News Nosh 5.04.17

by APN 05/04/17
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APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday May 4, 2017
 

Quote of the day:
"If Trump only understood that this [what Mahmoud Abbas asked for - a two-state solution with E. Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital] is the exact solution Prime Minister Netanyahu doesn’t want and can’t accept, he would've realized at this stage that it would be pointless to dip his toes into the Middle Eastern swamp. But Trump, whose power is in his ignorance, hasn’t studied anything thoroughly and therefore possesses the optimism reserved for people with no knowledge: He doesn’t let the details get in the way."
--Yedioth's Washington correspondent, Orly Azoulay, explains why Trump's approach might work.*

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • German President refused to promise not to meet with ‘Breaking the Silence’ 
  • (Trump:) “I will mediate for peace”
  • The Israeli connection to the world hit - Inventor of finger spinner: “I tried to bring peace between Israelis and Palestinians”
  • Tel-A-Bieber
  • Expose: (Finance Minister) Kahlon’s plan to encourage construction for long-term rental
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
Israel Hayom
  • “Trump worried about Palestinian Authority payments to relatives of terrorists” – US President met with chairman of Palestinian Authority: “Good chance for peace, we will achieve it”
  • Biebermania!
  • The summer camps of Education Ministry: Also for 2nd grade
  • Conviction of Azaria: Appeals made; (Azaria’s lawyer) Shaftel: The people want him to be acquitted
  • Bar Association exams: 40% of graduates of local colleges passed compared to 79% of university graduates
News Summary:
US President Donald Trump met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Trump and promised to do all he could to achieve a peace deal and Justin Bieber performed in Tel-Aviv making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Meanwhile, a Palestinian youth was shot dead after he allegedly pulled a knife as he approached Border Patrol forces near Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. No Israelis were hurt. 
 
Trump complimented Abbas for denouncing terror and said he wanted to support Abbas "in being the Palestinian leader who signed the final peace agreement" with Israel. (Video of joint press conference.) Whether he will succeed in making that happen remains in question, but what he did do was legitimize the man that Israel has said repeatedly is ‘not a partner,’ as Shlomo Shamir wrote in Maariv. Moreover, as Orly Azoulay wrote in Yedioth, he gave those who seek a two-state solution hope. (See Commentaries/Analysis below.) Indeed, in an interesting interview, a Trump aide said that Trump’s 'disruptive' approach was what offered opportunities for positive change in the Middle East. Trump upset right-wingers who had believed that he would not lend a hand to a two-state solution, but they hung on to his words that he would not force a deal on the sides and that he did not mention the words ‘Palestinian state.’ The press conference gave Abbas a chance to lay out what he wants: peace with a two-state solution with E. Jerusalem as the capital. Israeli officials accused Abbas of lying, saying he wasn’t interested in peace and they cited money paid to support families of Palestinian prisoners who harmed Israelis. Abbas noted that the talks with Trump were positive, albeit short on details about a mechanism for making peace. In an interview with CNN released ahead of the Trump-Abbas meeting, Hamas leader Khaled Meshal implored Trump to take advantage of an "historic opportunity" for an "equitable solution" for the Palestinians."
 
