News Nosh 12.01.16

APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday December 1, 2016  
 
Quote of the Day #1:
“I’ve received messages on Facebook from people who saw the TV show and they said they were brought up on racism, on the ‘Arab enemy,’ and suddenly on the show they’re beginning to see the person behind the headlines, and it made them start to think. To me, that’s hope.”
--Samer Kopti, Palestinian-Israeli actress says in interesting interview in Haaretz+.*
 
Quote of the Day #2:
"I had tears in my eyes when I heard what was happening. It was so emotional to hear that Muslims were asking to donate to a Jewish synagogue. I've invited them to evening prayers to personally thank them." 
--Rabbi Dovi Hiyon, rabbi of the Conservative Movement synagogue in Haifa, reacted after Walid Abu-Ahmed and Ziad Yunis, Palestinian-Israeli wood panel suppliers in the city, gave the wood free of charge for the repair of the burnt synagogue.**


Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links)
Israel Hayom
  • Attack in Syria under the radar – Assad regime: Israel bombed a storage facility and a Hezbollah arms convoy near Damascus
  • Those who oppose the biometric database: We will appeal to the High Court
  • “Former senior member of Prime Minister’s Office sexually assaulted”
  • Smartphone spying program: More than a million Google accounts hacked
  • Netanyahu against the media and people in the left-wing: “They are perpetrating character assassination against me”

News Summary:
Alleged sex crimes by a general, by a former senior member of the Prime Minister’s Office and by an MK in Habayit Hayehudi party took the headlines in today’s Hebrew papers from a risky IDF aerial attack on a Hezbollah convoy on the edge of Damascus and under Russian radar.
 
The main victim in the trial of Brig. Gen. Ofek Buchris on rape charges said she would oppose the plea bargain if Buchris did not own up to his crimes. Numerous women were outraged that Buchris would avoid jail and not have to admit to rape. 
 
A yet unnamed suspect, who has close ties with Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, was questioned by the police and Police have put under house arrest a former senior aid and friend of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his wife after a young woman accused him of molesting her and locking her up in a house.
 
And a woman who knows the alleged victims of sexual harassment by a Habayit Hayehudi MK, called on Facebook for others to contact her. Education Minister and party leader Naftali Bennett said he spoke with the yet unnamed MK, who rejected the claims. Bennett called on anyone feeling hurt to file a police complaint. 
 
The Syrian government officially confirmed that Israeli jets attacked near Damascus, targeting a Hezbollah arms convoy, according to the Arab media. 
 
The Wednesday votes in Knesset on the bills legalizing outposts and silencing muezzin calls for prayer were postponed till Monday. The Regulation Bill was postponed after Finance Minister and Kulanu party chief Moshe Kahlon said his party will abstain from voting on it, meaning the coalition did not have enough votes to pass the legislation. Maariv reported on a renegade Likudnik, who has gotten the ire of Likud party activists. MK Benny Begin opposes the law, viewing it as illegal and theft, as does the High Court and international law. Activists on the Likud party’s internal WhatsApp group complained about Begin. One wrote: "Right now they are 56-54 balance of power in coalition without Kahlon. Begin's opposition will lead to the rejection of the bill. Netanyahu's challenge - to convince Begin to take a holiday on Monday.”  Then there is Education Minister Naftali Bennett who said  there is no moral problem in expropriating West Bank lands from Palestinian owners to give to Jewish settlers.

The bill is aimed at averting the court-ordered evacuation of Amona outpost by December 25th and legalizing all outposts. Ynet reported that some Amona residents have begun seeking alternative housing. Meanwhile the IDF GOC Central Command commander signed an order to establish an alternative site for the transfer of the residents of Amona, Maariv reported. According to the order, a caravan site will be established according to the draft proposed by the Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit in an area that is under legal dispute (i.e. land owned by Palestinians who haven’t used it – OH]. Residents of the outpost rejected the offer. Haaretz+ reported that Israel is also examining an option of implementing an order dating from 1967, called Order Regarding State Property (Judea & Samaria). The order states that “any transaction done in good faith between the authority and another person regarding any asset that the authority thought, at the time of the transaction, was state property, shall not be voided and shall remain in force even if the asset is shown not to have been state property at the time.” The Justice Ministry is checking whether this article of law can apply to land once defined as state land, and today defined as private land, Haaretz+ wrote. 
 
