APN's daily news review from Israel

Tuesday December 17, 2013

Quote of the day:

"What does the snow harmony in the West Bank indicate about the chances of peace? Nothing. When the snow melts, the party will be over."
--Senior Yedioth political commentator reviews the cooperation between Israeli settlers and soldiers and Palestinians in the West Bank during the snow storm of the century.**

Front Page News:

Haaretz

• Europe warned Israel: Enough construction in the (Palestinian) Territories
• After escaping from the (prison) facility, 150 migrants began a march to Jerusalem // Roy Chicky Arad with the African walkers
• Shameful - Israel's integrity takes a long cold walk // Haaretz Editorial
• IDF representatives met with Lebanese Army: "Committed to stability along the border"
• Some schools in Jerusalem opened, no school in Safed/Tsfat - Thousands of homes still disconnected from electricity
• New bill: Evacuating (Bedouin) communities before regulating (land) ownership - Government continues to advance Prawer plan, despite announcement to drop it
• Shai Nitzan sworn in as State Prosecutor: "Nothing will deter me"
• Zvi Yanai, philosopher and author who brought science to the public, passed away

Yedioth Ahronoth

• Shahar will grow up without a father - IDF closed the road on the northern border where Master Sgt. Shlomi Cohen was shot
• Born in the snow - Bat-Sheva from Nahliel gave birth in her car in a traffic jam on Hwy 443 with the help of a medic and two nurses who also got stuck in the jam
• Attorney General Weinstein will likely not appeal Lieberman case
• Customers stealing from self-service aisles at Shufersal

Maariv

• Out fear of international pressure: Military colleges not transferring to Mt. Scopus (over Green Line in Jerusalem) (Hebrew)
• 150 (African) infiltrators marching to Jerusalem expected to be arrested today
• It is hard to beat the despair of the (African) refugees // Yuval Goren (Hebrew)
• Prime Minister's associates: "Finance Minister (Lapid)'s conduct is like a kindergartener" - Lapid's criticism of the decision to examine whether to buy a plane and build a new house for the prime minister angers senior Likud people (Hebrew)
• Politics of rotations // Arel Segal
• Did IDF rush to claim that Master Sgt. Shlomi Cohen was killed by a 'rogue soldier' in order to prevent escalation with Hezbollah? // Amir Rappaport (Hebrew)
• Court ruled father does not need to pay child support: He raises his children jointly and earns less than his ex-wife (Hebrew)
• Maariv's Conference of the Involved: Minister Naftali Bennett wries about the people behind the success of WAZE

Israel Hayom

• "Lebanon is responsible" - After incident in Rosh Hanikra: Jerusalem passed harsh messages to Beirut
• There is the 'crazy on call' and there is no address for a response // Dan Margalit
• At 13:00: IDB's fateful moment - Court expected to rule today over ownership
• Jerusalem: School to begin (for some at late hours)
• State Comptroller to examine President's residence expenses

News Summary:
Profiles of the Israeli soldier killed on the northern border and reports on the march of the African migrants/infiltrators/refugees (choose your description) from an open jail to Jerusalem in despair were top stories in today's Hebrew papers. Meanwhile, Haaretz revealed that the European Union warned Israel not to make any announcements of new settlement construction after the upcoming release of Palestinian prisoners.

Ambassadors of the largest five EU states held an urgent meeting at Israel's Foreign Ministry Monday, warning that if such an announcement caused the peace talks to fail, the EU would hold Israel responsible. Earlier Monday, foreign ministers of the 28 European Union member states passed a resolution stating that if a peace treaty were made, both Israel and the Palestinians would receive an "unprecedented package" of economic, political and security aid, and both sides' relations with the EU would be upgraded to "special privileged partnership," the top status of a nonmember state of the EU. At Israel's Foreign Ministry, the EU ambassadors told Israeli officials: "We gave you an offer which is truly unprecedented. We are really serious about the offer, and we ask that you don't underestimate it. We are ready to discuss with you right now how the future of EU-Israel relations might look if there is movement toward peace."
 

Quick Hits:

