APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday November 2, 2016
You Must Be
Kidding:
"It glorifies violence and desensitizes our children."
--Orthodox educator Shira Hecht-Knoller of the Drisha Institute for Jewish learning, on the video promoting a private modern Orthodox Jewish kids' sports camp in New York by showing children dressed as soldiers crawling through the mud to ambush the enemy and, at the end, an Israeli flag and a sign saying, 'Enlist Now.'**
"It glorifies violence and desensitizes our children."
--Orthodox educator Shira Hecht-Knoller of the Drisha Institute for Jewish learning, on the video promoting a private modern Orthodox Jewish kids' sports camp in New York by showing children dressed as soldiers crawling through the mud to ambush the enemy and, at the end, an Israeli flag and a sign saying, 'Enlist Now.'**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Rising concern in Democratic camp: Clinton continues to lose support
- State Comptroller: Israel is not prepared to protect vital infrastructure from a cyber attack
- Failures in transportation and education: Expansive survey of the Comptroller’s report
- Religions Ministry appointed rabbi to local council that does not have any residents
- In contempt of the law // Yoel Yoaz
- Yariv Levine: “It’s not a shame to admit that establishing the public broadcasting corporation was a mistake”
Yedioth Ahronoth
- On the rise [Photo of Trump]
- In a battle to restrain [Photo of Clinton]
- Entering the army on the wrong foot – State Comptroller confirms Yedioth expose: severe flaws in the IDF sorting procedure
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Trump’s shake-up
- Cane’s campaign // Shmuel Rosner
- Trump’s religious voters // Shlomo Shamir
- In the downstream // Tal Schneider
- Minister of Broadcasting – In an attempt to solve the public broadcasting saga, Prime Minister advancing legislation to serve as Minister in charge of Israel Broadcasting Authority; Kahlon isn’t giving in
- Here (‘Kan’), there and everywhere // Ben Caspit
- Fixed game // Nadav Haetzni
- “The dead cannot purify their names” – In an almost empty plenum and in the wake of a protest, the Prime Minister and the President participated in special session in honor of the late Rehavam Zeevi
Israel Hayom
- For the first time in six months: Trump is leading by 1%
- The fitful elections – but Trump is very close to turning the tables // Boaz Bismuth
- Chief of Staff to combat soldiers: This is how you will do a bachelor’s degree – for free
- The female employee’s complaint of sexual assault by a senior Bank Hapoalim official was rejected – but the bank compensated her with millions
- State Comptroller report: Numerous failures in the war against traffic accidents; Significant faults in the education budget
- (Culture Minister) Miri Regev’s cultural revolution begins: More than 43 million shekels to institutions in the periphery
News Summary:
Donald Trump’s lead in the polls and the problems revealed by Israel’s State Comptroller were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also, Maariv had interesting news about the Jerusalem light rail.
In the annual report released yesterday, the state watchdog revealed numerous serious problems where the state institutions have failed. They included leaving vital civilian infrastructure vulnerable to cyberattacks that three different state agencies have allowed the private settler group, Elad, to run rampant in E. Jerusalem, that the army falls short on dealing with recruitment, that money invested in the education of the children of the socio-economically weak is less because the schools of the other children receive money from non-governmental sources, such as local council and parents. In September the State Comptroller reported that the Education Ministry is not allotting enough resources to deal with racism in schools. Maariv online reported that a study based on data collected from immigrant students from different countries found that 12% of Ethiopian-Israeli students reported that the month before, a teacher either grabbed them by force, pushed a student, or even hit a student.
The papers also revealed that the Jerusalem-Tel-Aviv high-speed train under construction should start running in 2018 and it will take only 28 minutes to get from once city to the other. Moreover, the plan is for the speed train to reach a station close to the Wailing Wall. However, what Maariv revealed was that Minister of Transportation Yisrael Katz plans to expand the Jerusalem light rail to travel beyond E. Jerusalem to settlements deeper into the West Bank. The plan is for it to reach Givat Ze'ev, Ma'aleh Adumim, Adam and Atarot settlements. In the past he introduced an extensive system of railway lines that would run across the West Bank, but it was not advanced in the end.