Quick Hits:
  • Ministry summons Jerusalem school principal for hosting anti-occupation group Breaking the Silence - The summons was prompted by a complaint over alleged incitement at the program, but no incitement has been found and there is no formal ministry policy banning such programming, sources say. (Haaretz+)
  • Haaretz Journalist Questioned by Police Over Phone Calls to Lawmaker - Nir Gontarz was interrogated for more than two hours for calling Yael German 12 times in two days. His phone was apparently hacked to check his conversations. (Haaretz
  • Palestinian hunger strikers Anas Shadid and Ahmad Abu Farah facing 'sudden death' - Assaf Harofeh Hospital told Israeli Supreme Court that Shadid and Abu Farah faced the very real risk that serious damage could occur to their vital organs, which could lead to permanent disability or even sudden death after more than two months without food. (Maan
  • Palestinian prisoner demands to be considered a prisoner of war, declares 4th hunger strike in Israeli prison - Kifah Hattab, 53, is a captain pilot in the Palestinian Authority and has been held in Israeli prison since 2003, when he was sentenced to two life sentences for alleged involvement in an armed organization during the Second Intifada. (Maan)
  • Oldest Conservative synagogue emerges charred and without book trove - 'Had firefighters arrived two minutes later, nothing would have been left of this place,' says Haifa rabbi. (Haaretz+)
  • **Arabs donate wood to rebuild Haifa synagogue - Following a massive forest fire which gutted a Conservative Judaism synagogue in Haifa, Israeli-Arab wood suppliers have decided to donate wood paneling to help the synagogue rebuild. (Ynet
  • Palestinian arrested on suspicion of starting Nataf fire - Arrested suspect taken in for questioning by the Shin Bet on suspicion of hurling Molotov Cocktails into Nataf in Jerusalem, precipitating a devastating fire which incinerated building structures and more than 25,000 dunams of forests; in separate incident, two teens from east Jerusalem arrested while setting fire to tires. (Ynet and Maan)
  • 86 IDF recruits refuse to be drafted into Armored Corps - The draftees are seeking other combat roles and say they prefer to sit in jail for refusing an order than serve on a tank; IDF sends soldiers from Armored Corps' 77th Battalion to talk to refuseniks. (Ynet)
  • Shin Bet snatches Israeli intent on joining ISIS - The suspect contacted ISIS members in Syria and informed them of his desire to join their ranks; Shin Bet and police find photographs of suspect shooting a Glock and Uzi submachine gun in his possession; ‘we will use all means at our disposal to thwart threats posed by cells.’ (Ynet
  • Israel's New Ambassador to Turkey to Arrive in Ankara Thursday - The arrival of Eitan Na'eh marks another step in the improvement of relations that soured with the 2010 confrontation between Israeli commandos and a Turkish flotilla sailing for Gaza. (Haaretz+)
  • Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson adopt military's Kfir Brigade - Donation by Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson allows Friends of the IDF in the U.S. to provide aid to lone soldiers and soldiers who struggle financially, as well as organizing welfare activities. Adelsons also adopt Golani, Givati infantry brigades. [NOTE: Kfir Brigade operates solely in the West Bank. – OH] (Israel Hayom)
  • Israel's immigration tribunals are seriously flawed, say rights groups - Asylum seekers sometimes wait two years until their case is heard, judges can't cope with the caseload and there is a lack of transparency, according to a report on the special tribunals. (Haaretz+) 
  • Norway's 3rd largest city votes to boycott settlement products - Jewish community in Trondheim refuses request by Israeli ambassador to condemn boycott resolution, as city council calls on citizens to personally adopt the boycott as well. (Ynet
  • Abbas Hopes Trump Will Support Palestinian Quest for Independence - During three-hour speech to Fatah party, Palestinian president rejects idea of interim agreement with Israel while adding that he continues to be in touch with the French on an international peace summit. (Haaretz and Maan
  • Private security in Gaza on the rise - Facing grim employment prospects, young men are increasingly turning to private security firms that have cropped up for jobs; 'We are forced to cope with the labor market. I needed the job to build a life, have a future.' (Agencies, Ynet
  • Gaza farmers set to export strawberries to Europe - The farmers are expected to produce some 1,500 tons of this season from 600 dunams of land, as opposed to the past average of 7,000 tons a year on 3,000 dunams. (Maan
  • Israeli forces open live fire on Palestinian fishing boats off coast of Gaza - Fishermen were forced the fishermen back to the shores of the besieged coastal enclave. No injuries or damages were reported. (Maan
  • Divers find unexpected Roman inscription from the eve of Bar-Kochba Revolt - A statue base from 1,900 years ago found at Dor survived shellfish and seawater, and to the archaeologists' shock, revealed a previously unknown governor of Judea. (Haaretz)
  • Donald Trump Taps Steven Mnuchin for Treasury Secretary - Steven Mnuchin, who is Jewish and was Trump's presidential campaign finance chairman, is also a Hollywood financier. (Agencies, Haaretz
  • The Hollywood connection between Trump’s Treasury pick and billionaire at center of Netanyahu scandal - Steven Mnuchin is the business partner of James Packer, whose gifts to the Netanyahu family are being probed by the Israel Police. (Haaretz+) 
  • Breitbart’s Israel bureau chief: Steve Bannon 'interested in exposing' BDS - Insisting that Trump's campaign manager isn't an anti-Semite, Aaron Klein claims that women, gays and immigrants will benefit from a Donald Trump presidency. (Haaretz+) 
  • Erdogan, Putin Agree on Need for Aleppo Cease-fire, Aid Relief - Meanwhile, Syrian rebels vow to continue fighting in east Aleppo in the face of sudden government advances. (Agencies, Haaretz
  • In Rare Move, Saudi Prince Calls to End Ban on Women Driving - Saudi Arabia, which follows an ultraconservative interpretation of Islam, is the only country in the world that does not allow women to drive. (Agencies, Haaretz)


