News Nosh 2.21.17

APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday February 21, 2017
 
Quote of the day:
“It started in his family, which was swept up in the incitement around it and which raised a boy who shot an injured helpless person – practically corpse abuse – and it continued with the education system that doesn’t deal with the problem of semi-fascist content in the guise of patriotism, and then the political establishment, which incited a soldier who is unable to cope with the ongoing brainwashing, and it continued to publicly support the criminal act, and then the IDF, which ignored the wounded [Palestinian] man, who was injured and left in the street and killed like a dog.”
--Maariv commentator Ran Adelist writes that Elor Azariya, the young Israeli man serving in the IDF who shot in the head Abdul Fattah al-Sharif, an already wounded incapacitated Palestinian young man, was not the only one guilty for the execution for which Azariya is being sentenced today.*

You Must Be Kidding: 
Israeli police are now demanding that Palestinians caught entering Israel illegally pay thousands of shekels for private security firms to escort them to subsequent court hearings inside Israel.**


Breaking News:
The 'Shooting Soldier from Hebron,' 20-year-old Elor Azariya, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for executing wounded and incapacitated Palestinian assailant, 20-year-old Abdel Fatah al-Sharif. The military prosecution asked for three to five years. (HaaretzHaaretz+LiveUpdates, Israel HayomYnet)

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • Sentence – Today at 12:00: The punishment of Elor Azariya
  • The cry of the elderly (in nursing homes)
  • Certificate of poverty for the state // Sami Michael
  • Expose: Chris Martin on the way to Israel ahead of Coldplay performance
  • Fly with her: Meet Dana Greenberg, the Prime Minister’s pilot
  • Pride put on the side – MK Amir Ohana tries to explain why he won’t vote today for legislation supporting his (LGBT) community
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
  • Today at the (IDF) Kirya headquarters: Sentencing of Elor Azariya
  • The scapegoat // Ran Adelist
  • Test of faith // Karni Eldad
  • We want you home // Eti Azariya (Elor’s sister)
  • The Palestinian youth who embarrassed Amnesty Int’l at the Berlin Film Festival
  • “Police knew about the abuse in the nursing homes, but didn’t do anything”
Israel Hayom
News Summary:
The Shooting Soldier from Hebron gets sentenced today and the Channel 2 News revealed that the police and Health Ministry knew a year ago about the horrifying abuse of elderly at nursing homes making today’s top stories in the Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, the President of Singapore told visiting Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was the two-state solution, Israeli officials said that the government would keep its promise to find a solution acceptable to the Amona outpost evictees, a lawyer who supports settlements was chosen to represent Netanyahu and the state in its appeals to the High Court over the Regulation (expropriation) Law and a new police deputy commissioner was appointed to the most sensitive position in the police, head of the investigations unit, but he lacks real power because the Netanyahu-appointed police commissioner, Roni Al-Sheikh, made himself responsible for all investigations of politicians, Yedioth reported. And, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman sarcastically commented Monday on the ISIS report that an Israeli drone killed five of its fighters in the Sinai Peninsula on Saturday. And on Monday morning, two rockets were fired from Sinai and landed in open space in Israel, near the Gaza Strip.
 
The Military Prosecution asked for three to five years in prison and the papers debated if and how much Elor Azariya, the ‘Shooting Soldier from Hebron,’ would be sentenced to prison for executing Abdul Fatah Al-Sharif, a young Palestinian assailant.

Maariv online/103FM ran an interview with retired district judge Shelly Timan, who said: "Everyone is saying that he will get the bare minimum (punishment). This trial is different, it’s a trial where the Prime Minister turns to the people, this is not a true trial. Within the difficult framework, there are very stormy winds and that’s a very very scary thing. There was already the case in the past of Emil Grunzweig [who was murdered by a right-winger at a left-wing demonstration –OH]. But there is a policy, and beyond the Green Line there are emergency regulations, which apply.” On the issue of calls for pardoning Azariya, judge Timan said you cannot pardon someone who expresses no remorse. "You can not pardon him, when he's not sorry, when he does not apologize,” said Timan. “I do not see any way - even though there were such things in the past, like in the Bus 300 Affair [when two Shin Bet agents took two Palestinian hijackers they caught to the side and executed them and lied about it afterward – OH]. Theoretically, it’s possible, but I think a pardon is contempt of the most hated institution, which is called the court. I look at this case like a judge. The military prosecutor in this case is a private lawyer who was recruited, but this lawsuit is walking on tiptoes because of the political issue. It has turned into a political trial.”
 
