APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday December 7, 2016
Quote of the day:
"(It’s a) big middle finger in all our faces.”
--Former MK and Tel-Aviv city councilwoman Yael Dayan said of a golden statue of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu mysteriously erected - and toppled in Tel-Aviv's Rabin Square.**
You Must Be Kidding:
"It's cool. Netanyahu earned it. The people elect him again and again."
--Avihu, a 28-year-old from the religious settlement town of Elad, who thought the statue was meant to portray the Prime Minister in a positive light.**
--Former MK and Tel-Aviv city councilwoman Yael Dayan said of a golden statue of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu mysteriously erected - and toppled in Tel-Aviv's Rabin Square.**
You Must Be Kidding:
"It's cool. Netanyahu earned it. The people elect him again and again."
--Avihu, a 28-year-old from the religious settlement town of Elad, who thought the statue was meant to portray the Prime Minister in a positive light.**
Breaking News:
Israeli Jets Strike Targets at Damascus Military Airport, Arab Media Report
Second such incident in seven days: Jets allegedly strike airport neighboring Assad's palace. Hezbollah-linked TV network claims Israeli attack behind explosions. (Haaretz and Ynet)
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Mendelblitt recommends changing the division of child support between parents
- Despite hundreds of people interrogated filed complaints, the Justice Ministry did not open even one investigation against a Shin Bet agent
- Golden statue of Netanyahu was put up in Rabin Square – and was toppled
- Due to the legal difficulties: Plan to relocate Amona to plots north of the outpost were dropped
- Situation in the Palestinian Authority unstable (so) Israel allowed Palestinians to use armored vehicles
- Merkel breaks right: Calls to prohibit (Muslim women) face covers in public
- Another brick in the (Apartheid) wall // Haaretz Editorial
- Alliance of the minorities (against the Muezzin Bill) // Yisrael Cohen
Yedioth Ahronoth
- The submarine affair: Defense Ministry admits: “We knew about the Iranian connection”; Senior minister accuses: “The security cabinet was never updated”
- Glorious zigzag // Yossi Yehoshua
- The protest song that’s all over the Internet: “We are the girls of Buchris, the year of ‘93”
- The golden statue (of Netanyahu) storm
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- “We aren’t prepared for a missile attack” – State Comptroller’s severe report reveals
- They gave us their backs // Ben Caspit
- So what’s new? // Yossi Melman
- The Amona plan collapses
- Netanyahu of gold (statue)
- The PISA literacy test 2015: The scores gap among pupils in Israel is the largest among all the OECD states
Israel Hayom
- The relocation (of Amona) hits a snag
- Storm: Demand to remove the monument in memory of Emanuel Moreno
- “Iran does not have access to the secrets of the submarines”
- Not enough: Terrible results for pupils of Israel in PISA literacy exams
- The statue: A golden monument to the left-wing’s condescension // Dror Eydar
- State Comptroller: 2 million Israelis are exposed to missiles; IDF: Educational institutions are protected, deterrence has improved
- Merkel sparked a storm: “Prohibit wearing a burka in Germany”
News Summary:
The State Comptroller report revealed that Israel is not prepared for rocket attacks, the state was forced to nix its plan to relocate Amona outpost settlers to a nearby plot, government offices declared that they did or didn’t know about Iranian involvement in submarine deal, and a golden statue of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was erected and toppled at Rabin Square making top news in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also, the latest interesting figures from a poll.
After Palestinians filed documents showing that they own the lands of the proposed relocation site for the Amona outpost, it appears that Amona settlers will lose their control over the hill they took over and be forced to live elsewhere. In the wake of the initial passing of the ‘Regulation Bill,’ which will ‘legalize’ other outposts built on privately-owned Palestinian land, the Palestinian Authority called on the US to recognize a Palestinian state and support the UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements. Likud lawmaker MK Benny Begin was suspended from a Knesset committee after voting against the outpost legalization bill.
The Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University Peace Index also found very interesting answers in its poll of 500 Jews and 100 Arab citizens. Some 44% of Jewish Israelis favor annexation of the West Bank, compared to 38% of opponents. Israelis are split on the outpost legalization bill. It also found that nearly half of Jewish Israelis believe the left-wing is not loyal to the state and that criticism during times of security conflict is illegitimate. Some 39% said U.S. President-elect Trump won't curb settlement construction, while 18% think he will try to limit the settlement enterprise. (Also Maariv)
The Defense Ministry made an about-face and now said that it knew since 2004 that Iran held 4.5% of the shares in the conglomerate that is manufacturing submarines for the IDF.
But Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Israel 'had no alternative.' And the Prime Minister’s Office insisted that neither Netanyahu nor the National Security Council knew about the Iranian involvement, even though the Defense Ministry knew.
**Itay Zalait, the artist who secretly erected a statue of the Netanyahu in central Tel Aviv, specifically cited the case of the Bedouin activist jailed over a satirical Facebook post about the recent spate of fires. The The golden 'King Bibi' statue caused quite a stir as the artist tested the limits of freedom of expression in Israel. Culture Minister Miri Regev condemned the statue. Netanyahu was 'toppled' by locals after citizens were invited to Rabin Square through social media to try and "topple Netanyahu" themselves.
Quick Hits:
- No Investigations Opened Into Shin Bet Despite Hundreds of Complaints of Torture - A special unit was created to investigation complaints against the Shin Bet, but employs just one investigator. Despite dozens of "inquiries" opened in recent years, none developed into an investigation. (Haaretz+)
- Israelis, Palestinians Among Most Enthusiastic Supporters of Torture, Red Cross Survey Says - Responses put Israelis in a group with Nigeria and the United States in justifying torture of a captured enemy combatant. (Haaretz)
- Jewish, Arab MKs hold interfaith meeting over loudspeakers bill - Muslim, Jewish, Druze and Christian leaders gather at the Knesset to devise a compromise that would avoid legislation partially banning use of loudspeakers for calls to prayer. Likud MK Yehuda Glick says meeting "is a real chance of peace and dialogue." (Israel Hayom)
- In rare move, Netanyahu and Lieberman approve armored jeeps for Palestinian security forces - Five vehicles the Palestinian Authority has been trying to import for four years brought in from Jordan in the dead of night. Senior Israeli official cites deteriorating security situation in Palestinian areas. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli minister proposes blacklist of entities that call for boycotting Israel or settlements - Under Gilad Erdan's proposal those entities on the list - including companies, organizations and individuals - would be subject to treasury sanctions, such as being banned from bidding on government tenders. (Haaretz)
- Gush Etzion memorial to fallen soldiers to be razed over petition - Memorial to Lt. Col. Emmanuel Moreno and Lt. Asher Ezra built in Netiv Haavot outpost was set up on Palestinian-owned land, Peace Now says. Netiv Haavot slated to be demolished by March 2018. Families ask for three months to put up another memorial. (Israel Hayom)
- "Demeaning and pathetic": Ad on ‘Yad2’ website succeeded in infuriating the settlers - In the advertisement for the Israeli website ‘Yad2’ (‘secondhand’) for selling used goods, Gad Stein poses as a settler holding land and property that belongs to Palestinians. “A strong hand for Israel gives us hope that so many things that belonged to someone else can be ours – and cheap.” Many visitors to the website were outraged by the video and called on social networks to boycott the company. (Maariv+VIDEO)
- Niece of a retired general and politician took part in video clip against the general indicted on rape charges - "The Girls of Buchris": "We can not remain silent" - Avishag Kahalani explained why she took part in video clip protest song that went viral, and spoke of the responses: "We were also called whores". Her uncle, Brigadier General Avigdor Kahalani, "said he was proud of me." (Maariv and VIDEO)
- New study: Mayors refrain from dealing with education for democracy – “The quality of education in the city is a type of measure of the success of the mayor, but education for democracy is viewed as an extra," says author of study, Gali Spiegel-Cohen and adds: "It's not popular, and they don’t want problems." (Maariv)
- Israeli students score low marks on international literacy test (PISA) - Israeli students score below OECD average in math, science and reading. Test shows gaps between high and low achievers, rich and poor students, and Hebrew and Arabic speakers. Education Minister Naftali Bennett: We have a lot of work ahead of us. (Israel Hayom and Ynet)
- Next Independence Day to mark 50 years of unified Jerusalem - Jewish sovereignty in Jerusalem is latest chapter in 3,000-year-old Jewish bond to city • Jerusalem was reunited in 1967 victory over Jordan in Six-Day War. Culture Minister Miri Regev: "United she stands today, and united she will forever remain." (Israel Hayom)
- Israeli army trains for coordinated Hamas infiltration attack from Gaza - Exercise includes scenario simulating simultaneous attacks from tunnels, the air and sea. (Haaretz+, Israel Hayom and Ynet)
- Israeli Arabs sign up for Israel's army - Despite objections voiced by Arab MKs, and ignoring the taboo in Arab society of serving in the IDF, some Israeli Arabs have opted to rally behind the Israeli flag and enlist: 'I'm from this country and I love the country and I want to contribute.' (Agencies, Ynet)
- Israeli army: Soldiers use social media to complain about alienation - Conscripts are critical of their low salaries and a general feeling of estrangement, according to a study by IDF behavioral science researchers. (Haaretz+)
