan)
- 4 hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners' healths deteriorate, 3 moved to solitary - Palestinian prisoners Anas Ibrahim Shadid and Ahmad Abu Farah, who have been on hunger strike for 37 days, were now being held in Ramla prison hospital after their conditions severely deteriorated. Hunger-striking prisoners Hassan Rabayaa and Majd Abu Shamla were transferred to solitary confinement in the Ela detention center after their health worsened 26 days into their hunger strikes. (Maan)
- Samer al-Issawi declares new hunger strike in solidarity with female Palestinian prisoners - Prominent Palestinian prisoner Samer al-Issawi has been on hunger strike for three days at the Israeli prison of Nafha to protest the mistreatment of Palestinian female prisoners in the Damon detention center, he told (Voice of Prisoners) radio station. (Maan)
- Israel bans 5 year-old Palestinian boy from visiting father in prison - Abu Fanunah, a 51-year-old father of nine from the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, is currently being held in administrative detention -- internment without trial or charges. (Maan)
- Israel postpones Gaza fishing zone expansion by two days - Israeli authorities have planned to expand the fishing zone off the northern Gaza coast from the current six nautical mile limit, to nine nautical miles for the duration of the month of November, but postponed it due to “bad weather.” (Maan)
- **Israel's Tourism Ministry removes ban on academic free speech from tender - In a recent tender for academic studies, the ministry stipulated that criticism of the ministry or the government would not be tolerated. (Haaretz+)
- Israel Will Not Commemorate Rabin This Year Due to Lack of Funds – then relaunched - Coalition of groups that usually organize the annual rally failed to secure funding. Labor Party leader responds to cancellation announcement, says will try to hold alternative event. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- In Talk With Putin, Netanyahu Protests Russia's Support for anti-Israel UNESCO Resolution - A senior Russian diplomat visiting Israel is critical of Jerusalem’s 'over the top' response to the resolution, which [Israel says] disregards Judaism’s connection to the Temple Mount. (Haaretz+)
- Tanzania assisted Israel during UNESCO Jerusalem resolution - Due to Tanzania's efforts, recent UNESCO resolutions condemning Israel were somewhat softened; the two countries' relations warmed considerably after its current president, John Magufuli, came into office. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Jerusalem's Socioeconomic Rating Drops, to City Hall's Delight - This means additional state funding for the capital. (Haaretz+)
- UN: About 2,000 Palestinians harmed by Israeli demolitions in Jordan Valley so far this year - Civil Administration has demolished 780 structures in West Bank's Area C since the beginning of the year, compared with 453 in 2015. (Haaretz+)
- Israel downgrades its open-source Military Intelligence unit - Army weighed closing Hatzav, which gathers information from publicly available sources, before lowering the rank needed to command it. (Haaretz)
- Deputy IDF chief race on its way - Major Generals Aviv Kochavi and Sami Turgeman are the leading candidates to replace Maj. Gen. Yair Golan as IDF deputy chief of staff; will the charismatic paratrooper or the respected Armored Corps man take the spot as Lt. Gen. Eisenkot's second-in-command? (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Ad Calling on Women to Dress Modestly Roils Israeli Arab Community - The ad, for which no one has yet claimed responsibility, called on female attendees at the Kafr Qasem memorial events to 'keep the honor and holiness of the event.' (Haaretz+)
- Arab police officers urge young Arabs to join force - In light of a rise in Arab recruitment to the Israel Police, a new campaign has been launched in an effort to bring in even more officers from the sector; 'You can arrive at the scene of an incident speaking in Hebrew and understand something completely different,' says Master Sgt. Ahed Shibli, 'but if you come speaking his language and understanding what he’s saying, you’ll know how to solve the problem.' (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Opposition protests: "Cancel the Knesset session in commemoration of Gandhi (Rehavam Zeevi)" - On the 15-year anniversary of his assassination, a special meeting will be held in memory of Minister Rehavam Ze'evi (Gandhi). A row of MKs announced their intention to boycott it: "It is our duty to point out (his) legacy of criminality." (Maariv)
- Jerusalem's Socioeconomic Rating Drops, to City Hall's Delight - This means additional state funding for the capital. Arabs and Ultra-Orthodox Jews are two of Israel’s poorest communities, and Jerusalem has large and growing populations of both. (Haaretz+)
- Haaretz-NYTimes Conference - Roger Cohen: U.S. must push back against Israeli inaction - Speaking at conference to mark re-launch of New York Times' international edition, columnist says Obama should bring solution to conflict to UN Security Council before leaving office. (Haaretz+)
