APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday May 10, 2017
You Must Be
Kidding:
At a park during a police-community relations activity, the policeman warned the children that they will hear gunshots during the demonstrations, adding they shouldn’t be worried. Four policemen from a patrol and riot control unit arrived on motorbikes and opened fire in the direction of the "assailant," and continued on shooting him after he fell to the ground – in order to make sure he was dead, as the audience was told.**
At a park during a police-community relations activity, the policeman warned the children that they will hear gunshots during the demonstrations, adding they shouldn’t be worried. Four policemen from a patrol and riot control unit arrived on motorbikes and opened fire in the direction of the "assailant," and continued on shooting him after he fell to the ground – in order to make sure he was dead, as the audience was told.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- High Court: The tax on a third apartment must be discussed again
- The court was called to save the Knesset from itself // Ido Baum
- Today the broadcasts of the Broadcasting Authority will stop – and the establishment of the Broadcasting Corporation will be approved
- The election of a liberal President in S. Korea cools the winds of war
- Ahead of the combat against ISIS, Trump approved arming Kurdish forces in Syria with heavy weapons
- FIFA removed from its agenda the proposal for a resolution against settlement soccer teams
- Police activity for children: Demonstration of ‘dead checking’ and siccing dogs on suspects
- Within two years, the number of IVF treatments in Israel increased 1.5 times
- The Arab man is in an identity crisis and the discrimination of women doesn’t decrease // Economist
- Yes, break // Chemi Shalev
- A new Israel Aerospace Industries: National Social Insurance – The minister suspected of crimes brings his associates to the institution
- On this Independence Day, I felt part of it // Ron Cahlili
Yedioth Ahronoth
- The expulsion from the screen – It was in the air 49 years, but the government gave it only 45 minutes from the moment of the hasty decision till it lowered the switch on Israel Broadcasting Authority
- The heart breaks // Haim Yavin
- On brutality // Einav Schiff
- Ended shamefully // Yoaz Hendel
- The chief military prosecutor comes out of the closet in a courageous interview: “They never discriminated against me because of my sexual orientation” – Brig. Gen. Sharon Ofek
- With pride // Yossi Yehoshua
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- They lowered their gaze (Hebrew: They humiliated the Channel 1 ‘Mabat’ news program)
- Without a soul // Ben Caspit writes that Channel 1 earned being closed, but not in that way
- Last parting // Rafik Halabi former director of Channel 1 wrote that its closure was a putsch on freedom of speech
- Incomprehensible // Merav Miller writes that the channel was her home
- President of Phillip Morris Israel speaks for first time about storm of smoking: “The discussion is irrational and comes from fear”
- The bill to tax a third apartment gets in trouble: High Court returned it to discussion in Knesset Finance Committee
Israel Hayom
- Gaps of life and death – Exclusive: MADA was forced to reveal for the first time its arrival times to communities
- A last look and parting (at Channel 1)
- High Court recommends to state: Return the bill for taxing a third apartment to the Knesset
- Likely: The Yamam (Police anti-terror unit) will be recognized as a national unit for takeover missions
- Chairman of the Pharmacists’ Association against the ‘Shuvu Banim’ ultra-Orthodox group: “Distributing ‘Rabbi Berland’s drops for treating all illnesses’ – is criminal”
News Summary:
The Israeli government suddenly closed the lights on Israel’s national TV station with less than an hour’s notice, at Prime Minister Binaymin Netanyahu’s request Israel’s Foreign Ministry formally protested a speech made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (and President Reuven Rivlin said [inaccurately - OH] that “for the last 150 years there has been a Jewish majority in Jerusalem, even under the Ottoman Empire) and the latest on the visit of US President Donald Trump were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, the IDF chief military prosecutor, Brig. Gen. Sharon Ofek, said in an interview that he was satisfied with the way the prosecution acted in the Elor Azaria trial, “We didn’t let the public dispute and background noise affect professional considerations,” and outed himself as gay, saying that there were no glass ceilings for homosexuals in the IDF.
Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit next week, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he was ready to meet Netanyahu under auspices of US President Trump and that the Palestinians are committed to the two-state solution within the 1967 borders.
Meanwhile, Israel is disappointed that the Trump team only allotted 15-30 minutes to visit the national Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem. Israel said it required more than an hour. Melania Trump will be joining her husband as well as Jared Kushner, who said he wants to use the trip to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and a few hundred other people. The King David Hotel in Jerusalem was forced to cancel all reservations for the day of Trump’s visit. Israel Hayom reported that Trump will visit the Wailing Wall and take a flight to see Masada. Maariv online reported that the newly appointed US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, Tweeted, "I hope to work from Jerusalem very soon." Israel’s Foreign Ministry re-Tweeted the post. But it was a faux account.
The Israeli government suddenly closed the lights on Israel’s national TV station with less than an hour’s notice, at Prime Minister Binaymin Netanyahu’s request Israel’s Foreign Ministry formally protested a speech made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (and President Reuven Rivlin said [inaccurately - OH] that “for the last 150 years there has been a Jewish majority in Jerusalem, even under the Ottoman Empire) and the latest on the visit of US President Donald Trump were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, the IDF chief military prosecutor, Brig. Gen. Sharon Ofek, said in an interview that he was satisfied with the way the prosecution acted in the Elor Azaria trial, “We didn’t let the public dispute and background noise affect professional considerations,” and outed himself as gay, saying that there were no glass ceilings for homosexuals in the IDF.
Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit next week, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he was ready to meet Netanyahu under auspices of US President Trump and that the Palestinians are committed to the two-state solution within the 1967 borders.
Meanwhile, Israel is disappointed that the Trump team only allotted 15-30 minutes to visit the national Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem. Israel said it required more than an hour. Melania Trump will be joining her husband as well as Jared Kushner, who said he wants to use the trip to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and a few hundred other people. The King David Hotel in Jerusalem was forced to cancel all reservations for the day of Trump’s visit. Israel Hayom reported that Trump will visit the Wailing Wall and take a flight to see Masada. Maariv online reported that the newly appointed US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, Tweeted, "I hope to work from Jerusalem very soon." Israel’s Foreign Ministry re-Tweeted the post. But it was a faux account.
Quick Hits:
- Police shooting of Palestinian teen with knife in Jerusalem was excessive, witnesses say - Those at the site of the incident say the police officers stood behind a low barrier and shot the 16-year-old while she was three or four meters away from them. (Haaretz+)
- Suspected Israeli settlers spray Islamophobic, racist graffiti in East Jerusalem - The graffiti, written in Hebrew, read "(Prophet) Muhammad is a pig" and "administrative price tag” -- in reference to the term “price tag” used by right-wing extremist settlers to refer to the attacks they carry out on Palestinians and their property. (Maan)
- Peace Now 'deeply concerned' over possible settlement expansions - In an analysis of the plans published by Peace Now on Monday, the NGO said out of the preparations to advance 15,000 new settlement units in four parts of occupied east Jerusalem, it was “deeply concerned regarding the possible development in Givat Hamatos in particular, which is the most immediate,” stressing that Givat Hamatos “will create a territorial barrier of Israeli settlements between East Jerusalem and Bethlehem.” (Maan)
- Palestinian filmed shooting at Israeli cars rapidly apprehended - A Palestinian man in his 30s allegedly shoots indiscriminately towards Israeli cars in the West Bank and is detained by the IDF within an hour; he alleges he fired his gun in self defense. (Ynet)