- Minister to be reprimanded over drone blunder - Attorney General advises Prime Minister Netanyahu to reprimand Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel for giving away a drone being used for research to Russian Premier Dmitry Medvedev without permission. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Israeli Arms Dealers See Sales Increase Despite Global Slump - According to statistics released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Israel is listed as the seventh largest arms seller in the world, with its companies accounting for 2.1% of global sales. (Haaretz+)
- PM promises to continue David Ben-Gurion's vision - During memorial ceremony to mark 43 years since the passing of Israel’s first prime minister, Netanyahu outlines fundamental cornerstones, as envisioned by David Ben-Gurion, to ensure the survival of Israel: ‘He understood that it was not enough to declare and establish a state, but to create one through military, economic and diplomatic strength.’ (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Billionaire Trump Supporter Bernie Marcus Donates $38 Million to Hillel - Marcus' mega-donation to the Jewish campus life organization is meant to finance a new initiative aimed at recruiting and training campus professionals. (Haaretz+)
Features:
The dream of a Spanish passport: The hope to obtain foreign citizenship has gone
In Israel, they thought that this was the beginning the influx of descendants of deportees to Spain. Estimates spoke of at least 50,000 people who would hold foreign passports as a result of the surprising amendment to the Spanish law, but something bad happened on the way. (Sara Leibovich-Dar, Maariv Magazine supplement)
The real Paleo diet Archaeologists find 780,000-year-old remains of prehistoric man's meal
Early man at Gesher Benot Yaakov ate elephant, deer and gerbils, augmented with sides of nuts, fruit and plants, preserved almost a million years by water. (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
American Jewish Establishment Stifles Free Speech to Silence Zionism’s Critics (Peter Beinart, Haaretz+) According to the Senate’s new Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, Henrietta Szold, Hannah Arendt and Martin Buber could also be defined as Jew-haters.
A political stunt called the (outpost) regulatory law: You can not "launder" seizure of land (Former head of the State Prosecution Criminal Department, Talia Sasson, Maariv)
The legislative act is disqualified because it is patently unconstitutional. Why then did the Prime Minister rush to approve the bill in the Knesset? So he could go out having the upper hand in the eyes of his supporters.
Another Brick in the Apartheid Wall (Haaretz Editorial) The government is being held hostage by the most extreme settlers and can't seem to stand up to them.
Education for racism: Instead of connecting between all, the educational system is only fueling alienation (Former education minister Yuli Tamir, Maariv) During the last half decade, education ministers were called upon to promote the study of math and English. Too bad the most important area - training for civilian life based on partnership – has been marginalized.
Lieberman’s Words Must Become Deeds (Ami Ayalon, Gilead Sher and Orni Petruschka, Haaretz+) The defense minister said that Israel should reach an agreement on the settlements with the new U.S. president in exchange for a ratification of President Bush’s letter to Ariel Sharon of 2004.
Legitimize settlement by law (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) The heavy price paid by Amona's residents is outweighed by the benefits of legalizing and regulating settlement in the Jewish homeland.
How Many Israelis Does It Take to Arrest One Palestinian? (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Shall we compromise on 10 jailers on average for every Palestinian detainee? Maybe 15? You decide. Actually, the list of accomplices is much longer.
The constitutional monster that is the (outpost) Regulation Bill will not stand the test of the High Court (Attorney Yechiel Gutman, Maariv) Most of the judicial experts who are familiar with international law believe that the expropriation arrangement of the (outpost) Regulation Bill does not sit with international law. The construction built for Amona residents is about to collapse.
Israeli military brass stung by Gaza war report - and Netanyahu should brace himself (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) If Benjamin Netanyahu hoped, as he recently stated, to bask in one day of praise, Israel's state watchdog is not about to supply it.
Good riddance, John Kerry (Ruthie Blum, Israel Hayom) Addressing the Saban Forum this week, Kerry highlighted his disaster of a tenure without an iota of remorse -- other than over his failure to force Israel to create a Palestinian state.
The Strongman Beat the Journalist (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) It happened in Erdogan's Turkey, it happened in Putin's Russia. Is Netanyahu's Israel also ripe for the murder of a journalist?
The answer to academic boycott (Dr. Yasser Awad, Israel Hayom) When Israeli academic institutions like Sakhnin College work to promote diversity and excellence, we see victories in the battle against the academic boycott of Israel.
