APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday March 30, 2017
Quote of the day:
Haaretz+ journalist question to Palestinian who was an administrative detainee in
Israeli prison and who helped create the Israeli TV series that Culture Minister Miri Regev hates: What would you want a Jewish and Israeli
viewer to think after he watches the series?
Administrative detainee Abed al-Basat: “That we are human beings and we have a right to independence..."
Administrative detainee Abed al-Basat: “That we are human beings and we have a right to independence..."
Front Page:
Haaretz
- US envoy: Peace in the region will positively affect the whole world
- Trump passed a message to Netanyahu via Dershowitz: An agreement is possible now
- 60% of the (Palestinian) youth arrested in the Territories suffered from violence (by the IDF) (Hebrew)
- Resident of Tiberias suspected of murdering his wife and cutting off her head
- Rise in sales of Israeli arms to Africa
- In order to shake off polygamy, court rejected giving status to children of resident of Negev who married seven women
- (Culture Minister) Regev, don’t choke // Ron Cahlili
- Fighting women // Emilie Moatti
Yedioth Ahronoth
- “He walked with her head in his hands”
- Scoop: Talks to cancel (prosecution’s) appeal of Azariya’s sentence
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- A back for Israel at the UN – Hundreds of Israeli flags yesterday at the conference for battling the BDS movement
- The horror in Tiberias: “The young woman said she was scared of being murdered”
- The (Israel Public Broadcasting) Corporation snarl – Attorney General: I will have difficulty defending Netanyahu and Kahlon’s solutions at the High Court; Ultra-Orthodox: We don’t oppose a government with Lapid
Israel Hayom
- Convicted of a lynch and set free – infuriating decision 17 years after the lynch in Ramallah that shook the country
- This is not how you build the wall for battling terror // Haim Shine
- The work week gets shortened by an hour
- Horror in Tiberias: Cut of his ex-wife’s head
- Prime Minister summoned his cabinet for a discussion on the negotiations – and a new settlement for Amona evictees
News Summary:
A man in Tiberias cut off his wife’s head, an Israeli court cleared a Palestinian policeman of murdering an Israeli after he served five years too many in prison, and thousands attended an anti-BDS event at the UN making top stories in the Hebrew newspapers.
Also in the news, following talks with the US administration, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu summoned his diplomatic-security cabinet for a meeting about renewing peace negotiations and establishing a new settlement for Amona evictees, while Arab and American leaders expressed support and belief that a two-state solution was possible. US President Donald Trump expressed his support for peace via Alan Dershowitz and via his Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt, who said at the Arab League summit in Jordan that a peace agreement would improve the situation of the whole world. At the Arab League summit Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his commitment to the two-state solution as did the leaders of the Arab world, who reaffirmed their support for the Saudi Peace Initiative of 2002 - as they have at every Arab League summit since then. According to the plan, all the Arab states will have normal ties with Israel if it cedes lands it captured in the 1967 Mideast war to a future Palestinian state. Israel has either ignored or rejected the offer each time. Jordan's King Abdullah gave a speech accusing Israel of wrecking the chances of peace.
In a tragic story of how the violence of occupation begets more violence, Siham Nimr, a 49-year-old Palestinian mother, whose 27-year-old son, Mustafa, was shot and killed by Israeli Border Guard soldiers who opened fire when they should not have and then tried to cover it up, was shot and killed after allegedly trying to stab a Border Guard at the entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem with a pair of scissors.
