APN's daily news review from Israel

Sunday May 7, 2017
 

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Front Page:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

News Summary:
Leaders, past, future and present were top news in the Hebrew newspapers today. The Hebrew papers expressed hope and belief that Emmanuel Macron would defeat the racist Marine Le Penn in the fateful elections for the presidency in France today, the analysts argued whether the election Saturday of former Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh as head of Hamas’ politburo and the introduction of a new Hamas platform meant a new more moderate Hamas, and the Israel Police prepared for the May 22nd visit of US President Donald Trump, who will likely visit the Wailing Wall and will stay at the King David Hotel. What was missing from the newspapers was all the news about the Palestinian prisoners' mass hunger-strike, now on its 21st day.
 
Meanwhile, MK Miki Rosenthal said that the Police plan to recommend the indictment of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for accepting Illicit gifts and for breach of trust in Case 1000, the illicit gifts case, involving a number of tycoons from abroad. 
 
Netanyahu meets today with German President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the shadow of the spat over Netanyahu's refusal to meet with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel after the latter met with the organizations Breaking the Silence and B'Tselem. Steinmeier agreed not to meet with the organizations, but plans to mention them at his planned speech—stressing their importance to Israeli democracy. 
 
Hamas elected Ismail Haniyeh as the head of Hamas' politburo Saturday, replacing Khaled Mashaal, who held the position for 21 years. The move comes days after Hamas published a new charter, considered more moderate, which accepts the 1967 borders for future Palestinian state and does not call for the destruction of Israel. Ynet’s Elior Levy wrote that “during the complex election process Yahya Sinwar was appointed Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip and Muhammad Arman was appointed Hamas leader in Israeli prisons. In addition, a Hamas leader was elected in the West Bank, but Hamas did not release his name for fear that he would be immediately arrested by Israel, as well as a Hamas leader abroad whose identity is also traditionally kept secret.” In recent years, Haniyeh has been one of the leaders of reconciliation with the PLO and is expected to leave Gaza to run the organization, wrote Yasir Ukbi in Maariv. Maan has details of his background. Maariv's Jacky Khougy examines between the lines of the new Hamas platform (translated into English in Commentary/Analysis below.
 
Also in the news, the White House refused an Israeli request to delay Trump’s visit so that it would coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Six Day War in early June, according to a Saudi newspaper report. The White House, it seems, did not want to be seen as an unfair negotiator if it came during the celebratory events of the war that created the problem that it came to negotiate a solution to. (Also Maariv) On Friday, Maariv’s Ben Caspit reported that sources close to Netanyahu believe that his former associate, Jewish tycoon Ron Lauder, is pushing Trump to reach an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
 
Interestingly, two days after a Tweet praising Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was mysteriously erased from President Donald Trump's private twitter account, the White House said that while it did not know why the Tweet was taken down, President Trump stands by the original message that it was "an honor" for him to host Abbas in the White House, Haaretz reported.
 

Quick Hits:

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Features:

The Israeli children of the Six-Day War, then and now
Fifty years later, Haaretz revisits the kids who sent in letters and poems immediately after the Six-Day War. Today, they feel mostly disillusionment. (Hilo Glazer, Haaretz+)
Rap and Palestinian-colored flags: a glimpse of the new Batsheva performance
Choreographer Ohad Naharin and the Batsheva Dance Company are returning with a new dance, Venezuela, during which 'Palestinian' flags are raised; the performance examines the relationship between movement and content and the conflict between the two. (Ynet+PHOTOS+VIDEO)
How an Israeli hospital took in Syrians and became the 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+) 
The story of three Medal of Distinguished Service recipients in the Six Day War
They fought in 1967, saw their comrades and commanders killed and managed to take command under fire and save lives; for this, Ehud Aviran, Shmuel Dror and Yossi Shain were awarded the Medal of Distinguished Service. (Assaf Kamar, Yedioth/Ynet)
One Muslim Professor's Unusual Calling: Combating Holocaust Denial
In 'Shoah through Muslim Eyes,' Dr. Mehnaz Afridi asserts that Muslims’ refusal to accept Israel is one of the main reasons for their Holocaust denial, and describes what it's like to be the only Muslim visiting Dachau. (Marisa Fox-Bevilacqua, Haaretz+)