Quick Hits:
  • German president may meet with left-wing groups in Israel - Despite Netanyahu canceling his meetings with the German foreign minister last week after the latter insisted on meeting with Breaking the Silence and B'Tselem, Germany's president refuses to ‘make any promises’. (Yedioth/Ynet) 
  • Israeli prisons relent on Palestinian strikers' meetings with lawyers - Deal comes after High Court justices ask why Palestinian prisoners not on strike are allowed to talk to attorneys, but not 1,000-plus strikers. (Haaretz+) 
  • Red Cross to Israel: Allow (family) visits to Palestinians on (hunger) strike - In a rare statement, the humanitarian organization criticized what it called a "systemic suspension" of visits by Israeli authorities as a punishment for the hunger-striking prisoners, in violation of international law. (Agencies, Ynet) 
  • Thousands rally in support of Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike - International Committee of the Red Cross urges Israel to stop "systematic suspension" of family visits • Wife of terrorist Marwan Barghouti calls for "campaign of civil disobedience" • Some 850 prisoners still striking, down from about 1,300 last week. (Israel Hayom)
  • Settler rabbi to cancel his classes following contentious statements - Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, who had blasted military service for Orthodox women and made derogatory remarks about female soldiers and members of the LGBT community, says he's taking time off to study. (Haaretz+) 
  • Israeli army cancels its own courses on feminism, citing need for 'consensus' - IDF’s volte-face on workshops for female officers is another casualty in the military’s war with Orthodox rabbis and power brokers. (Haaretz+) 
  • Latest version of Israeli nation-state law heading for vote by cabinet committee - In contrast to the earlier version, the new bill doesn’t subordinate democracy to the state’s Jewish character. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
  • Israeli lawmaker tweets support for French far-right leader Le Pen - MK Oren Hazan of Likud is the first Israeli lawmaker to publicly support Le Pen, who has been criticized by President Rivlin for denying France's responsibility for the murder of its Jews during the Holocaust. (Haaretz)
  • Israel Expelling Dutch Journalist Critical of the Occupation, Cites Visa Problems -The Government Press Office says Derk Walters knowingly worked without an updated visa, but internal correspondence tells a different story. (Haaretz+)
  • Government has authorized schools to conduct tours of evacuated settlements - After 12 years, students have recently returned to visit northern Samaria, due to a change in the military travel order, Channel 10 reported. Minister Bennett will determine whether they will continue. (Maariv) 
  • Israel's Army Radio Head Orders Staff to Stop Using 'West Bank,' Calling It a Palestinian Expression - The term 'the territories,' should be used instead, station director Yaron Dekel says; while the station added that the directive is not new. (Haaretz) 
  • Israel Prisons Service will increase preparations for possible treatment of (Palestinian) hunger strikers - The Israel Prison Service is preparing for the moment when they will have to provide medical assistance to prisoners who refuse to eat in protest against the conditions of their imprisonment. Oxygen and liquid kits were transferred to the prisons. (Maariv)
  • Leftist groups offer students tips on documenting security forces - Workshop teaches how to openly and surreptitiously film demonstrations so activists can "carry their struggle forward." Association of Civil Rights in Israel: Workshop intended to protect right to protest of groups from all across the political spectrum. (Israel Hayom)
  • B'Tselem's site fails to label some terrorists as terrorists - Despite being listed as terrorists by the Shin Bet, and despite their past in the grisly business of murdering Israelis, numerous such individuals are not listed on the far-left group’s website as terrorists, and are instead referred to as Palestinians killed in fighting, whose participation in hostilities remains unknown. (Yedioth/Ynet) 
  • Foreign Ministry employees threaten: We will harm Trump's visit to Israel - The labor union protested the delay in implementing its agreement with the Ministry of Finance and informed the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of its intention to "issue detailed instructions to employees regarding severe organizational measures." (Maariv) 
  • Elor Azaria’s appeal begins with first hearing - The Military Court of Appeals at the Kirya will hear Azaria's appeal, who was convicted of killing a neutralized terrorist in Hebron and sentenced to one-and-a-half years in prison; defense attorney plans to challenge the manslaughter conviction, while the military prosecution prepares to appeal what they deem an overly lenient sentence. (Ynet) 
  • Opposition Plans to Boycott Knesset Session Creating Public News Entity - Parties object to use of emergency rules to push through contentious legislation. (Haaretz+) 
  • Military Intelligence second in command against the head of the Directorate - Brig. Gen. Eli Ben-Meir, who retired from the army due to disagreements with his commander, Maj. Gen. Hertzi Halevi, attacked on Facebook: 'The roof of the house is leaking, I failed to correct it.' (Yedioth/Ynet) 
  • Visiting archbishop of Canterbury urges 'tolerance and peace' - Accompanied by British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tours Jerusalem's Western Wall, Dome of the Rock, Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial • In European culture, "root of all racism is found in anti-Semitism," he says. (Israel Hayom) 
  • At Israeli Café Outlet, It Pays to Say Please - Chain lowers price of takeaway coffee to those who say the magic word. (Haaretz)
  • Netanyahu: Israel coordinating with Russia to stop arms transfers to Hezbollah - In an interview with Russian-language news channel in Israel, Netanyahu confirms that the IDF is coordinating activities with the Russian army so as to avoid clashes between the two countries. (Yedioth/Ynet) 
  • IMF report says Israel's yearly GDP stands at $300 billion - Accordingly to newly released figures, Jewish state's yearly gross domestic product is similar to the 21st largest economy in the United States, Arizona • U.S. accounts for some 24.5% of global GDP; California largest economy within U.S. (Israel Hayom)
  • House of Lords urges recognition of Palestinian statehood - U.K. must set tone for Middle East policy, report by International Relations Committee says • Committee urges Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to "seriously weigh" recognizing Palestinian statehood in an effort to advance Middle East peace process. (Israel Hayom)
  • After UNESCO vote, Israel reprimands Swedish ambassador and withholds $1 million in UN funding - Swedish ambassador to Israel admonished after his country voted for resolution referring to Israel as an 'occupying force' in Jerusalem, and calling to reject Israeli sovereignty over all Jerusalem. (Agencies, Ynet and Israel Hayom) 
  • Human Rights Watch slams Hamas for holding Israelis captive - "Hamas' refusal to confirm its apparent prolonged detention of men with mental health conditions and no connection to the hostilities is cruel and indefensible," says HRW. Israelis Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed suffer from serious mental illness. (Israel Hayom) 
  • 'Jewish Nobel' ceremony canceled at Anish Kapoor’s request over Syrian refugees - Indian artist says fete is 'inappropriate' with such suffering next door, pledges to donate $1 million Genesis prize to victims. (Haaretz+) 
  • Right-wing Rabbi’s White House Selfie Exposes Bannon’s To-do List - Shmuley Boteach tweets out a photo of himself with the senior aide to President Trump, inadvertently exposing Stephen Bannon’s goals whiteboard. (Haaretz)

