APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday February 27, 2017
Quote of the day:
“If there is no legal reason preventing their arrest, why haven't we done so until now?”
-- Yedioth's Yossi Yehoshua quoted an unnamed Israeli general, who questioned Minister Naftali Bennett's plan in 2014 to re-arrest Palestinians released in the Shalit prisoner deal as a means to get the release of three Jewish Israelis kidnapped in the West Bank in May 2014. Former defense minister Moshe Yaalon said Sunday that it was that massive wave of arrests that sparked the conflict that led to Operation Protective Edge.*
-- Yedioth's Yossi Yehoshua quoted an unnamed Israeli general, who questioned Minister Naftali Bennett's plan in 2014 to re-arrest Palestinians released in the Shalit prisoner deal as a means to get the release of three Jewish Israelis kidnapped in the West Bank in May 2014. Former defense minister Moshe Yaalon said Sunday that it was that massive wave of arrests that sparked the conflict that led to Operation Protective Edge.*
Breaking News:
Five Israeli Strikes on Gaza After Rocket Attack; Four Wounded
Hamas threatens: 'We won't let Israeli aggression continue'; IDF general: 'Israel doesn't want escalation but can't ignore rocket fire.' The Palestinian rocket, which did not activate the Code Red siren, landed in open area in Sha'ar HaNegev on Monday morning and caused no damage and no injuries. Three Palestinians were injured by the Israeli strikes. (Haaretz, Ynet, Israel Hayom and Maan)
Front Page:
Haaretz
- 15 years since the law prohibiting reunification of (Palestinian) families, thousands live without status
- The early release of Operation Protective Edge diverts the fire from Netanyahu // Amos Harel
- Jewish cemetery in US vandalized, the second in a week
- Senior Police call for internal investigation into the incident in Umm al-Hiran
- Construction wave for employment and commerce will turn Bnei Brak into one of the richest cities in the country
- Former deputy Police Commissioner: I’m apologizing to the girls, void my conviction
- Hundreds of Coptic Christians escaped from ISIS forces in Sinai
- Euthanasia (for executed Palestinian assailant) // Arik Diamant
- Bennet’s Shin Bet // Haaretz Editorial
- A weak democracy is preferable to a right-wing government: the hidden interview of Ben-Gurion
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Yaalon’s version – State Comptroller report: Defense Minister during Operation Protective Edge returns fire
- 18 premies infected with dangerous bacteria
- Send the woman // Nahum Barnea on the Ofek Bucrhis affair
- IDF unit pride – Two men serving in IAF met and later married
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- A day before the report on the tunnels: All out war on the political establishment
- A success despite the faults // Yossi Melman
- For the second time in a week: Jewish cemetery desecrated in US
Israel Hayom
- “At least 15 tunnels from Gaza to Israel” – Source close to Netanyahu: Most of the criticism in the report – against Yaalon and Gantz
- Shining red light // Yoav Gallant
- Again, desecration of graves in the US
- The ammonia protest: thousands demonstrated in Haifa
- The skies are opening more: price of flights dropped drastically
- Since Wednesday: 500 shekel fine for driving in public transport lane
- Tomorrow at midnight: Gas to become 6 agorot cheaper – 6.10 shekels a liter
News Summary:
Just before the publication Tuesday of the State Comptroller’s report on deficiencies of the IDF and the political establishment during Operation Protective Edge, members of the political establishment are attacking each other making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Yedioth’s report that then-defense minister Moshe Yaalon said that the mass arrests operation that Israel conducted against Hamas supporters, activists and leaders ahead in May and June 2014 was what led to the 2014 summer war against Gaza making top headlines in the Hebrew newspapers.