• U.S. academic group votes to boycott Israel - The American Studies Association, which has 5,000 members, cites 'Israel's violation of international law and UN resolutions' among reasons for boycott of Israeli academic institutions. (Haaretz)
• Bennett says anti-leftist-NGO bill doesn't go far enough - 'This masochism has to stop,' says Habayit Hayehudi leader. (Haaretz)
• Israel raids nature reserve, launches military exercise near village - Israeli forces raided al-Muteirdah nature reserve just east of the Rashayda Bedouin village in southeastern Bethlehem on Monday afternoon and notified a number of Bedouin families living nearby that they had hours to evacuate their homes before military exercises began on the site. (Maan)
• Israeli army shoots two Lebanese soldiers on border - 'Missing' Lebanese soldier surfaces after Israeli killed on border. (Agencies, Haaretz)
• Report: 8 Air Force jets penetrated Lebanese territory - After the shooting (of the Israeli soldier) at Rosh Hanikra, Lebanese army officials met with the IDF and discussed the incident. Lebanese Prime Minister: "We are committed to preserving the quiet.' (Maariv/ NRG Hebrew)
• Netanyahu delays transfer of military colleges to Mount Scopus - The new campus [which is over the Green Line in E. Jerusalem - OH] has received all necessary approvals, including final approval of the Regional Committee back in 2012, but transfer was suspended by the Prime Minister. Due to the delay, which may result in cancellation of the program, the IDF is examining alternative sites. (Maariv, p. 1/NRG Hebrew) 
• Family of killed Israeli soldier: Death caused by army 'shortcomings' - Master Sgt. Shlomi Cohen buried in Haifa on Monday as his father demands answers from Israel Defense Forces over the circumstances of his son's death. (Haaretz)
• Netanyahu's point man on Bedouin relocation says plan still on track - Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog contradicts former minister Benny Begin's announcement that plan has been shelved, says he will continue preparing for implementation. (Haaretz)
• Want to see nature? For Palestinians convicts, it's a no go at West Bank reserve - At Ein Prat Nature Reserve, parks authority inspectors keep out Palestinians who served time for security offenses. (Haaretz)
• "Venice" in the Middle East: This is how the storm struck in Gaza - Thousands of families abandoned their homes, fishing boats in the streets: the storm flooded the Gaza Strip. Thanks to Qatar's contribution electricity has resumed. (Maariv, p. 12/NRG HebrewPHOTOS)
• Israeli government deal ties Birthright funding to subsidies for ultra-Orthodox yeshivas - Yesh Atid and Habayit Hayehudi parties agree to free up $51.3 million for Birthright and Masa in exchange for restoring yeshivas' funds for foreign students, if they adopt Zionist programming. (Haaretz)
• Israel reaches out to save US Jewish community - Leaders of world's two largest Jewish populations met in Jerusalem last month to discuss difficult mission of maintaining American Jewish community despite political, religious disagreements. (Agencies, Ynet)
• Car bomb hits Hezbollah stronghold in east Lebanon, casualties reported - Lebanese security official confirms explosion in Baalbek region, but has no immediate word on nature of target and number of casualties. (Agencies, Haaretz)

Commentary/Analysis:

The ASA boycott could spark Israel-centered brawl throughout U.S. campuses (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz) Relatively radical American Studies Association hands BDS movement a symbolic win that could escalate into a battle for hearts and minds of America's future elites.
 **Until the snow melts (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) Rare moments of harmony witnessed in West Bank during snow storm will soon be over.
After clash on Lebanon border, Israel faces rogue soldier dilemma (Amos Harel and Gili Cohen, Haaretz) The soldier who killed Shlomi Cohen was probably acting alone, and isn't affiliated with any Lebanese armed group. What can Israel do if such an event repeats itself on the Syrian or Egyptian border?
Israel inches closer to 'tipping point' of South Africa-style boycott campaign (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz) Analogies with apartheid regime in the wake of Mandela's death could accelerate efforts to ostracize Israel - especially if John Kerry's peace process collapses.
The shooting in the north: Was it really a 'rogue soldier'? (Amir Rappaport, Maariv/NRG Hebrew) Most Lebanese Army soldiers stationed at the border with Israel are Shiites, but still the army made quick conclusions to prevent an escalation against Hezbollah.
Despite Israeli soldier's death on Lebanon border, neither side is seeking conflict (Amos Harel, Haaretz) Mired in the Syrian civil war, Hezbollah is not interested in a broad confrontation with Israel; but that may not stop the group from engaging in low-profile attacks.
Bibi, you're out of touch (Yerach Toker, Ynet) As we sat at home in freezing cold, our prime minister sat there looking all smug and amused.
American bayonets for a Palestinian state (Steven Klein, Haaretz) Are foreign troops the only viable solution to break the Israeli-Palestinian peace logjam?
Netanyahu's racist regime and its pallid collaborators (Sefi Rachlevsky, Haaretz) Even if the PM pretends to be on the verge of signing a framework agreement, he must not be rescued by the center-left. Not for a second.
Sanctions against Israel are a crime (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom) The growing trend of European financial sanctions against Israel is the new form of anti-Semitism.
Don't soften bill targeting left-wing NGOs, strike it down (Haaretz Monday Editorial) Architects of the law seek to restrict freedom of expression and assembly by imposing economic sanctions.
Shooting ourselves in the foot (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) Most human rights organization are neither encouraging anti-Israel boycotts nor maligning our troops abroad. Legislating against those that do will only increase Israel's delegitimization.
Negotiations will not bring an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Moshe Arens, Haaretz) All the talks are intended to achieve is Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank, while leaving the conflict to fester.
Where is the Israeli de Klerk? (Oudeh Basharat, Haaretz) The road to reconciliation in South Africa, although not strewn with roses, is alive and kicking. Here we are still stalling.
Lovers of Israel, rejoice (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) Israel Hayom's recent acquisition of a printing press is an expression of permanency and stability at a time when many media outlets are hobbling and losing ground.
Is an axis of politicians conspiring to unseat Netanyahu? (Yossi Verter, Haaretz) Ehud Olmert, Yair Lapid and Yuval Diskin all criticized the prime minister publicly in one week. Can Netanyahu be blamed if he's worried that someone is trying to oust him?
 

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