Donald Trump’s lead in the polls and the problems revealed by Israel’s State Comptroller were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also, Maariv had interesting news about the Jerusalem light rail.
In the annual report released yesterday, the state watchdog revealed numerous serious problems where the state institutions have failed. They included leaving vital civilian infrastructure vulnerable to cyberattacks that three different state agencies have allowed the private settler group, Elad, to run rampant in E. Jerusalem, that the army falls short on dealing with recruitment, that money invested in the education of the children of the socio-economically weak is less because the schools of the other children receive money from non-governmental sources, such as local council and parents. In September the State Comptroller reported that the Education Ministry is not allotting enough resources to deal with racism in schools. Maariv online reported that a study based on data collected from immigrant students from different countries found that 12% of Ethiopian-Israeli students reported that the month before, a teacher either grabbed them by force, pushed a student, or even hit a student.
The papers also revealed that the Jerusalem-Tel-Aviv high-speed train under construction should start running in 2018 and it will take only 28 minutes to get from once city to the other. Moreover, the plan is for the speed train to reach a station close to the Wailing Wall. However, what Maariv revealed was that Minister of Transportation Yisrael Katz plans to expand the Jerusalem light rail to travel beyond E. Jerusalem to settlements deeper into the West Bank. The plan is for it to reach Givat Ze'ev, Ma'aleh Adumim, Adam and Atarot settlements. In the past he introduced an extensive system of railway lines that would run across the West Bank, but it was not advanced in the end.
Quick Hits:
- Israeli forces detain 6 fishermen off Gaza coast, confiscate 2 boats - It remained unclear for exactly what reason the boats were confiscated, and why the fishermen were detained. (Maan)
- Israeli forces level lands in northern Gaza Strip, open fire on agricultural lands - Witnesses told Ma’an that four army bulldozers crossed the border fence east of the northern town of Beit Lahiya and razed Palestinian lands near the “buffer zone.” (Maan)
- High Court to decide on demolishing homes in West Bank Bedouin village - Lawyer representing residents of Duquiqa points to historic link between Ka’abne-Farijat tribe and its lands. (Haaretz+)
- Soldiers admit to taking bribes from Palestinians at checkpoints - Military Police soldiers confess to accepting candy, beverages and cigarettes in return for cursory or no inspections • Meanwhile, eight arrested in east Jerusalem for disturbing public order. IDF reports gunfire from Syria on Golan Heights, no injuries. (Israel Hayom)
- Israeli soldiers raid West Bank home of Palestinian shooter, arrest younger brother - The assailant, 25-year-old Palestinian policeman Mohammed Turkamen, was shot and killed at the scene of Monday's attack at a checkpoint north of Ramallah. (Haaretz and Maan)
- Gaza factions applaud actions of Palestinian officer slain while carrying out shooting - The PFLP, the PRC, and the PPSF all applauded it. A spokesman of the PRC said the shooting delivered a message that all the pressures "by both Israel and the PA can no longer prevent the Palestinian people from performing heroic operations against the occupation." (Maan)
- Israeli forces detain 70-year-old man and 14-year-old boy, and 13 others during overnight raids in West Bank - Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) highlighted that 70-year-old Harbi Abd al-Muti al-Jamal is diabetic and suffers from heart problems. (Maan)
- Palestinian woman allegedly detained for knife possession in Hebron - The Jerusalem Post reported that the incident took place on Tuesday morning, and that after the woman aroused the suspicion of Israeli security forces in the area, they searched her and found two knives in her possession. (Maan and JPost)
- Citing coerced confession, Israeli army court releases British man accused of aiding Hamas - A Lebanese-born man was arrested over security-related offenses, but military judge rules his confession to Shin Bet was given under duress and released him from custody. (Maan and Haaretz+)
- **Ready, Aim, Fire! U.S. Jewish Campers Turn IDF Recruits in Controversial Video - The video promoting an Orthodox sports camp for kids looks more like a military recruiting clip, with one critic saying it looks like an ISIS film - but the camp's organizers claim otherwise. (Haaretz+)