Quick Hits:
  • Sharp Rise in Number of Israeli Demolitions in East Jerusalem Since Trump's Election - Even though mayor announced new master plan for East Jerusalem to allow legal Arab construction, such plans have been largely stalled in past years. (Haaretz+)
  • Israel builds industrial zones to deepen control of West Bank - Under the international radar, commercial centers, some of which remain vacant, broaden Israeli presence in the West Bank, including in areas unauthorized for housing construction and outside the settlement blocs. (Haaretz+)
  • Knesset enacts law that would force labeling of Israeli businesses that refuse service to settlements - New regulations would force business owners to display a sign on their premises if they won't provide shipping or other services to settlements across the 1967 border. (Haaretz+) 
  • Bill Restricting Political Activities of NGOs During Elections Clears First Knesset Hurdle - Netanyahu proposed the initial version following an extensive PR campaign during the last election by a U.S.-funded organization, V-15, that sought to replace him as premier. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
  • **Israeli Police Want Palestinians to Pay for Their Own Security Escort to Court - Anyone caught entering Israel illegally via occupied territories would be forced to pay about 5,000 shekels to hire private firm for every court hearing. (Haaretz+) 
  • Attorney General to Arab MKs: I’m against the ‘Muezzin bill’ - Avichai Mandelblit told members of Joint List that in his opinion, Israel's existing noise law is enough to deal with the situation. (JPost and Maariv)
  • Israeli mayor taped saying 'it's not pleasant' to see 'black folks drinking beer on the square' - In a recording of the comments published by the Walla news website, Mayor Yitzhak Braverman is also heard saying that few asylum seekers in his city are engaged in crime. (Haaretz and VIDEO)
  • PM Netanyahu announces 'pivot to Asia' on Singapore visit - "As a gateway to Asia, Singapore is a perfect partner. Israeli companies already understand that, and I hope that after this visit many more will understand that," Netanyahu says • At state dinner, Netanyahus are presented with orchid named for them. (Israel Hayom)
  • Israeli Arab Charged With Plotting to Plant a Bomb on a Tel Aviv Bus - Anas Haj Yahiya of the town of Taibeh, who is said to have sworn allegiance to ISIS, is accused of consenting through a contact who claimed to be in Gaza to plan to bomb a bus on Dizengoff Street. (Haaretz and Ynet)
  • Minister Deri moves to revoke citizenship of Haifa terrorist - Minister of the Interior Aryeh Deri writes to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit requesting permission to begin proceedings to revoke Mohammad Shinawi's citizenship following the murder of Guy Kafri in January. (Ynet
  • Israeli army raises rent subsidy for soldiers for first time in 22 years - Belated decision to add 260 shekels a month will help thousands, among them 'lone' soldiers, who receive financial support from army. (Haaretz+) 
  • IDF soldiers punished after leaving their station in protest - 5 soldiers from the Kfir Brigade are given 21 days' detention for leaving their post near the Gaza Strip; the soldiers stated they did so to protest the unit's manpower shortage; IDF Spokesperson Unit insists soldiers 'understood the severity of their actions.' (Ynet)
  • Palestinians Sign First-ever Labor Pact With Israeli Employer - Employees to be entitled to annual wage increases and higher pay grades, as well as paid Jewish and Muslim holidays. (Haaretz
  • Ikea Still Promoting Female-free Catalogues in Israel: 'We're Turning Into Saudi Arabia' - The Swedish furniture chain apologized after it caused a storm by publishing catalog with no women in it, but Israelis say it's still being distributed. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  • TechNation: Apple Reportedly Acquired Israeli Face-recognition Startup Real Face - Intel Israel exports drop as Kiryat Gat plant cuts output during upgrade | Keepod introduces $14 USB that acts as PC operating system | Apple to open repair center in Israel. (Haaretz
  • Fourth Wave of Bomb Threats Targets 10 Jewish Community Centers in at Least Six U.S. States - New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, New Mexico and Alabama centers affected, according to local news reports. Trump's racist remarks empowered anti-Semites to act, Alabama rabbi says. (Haaretz)
  • White House, Ivanka Trump Condemn Jewish Community Centers Bomb Scare - 'Hatred and hate-motivated violence of any kind have no place in a country founded on the promise of individual freedom,' White House tells NBC. (Haaretz)
  • Trump's Silence on Jewish Centers Bomb Scare Encourages anti-Semites, Experts Say - Even Mort Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America and a leading Trump defender, said the president should issue a statement against the incidents. (Haaretz+) 
  • Iran Launches 'Smart, Advanced' Rockets in Military Drill - A Revolutionary Guard official says the tests show the Islamic republic is 'ready to give a crushing respond to any threat.' (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Saudi Arabia Breaks With Tradition as Comic Con Puts Gender-mixing and Magic on Display - For three days, some 20,000 Saudis decked out in costumes and face paint attended Saudi Arabia's first-ever Comic Con, celebrating a culture which until now had been largely underground in the Islamic Kingdom. (Haaretz)