Features:
In Wake of Fire, Haifa's Famous Jewish-Arab Coexistence Threatens to Go Up in Smoke
A senior firefighter says local Arab politicians 'set fires in the morning and come to be interviewed at night'; Mohammed, a paramedic, says that while saving people from the flames, he doesn't think about accusations being made against Arabs. (Roy Arad, Haaretz+) 
Despite tensions after the fire: Arab and Jewish students bridge the gaps
Ninth-graders from Zichron Yaakov and Jisr Al-Zarqa met for a joint seminar at Givat Haviva. Jewish student Shir Skaomski whose yard was hit by the fire said some of her friends feared going: "Those who decided to come to these meetings are people who want to talk with the other side." Rusila Amash, an Arab student met Jewish students for the first time and noted that despite her fear that they wouldn’t receive her positively due to tense situation and thought that the (Jewish) students would not be nice, she had fun. (Ofer Livnat, Maariv)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
How Israel’s Wildfires Became an Act of Terror (Meirav Arlosoroff, Haaretz+) Almost everyone — homeowners, insurance companies and the finance minister — benefits from the Israel Tax Authority’s hasty decision to declare the recent blazes politically motivated arson. The compensation that homeowners will be getting from the government won’t be coming out of the state budget, which the Finance Ministry guards jealously. Instead, it comes from a dedicated Property Tax Fund, which is entitled to 25% of all the taxes collected from real-estate transactions.
Liberal Values as a Jewish Defense Weapon (Zeev Sternhell, Haaretz+) The face of Israel nowadays is that of settlement thugs behind whom a cowardly Benjamin Netanyahu hides. 
The Jewish expulsion -- and its revenge (Dr. Edy Cohen, Israel Hayom) Many in the Arab world believe the Arab Spring and the turbulence it created are Allah's punishment for the expulsion of the Jews in the 1940s. 
The Company Netanyahu Keeps (Tal Niv, Haaretz+) The Netanyahu’s behave like merchants in a bazaar: Anyone who grovels and pays for us to have fun — when the state won’t allow it — receives something in return.
Netanyahu’s lawyer presents: A finger in every pie (Shachar Ginosar, Tsach Shpitsen, Yedioth/Ynet) With such a diverse and prestigious list of clients, there is no wonder that attorney David Shimron’s private business is repeatedly mixed with the public world. Sometimes, one can even find the prime minister’s fingerprints there—from the high-paying job at the Plants Production and Marketing Board to the huge compensation the state was required to pay to a real estate entrepreneur. 
Restore Arabic to Israeli City’s Buses (Haaretz Editorial) The conduct of the Transportation Ministry and Be’er Sheva’s mayor creates a dangerous precedent, whereby the writers of a few posts are given the power to withhold other citizens' basic rights.
Israeli Jews With Mideast Roots Must Shun Identity Politics (Emilie Moatti, Haaretz+) Mizrahim should criticize the likes of hard-line Culture Minister Miri Regev if they disagree with her. That’s how every strong movement does it.
High Court as Israel’s morality police (Daniel Friedman, Yedioth/Ynet) It’s time for the High Court of Justice to examine its peculiar policy of criticizing every appointment in the public service sector. 
Trump Era Heralds Final Collapse of American Jewish Center (Peter Beinart, Haaretz+) Crushed between rising extremes, the establishment's wish to stay liberal but support Netanyahu is no longer sustainable. 
Trump's Pick for Education Secretary Is Pitting American Jews Against Each Other (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz) The Donald Trump-Betsy DeVos education agenda will almost certainly expose a major rift in the American Jewish community between those who support vouchers and those who are opposed. 
Indirect harm to Russia: Israel must have had a good enough reason to put itself in danger (Yossi Melman, Maariv) Despite the leaders of Israel and Russia establishing a coordination mechanism – the "hotline" meant to prevent misunderstandings and incidents between aircraft, and (despite the) frequent meetings between Putin and Netanyahu, Hezbollah's efforts to become more efficient were answered with a strike. 
The Airstrike in Syria: Does Putin Understand Israel's Urgent Security Needs? (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) If indeed Israel attacked Hezbollah-bound arms convoys amid Russian presence, it did so under the watchful eye of Moscow's advanced radar and air-defense missiles. 
Egypt's al-Sissi Sets Records in Crushing Dissent (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Egypt takes another step to restrict human rights NGOs and media; as in Israel, they are seen as source of all evil 
Vienna Is Trying to Get Its Jews Back - Will It Succeed, With the Far Right on the Rise? (Anna Momigliano, Haaretz+) Norbert Hofer, running for Austria's president, has tried to garner Jewish votes but is known to believe in Nazism-tainted pan-Germanism. Should he win next week, the revival of the capital's Jewish community may be at risk and Europe's xenophobic elements could benefit.
 
Interviews:
*Rising Israeli Arab TV Star No Longer Forced to Worry About Humiliating Airport Security Checks
Israeli cinema and television have provided Palestinian actress Samar Qupty with a showcase for her talent and enabled her to make small inroads against bigotry — even among the occasional Ben-Gurion airport security worker. [NOTE: In the Hebrew newspaper, Haaretz referred to her as ‘Palestinian.’ – OH] (Interviewed by Itay Stern in Haaretz+)
 
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.