- Palestinian Hunger Strike Continues Unfettered Despite Video of Marwan Barghouti Eating - The number of Palestinian prisoners refusing to eat remains unchanged, say sources at the Israel Prison Service, which released the video of the hunger strike leader snacking in his cell. (Haaretz+)
- Palestinian prisoners having difficulty standing on 23rd day of mass hunger strike - As some 1,600 Palestinian prisoners marked their 23rd day on hunger strike on Tuesday, the Palestinian Committee of Prisoners' Affairs warned that hunger strikers had entered a dangerous stage, reporting that health conditions were deteriorating considerably. (Maan)
- Public Security Minister: 'Barghouti fell for the trap set up by the IPS' - After two days of speculation, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan publicly admits that the Israel Prison Services waited to record Barghouti eating snacks during an ongoing hunger strike he is leading with full knowledge that he was smuggling food into his cell; ‘ He simply fell for the trap set up by the IPS,’ says Erdan. (Ynet)
- Nativity Church deportees in Gaza to undertake solidarity hunger strike - A representative of the deportees, Fahmi Kanaan, said in a statement that they, along with their family members still residing in Bethlehem, would launch the strike on Wednesday, May 10, which coincides with the 15th anniversary of their exile from Bethlehem to Gaza. (Maan)
- Israeli forces fire at Gaza fishermen, spray pesticides on Palestinian crops - An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that they were looking into the reports. (Maan)
- Jerusalem is 'ground zero' for journalists in modern world, says Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein - On only his second visit to Israel, renowned U.S. journalist says that if reporters want to understand the modern world, they need to know what’s happening in Israel. (Haaretz+)
- J Street, ADL Slam Controversial 'Nation-state' Bill for Undermining 'Israel's Diversity' - Bill 'does nothing to enshrine Israel's status as a homeland for the Jewish people, while sending a dangerous message to its Arab minority that they are second-class citizens,' says J Street. (Haaretz)
- Defender of Land Grab Law Illegally Building Settlement Home - Attorney Harel Arnon insists construction is legal, but Civil Administration disagrees. (Haaretz+)
- FIFA Council Removes Draft Resolution on Israeli Settlement Teams From Congress Agenda - Israeli Foreign Ministry stresses issue not fully resolved; Palestinians have been pressuring the international soccer association to take action against Israel over settlement teams. (Haaretz+)
- Rights group demands Israel allow Bedouin village to register to vote in Negev - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel (Adalah) sent a letter to Israeli ministers demanding that a Bedouin village, Furaa, in the Negev of southern Israel be allowed to register to vote in their regional council, the group said. (Maan)
- Israeli forces demolish 4 structures in Jordan Valley village - Israeli bulldozers under military protection demolished two makeshift homes and two barns in the village of al-Jiftlik belonging to Najih Kaabnah and his son Odeh, due to them being built without hard-to-obtain Israeli permits. (Maan)
- 66-year-old Woman Detained After Photographing Netanyahu Residence for Grandson's School Project - Hedva Admon, 66, took the photo from afar on an open street in Jerusalem, where there are no signs that forbid taking pictures. (Haaretz+)
- **Israel Police's Activity for Fifth-graders: How to Verify an Assailant Is Dead - Policemen show fifth-graders how to overtake an 'assailant' at a community relations event. Israel Police: An empowering event, children learned about good citizenship and role of police in society. (Haaretz+, Maariv and Maan+VIDEO)
- Scuffed wings incident: Hercules planes' pilots to be jailed - A week after Israel's Independence Day flyover, during which two Samson planes had come into close contact—the army decided to send the two captains to the slammer; the rest of the ten crew members were grounded. (Ynet)
- Egypt closes Rafah crossing after allowing Palestinians to enter Gaza for 4 days - The Borders and Crossings Committee said in a statement that a total of 3,068 Palestinians were able to enter the Gaza Strip from Egypt during the previous four days, as well as commercial goods and several new vehicles. (Maan)