Features:
A Palestinian Farmer Just Wanted to Work His Land. He Got an Army Raid Instead
Israeli settlers are doing all they can to prevent the Jabaris from cultivating their six acres. The Israeli army helped out. (Amira Hass, Haaretz+)
The Jews and the Chinese: A connection between ‘the world’s most ancient people’
Magazine: While there is no real Jewish community in China today and the relationship between Israel and China is mostly business-related, quite a few Jewish communities found their place in the Asian country over the years. A new Chinese-sponsored exhibition at Bar-Ilan University documents these historical ties. (Yaniv Pohoryles, Yedioth/Ynet)
Who Is Gen. McMaster? Trump's New Top Security Adviser, Who Urged Army Brass to Speak Truth to Power
During his time as a commander in Iraq, McMaster reportedly told soldiers that disrespecting local civilians was akin to 'working for the enemy.' (Amir Tibon, Haaretz
 
Commentary/Analysis:
Israel's Compensation Grabbing Law (Haaretz Editorial) The compensation Raba’a Ali Satal received in the wake of her husband’s death by decision of the court is unconnected to the Absentee Property Law. Any other decision is a moral stain. 
The horrific one-state vision (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) The Israeli Right is insisting on portraying Israel as a rejectionist, fueling the BDS industry of lies and enacting laws with zero benefit and endless damage.
Confirm Friedman: He is the PERFECT envoy to Israel in the time of Trump (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The assault on the ambassador-designate enables his critics to avoid the new reality. 
Meeting of the three egos: Trump left the responsibility with us (Yitzhak Ben-Ner, Maariv) We have always sought a friendly super-leader, who will make the critical decisions for us, so that we can reject them. How will our elected officials take advantage of the rare golden opportunity to decide for themselves? 
Netanyahu Should Have Given Kerry a Kiss (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) A year ago Benjamin Netanyahu received from then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry the most perfect expression of the two-state solution. Clearly the premier was not serious in his intentions. 
All the president’s enemies (Sever Plocker, Yedioth/Ynet) It won’t be long before Trump implies that the Jews themselves are stimulating anti-Semitism in the US in order to undermine his presidency. 
Jerusalem's 'Landlords' Are Digging Away Again (Nir Hasson, Haaretz+) An Israel Antiquities Authority project involves an effort to increase the Jewish presence in a Palestinian neighborhood lying just below the Al-Aqsa mosque and to assert religious influence over archaeological finds. 
Strategic Question: The Israeli interest is a moderate Iran, not a threatened Iran (Sima Shine, Maariv) Changing the policy of the Islamic Republic will be realized only if more moderate voices prevail there. In this respect, the Trump administration’s policy of saber rattling does not help.  
Test of faith: imposing a penalty on Elor Azariya will crush the people's trust in the justice system (Karni Eldad, Maariv) Justice must not be made due to rating considerations, it is not the role of the court to be popular, but one does not need a law degree to know who is right and what is right to do. The simple people also have wisdom. 
I Wear a Head Scarf - Will Anyone in Israel Employ Me? (Rama Bdeer, Haaretz+) A young Arab woman discovers the pitfalls of wearing a head covering when looking for work in a shopping mall. 
The system also has to stand trial together with Elor Azariya (Ran Adelist, Maariv) How do you bridge between punishing to the full extent of the law the person who killed a wounded helpless person and between the innocence of all the systems that sent him to the crime scene? The Shooting Soldier from Hebron did not exist in a vacuum. It started in his family, which was swept up in the incitement around it, and which raised a boy who shot an injured helpless person – practically corpse abuse – and it continues with the education system that doesn’t deal with the problem of semi-fascist content in the guise of patriotism, and continues with the political establishment, which incited a soldier who is unable to cope with the ongoing brainwashing, and which continued to publicly support the criminal act, and the IDF, which ignored the wounded man [the Palestinian assailant, Abdul Fattah al-Sharif – OH] who was injured and left in the street and killed like a dog.
ISIS seeks new balance of deterrence with Israel (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) In rocket fire, ISIS' Sinai affiliate is seeking to punish Israel for its purported assistance to Egyptian security forces. For the time being, Israel has little else to do but tighten intelligence sharing with Egypt.
Why Would Jews Have a Problem With the Term 'Islamophobia'? (Mira Sucharov, Haaretz+) The decision by a major Canadian Jewish organization to oppose a parliamentary motion condemning Islamophobia after a shocking mosque attack, because the term is 'politically charged and imprecise,' has vocal challengers.
 
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.