- Pink Floyd frontman, Roger Waters, loses $4M Amex deal over anti-Israel rhetoric - Credit giant American Express has reportedly backed out of sponsoring Roger Waters' 2017 North American solo tour over his support of Israel boycott • Amex is a longtime, major sponsor of Waters, but says it never made a formal offer to sponsor his tour. (Israel Hayom)
- Fight against BDS in European, US schools to get $13M boost from Israel - Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan heads program that aims to give Jewish students the tools to counter boycott, divestment and sanctions movement's activities. "This program aims to change the anti-Israel trend we are seeing on campuses," Erdan says. (Israel Hayom)
- IDF officer indicted for forging letter to prevent leading candidate's appointment as chief of staff - Six years after event, Lt. Col. Boaz Harpaz charged while suspicions dropped against others involved in affair. (Haaretz+)
- Ancient Muslim inscription proves Jewish ties to Temple Mount - Thousand-year-old inscription discovered at mosque near Hebron calls Dome of the Rock "Bait al-Maqdess," Arabicized version of Beit Hamikdash, Hebrew name for the Temple. Archaeologist: There is plenty of evidence early Islam was influenced by Judaism. (Israel Hayom)
- For Construction Workers in Israel, 2016 Is the Deadliest Year in a Decade - Most accidents aren’t investigated as crimes, and executives are rarely indicted. [NOTE: The article fails to report that the overwhelming number of victims are Arab. – OH] (Haaretz+)
- Kuwait donates $5 million to support Palestinian refugees in Syria - “It will allow us to responds to essential needs of some 440,000 Palestine refugees deeply affected by the dramatic conflict in Syria,” said UNRWA’s commissioner. UNRWA is appealing for another $414 million to meet their minimum needs. (Maan)
- Abbas' political rival Dahlan says he won't seek Palestinian presidency, backs jailed Barghouti - Speaking in Cairo, Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan blasts President Mahmoud Abbas for attempts to oust dissenting voices from the party. (Haaretz+ and Maan)
- (Turkish) Families of 2010 flotilla victims reject Israeli compensation deal - Despite the reconciliation deal struck between Israel and Turkey, families of 10 Turks killed in naval raid on the Gaza Strip-bound Mavi Marmara say they will continue to pursue legal action against Israeli soldiers, officials involved in operation. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)
- 747 ISIS Militants Killed Since the Start of Mosul Offensive - The militants have been killed in the fighting south of Mosul by Iraqi forces, senior security official says. The number of Iraqi casualties was not disclosed. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Saudi Airstrike Kills 60 as UN Claims 7 Million Yemenis 'Desperately Need Food' - As Yemen's 18-month long war continues to rage some 370,000 children are at risk of severe malnutrition, while around 7 million Yemenis are 'desperately in need of food.' (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
The Palestinian Women Behind a New Wave of Great Israeli Cinema
Two big winners at the Haifa film festival offer a unique, fresh viewpoint of life under the double burden of occupation and a patriarchal society. (Nirit Anderman, Haaretz+)
So was it David who killed Goliath?
A new exhibition at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem features a series of fascinating archaeological findings which may shed light on the famous biblical battle and on the beginning of monarchy in Israel. (Tali Farkash, Ynet)
Commentary/Analysis:
The Trumpification of Israel (Tzvia Greenfield, Haaretz+) Whether or not Hillary Clinton wins next week’s presidential election, what has happened to Likud will also happen to the Republicans.
Empty cartridge: Netanyahu's threat to "go to the polls" over the public broadcasting corporation – is an empty threat (Ben Caspit, Maariv) Unlike the ‘Israel Hayom Bill,’ which passed a preliminary vote, but was shelved by the last elections, if this time the prime minister goes to the voters, the public broadcasting corporation, for which the legislation has already passed, will be established.
Instead of escorting Palestinian kids home from school, Israeli soldiers throw stones (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Using a slingshot here, luring two Israeli women to a forbidden road there - this is the Israeli army in its element.
Compromise Would Cripple and Politicize Israel’s Public Broadcaster (Sami Peretz, Haaretz+) Proposal put forward on Sunday would save new corporation but give much more control to prime minister.
Multi-edged sword: It’s possible that the bill proposed by Smotrich will actually help B’Tselem (Dr. Revital Amiran, Maariv) The attempts by Habayit Hayehudi MK Bezalel Smotrich to narrow the movement of civil society through legislation and to make it subordinate to the whims of the government pose a threat to its freedom. Nevertheless, it may actually act against him.