**Associates of the former defense minister said Yaalon believed it was the arrest of about 50 released prisoners from the Shalit deal, along with hundreds of other Palestinians in the West Bank, what Israel called ‘Operation Brother’s Keeper,’ which caused Hamas to quickly accelerate the situation, leading to Operation Protective Edge, Yedioth reported. Minister Naftali Bennett was the one who suggested the mass arrest operation, during the search for the three Jewish Israeli youth kidnapped in the West Bank in May 2014. According to different reports, it was then-MK Orit Struck from Bennett's Habayit Hayehudi party that approached him and suggested the idea to arrest Hamas people and those released in the Shalit prisoner deal. But Yaalon opposed the idea and in the IDF opinions were split. According to Ya'alon, the IDF Intelligence assessment that Hamas was not seeking an escalation in Gaza was accurate. “It was the Israeli operations in the West Bank that made Hamas change direction and eventually led to the war that claimed many lives. Ya'alon believes that if Hamas were truly interested in an escalation, the terror organization would have launched a surprise attack in the form of a deluge of rocket fire or an infiltration into Israel from several tunnels at the same time,” wrote Yehoshua. The report is expected to be critical of Yaalon, as well as then prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and then IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz and of their dealing with the tunnel threat. Likud officials already on Sunday called the report political, citing a Channel 10 report that the son of the author of the report is an activist in Bennett’s Habayit Hayehudi party. (Maariv) Channel 2 reported that there are currently at least 15 Hamas attack tunnels crossing the border into Israel. Yedioth interviewed mayors of Jewish communities around the Gaza Strip, one of whom cast doubt on claims by Bennett and other ministers that they weren't entirely aware of the extent of the threat posed by Hamas tunnels. "We always received information about the tunnel threat. The IDF admitted the only solution to deal with the tunnels was to go in (to Gaza). To say no one knew isn't true. We knew and we were as prepared as we could be," Head of the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, Yair Farjun said. Moreover, several hundred reserve officers and soldiers signed a letter of support for former Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz. Meanwhile, Hamas decried the Egyptian military for using toxic gas to destroy a tunnel, killing three people.
Just before the publication Tuesday of the State Comptroller’s report on deficiencies of the IDF and the political establishment during Operation Protective Edge, members of the political establishment are attacking each other making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Yedioth’s report that then-defense minister Moshe Yaalon said that the mass arrests operation that Israel conducted against Hamas supporters, activists and leaders ahead in May and June 2014 was what led to the 2014 summer war against Gaza making top headlines in the Hebrew newspapers.
**Associates of the former defense minister said Yaalon believed it was the arrest of about 50 released prisoners from the Shalit deal, along with hundreds of other Palestinians in the West Bank, what Israel called ‘Operation Brother’s Keeper,’ which caused Hamas to quickly accelerate the situation, leading to Operation Protective Edge, Yedioth reported. Minister Naftali Bennett was the one who suggested the mass arrest operation, during the search for the three Jewish Israeli youth kidnapped in the West Bank in May 2014. According to different reports, it was then-MK Orit Struck from Bennett's Habayit Hayehudi party that approached him and suggested the idea to arrest Hamas people and those released in the Shalit prisoner deal. But Yaalon opposed the idea and in the IDF opinions were split. According to Ya'alon, the IDF Intelligence assessment that Hamas was not seeking an escalation in Gaza was accurate. “It was the Israeli operations in the West Bank that made Hamas change direction and eventually led to the war that claimed many lives. Ya'alon believes that if Hamas were truly interested in an escalation, the terror organization would have launched a surprise attack in the form of a deluge of rocket fire or an infiltration into Israel from several tunnels at the same time,” wrote Yehoshua. The report is expected to be critical of Yaalon, as well as then prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and then IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz and of their dealing with the tunnel threat. Likud officials already on Sunday called the report political, citing a Channel 10 report that the son of the author of the report is an activist in Bennett’s Habayit Hayehudi party. (Maariv) Channel 2 reported that there are currently at least 15 Hamas attack tunnels crossing the border into Israel. Yedioth interviewed mayors of Jewish communities around the Gaza Strip, one of whom cast doubt on claims by Bennett and other ministers that they weren't entirely aware of the extent of the threat posed by Hamas tunnels. "We always received information about the tunnel threat. The IDF admitted the only solution to deal with the tunnels was to go in (to Gaza). To say no one knew isn't true. We knew and we were as prepared as we could be," Head of the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, Yair Farjun said. Moreover, several hundred reserve officers and soldiers signed a letter of support for former Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz. Meanwhile, Hamas decried the Egyptian military for using toxic gas to destroy a tunnel, killing three people.