- The decision will be postponed: Elor Azariya will remain in 'open' custody - The court did not rule on the defense's request to release the soldier [who extrajudicially killed a Palestinian assailant - OH] to house arrest. The two sides will talk to each other in the coming days and try to reach an agreement. If they reach understandings - the judge will consider their decision. (Maariv)
- IDF to expand scholarship program - An online protest by IDF combatants who enlisted in August and November 2013 has borne fruit as the military announces its decision to increase the number of bachelor's degree scholarships available; program will soon be extended to include combat support soldiers and noncombatants too. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Likud minister calls founding new public broadcaster 'a mistake' - Knesset debates closure of new broadcasting corporation after opposition MKs claim Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "wants his own broadcaster." Levin: We will do what is best for the workers, we don't need to insist on perpetuating a wrong decision. (Israel Hayom)
- Sexual assault claims darken memorial for slain Israeli general and politician - President and prime minister stress accomplishments of Rehavam Ze’evi; most lawmakers were absent from ceremony in honor of murdered right-wing extremist 40 out of 120 showed up). (Haaretz+ and Maariv)
- Rabin memorial rally to double as pro-democracy protest - The Zionist Union party, which is funding the rally this year, had decided to make it into a protest against anti-democracy actions in Israel; the opposition party volunteered to host the party after it was announced that insufficient funds would lead to the first year of no rally being held. (Ynet and Israel Hayom)
- Study: Yom Kippur POWs more vulnerable to premature death - Thirty-year research project that compared hundreds of former POWs from 1973 war with control groups of soldiers who were not taken captive offers "unequivocal" proof that POW trauma has unique detrimental effects on physical, mental heath. (Israel Hayom)
- High speed rail from Western Wall to Tel Aviv - Minister of transportation orders plans drawn for high-speed railway line from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to include station in the Old City close to the Western Wall; riders will be able to get from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv in under half an hour. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Palestinian pollution of Alexander River kills fish, causes noxious odor - Israeli travelers report foul smell from the river due to Palestinian pollution; Israeli authorities have taken action to restore the state of the river; 'we saw dozens of dead fish, black water - it was real horror,' visitor said. (Ynet)
- While West Bank dries up, villages thirst for secure water supply - Residents of one Palestinian village, who once had to walk for hours daily to fetch water, now have limited access to Israeli water supplies. But it's not enough. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Committee appeals for release of 11 Palestinians' bodies withheld by Israel - Israeli police announced in June that slain Palestinians from occupied East Jerusalem suspected of “terrorism” would no longer be able to have funerals in their neighborhoods or villages, but would instead be buried in cemeteries chosen by the Israeli police. (Maan)
- Students in Jerusalem, Hebron injured after Israeli forces fire tear gas in universities - Israeli forces raided Abu Dis and stationed themselves on the al-Quds University’s premises, causing clashes to break out in the area between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian youth, said Bassam Bahar, head of a local committee in Abu Dis. (Maan)
- Italian president meets with Abbas during first visit to occupied Palestinian territory - In a joint press conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Italian President Sergio Mattarella called for an appropriate environment for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and for moves to be made by the international community to foster such efforts. (Maan)
- WikiLeaks: 'Far left hates me,' head of liberal think tank said after Netanyahu's 2015 speech - The invitation for the prime minister to speak at the Center for American Progress caused an uproar within the organization at the time. (Haaretz)
- Rio Jewish community protests UNESCO resolutions - Over 50,000 people in Brazil and around the world have come together as part of a campaign by the Hillel organization to protest the UN cultural agency's resolutions that do not mention the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount. (Ynet)
