News Nosh 12.16.16

APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday December 16, 2016  
 
Quote of the day:
"I hope (Shimon Peres') memory will inspire us to see the light of those in need and help those in darkness and distress, even if they are different from us. I hope these candles will help us to strive and work for peace, even when it is difficult—especially when it is difficult."
--At the White House Hannukah candle-lighting ceremony, outgoing US President Barack Obama spoke of former Israeli president Shimon Peres as an inspiration for the ideals that today seem increasingly distant, as Peres' son, Chemi, lit the candles.*


Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • The Smoliansky affair: What happened in the MK’s room
  • Affectionate incident // Sima Kadmon slams Slomiansky
  • The same story // Ariella Ringel-Hoffman expresses shock that Slomiansky and others like him don’t ‘fall on their faces but instead manage to fly high’
  • (Amona) Eviction alert
  • They missed an opportunity // Shlomo Pioterkovsky
  • The first to stay // Ifat Erlich
  • On his property // Oded Shalom and Elior Levy
  • Last night: New version of (bill for) tax on third apartment
  • Daughter of Rehavam Zeevi in sharp attack against the women who complained (of sex crimes) against him
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
  • The barricading (by Amona outpost settlers) ahead of eviction
  • Yaalon rejected leading the Labor Party
  • MK Slomiansky: “My conduct was affectionate”
  • The escape from Aleppo
  • Temporary victory // Alon Ben-David
  • Voice of Israel: Youth of the Jewish Agency are acting to preserve Jewish identity in the Diaspora
  • Submarine first: The man who built our naval force, without taking something for himself
Israel Hayom
  • Lieberman: We will show no tolerance or understanding towards violence at Amona
  • Slomiansky affair: Police probing claims of (sexual) harassment
  • Habayit Hayehudi party will have a hard time allowing him to stay // Mati Tuchfeld
  • Army of love: Moving journey of volunteering by discharged soldiers in poor neighborhoods in Buenos Aires
  • The rare letters written by former prime minister Levi Eshkol


News Summary:
The police probed senior religious Habayit Hayehudi MK Natan Slomiansky over sexual harassment accusations, which the religious lawmaker called ‘affection,’ settler youth barricaded themselves at Amona outpost ahead of the eviction and Israeli Prime MInistser Binaymin Netanyahu tried to placate right-wingers by telling them that he would also destroy Arab homes built without permits in Israel making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.

*Meanwhile, Israel’s Mossad chief secretly met with President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team along with the head of Israel’s National Security Council, Yaakov Nagal, Yedioth reported. Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer was present at the meeting. The sides discussed holding a regional conference hosted by Egypt and about other peace initiatives, which Israel opposes, the Palestinian, the French and the New Zealand initiatives. Senior officials in Israel also sent a message to Trump to speak out against outgoing US President Barack Obama if he doesn’t veto the Palestinian resolution submitted to the UN Security Council. The papers also printed a photo of the Obama’s hosting the family of deceased former president Shimon Peres at a Hannukah candle-lighting ceremony. Yedioth titled it, “Presidential Light.’

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