Quick Hits:
- Israeli authorities demolish 2 buildings in East Jerusalem's Issawiya - The construction of the building was almost complete, and the Abu al-Hummus family had been preparing to move into the new home shortly. (Maan)
- Israeli forces demolish 2 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem's Jabal al-Mukabbir - The two houses belong to brothers Islam and Imam al-Abbasi. Their two families, comprised of a total of 14 people -- including 10 children -- were displaced as result of the demolition. (Maan)
- B'Tselem: Detention of Palestinian minor by Israeli forces 'illegal' and 'unjustified' - Israeli rights group B’Tselem released a report revealing that Israeli forces detained 13-year-old Baraa Enayeh from his home in Azzun village and later released him more than a kilometer away, calling the act “illegal” and saying that the incident represented the “unchecked powers” of Israeli soldiers. (Maan)
- Israeli military court postpones court session of sick Palestinian prisoner - Israeli Ofer military court postponed the court session for Ahmad al-Khasib, 21, to April 3, after his health deteriorated and he had to be transferred to the hospital. (Maan)
- Israeli interrogators attempt to strangle Palestinian prisoner - Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said that Israeli interrogators attempted to strangle Muhammad Ahed al-Khadour while interrogating him in the Russian compound detention center in Jerusalem. He was detained on March 22 and an Israeli court extended his detention until March 30. (Maan)
- Israel’s Most Controversial New TV Series Reveals the Lives of Palestinian Inmates - The creators of 'Megiddo,' a film that outraged Culture Minister Miri Regev, spent a year and half at a huge security prison documenting the tense reality there. (Haaretz+)
- **Culture minister: I will not allow the denigration of Israel - Miri Regev lauds art foundation's decision to advise filmmakers against undermining the state • Move follows complaints from bereaved families over TV series depicting imprisoned terrorists as "suffering" • Series' funding under Culture Ministry review. (Israel Hayom)
- Israel's defense exports up 14% in 2016, contracts come to $6.5 billion - "The Israeli defense industry enjoys global prestige thanks to its advanced technology," head of International Defense Cooperation Authority says • Increase in exports noted in all major markets • Cyber, border and air defense systems especially popular. (Israel Hayom)
- Defense Chief Lieberman Cancels Hearing for Rabbi Who Castigated Female Soldiers - Defense minister had demanded Rabbi Yigal Levinstein’s resignation as condition for continuing Eli yeshiva’s IDF links, but dep. AG says he cannot. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- IDF ends large-scale exercise in West Bank - For the last four days, IDF reserves forces have practiced responding to various terrorist attacks, in preparation for upcoming holidays; Israel's security forces are also on high alert as Hamas has declared it will look to respond to the recent assassination of one of its leaders. (Ynet)
- Israel Probing How It Provided Misinformation on West Bank Archaeology - State failed to inform court of agreements with private companies to conduct digs in West Bank. (Haaretz+)
- Arab states remove Jerusalem sites from UNESCO resolution - Despite removing sensitive Jerusalem-related holy sites from an upcoming UNESCO Executive Board meeting, Arab states are keeping other contentious items on the agenda including the Cave of the Patriarchs and the Tomb of Rachel as Palestinian sites. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Israel to Cut $2 Million From UN Funding Due to 'Obsessive Bias Against Israel' - The funds, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said, would be instead used to expand international assistance projects in countries that vote for Israel in international forums. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
- Hamas threatens top defense officials over operative's death - New Hamas video shows Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, IDF chief Gadi Eizenkot, and heads of Mossad and Shin Bet security agency in crosshairs of a gun • "Retaliation will be according to the act," video threatens. (Israel Hayom)
- Hamdallah denounces Israeli control of Palestinian water resources - Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah added that the Palestinian Authority had prioritized the issue of water and established a water committee which he claimed would enable the PA to work on water infrastructure projects in the occupied West Bank, including in Area C -- the 60 percent of the West Bank under complete Israeli military control. (Maan)
- Abbas Demands Britain Apologize for Balfour Declaration - Palestinian president calls on Arab League to endorse Palestinian position ahead of Trump meeting. (Haaretz)
- Australia: No Evidence Christian Charity Funneled Donations to Hamas in Gaza - Funding for World Vision from Australia will remain frozen while Israel charges agency's Gaza manager Mohammed el-Halabi. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Syrian Refugees Surpass 5 Million in the Region, UN Agency Reports - According to data collected by UNHCR and the government of Turkey, 488,531 refugees are living in camps. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Noam Chomsky Claims Trump May Stage Terrorist Attacks to Shore Up Support - President may resort to extreme measures in order to infringe on basic rights, Noam Chomsky claims. (Haaretz)
Features:
Cameras Are Changing the Fight Against the Israeli Occupation. This Is How
Rights groups are equipping volunteers with cameras in an attempt to curb abuses by the Israeli army. Sure enough, the army is responding in kind. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Rights groups are equipping volunteers with cameras in an attempt to curb abuses by the Israeli army. Sure enough, the army is responding in kind. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Israeli Regevism Gives Off a Whiff of Fear (Uri Klein, Haaretz+) McCarthyism sought to root out the enemy within, but who are the enemies
against whom Regevism is directed?
Ben-Gurion or Azmi Bishara? The political plan of MK Amir Peretz (MK Amir Peretz, Maariv) One of the candidates for the leadership of the Labor Party presents his plan. This week MK Peretz spoke at a meeting of the Council for Peace and Security at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel-Aviv University.
An Open Letter to Miri Regev (Ron Cahlili, Haaretz+) When you silence the Arab voice, you are essentially providing the moral basis for silencing the Mizrahi, Ethiopian, Russian or ultra-Orthodox voices as well. It boomerangs.
