APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Breaking News:
Breaking News:
Several Jewish community centers across the US have been evacuated following "near-simultaneous" bomb threats.
Threats were reported in Miami, Florida, Birmingham, Alabama, West Hartford, Connecticut and Nashville,
Tennessee. This comes just nine days after a similar incident targeted 16 other Jewish institutions on the east
coast (Haaretz).
Front Page:
Front Page:
Haaretz:
- New video raises questions about alleged car-ramming attack by Bedouin // Almog Ben Zikri
- Hamas, Fatah announce deal to form Palestinian unity government // Jack Khoury
- Exclusive: Billionaires at center of Netanyahu investigation sought to recruit Mossad chief for global security deals // Uri Blau and Judy Maltz
- Analysis: Deadly clash with police could set off explosion in Israel's Arab community // Amos Harel
Israel Hayom:
- All eyes on Washington for Trump's inauguration // Boaz Bismuth
- Ministers to discuss Israeli sovereignty over Maaleh Adumim // Gideon Allon and Efrat Forsher
- Focus on building in Jerusalem // Nadav Shragai
- Police chief: Investigation into PM will not be a long one
Times of Israel:
- Facing inauguration and women's march, DC synagogues split on entering the fray // Ben Sales
- Video of deadly car ramming appears to show cops fire before jeep speeds into officers // Dov Lieber
- Journalist named by PM in recordings meet with police
- Trump casts his long shadow over a tepid Paris conference // Suha Halifa
Ynet News:
- Policeman killed in south survived by wife and two children // Asaf Zagrizak
- Arab MKs clash with police outside Bedouin village after violent incident // Ilana Curiel
- Israel and US Jewry moving further apart // Schlomo Puterkovsky
- Trump's UN nominee to blast world body over Israel
News Summary:
An Israeli policeman, Sgt. Maj. Erez Levi, and a Bedouin civilian, Musa Abu al-Kian, were killed during clashes in Umm Al-Hiran on Wednesday morning. There are conflicting accounts of what really happened, with different interpretations of aeriel footage that was shot from a police helicopter hovering above the scene of the event. The video shows shots fired before the vehicle speeds into the officer. Eyewitnesses say the police shot the driver, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. The police say those shots were fired into the air as a warning, and that the attack was deliberate. They released a second video after the first was leaked with captions explaining how they saw the incident unfold.
The clash began as a protest against Israeli police carrying out demolition orders for homes constructed illegally in Umm Al-Hiran, in the Negev. Several Arab MKs were present, and the chairman of the Joint List, Ayman Odeh, was shot with a rubber bullet. This incident is exacerbating tensions between the state, police, and Arab society in Israel.
The investigation into allegations of corruption against Netanyahu continues. Police questioned his son, Yair Netanyahu, who they suspect received "lavish gifts" from Australian billionaire, James Packer. They also questioned journalist Avi Ratzon, who some suspect was asked to write favorably about the PM in Yedioth Ahronoth as part of a possible deal between Netanyahu and Arnon Mozes.
An Israeli policeman, Sgt. Maj. Erez Levi, and a Bedouin civilian, Musa Abu al-Kian, were killed during clashes in Umm Al-Hiran on Wednesday morning. There are conflicting accounts of what really happened, with different interpretations of aeriel footage that was shot from a police helicopter hovering above the scene of the event. The video shows shots fired before the vehicle speeds into the officer. Eyewitnesses say the police shot the driver, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. The police say those shots were fired into the air as a warning, and that the attack was deliberate. They released a second video after the first was leaked with captions explaining how they saw the incident unfold.
The clash began as a protest against Israeli police carrying out demolition orders for homes constructed illegally in Umm Al-Hiran, in the Negev. Several Arab MKs were present, and the chairman of the Joint List, Ayman Odeh, was shot with a rubber bullet. This incident is exacerbating tensions between the state, police, and Arab society in Israel.
The investigation into allegations of corruption against Netanyahu continues. Police questioned his son, Yair Netanyahu, who they suspect received "lavish gifts" from Australian billionaire, James Packer. They also questioned journalist Avi Ratzon, who some suspect was asked to write favorably about the PM in Yedioth Ahronoth as part of a possible deal between Netanyahu and Arnon Mozes.
Quick Hits:
- During a meeting between Israelis and Syrians at Hebrew University, Issam Zeitoun of the Free Syrian Army said to Palestinian protesters, "you are living in a paradise compared to Syria...you should be ashamed." While some Syrians and Palestinians view working with Israel as traitorous, Zeitoun says "Israel should play a role in getting the political cover from the Russians and the Americans [for a safe zone]." (Times of Israel).
- Israel's German Embassy and leading German parliamentarians criticized the Max Planck Institute for hosting a series of lectures with a pro-Hezbollah academic who is popular among neo-Nazis and allegedly trivialized the Holocaust (Jerusalem Post).
- Brazil approved a new Israeli Ambassador for the first time since 2015, when Brazil refused to approve Dani Dayan's nomination to the post because he was a leader in the settlement movement. Yossi Shelly, who is considered to be close to the Netanyahu, will assume the position (Ynet News).
- Israel completed raising the height of its electric "smart fence" on its border with Egypt. This construction is intended to shutdown illegal migration. (Jerusalem Post)