Quick Hits:
- On First Night of J Street Conference, Focus Shifts From Israel to Trump - Jeremy Ben-Ami invigorates crowd with promise to 'fight and resist' Trump administration, but loudest clamor rises when he mentions Trump's Israel envoy pick, the pro-settlement David Friedman. (Haaretz+)
- In shadow of Trump and Netanyahu, liberals in Israel and U.S. eye new alliances: 'We need solidarity more than ever' - At second day of J Street conference, sole member of Israeli government says Trump should tell Abbas and Netanyahu 'I gave you 100 days and nothing happened.' (Haaretz+)
- Eviction of the nine Ofra houses commences ahead of time - Ofra settlers gear up for non-violent eviction of 9 homes as IDF and security forces have begun the process of evicting residents of nine homes in Ofra, two days before the scheduled move. Their efforts are focused on an empty house, in which protesters planned to barricade themselves. (Ynet and Israel Hayom)
- Jewish extremist arrested for allegedly planning to disrupt Israeli settlement homes' demolition - The right-wing Honenu group criticized the police for arresting the 20-year-old suspect over what the organization described as suspicions that he might have a future intention to disrupt police activity in Ofra settlement. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli forces storm Tuqu school, attack teachers with pepper spray - Three Palestinian teachers suffered from pepper spray inflammation at the hands of Israeli forces, when the latter stormed a secondary school in the southern occupied West Bank village of Tuqu to remove posters commemorating 17-year-old Qusay Hassan al-Umour, who was shot dead by Israeli forces in the town in mid-January. (Maan)
- Feeling betrayed by Israel, Bedouin soldiers to refuse to report for duty over community's treatment - 'From the standpoint of the Jews, we’re Arabs. From the standpoint of the Arabs, we’re traitors,' says one Bedouin reservist soldier. (Haaretz+)
- Palestinian children attend class in the street after Israel shuts down school - After Israeli authorities shut down a Palestinian elementary school in the occupied East Jerusalem town of Sur Bahir last Thursday over alleged “incitement” in its study materials, students attended class in the street on Sunday and protested against the closure. (Maan)
- Hezbollah mocked Minister Kara: "The solution by the minister of science fiction - is like a Schwarzenegger movie" - After minister Ayoub Kara said that within two years an IDF robot could assassinate Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the Shiite organization said, "The minister without portfolio had found himself a portfolio and revealed a ‘scientific findings’ to create the robot.” (Maariv)
- Israel's Air Force Posts Picture of Gay Officer With His Husband, but Some Are Not Pleased - The Facebook post, which also featured other air force families to honor Family Day, also stated: 'from our standpoint, everyone is equal.' (Haaretz+ and Yedioth/Ynet)
- Knesset to Address Rise of Complaints Of Sex Assaults in IDF - 'It cannot be that the Knesset has nothing to say on the issue,' says Yesh Atid MK in wake of Haaretz report on increasing reports of sexual assault in the army. (Haaretz+)
- Palestinians pay respects to victims of Ibrahimi Mosque massacre - The National Campaign to Lift the Closure of Hebron organized a commemoration of the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre on Sunday with a visit to the graves of the Palestinian victims of the attack, which was perpetrated by American-born Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein 23 years ago, killing 29 Muslims. (Maan)
- Israeli forces demolish home of Palestinian citizen of Israel in Kafr Qasim - Ghazi Issa said that hundreds of "heavily armed" Israeli police officers escorted bulldozers which tore down the house. (Maan)
- Youth block roads demanding PA intervene in case of Palestinian hunger strikers - Palestinian youth from Qalandiya refugee camp blocked off a main raid connecting Ramallah and Jerusalem Sunday to pressure the Palestinian Authority to intervene in the case of two hunger strikers from the camp imprisoned by Israel. (Maan)
- Israeli minister threatens to stop treating wounded Syrians - The government must transfer funds to cover deficit caused by accepting over 2,000 victims of civil war, Health Minister Yaakov Litzman says. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Former Israeli treasury boss caught on tape removing sensitive documents from office - Michal Abadi-Boiangiu rejects the claims that she took the materials, some linked to Netanyahu's personal expenses; state archivist calls for the return of the papers. (Haaretz+)
- Coldplay Denies Scheduling Show in Israel, Palestine: 'We're Only Here to Learn' - 'We are just having an interesting and enlightening trip,' Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin says of band members' visit to Israel and the West Bank. (Haaretz+)
- Montana House backs effort to boycott anti-Israel firms - New bill would direct the Montana Board of Investments to sever ties with companies supporting the BDS movement and bar public agencies from doing business with such companies as well; opponents say bill might infringe on free trade and speech. (Agencies, Ynet)