- Ireland capital votes to fly Palestinian flag above city hall for Nakba Day - “This city council will fly the flag of Palestine over City Hall for the month of May 2017… as a gesture of our solidarity with the people of Palestine living under occupation in the West Bank and Gaza, with the Palestinian citizens of Israel denied basic democratic rights...” the Dublin motion read. A competing motion seeking to fly the Palestinian and Israeli flags side by side was defeated, the newspaper reported. (Maan)
- Palestinian Minister of Finance promotes Palestinian state in Belgium - “Peace is driven by the imagination of individuals who can see its benefits and not by those who consider that every negotiation should end in a zero-sum outcome in favor of the more powerful,” Minister Shukri Bishara said in a speech at a forum in Brussels before the US Special Envoy Jason Greenblatt and EU politicians and underscored Israel's longstanding “colonial projects” and the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to state building. He added that the two-state solution was a “fundamental condition, without which the incredible economic opportunities of our part of the world cannot be unlocked.” (Maan)
- U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia Slammed for Editing Israel Out of Video on Trump's Mideast Trip - The embassy removed the video after Democrats criticized the Trump administration for the omission. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- State: Criminal Probe of Israeli Minister Suspected in Graft Affair Nearly Done - Haim Katz, long-time IAI union strongman, suspected of insider trading, forcing employees to join Likud. (Haaretz)
- Israel Sees All-time Monthly High for Incoming Tourism in April 2017 - Flights are getting cheaper, hostels and new flights are abounding, and tourists are avoiding Turkey and other places spooked by terror. (Haaretz)
- Israeli Army’s Latest Enemy: A Fox That Bites Overnight - 17 soldiers have been rushed to the hospital after a fox − or foxes − entered their tents and went for their heads and feet. (Haaretz+)
- Pro-Palestinian groups slam 'Jewish Taliban' sect as Zionist colonialists - The controversial ultra-Orthodox group, currently residing in Guatemala, took great offense at being called Zionist. (Haaretz+)
- This Israeli TV Director Is Tackling Sexual Harassment in the Trump Era - Following her success in Israel with five short films about sexual harassment, writer-director Sigal Avin takes her project to the United States. (Haaretz+VIDEO)
- Watch: Britney Spears delivers special message to Israel - Two months before her first concert in Israel, Britney Spears invites her Israeli fans to come watch her perform in Yarkon Park, Tel Aviv on July 3. (Ynet)
- Israel remains an IVF paradise as number of treatments rises 11% in 2016 - In vitro fertilization is popular in the country that provides generous funding until women are 45. (Haaretz+)
- In Speech to ADL, FBI Chief Comey Draws a Line Between Hate Crimes and Hate Speech - Better data on hate crime is needed, Comey says, but warns against limiting hate speech. (Haaretz)
- Syrian army on alert against possible invasion by the Jordanian army - In Jordan, a military maneuver called "The Hungry Lion" began, in which 7,5,000 soldiers from 20 countries took part. Damascus fears that it will be used to infiltrate its territory and take action against ISIS. (Maariv)
Features:
One in Six Soviet Children Who Moved to Israel in the Early 1990s Have Since Left
Young and creative Russian-speaking Israelis who moved here more inclined to leave Jewish state than other immigrant groupsץ (Liza Rozovsky, Haaretz+)
The Israeli Spirit Behind the Best Young Chefs in America
Zachary Engel and Michael Solomonov have become the flag bearers of Israeli cuisine in the United States - and the hummus helped. (Haim Handwerker, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
How Arabic became a foreign language in Israel (Ayman Sikseck, Yedioth/Ynet) OThe Nationality Bill, which downgrades Arabic from an official language, continues the process of excluding Arabic from the public domain and turning it into a weapon used to sow panic among the public; Arabic is becoming a foreign language, a refugee in Israel.
Israeli democracy needs hordes of breakers of silence (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Netanyahu wants to enclose the occupation in an iron curtain that will give his government a monopoly on information.
When Trump is in the White House, Macron may lead thefree world (Uri Savir, Maariv) The free elections in France foreshadow a turning point in the international system, with the European Union led by Berlin and Paris leading the free and liberal world, and us to the two-state solution.