Features:
How an Israeli Hospital Took in Syrians and Became World Leader in Treating War Wounds
'There’s nobody to help us but God and Israel' is a familiar refrain at the hospital near the Lebanese border. But the patients are eager to return home. (Ronny Linder-Ganz, Haaretz+)
Welcome to the military's elite tech playground
Over the years, the Military Intelligence Directorate's technological R&D unit has received 33 Israel Security Prizes, but their work is so secret they cannot tell you what the prizes were for. All they can say is that nothing is impossible. (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
What It’s Like to Have a Jewish Terrorist in the Family (Asaf Calderon, Haaretz+) One of the perpetrators of war crimes against Palestinians that accompanied Israel’s creation was my relative, Mordechai Ben-Uziyahu, who participated in the Deir Yassin massacre. This is why I remember his humanity. 
*Trump’s new toy: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Orly Azoulay, Yedioth/Ynet) If only the US president understood that what Abbas put on the table is the exact solution Netanyahu doesn’t want to and can’t accept, he would've known there is no point in dipping his toes into the Middle Eastern swamp. But Trump, whose power is in his ignorance, won’t let the details get in the way. 
Israeli Jew's 'Suicide by Army' Sheds Light on 'Lone Wolf' Palestinian Terror (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) The method - charging soldiers at a checkpoint with a knife - was a familiar one, but the unnamed victim will become just another sad mental-health statistic. 
Abu Mazen is not a partner? Trump dismissed the favorite argument of Israeli politicians (Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz+) Trump's meeting with the Palestinian Authority chairman will not lead to the initiation of diplomatic negotiations, but it did lead to a significant profit for the Palestinians, despite the demands that the White House presented to him. 
The Surest Method of Suicide (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Every Israeli now knows what every Palestinian child knows: If you want to put an end to your agonized lives, go to the checkpoint. 
Patriotism is no longer enough (Ronen Bergman, Yedioth/Ynet) Why would a talented young person, who can make millions in the Israeli hi-tech industry, prefer sleepless nights and a government paycheck as a member of the intelligence community? The Shin Bet and the Mossad are currently facing this exact problem. 
'Trump's Honeymoon With Arabs': How Palestinians Are Reacting to Abbas-Trump Meet (Elhanan Miller, Haaretz+) The international Arab press focused its coverage on the optimism expressed by Trump toward the prospect of a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.
The sanctity of togetherness is the primary interest of Israeli society (Dr. Revital Amiran, Maariv) The people moved right-wing, the margins widened. But a large nucleus is still looking for a state element in leadership. In the next elections many will look at the behavioral norms of the leaders.
Israel's Secret of Success: Containing Its Sins Within the West Bank (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) Against all odds, Israel survived 69 years and will survive many more, but it has a lot of serious problems just over the horizon.
Abbas Unleashes Adulation and Flattery to Win Trump Over (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Israeli right-wingers should start worrying because the president’s immense ego might succumb to the Palestinian ploy
How Israel's government caved to settlement boycott (Yossi Dahan, Yedioth/Ynet) By signing the agreement to bring 20,000 Chinese construction workers to Israel and accepting China’s demand that they would not be employed in the territories, the government gave up the battle against the BDS movement. 
Trump-Abbas Summit: The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same (Barak Ravid, Haaretz+) Trump’s conduct on the Israeli-Palestinian issue in the 110 days since he assumed office indicates that he isn’t reinventing the wheel
Jerusalem doesn't need UNESCO (Ariel Bolstein, Israel Hayom) A network of Israeli cultural centers around the world could help counter the ignorance on the bond between the Jewish people and Jerusalem.
Don’t 'Rescue' the Jewish Gravestones Pillaged in Poland (Sidra DeKoven Ezrahi, Haaretz+) Gravestones were used to build a Christian cemetery’s wall in my mother’s hometown. But are we in Israel really blameless enough to force Polish restitution by threats and intimidation?
Israel's Government Deportation Office (Haaretz Editorial) Israel must stop persecuting a Dutch journalist because it disapproves of his coverage.
Fighting for the truth (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) UNESCO is embracing the Palestinian lies, which are transparent and easy to disprove. But the danger is that lies repeated often enough are eventually accepted as the truth.
The Legend of Israel's Enlightened Declaration of Independence (B. Michael, Haaretz+) If not for the UN, who knows what it would have said? (We can guess, though) 
How the 'Traitorous Left' Sneaked Into an Israeli Independence Day Speech (Emilie Moatti, Haaretz+) It will take years to recover from the divisive and destructive right-wing rule that has made Israelis hate each other

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

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