- 153 French lawmakers call on Hollande to officially recognize Palestinian state - More than 150 French parliamentarians signed a letter calling on French President Francois Hollande to officially recognize a state of Palestine, French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche reported on Sunday. (Maan)
- Jewish Federation Head Voices Support for David Friedman as U.S. Envoy to Israel - 'I think he’ll be a good representative if he is confirmed,' Richard Sandler says. 'My expectations of him are very positive.' (Haaretz+)
- Iran holds naval war games amid rising tensions with US - Despite President Trump’s previous warning that he is putting Iran ‘on notice’ and that its recent ballistic missile test was ‘playing with fire,’ Tehran moves ahead with naval drill. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Ahmadinejad sends letter to Trump - The prolific letter-writing former Iranian president, who has before corresponded with Bush and Obama, sends a particularly long missive to the current US president, striking a somewhat conciliatory tone while applauding immigration to America. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Muslim Activists Vow to Help After Second Act of Vandalism at Jewish Cemetery - 'Whatever extremists try to destroy, we'll rebuild,' Muslim American activist says after Philadelphia cemetery vandalized, vowing to try to divert funds raised for St. Louis to help. (Haaretz+)
Features:
The tears washed over Bethlehem: Who is the Palestinian finalist who swept the Arab world?
Despite the tension between the streams from which candidates come, the winner of "Arab Idol 4 " moved the audience in the final competition event, when he expressed hope that by the next competition the wars in the Arab world will have ended. (Yasir Ukbi, Maariv)
And the Oscar goes to... BDS? Hollywood stars snub Israel swag bag visit
BDS claims credit for thwarting Israeli effort to lure last year's Oscars nominees with free tour packages But none of the stars came, and only one made any use of the package at all: Jennifer Lawrence gave it to her mother. (Itay Stern, Haaretz+)
The Biggest-ever Infrastructure Project in Israel Gets Under Way
Plans to develop Phase 1 of the Leviathan gas field were approved last week. TheMarker answers who, what, where, when, why and how much. (Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
The higher the rank, the greater the immunity for killing Palestinians (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Unlike Elor Azaria and Ben Dery, low-ranking soldiers of Moroccan origin, the officers responsible for the killing of the Abu Dahrouj family in Gaza have not been brought to justice.
Behind the scenes of the secret Aqaba summit (Smadar Perry, Yedioth/Ynet) According to commentators in the Arab world, Kerry not only presented a detailed road map which would seat the Israeli and Palestinian leaders in front of each other, he also took care of the division of labor: Al-Sisi would pressure Netanyahu, King Abdullah would pressure Abbas, and the Saudis would support the move.
Gaza War Report Favors Netanyahu (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) State comptroller’s conclusions on the government and army’s behavior during Operation Protective Edge in Gaza harshly criticize the prime minister’s political rivals.
(Public Security Minister Gilad) Erdan’s alternative facts (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) It‘s shocking how a government minister can slander an Israeli citizen and drag his name through the mud without waiting for the investigation to be completed. Like several other ministers, he likely sees the Likud leadership race in the horizon and is taking populist steps to satisfy his voters.
The Syrian War Shakeout Is Changing the Mideast’s Balance of Power (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Turkey’s intervention has created a rift with Iran, Jordan-Syria ties are tightening and America’s absence could weaken the Saudis. The alliances emerging in Syria will determine the fate the region.
Alternative Facts: a preventive war and the leaks from the State Comptroller’s report have made it uninteresting (Yossi Melman, Maariv) The State Comptroller's conclusions are, to a great extent, wisdom in hindsight. He dealt with processes and guidelines and not with the quality of the decisions. But in the end result test, the campaign in Gaza in the summer of 2014 achieved deterrence and quiet, albeit fragile, which hasn't existed on the southern front since 1968. When the public report is published, the public will already be tired and satiated from the excess verbiage and it won’t be interested. And in the end, despite deficiencies in the procedures for decision-making and despite the intelligence gaps, and despite the lack of an option of bringing Hamas’ collapse, were the results of the war so bad?
From Dachau to St. Louis: Mike Pence Emerges as Donald Trump's Unlikely Ambassador to the Jews (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) Pence may not know what the Israeli flag looks like, but the very Christian and conservative vice president, who was estranged from the Jewish community as a governor, is being dispatched as damage control.