'Israel Really Nailed Barghouti, Huh?': Assaf Harel on the Tape of the Snacking Hunger Strike Leader (Asaf Harel, Haaretz VIDEO w/Englisj) Harel weighs in on the footage of Palestinian hunger strike leader Marwan Barghouti snacking secretly in his cell.
It’s Israel’s duty to expose Barghouti as a crook (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Perhaps one day, Marwan Barghouti will lead the Palestinians to a historic compromise. In the meantime, however, he is a Hamas collaborator and an enemy of the possibility to renew the peace process. Weakening him, under the current circumstances, is the right thing to do.
'Code 43': This Is How I Was Racially Profiled at Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport (Sanaa Ibn Bari, Haaretz+) I stare at the X-ray machine and at a partition. I don’t want to choose between radiation and being felt up. But I arouse suspicion because I am Arab.
Turkey doesn't quit Hamas cold turkey (Yoav Zitun, Ynet) Recruitment of Palestinian students for terrorist activities, military training and economic aid to Hamas in Gaza: Erdogan's harsh speech against Israel does not surprise anyone in the defense establishment, which views Turkey as one of Hamas' main bases abroad.
Erdogan's outburst: Energy, politics and Hamas (Itamar Eichner, Yedioth/Ynet) The Turkish president's surprising and slanderous attack against Israel could be motivated by any number of factors such as delays in energy deals, concern over Israel's relations with Cyprus or loyalty to the Hamas cause.
Israel Is Committing Suicide in the Region (Avirama Golan, Haaretz+) The history of mankind is rife with failed attempts by one determined nation to suppress another’s national language
Israel still at war (Efraim Inbar, Israel Hayom) The understandable desire for peace must not blur the unfortunate likelihood that Israel will live by its sword for many years to come.
WATCH: Janan Bsoul Rips Into Israel's New Bill Stripping Arabic of Official Status (Janan Bsoul, Haaretz VIDEO) 'I am happy to say that this Trumpian law is starting to expose the dirt, and show the degree to which Israel thinks it's doing its Palestinian citizens a favor.'
Target the money (Ariel Bolstein, Israel Hayom) Without financial support provided primarily by Arab and European governments, delegitimization of Israel will cease to exist.
It’s Crowded Down There (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Too many Israelis treat the Palestinian struggle for freedom like a series of boxing matches in which we can always win by a knockout. That’s all the prisoners' strike is to them.
The destructive potential of Israel's nation-state bill (Marzuq Al-Halabi, +972mag) The newest version of the nation-state bill, which effectively pulls Israel’s apartheid regime out of the closet, could potentially lead to massive violence against its weakest population.
Israeli State Prosecutor’s Lenient Approach With VIPs Being Challenged in Court (Gidi Weitz, Haaretz+) Shai Nitzan has gone easy on a retired judge, a Prime Minister's Office employee and Netanyahu himself; how long will this continue?
Young and creative Russian-speaking Israelis who moved here more inclined to leave Jewish state than other immigrant groupsץ (Liza Rozovsky, Haaretz+)
The Israeli Spirit Behind the Best Young Chefs in America
Zachary Engel and Michael Solomonov have become the flag bearers of Israeli cuisine in the United States - and the hummus helped. (Haim Handwerker, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
How Arabic became a foreign language in Israel (Ayman Sikseck, Yedioth/Ynet) OThe Nationality Bill, which downgrades Arabic from an official language, continues the process of excluding Arabic from the public domain and turning it into a weapon used to sow panic among the public; Arabic is becoming a foreign language, a refugee in Israel.
Israeli democracy needs hordes of breakers of silence (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Netanyahu wants to enclose the occupation in an iron curtain that will give his government a monopoly on information.
When Trump is in the White House, Macron may lead thefree world (Uri Savir, Maariv) The free elections in France foreshadow a turning point in the international system, with the European Union led by Berlin and Paris leading the free and liberal world, and us to the two-state solution.
'Israel Really Nailed Barghouti, Huh?': Assaf Harel on the Tape of the Snacking Hunger Strike Leader (Asaf Harel, Haaretz VIDEO w/Englisj) Harel weighs in on the footage of Palestinian hunger strike leader Marwan Barghouti snacking secretly in his cell.
