APN's daily news review from Israel

Sunday November 6, 2016  

 

Quote of the day:

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Front Page:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

News Summary:
A rally in memory of Yitzhak Rabin brought hope, warnings – and an outrageous remark - and from the US, Israeli reporters shared the latest on the US elections making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu postponed the government cabinet discussion on the bill to legalize settlement outposts for another week and Israel’s ambassador to the UN ‘secretly’ visited Dubai. Barely making news were the troubling results from a study on incitement in Israeli society. 
 
*Future murders, present hope and denial of the past – all surrounded the memorial rally for prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, which tens of thousands of Israelis attended, filling Rabin Square in Tel-Aviv Saturday night. Just before the rally began, government Coalition Chairman David Bitan sparked a fury when he told journalists that Rabin’s assassination was not political. Today’s Yedioth headline read, ‘Failed history’ alongside a photo of Bitan. Speaking at the rally, opposition leader Isaac Herzog accused Netanyahu of waging war on democracy and came short of accusing him directly of incitement. Meretz leader Zehava Galon said she was barred from speaking at the rally due to concerns it will be perceived as 'leftist.' The annual rally almost did not take place due to a lack of funding, but the opposition Zionist Camp party took it on themselves to back the rally. Speakers at the rally warned of future murders due to the racism, intolerance and incitement, which is so prevalent in Israeli society as it was when Rabin was murdered.

Apropos, a report on a study conducted by the Berl Katznelson Foundation about expressions of hate and incitement by Israelis on the internet over the past year found:

"The fact there is a dramatic rise in incitement and hate against the IDF, the Chief of Staff, the Justice system and freedom of the press shows us that there is a tunnel being dug beneath democratic institutions in Israel and that puts us all in danger," said Eran Hermoni, head of the education center at the Berl Katznelson Foundation. 

**Meanwhile, Coalition Chairman Bitan made more headlines when he said he had followed the Facebook profiles of executives of the new Public Broadcasting Corporation (which he is trying to close down) and found that they are “clearly left-wing people who want to implement their agenda with public funding.” 
 
Separately, Yedioth reported that Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, “secretly made a 3-day visit to Dubai last week,” where he represented Israel at a UN conference, and met with Dubai's Prime Minister, Jordanian Queen Nur, and other senior Arab officials. Israeli sources told Yedioth that the invitation to Dubai was part of the improvement of relations between Israel and the moderate Arab states.
 
 

Quick Hits:

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Features: 

The Politics Behind the Drafting of the Balfour Declaration
Ninety-nine years after it was written, the British document supporting the formation of a 'national home for the Jewish people' is back in the news. But it caused unrest among some British Jews at the time, too. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+) 
From Hollywood to the IDF
American actor Houston Mack decided to leave Hollywood and chase another dream of his and has now become a soldier in the IDF Paratroopers Brigade; ' I want a good future for our country. If I can contribute, it is my responsibility to do that.' (Tsahi Dabush, Yedioth/Ynet) 
 
Commentary/Analysis:
Jews Face Far More Critical Issues Than Western Wall Prayers (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Fighting for democracy and reclaiming Judaism and Zionism are much more important tasks for progressive Jews than prayer arrangements at the Kotel. 
The ‘I think so’ game: Trump and Netanyahu don’t let the truth confuse them (Udi Segal, Maariv) Instaed of facts and figures, the two elected officials rely on feelings and opinions. The difference between truth and falsehood is not black and white but ranges between fifty Shades of grey. 
Netanyahu's latest quest for control of Israel's media (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) The prime minister's determination to silence criticism of him would be unthinkable in Western Europe, but it looks like he might actually succeed.
Who is Netanyahu so afraid of? (Tami Arad, Yedioth/Ynet) At the moment, there is still no Israeli Trump on the horizon to challenge Netanyahu’s rule, yet the prime minister seems intimidated by the idea that the ‘hostile’ media will create such a person. 
In the name of hypocrisy (Mati Tuchfeld, Israel Hayom)
The Left's outcry against the potential closing of the new public broadcaster is hypocrisy at its ugliest, as they only champion freedom of speech when it suits themץ The real issue threatening the coalition is the impending Amona eviction.
Will Anyone Stand Up for the Israeli Couch Potato, or Are We Doomed to Bibi TV? (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) We deserve an Israeli BBC but the rights of the average Yossi to good television aren't even on the agenda.
The speech authority (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) Were an alien to land in Israel this week, he would think that "broadcasting authority" was code for World War IIIץ The delegitimization of the Israel Broadcasting Authority is a process of ethnic discrimination meant to protect the old social elite.
Israel's Joe McCarthy on a Witch Hunt, and Netanyahu Keeps Mum (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Coalition whip says Rabin's assassination wasn't political and promises to expose 'leftists' on Facebook. All on behalf of his boss.
Yitzhak Rabin, the leader who taught me everything (Moshe Ya’alon, Yedioth/Ynet) The slain prime minister was a model example of leadership which takes responsibility for its actions. He did not make excuses and did not hide behind IDF officers and the fighters on the ground. This is leadership in all its greatness. 
Using the Regulations to Wallop Israel’s Arab Lawmakers (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) The Knesset didn’t like it when Arab parliamentarians stood for a moment of silence to commemorate a 1956 massacre. But after all, there must be order.
Israel is the sane, stable democracy (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom) Hey, American friends, get your act together before hectoring Israel about its political culture. 
Turkey's Erdogan Loses His Cool and Launches All-out War Against the Kurds (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The failed coup attempt this summer has given Erdogan the opportunity to cleanse Turkish public institutions and political bodies of anyone liable to threaten his absolute rule.
All is not lost: it is possible to hope that the (Rabin) rally marks the beginning of the end of a period of darkness (Ben Caspit, Maariv) All those who came to the square are hardly a mandate and a half, but we can hope that something is moving in Israeli public life. It may not be a new day, but there was something of the stateliness that has been so lacking. 
Don't Come to the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial, Gideon Levy (Emilie Moatti, Haaretz+) What's important is that the ground on which the Israeli radicals step is sterile and moral, while the rest fight, get their hands dirty and take the punches. 
We will neither forgive nor forget (Amiram Goldblum, Haaretz+) The right owes Baruch Goldstein for the decimation of Oslo, the Rabin assassination and Netanyahu’s rise to power. Meanwhile, activities of the settlers and the right are leading Israel to the edge of the abyss. 
"We believed that this was not going to happen here": the nightmare of the Jews in America (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) Recently, there was a sharp rise in expressions of anti-Semitism, which included violent incidents and harm to Jewish institutions in the US. The belief that the US is different from Europe is being shaken and cracked. 
Good Morning From the Israeli Army's Twitter Account (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Each morning, in its Twitter account, the IDF describes its misdeeds of the previous night, with a touch of pride.
The majority has rights, too (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) The Supreme Court's only power is the public's trust, and the public is entitled to a Supreme Court free of any political agendaץ 
Take the Gun Off the Table for Israel's Supreme Court (Haaretz Editorial)  The justice minister is telling the court that 'If you don’t agree to my candidates, I will change the law so your consent will no longer be required.' 
 

Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.