Between the lines, between the tunnels (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) Dealing with the Hamas tunnel threat should have been part of the IDF’s defense plan vis-à-vis the Gaza Strip. So how is it possible that, according to what has been quoted from the state comptroller’s report on Operation Protective Edge, the army was unprepared for it?
Prima Donna Donald Trump Fights the Media for Honor and Survival (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Press-hating fans are like Romans in the Colosseum, cheering as the beast devours another Christian.
Bennett’s Intel Branch (Haaretz Editorial) The slippery slope toward students and parents informing on principals and teachers is short and steep. Bennett’s new monster should be nipped in the bud.
The Only Threat to Netanyahu? Personal Corruption, Not Political Opposition (Amiel Ungar, Haaretz+) Netanyahu enjoys a rare kind of political immunity: The 'time for a change' sentiment constantly reasserted in Western democracies isn't working in Israel.
The achievements must be kept in mind (Uri Heitner, Israel Hayom) Plenty of things were wrong with Operation Protective Edge. But we must not let that obscure the fact that the war finally put an end to 14 years of Hamas rocket fire on southern Israel.
The Trump Administration’s Abetting of anti-Semitism Will Be Passive, Not Active (Derek Penslar, Haaretz) Trump doesn't present Jews as a dangerous group the way he describes Muslims or Mexicans. But don't expect him to take vigorous action to identify, shame and punish the perpetrators of anti-Semitic incidents.
A bright red warning light (Maj. Gen. (res.) Yoav Gallant, Israel Hayom) The former defense minister and chief of staff knew about the tunnels. But nothing was done to prepare for the threat. The military leadership failed.
Can Jews and Arabs Be True Political Partners in Israel? (Yaniv Sagee, Haaretz+) The only way to create an alternative to push back against 50 years of occupation and mounting inequalities is for the Zionist and Palestinian-Arab left to form a real partnership.
The Right Way for Israel to Open Its Historic Window for Peace (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) For Israel to be a partner in peace, repeated attempts are needed to forge a coalition that will have a mandate from the people to compromise. All this must be articulated clearly.
Hezbollah flexes its muscles (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah's belligerent statements do not indicate a desire for conflict with Israel, but rather fear of such a confrontation and a desire to prevent it.
Israel Police Add Insult to Injury by Blaming the Bedouin Victim (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) The false ISIS accusation against Yakub Abu al-Kiyan compounded the first injury: the destruction of the homes of Bedouin families who had been living at one site for many years.
Neither Trump nor Terror Will Break Our Jewish-Muslim Solidarity (Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Haaretz+) As a rabbi, I want my community members to know Muslims personally, to have ties deep enough to resist the lies, scapegoating and manipulation Trump will use in the aftermath of a major attack.
Despite the tension between the streams from which candidates come, the winner of "Arab Idol 4 " moved the audience in the final competition event, when he expressed hope that by the next competition the wars in the Arab world will have ended. (Yasir Ukbi, Maariv)
And the Oscar goes to... BDS? Hollywood stars snub Israel swag bag visit
BDS claims credit for thwarting Israeli effort to lure last year's Oscars nominees with free tour packages But none of the stars came, and only one made any use of the package at all: Jennifer Lawrence gave it to her mother. (Itay Stern, Haaretz+)
The Biggest-ever Infrastructure Project in Israel Gets Under Way
Plans to develop Phase 1 of the Leviathan gas field were approved last week. TheMarker answers who, what, where, when, why and how much. (Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
The higher the rank, the greater the immunity for killing Palestinians (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Unlike Elor Azaria and Ben Dery, low-ranking soldiers of Moroccan origin, the officers responsible for the killing of the Abu Dahrouj family in Gaza have not been brought to justice.
Behind the scenes of the secret Aqaba summit (Smadar Perry, Yedioth/Ynet) According to commentators in the Arab world, Kerry not only presented a detailed road map which would seat the Israeli and Palestinian leaders in front of each other, he also took care of the division of labor: Al-Sisi would pressure Netanyahu, King Abdullah would pressure Abbas, and the Saudis would support the move.
Gaza War Report Favors Netanyahu (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) State comptroller’s conclusions on the government and army’s behavior during Operation Protective Edge in Gaza harshly criticize the prime minister’s political rivals.