It’s Israel’s duty to expose Barghouti as a crook (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Perhaps one day, Marwan Barghouti will lead the Palestinians to a historic compromise. In the meantime, however, he is a Hamas collaborator and an enemy of the possibility to renew the peace process. Weakening him, under the current circumstances, is the right thing to do.
'Code 43': This Is How I Was Racially Profiled at Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport (Sanaa Ibn Bari, Haaretz+) I stare at the X-ray machine and at a partition. I don’t want to choose between radiation and being felt up. But I arouse suspicion because I am Arab.
Turkey doesn't quit Hamas cold turkey (Yoav Zitun, Ynet) Recruitment of Palestinian students for terrorist activities, military training and economic aid to Hamas in Gaza: Erdogan's harsh speech against Israel does not surprise anyone in the defense establishment, which views Turkey as one of Hamas' main bases abroad.
Erdogan's outburst: Energy, politics and Hamas (Itamar Eichner, Yedioth/Ynet) The Turkish president's surprising and slanderous attack against Israel could be motivated by any number of factors such as delays in energy deals, concern over Israel's relations with Cyprus or loyalty to the Hamas cause.
Israel Is Committing Suicide in the Region (Avirama Golan, Haaretz+) The history of mankind is rife with failed attempts by one determined nation to suppress another’s national language
Israel still at war (Efraim Inbar, Israel Hayom) The understandable desire for peace must not blur the unfortunate likelihood that Israel will live by its sword for many years to come.
WATCH: Janan Bsoul Rips Into Israel's New Bill Stripping Arabic of Official Status (Janan Bsoul, Haaretz VIDEO) 'I am happy to say that this Trumpian law is starting to expose the dirt, and show the degree to which Israel thinks it's doing its Palestinian citizens a favor.'
Target the money (Ariel Bolstein, Israel Hayom) Without financial support provided primarily by Arab and European governments, delegitimization of Israel will cease to exist.
It’s Crowded Down There (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Too many Israelis treat the Palestinian struggle for freedom like a series of boxing matches in which we can always win by a knockout. That’s all the prisoners' strike is to them.
The destructive potential of Israel's nation-state bill (Marzuq Al-Halabi, +972mag) The newest version of the nation-state bill, which effectively pulls Israel’s apartheid regime out of the closet, could potentially lead to massive violence against its weakest population.
Israeli State Prosecutor’s Lenient Approach With VIPs Being Challenged in Court (Gidi Weitz, Haaretz+) Shai Nitzan has gone easy on a retired judge, a Prime Minister's Office employee and Netanyahu himself; how long will this continue?
Interviews:
Do You Feel Uncomfortable About the Release of the Marwan Barghouti Tape? 'Why Should I?'
Haaretz speaks to Israel Prison Service's legal adviser about the footage showing the Palestinian hunger strike leader snacking in his cell. (Interviewed by Nir Gontarz in Haaretz+)
Peres in his own words: 'You could be dead while you're alive, and you could also live after your death'
In the months before Shimon Peres's passing, journalist Amira Lam held a series of meetings with the man who was the last of Israel's founding fathers. During their talk, Peres opens up about the Dimona reactor, his relationship with Rabin, and the settlements. (Ynet)
Do You Feel Uncomfortable About the Release of the Marwan Barghouti Tape? 'Why Should I?'
Haaretz speaks to Israel Prison Service's legal adviser about the footage showing the Palestinian hunger strike leader snacking in his cell. (Interviewed by Nir Gontarz in Haaretz+)
Peres in his own words: 'You could be dead while you're alive, and you could also live after your death'
In the months before Shimon Peres's passing, journalist Amira Lam held a series of meetings with the man who was the last of Israel's founding fathers. During their talk, Peres opens up about the Dimona reactor, his relationship with Rabin, and the settlements. (Ynet)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.