- UN cafeterias adding kosher food - In a relatively rare positive step towards Israel, the United Nations will begin serving kosher meals in its eateries; Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon worked to add the food choice to the international organization's menu, which includes halal options. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Report: [Israel Hayom publisher] Adelson Gave $25m to anti-Clinton Super PAC Amid New FBI Email Inquiry - Sources tells Fox News $25 million more may be forthcoming in days before Election Day on November 8. (Haaretz)
- Lebanon's Saad Hariri Endorsed for PM by Two Major Parliament Blocs - Hariri was promised the post in exchange of backing Michel Aoun's bid for presidency, who was elected on Monday and has Hezbollah's support. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Iraqi Troops Set Foot in Mosul, Long Urban Operation Expected in City - Iraq's forces reached the outskirts of Mosul on Tuesday for the first time, but the advance points towards grueling operation with difficult ambushes and house-to-house fighting. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- ISIS' Secret Rulebook Revealed: Beards, Concubines and Satellites - Documents obtained by Iraqi forces in villages re-captured from ISIS provide insight into the system of rules and punishments imposed by the extremist group. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Iran calls Aoun's election in Lebanon a Hezbollah victory - Election of Christian Michel Aoun as Lebanon's president ends 29-month vacuum. Aoun was deported from Lebanon in the 1990s for opposing Syria's invasion of Lebanon • Iran: Aoun's election shows "new support" for Islamic resistance against Israel. (Israel Hayom)
Features:
Additional risk: Members of the Christian community in Israel pay a heavy price for military
service
Many members of the community (serving in the IDF) are cursed and are physically injured by their Muslim neighbors, who find it difficult to accept their cooperation with Israel: "I liked the Golani Brigade Facebook page and they threatened to kill me.” (Noam Amir, Maariv)
Commentary/Analysis:
Always a Reason Not to Leave Amona (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The victory of the Amona settlers will be a victory for all of Israel’s scofflaws, who want just ‘seven more months.’ They, too, deserve a break.
Chemical warfare has become a routine in the Middle East (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) Israel is facing a situation in which its potential enemies – radical Islamic states or organizations – have turned chemical weapons into legitimate warfare.
Saving the Court From the Justice Minister (Haaretz Editorial) Shaked is not interested in dialogue or consensus and certainly not in a balanced court.
Will Obama betray Israel? (Isi Leibler, Israel Hayom) American Jewish leaders should speak out to ensure that the outgoing president realizes that by pursuing his anti-Israeli agenda, he is acting against the will of the nation.
Obama’s foreign policy has won (Isaac Ben-Israel, Yedioth/Ynet) Those who say the US president’s policy caused America to fall from grace are wrong. His cautious strategy actually weakened Russia and led to the elimination of key radical elements in the Middle East. It’s no wonder Putin supports Trump.
Peace Is Approaching Slowly (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) It is clear that tectonic changes are taking place in some Arab states’ attitude toward Israel.
Trump connects the religious Jews with the anti-Semites (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) "If Trump wins, I'm doing a Kiddush in the Great Synagogue" What makes the observant Jews in the US join hands with organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan?
Any action against racism is welcome, but where is the protection of Arabs who are discriminated against? (Ran Adelist, Maariv) Alongside measures to eradicate racism towards Ethiopians, Israel should act against the discrimination suffered by the Arab population in Israel. Starting with the discrimination by prosecutors and continuing with discrimination by police.
Israel's Shameless Non-public Media (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) The Government Press Office, Walla, the prime minister’s official Facebook page, Israel Hayom have all fallen in line to provide PR for PM Netanyahu and his wife.
Changing the composition of the judicial selection committee: One step back into the abyss (Attorney Yechiel Gutman, Maariv) No democratic country has ever invented a perfect method to select judges, but the attempt by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked to shape the High Court in her own image is dangerous and we should hope it will fail.
The hypocrisy of the Left (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) The ever-dwindling Left is seeking to control its last remaining strongholds in Israeli society and is likely planning to use the new public broadcasting authority as a mouthpiece for its political views.