Commentary/Analysis:
Ismail Haniyeh's Election as New Hamas Politburo Chief Brings Gaza Back to Center Stage (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Haniyeh will likely be more connected to the reality of life in Gaza than his predecessor Khaled Meshal, but will have to to maneuver cautiously and skillfully between the various countries that are trying to dictate policy to Hamas 
Version 2017: Hamas' new political platform contains a double opportunity for Israel (Jacky Khougy, Maariv) The document issued by the terrorist organization offers two options: If you seek an agreement, you can find the hook to hang on it. If you want to use force, you can easily find the excuse. The new platform does not nullify the organization's charter, the childish document of 1988, which included anti-Semitic expressions and calls for the destruction of Israel. But it corresponded with its articles and even argued with it. The Hamas charter was drafted by the organization's first founder and leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Cancellation, as far as they are concerned, will be harming his memory. In the meantime, Hamas also does not want to give Israel a significant gesture, as long as it receives nothing from Israel in return. The language of the document and its content are jarring to an Israeli ear, but messages are hidden between its lines, and it is interesting to note what is not there. With Hamas of 2017, the land of Palestine extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, from Eilat to Rosh Hanikra. The right of return is valid even if the refugees are compensated financially. The armed resistance remains a legitimate means to battle the occupation, as long as it continues. The Balfour Declaration of 1917, which favorably regarded a "national home" for Jews in the Land of Israel, was null and void. After years of statements about the right to establish a state within the 1967 borders, Hamas officially states that it supports such a state, and that all Palestinians should see it as an interest. Of course, it does not declare, contrary to the Palestinian Authority, that it sees this as the end of the conflict. In Section 21, Hamas aligns itself with the right-wing in Israel, and says no to the Oslo Accords. On the other hand, the platform does not include a call for the destruction of the State of Israel, as formulated in the (original) Hamas charter. It deliberately does not mention a connection to the parent organization, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. In Section 16, Hamas states that it does not fight the Jews and has nothing against them because of their religion, but only with the Zionists and the occupation. The drafters of the platform do not recognize the Zionist entity, but do not declare that they will never speak to it. Of the "three no's" of the Khartoum Conference of 1967, only one echo remains - the one that determines that the State of Israel should not be recognized. The other two, neither peace with Israel nor negotiations with it, have no explicit mention in the platform...
Hamas Pulls Old Israeli Trick in New Charter (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The Gaza organization won't recognize Israel, but considers it responsible for what’s happening in the territories 
The Ideological Blindness of Two Right-wing Israeli Ministers (Haaretz Editorial) Ayelet Shaked and Yariv Levin are leading Israel to one of two bad prospects: its end as a state that is Jewish and democratic, or its official transformation into an apartheid state. 
We will return to the balance of terror: In the case of Syria, the IDF is the mercenary of the US (Ran Adelist, Maariv) The attacks attributed to Israel in Syria will not change the balance of power - they can only drag us into war. And guess who will gain points against Putin without endangering an American soldier? Correct: Donald Trump 
Citizen Klein Why Has the Six-Day War Been All but Overlooked by Israeli Cinema? (Uri Klein, Haaretz+) Despite all the victory photo albums that flooded Israel after the 1967 war, Israeli filmmakers found it hard to deal with the subject
While in Israel, Trump Could Pick Up a Few Tips From Netanyahu About Staying in Power (Asher Schechter, Haaretz+) After all, Netanyahu was a Trump-like politician before Trump was, and he was not even limited to two terms. 
Paradigm shift on a two-state solution (Moshe Dann, Yedioth/Ynet) Promoting Jordan as the Arab Palestinian state is consistent with international law and would resolve the problem of national self-determination both for Arabs living in Judea and Samaria and for those in Israel. 
Doctors From India, Guards From Chechnya (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Evil is the only inclination guiding the Israeli response to the hunger strike of the Palestinian prisoners. All the rest is pretense about security 
Wanted: A Secular Party for Israel (Neri Livneh, Haaretz+) Such a political party would look after its constituents by securing state funding, using the impressive — yes, impressive — tactics taught to us by our ultra-Orthodox mentors.  
Explained: The possible implications of cutting off payments to families of Palestinian terrorists (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) Opposing the funding by the Palestinian Authority may seem simple enough, but it could sting the PA's prestige, boost Hamas and harm security cooperation with Israel. 