Netanyahu's Campaign Against Raviv Drucker, His Least Favorite Journalist (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) The Israeli journalist finds his integrity targeted with charges that he fabricated a story to hurt the career of a senior military figure, a campaign Netanyahu has signed onto enthusiastically.
In Israel, they thought that this was the beginning the influx of descendants of deportees to Spain. Estimates spoke of at least 50,000 people who would hold foreign passports as a result of the surprising amendment to the Spanish law, but something bad happened on the way. (Sara Leibovich-Dar, Maariv Magazine supplement)
The real Paleo diet Archaeologists find 780,000-year-old remains of prehistoric man's meal
Early man at Gesher Benot Yaakov ate elephant, deer and gerbils, augmented with sides of nuts, fruit and plants, preserved almost a million years by water. (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
American Jewish Establishment Stifles Free Speech to Silence Zionism’s Critics (Peter Beinart, Haaretz+) According to the Senate’s new Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, Henrietta Szold, Hannah Arendt and Martin Buber could also be defined as Jew-haters.
A political stunt called the (outpost) regulatory law: You can not "launder" seizure of land (Former head of the State Prosecution Criminal Department, Talia Sasson, Maariv)
The legislative act is disqualified because it is patently unconstitutional. Why then did the Prime Minister rush to approve the bill in the Knesset? So he could go out having the upper hand in the eyes of his supporters.
Another Brick in the Apartheid Wall (Haaretz Editorial) The government is being held hostage by the most extreme settlers and can't seem to stand up to them.
Education for racism: Instead of connecting between all, the educational system is only fueling alienation (Former education minister Yuli Tamir, Maariv) During the last half decade, education ministers were called upon to promote the study of math and English. Too bad the most important area - training for civilian life based on partnership – has been marginalized.
Lieberman’s Words Must Become Deeds (Ami Ayalon, Gilead Sher and Orni Petruschka, Haaretz+) The defense minister said that Israel should reach an agreement on the settlements with the new U.S. president in exchange for a ratification of President Bush’s letter to Ariel Sharon of 2004.
Legitimize settlement by law (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) The heavy price paid by Amona's residents is outweighed by the benefits of legalizing and regulating settlement in the Jewish homeland.
How Many Israelis Does It Take to Arrest One Palestinian? (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Shall we compromise on 10 jailers on average for every Palestinian detainee? Maybe 15? You decide. Actually, the list of accomplices is much longer.
The constitutional monster that is the (outpost) Regulation Bill will not stand the test of the High Court (Attorney Yechiel Gutman, Maariv) Most of the judicial experts who are familiar with international law believe that the expropriation arrangement of the (outpost) Regulation Bill does not sit with international law. The construction built for Amona residents is about to collapse.
Israeli military brass stung by Gaza war report - and Netanyahu should brace himself (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) If Benjamin Netanyahu hoped, as he recently stated, to bask in one day of praise, Israel's state watchdog is not about to supply it.
Good riddance, John Kerry (Ruthie Blum, Israel Hayom) Addressing the Saban Forum this week, Kerry highlighted his disaster of a tenure without an iota of remorse -- other than over his failure to force Israel to create a Palestinian state.
The Strongman Beat the Journalist (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) It happened in Erdogan's Turkey, it happened in Putin's Russia. Is Netanyahu's Israel also ripe for the murder of a journalist?
The answer to academic boycott (Dr. Yasser Awad, Israel Hayom) When Israeli academic institutions like Sakhnin College work to promote diversity and excellence, we see victories in the battle against the academic boycott of Israel.
Netanyahu's Campaign Against Raviv Drucker, His Least Favorite Journalist (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) The Israeli journalist finds his integrity targeted with charges that he fabricated a story to hurt the career of a senior military figure, a campaign Netanyahu has signed onto enthusiastically.
Interviews:
Former police commanders warn of serious violence in Amona
Brig. Gen. (res.) Meir Bokovza, Maj. Gen. (res.) Yisrael Yitzhak and former Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi recount the traumatic evacuation of the Amona outpost in 2006, hoping it won’t end the same way this time around. ‘Decision makers must understand that everyone who comes there will be prepared to fight.’ (Interviewed by Oded Shalom in Yedioth/Ynet)
Former police commanders warn of serious violence in Amona
Brig. Gen. (res.) Meir Bokovza, Maj. Gen. (res.) Yisrael Yitzhak and former Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi recount the traumatic evacuation of the Amona outpost in 2006, hoping it won’t end the same way this time around. ‘Decision makers must understand that everyone who comes there will be prepared to fight.’ (Interviewed by Oded Shalom in Yedioth/Ynet)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.