The Technion’s Big Mistake: Squeezing Out Arab Students (Haaretz Editorial) Low Hebrew proficiency is one of the main causes for student dropout. Instead of helping these students, the prestigious university has decided to exclude them entirely.
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.750027
The IDF Chief Education Officer's Job Is Safe - Even After Pushing a Political Agenda (Israel Harel, Haaretz+) What authority empowered the Education Corps to protect the borders of the public space as well? It’s meddling in the debate on the Jewish-nation-state bill.
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.749988
Closing the public broadcasting corporation: Only a beheading would cause to Netanyahu leave alone those who oppose him (Ran Adelist, Maariv) It really does not matter if the corporation stands or falls. What matters is the continuation of the struggle for freedom of expression of all the remaining media outlets. The attempt to close this one reflects the government's outrageous conduct.
Arabs Without Sin (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz) The time has come to ask what kind of Arab world we are now facing. More than 50 years ago, when it was under colonial rule, it was united. Then, slowly, everyone went his own way.
Two big winners at the Haifa film festival offer a unique, fresh viewpoint of life under the double burden of occupation and a patriarchal society. (Nirit Anderman, Haaretz+)
So was it David who killed Goliath?
A new exhibition at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem features a series of fascinating archaeological findings which may shed light on the famous biblical battle and on the beginning of monarchy in Israel. (Tali Farkash, Ynet)
Commentary/Analysis:
The Trumpification of Israel (Tzvia Greenfield, Haaretz+) Whether or not Hillary Clinton wins next week’s presidential election, what has happened to Likud will also happen to the Republicans.
Empty cartridge: Netanyahu's threat to "go to the polls" over the public broadcasting corporation – is an empty threat (Ben Caspit, Maariv) Unlike the ‘Israel Hayom Bill,’ which passed a preliminary vote, but was shelved by the last elections, if this time the prime minister goes to the voters, the public broadcasting corporation, for which the legislation has already passed, will be established.
Instead of escorting Palestinian kids home from school, Israeli soldiers throw stones (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Using a slingshot here, luring two Israeli women to a forbidden road there - this is the Israeli army in its element.
Compromise Would Cripple and Politicize Israel’s Public Broadcaster (Sami Peretz, Haaretz+) Proposal put forward on Sunday would save new corporation but give much more control to prime minister.
Multi-edged sword: It’s possible that the bill proposed by Smotrich will actually help B’Tselem (Dr. Revital Amiran, Maariv) The attempts by Habayit Hayehudi MK Bezalel Smotrich to narrow the movement of civil society through legislation and to make it subordinate to the whims of the government pose a threat to its freedom. Nevertheless, it may actually act against him.
The Technion’s Big Mistake: Squeezing Out Arab Students (Haaretz Editorial) Low Hebrew proficiency is one of the main causes for student dropout. Instead of helping these students, the prestigious university has decided to exclude them entirely.
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.750027
The IDF Chief Education Officer's Job Is Safe - Even After Pushing a Political Agenda (Israel Harel, Haaretz+) What authority empowered the Education Corps to protect the borders of the public space as well? It’s meddling in the debate on the Jewish-nation-state bill.
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.749988
Closing the public broadcasting corporation: Only a beheading would cause to Netanyahu leave alone those who oppose him (Ran Adelist, Maariv) It really does not matter if the corporation stands or falls. What matters is the continuation of the struggle for freedom of expression of all the remaining media outlets. The attempt to close this one reflects the government's outrageous conduct.
Arabs Without Sin (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz) The time has come to ask what kind of Arab world we are now facing. More than 50 years ago, when it was under colonial rule, it was united. Then, slowly, everyone went his own way.
Interviews:
The only Jewish member of parliament in Tehran: "Iran is safer for Jews than France"
Iranian MP Siamak Morsadegh is presented as the sole Jewish voice in the country. In a special interview the MP, who is also a medical doctor, talks about the difference between Judaism and Zionism, he is angry about Holocaust denial angry and takes out time for performing surgery on the poor of the nation. (Interviewed by Gideon Kotz in Maariv)
The only Jewish member of parliament in Tehran: "Iran is safer for Jews than France"
Iranian MP Siamak Morsadegh is presented as the sole Jewish voice in the country. In a special interview the MP, who is also a medical doctor, talks about the difference between Judaism and Zionism, he is angry about Holocaust denial angry and takes out time for performing surgery on the poor of the nation. (Interviewed by Gideon Kotz in Maariv)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.