(Public Security Minister Gilad) Erdan’s alternative facts (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) It‘s shocking how a government minister can slander an Israeli citizen and drag his name through the mud without waiting for the investigation to be completed. Like several other ministers, he likely sees the Likud leadership race in the horizon and is taking populist steps to satisfy his voters.
The Syrian War Shakeout Is Changing the Mideast’s Balance of Power (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Turkey’s intervention has created a rift with Iran, Jordan-Syria ties are tightening and America’s absence could weaken the Saudis. The alliances emerging in Syria will determine the fate the region.
Alternative Facts: a preventive war and the leaks from the State Comptroller’s report have made it uninteresting (Yossi Melman, Maariv) The State Comptroller's conclusions are, to a great extent, wisdom in hindsight. He dealt with processes and guidelines and not with the quality of the decisions. But in the end result test, the campaign in Gaza in the summer of 2014 achieved deterrence and quiet, albeit fragile, which hasn't existed on the southern front since 1968. When the public report is published, the public will already be tired and satiated from the excess verbiage and it won’t be interested. And in the end, despite deficiencies in the procedures for decision-making and despite the intelligence gaps, and despite the lack of an option of bringing Hamas’ collapse, were the results of the war so bad?
From Dachau to St. Louis: Mike Pence Emerges as Donald Trump's Unlikely Ambassador to the Jews (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) Pence may not know what the Israeli flag looks like, but the very Christian and conservative vice president, who was estranged from the Jewish community as a governor, is being dispatched as damage control.
Between the lines, between the tunnels (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) Dealing with the Hamas tunnel threat should have been part of the IDF’s defense plan vis-à-vis the Gaza Strip. So how is it possible that, according to what has been quoted from the state comptroller’s report on Operation Protective Edge, the army was unprepared for it?
Prima Donna Donald Trump Fights the Media for Honor and Survival (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Press-hating fans are like Romans in the Colosseum, cheering as the beast devours another Christian.
Bennett’s Intel Branch (Haaretz Editorial) The slippery slope toward students and parents informing on principals and teachers is short and steep. Bennett’s new monster should be nipped in the bud.
The Only Threat to Netanyahu? Personal Corruption, Not Political Opposition (Amiel Ungar, Haaretz+) Netanyahu enjoys a rare kind of political immunity: The 'time for a change' sentiment constantly reasserted in Western democracies isn't working in Israel.
The achievements must be kept in mind (Uri Heitner, Israel Hayom) Plenty of things were wrong with Operation Protective Edge. But we must not let that obscure the fact that the war finally put an end to 14 years of Hamas rocket fire on southern Israel.
The Trump Administration’s Abetting of anti-Semitism Will Be Passive, Not Active (Derek Penslar, Haaretz) Trump doesn't present Jews as a dangerous group the way he describes Muslims or Mexicans. But don't expect him to take vigorous action to identify, shame and punish the perpetrators of anti-Semitic incidents.
A bright red warning light (Maj. Gen. (res.) Yoav Gallant, Israel Hayom) The former defense minister and chief of staff knew about the tunnels. But nothing was done to prepare for the threat. The military leadership failed.
Can Jews and Arabs Be True Political Partners in Israel? (Yaniv Sagee, Haaretz+) The only way to create an alternative to push back against 50 years of occupation and mounting inequalities is for the Zionist and Palestinian-Arab left to form a real partnership.
The Right Way for Israel to Open Its Historic Window for Peace (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) For Israel to be a partner in peace, repeated attempts are needed to forge a coalition that will have a mandate from the people to compromise. All this must be articulated clearly.
Hezbollah flexes its muscles (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah's belligerent statements do not indicate a desire for conflict with Israel, but rather fear of such a confrontation and a desire to prevent it.
Israel Police Add Insult to Injury by Blaming the Bedouin Victim (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) The false ISIS accusation against Yakub Abu al-Kiyan compounded the first injury: the destruction of the homes of Bedouin families who had been living at one site for many years.
Neither Trump nor Terror Will Break Our Jewish-Muslim Solidarity (Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Haaretz+) As a rabbi, I want my community members to know Muslims personally, to have ties deep enough to resist the lies, scapegoating and manipulation Trump will use in the aftermath of a major attack.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.