Adding more fuel to the fire of hatred (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Resolutions like the one adopted by UNESCO on Tuesday may have no practical validity, but it’s hard to ignore their cumulative damage. Diplomatic jihad is scoring achievements, and to hell with the facts. 
Early elections no longer loom - so why is Netanyahu campaigning? (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) For the Israeli PM, the best time for elections is now, before the police decide whether to indict him. Why is Sheldon Adelson's lawyer representing Israel's new broadcaster against Netanyahu? 
Despite everything, Netanyahu: If the prime minister is put on trial, the security of all of us will be in danger (Meir Uziel, Maariv) Even if he did not receive a shekel as a gift, they would find a reason to persecute him. However, it is a pity that he gave them this opportunity, because, at the moment, there is no one who can navigate in such a turbulent period 
A photo op with Trump is nice, but what the Palestinians really need is money (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) On the Syria front, meanwhile, the arms race between Israel and Hezbollah is ongoing 
Merkel’s leadership challenge (Eldad Beck, Yedioth/Ynet) Germany’s relationship with Israel must not be used for internal political needs. Instead of trying to impose suicidal solutions on Israel, Germany should stop supporting groups that are interested in Israel’s destruction. 
The Wedding That Allowed Me to Escape the Israeli Bullshit (Nissan Shor, Haaretz+) It won’t be long before a squad of armed vigilantes sponsored by the state positions itself by every wedding hall, demanding the couple prove they're Jewish.
Everything That Is Wrong With Israel’s Relationship With the Diaspora (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Certainly Israel should do what’s good for Israel. But Israel shouldn’t get to define what is good for Jews wherever they live. 
Telling U.S. Jews they have no place in Israel’s affairs is rude, crude and wrong (Scott B. Lasensky, Haaretz+) Irit Linur's opposition to honoring two U.S. Jews at Israel's independence celebration is based on cheap caricatures of, and outmoded concepts about, Israelis and Diaspora Jews. 
Abbas' Meeting With Trump Proves the PA Is Strong - Even When It's Weak (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) The Palestinian leadership knows Trump won't reach a peace agreement, but it allows itself to hope he will end the economic despair. 
200 villages in Area C without water, Israel should also know how to compromise (Ran Adelist, Maariv 12th April) Hundreds of villages and towns, under our control and responsibility, do not have access to drinking water. Ahead of the summer, this can be solved by giving up the water from the the Mountain Aquifer. 
In Squeezing Hezbollah's Coffers, U.S. Is Also Hurting Lebanon (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The latest round of sanctions are meant to hurt the Shi'ite group, but will also deal a blow to the country’s already financially shaky economy. 
Better to stay at home – Trump’s visit to Israel (Sever Plocker, Yedioth) The real reason why Trump is visiting Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican is not “to bridge between the three religions” and/or “to close a Palestinian-Israeli deal, but because those places, and apparently only those places, he won’t be received with protest demonstrations…Every few hours, journalist Tom Friedman writes, Trump pull out another idea that is unripe, unchecked and inconsistent and puts it at the top of the daily agenda. The following day he blows up a different idea, sometimes the opposite one. To expect from this zig-zag man to be the person who will bring an Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic agreement is like expecting from a compulsive gambler to be a guide for reasoned behavior.
'Nazi,' They Said, 'May Bereavement Come to You Too' (Iris Leal, Haaretz+) When she came out of the hall where the joint Israeli-Palestinian memorial ceremony was held, they were waiting. 
Compensate Ahmed Dawabsheh – law and compassion (Prof. Yifat Biton, Yedioth) Israel National Social Security announced that it would not pay monies to the boy, Ahmed Dawabsheh, on the unbearable damages caused to him following the murder of his family in Duma village (in the West Bank), in an incident the state defined as “terror.” …Even if the dry law does not require compensation of Ahmed, every law in Israel grows from a patch whose principles are heavy in humanity and compassion, whose Jewish and democratic sources nourish it. The mechanism of compassion is known in the ‘Exceptions Committee” at Social Security. In light of its history in giving benefits to terror victims who did not fit in the regular legal framework, the committee must act from these principles and give Ahmed Dawabshe the compensation so vital to him.
Europe Is Beginning to Tire of Israel (Zeev Sternhell, Haaretz+) Only when Israelis begin to feel that they are no longer welcomed in Europe as equals because of the occupation will it become the main election issue.  
Lighting an Independence Day Torch for Israel's Palestinian Citizens (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz+) For those who persevere despite the land expropriations, the education system, the rickety infrastructure and the attempts to make people forget and to bend them. 
 

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