Democracy is being lost in the law (Dr. Ephraim Herrera, Israel Hayom) The West must acknowledge the problem of radical Islam and take steps to fight it as a war, including enacting laws to check the justice system.
Against the background of growing desperation, the Palestinian barrel of explosives is close to exploding (Lior Akerman, Maariv) The weakness of Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas), whose days in power are numbered, and incitement by Hamas and the candidates for the leadership of the Palestinian Authority brought about an explosive situation in the Territories and at the moment, all of them are suspected of trying to carry out attacks.
U.S. Caught in a Vice in Battle for Mosul (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The American-led coalition of Kurds, the Iraqi and Turkish armies and Shi'ite militia may have more dividing them than ISIS unites them.
Many members of the community (serving in the IDF) are cursed and are physically injured by their Muslim neighbors, who find it difficult to accept their cooperation with Israel: "I liked the Golani Brigade Facebook page and they threatened to kill me.” (Noam Amir, Maariv)
Commentary/Analysis:
Always a Reason Not to Leave Amona (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The victory of the Amona settlers will be a victory for all of Israel’s scofflaws, who want just ‘seven more months.’ They, too, deserve a break.
Chemical warfare has become a routine in the Middle East (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) Israel is facing a situation in which its potential enemies – radical Islamic states or organizations – have turned chemical weapons into legitimate warfare.
Saving the Court From the Justice Minister (Haaretz Editorial) Shaked is not interested in dialogue or consensus and certainly not in a balanced court.
Will Obama betray Israel? (Isi Leibler, Israel Hayom) American Jewish leaders should speak out to ensure that the outgoing president realizes that by pursuing his anti-Israeli agenda, he is acting against the will of the nation.
Obama’s foreign policy has won (Isaac Ben-Israel, Yedioth/Ynet) Those who say the US president’s policy caused America to fall from grace are wrong. His cautious strategy actually weakened Russia and led to the elimination of key radical elements in the Middle East. It’s no wonder Putin supports Trump.
Peace Is Approaching Slowly (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) It is clear that tectonic changes are taking place in some Arab states’ attitude toward Israel.
Trump connects the religious Jews with the anti-Semites (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) "If Trump wins, I'm doing a Kiddush in the Great Synagogue" What makes the observant Jews in the US join hands with organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan?
Any action against racism is welcome, but where is the protection of Arabs who are discriminated against? (Ran Adelist, Maariv) Alongside measures to eradicate racism towards Ethiopians, Israel should act against the discrimination suffered by the Arab population in Israel. Starting with the discrimination by prosecutors and continuing with discrimination by police.
Israel's Shameless Non-public Media (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) The Government Press Office, Walla, the prime minister’s official Facebook page, Israel Hayom have all fallen in line to provide PR for PM Netanyahu and his wife.
Changing the composition of the judicial selection committee: One step back into the abyss (Attorney Yechiel Gutman, Maariv) No democratic country has ever invented a perfect method to select judges, but the attempt by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked to shape the High Court in her own image is dangerous and we should hope it will fail.
The hypocrisy of the Left (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) The ever-dwindling Left is seeking to control its last remaining strongholds in Israeli society and is likely planning to use the new public broadcasting authority as a mouthpiece for its political views.
Democracy is being lost in the law (Dr. Ephraim Herrera, Israel Hayom) The West must acknowledge the problem of radical Islam and take steps to fight it as a war, including enacting laws to check the justice system.
Against the background of growing desperation, the Palestinian barrel of explosives is close to exploding (Lior Akerman, Maariv) The weakness of Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas), whose days in power are numbered, and incitement by Hamas and the candidates for the leadership of the Palestinian Authority brought about an explosive situation in the Territories and at the moment, all of them are suspected of trying to carry out attacks.
U.S. Caught in a Vice in Battle for Mosul (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The American-led coalition of Kurds, the Iraqi and Turkish armies and Shi'ite militia may have more dividing them than ISIS unites them.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.