If the World Ignores Its Own Decisions, Why Shouldn’t Israel? (Hagai El-Ad, Haaretz) UN resolution 2334 isn't just another piece of paper. It requires the international community itself to actively distinguish between Israel and the settlements. This time, inaction is complicity.
Could Israel's Actions Mean Russian Jews End Up as Putin’s Hostages? (Lev Stesin, Haaretz+) Israel may face an unexpected constraint to its attacks on Hezbollah weapons convoys in Syria: Fear of a backlash against Russia’s always potentially vulnerable Jewish community.
Trump’s Israel ambassador is the right person at the right time (Orly Azoulay, Yedioth/Ynet) Some may call David Friedman an opportunist, but he can actually be seen as a pragmatist. If he, the settlers’ own flesh and blood, is capable of changing direction, his words will carry more weight when he comes to the settlements and says there is no other solution apart from two states.
Let Israel's Right Do Its Dirty Business (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) It was very pleasant living with a military dictatorship out back and bits and pieces of freedom on display in the front window. Now the right is shattering that window.
The next phase in the war on BDS: Why Israel detained Omar Barghouti (Ramzy Baroud, Maan) For a while, it seemed that Israel was capable of maintaining its occupation and denying Palestinians their rights indefinitely, while promoting itself as 'the only democracy in the Middle East.' But as the saying goes, "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." Growing awareness resulting from the dedicated work of many intellectuals, journalists, and students saw the arrival of thousands of international activists to Palestine as part of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). It was that groundwork that facilitated the success of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS).
Trump seeks Israeli-Palestinian peace (Isi Leibler, Israel Hayom) The new administration has honored its commitment to treat Israel as a special ally, and must be allowed to discover for itself whether an accommodation with the Palestinians is possible.
The Trump Administration Is a Far Greater Threat to Jews Than Iran (Adam Weinstein, Haaretz+) The administration’s bigotry, directed at both communities, opens the door to Jewish and Iranian Americans to find common ground.
Ben-Gurion or Azmi Bishara? The political plan of MK Amir Peretz (MK Amir Peretz, Maariv) One of the candidates for the leadership of the Labor Party presents his plan. This week MK Peretz spoke at a meeting of the Council for Peace and Security at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel-Aviv University.
An Open Letter to Miri Regev (Ron Cahlili, Haaretz+) When you silence the Arab voice, you are essentially providing the moral basis for silencing the Mizrahi, Ethiopian, Russian or ultra-Orthodox voices as well. It boomerangs.
If the World Ignores Its Own Decisions, Why Shouldn’t Israel? (Hagai El-Ad, Haaretz) UN resolution 2334 isn't just another piece of paper. It requires the international community itself to actively distinguish between Israel and the settlements. This time, inaction is complicity.
Could Israel's Actions Mean Russian Jews End Up as Putin’s Hostages? (Lev Stesin, Haaretz+) Israel may face an unexpected constraint to its attacks on Hezbollah weapons convoys in Syria: Fear of a backlash against Russia’s always potentially vulnerable Jewish community.
Trump’s Israel ambassador is the right person at the right time (Orly Azoulay, Yedioth/Ynet) Some may call David Friedman an opportunist, but he can actually be seen as a pragmatist. If he, the settlers’ own flesh and blood, is capable of changing direction, his words will carry more weight when he comes to the settlements and says there is no other solution apart from two states.
Let Israel's Right Do Its Dirty Business (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) It was very pleasant living with a military dictatorship out back and bits and pieces of freedom on display in the front window. Now the right is shattering that window.
The next phase in the war on BDS: Why Israel detained Omar Barghouti (Ramzy Baroud, Maan) For a while, it seemed that Israel was capable of maintaining its occupation and denying Palestinians their rights indefinitely, while promoting itself as 'the only democracy in the Middle East.' But as the saying goes, "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." Growing awareness resulting from the dedicated work of many intellectuals, journalists, and students saw the arrival of thousands of international activists to Palestine as part of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). It was that groundwork that facilitated the success of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS).
Trump seeks Israeli-Palestinian peace (Isi Leibler, Israel Hayom) The new administration has honored its commitment to treat Israel as a special ally, and must be allowed to discover for itself whether an accommodation with the Palestinians is possible.
The Trump Administration Is a Far Greater Threat to Jews Than Iran (Adam Weinstein, Haaretz+) The administration’s bigotry, directed at both communities, opens the door to Jewish and Iranian Americans to find common ground.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.