APN's daily news review from Israel

Thursday June 29, 2017
 

Quote of the day:

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Front Page:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

News Summary:
Israeli fear of the financial repercussions of the anger of American Jewry over the Wailing Wall crisis, parents’ of cancer patients expressed optimism for a solution to the Hadassah Hospital crisis following the arbitration of retired Justice Eliyakim Rubinstein, and the question mark over whether the parole board will give convicted former prime minister Ehud Olmert an early release from prison [which he received – OH] were today’s top stories in the Hebrew newspapers.
  
*Israeli consulates in the US were flooded with letters from Jewish Americans protesting the Israeli government decision to cancel the plan for an egalitarian prayer space at the Wailing Wall and Jewish American leaders have warned that the decision could cost Israel both financially in donations and in US strategic aid. AIPAC leaders arrived in Israel last night for emergency meetings with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu tonight as well as with the ministers of justice, defense, interior and education. "People say they have no desire to work for Israel anymore, and their level of identification with the Jewish state has been severely damaged," AIPAC officials told Maariv’s Ben Caspit. Yedioth reported that the crisis could cost Israel a billion dollars. One of the AIPAC leaders who arrived told Yedioth’s Itamar Eichner, “You think that we have two types of Jews [in the US]: those that get offended by ultra-Orthodox control and those that are so excited about Israel and will always help it. But guess what. They are the same people. We won’t forever fight for you in Congress or donate millions if you continue to treat us badly.”
 
Kotel Quickees: 
Israel's High Court sets critical hearing on non-Orthodox prayer at Western Wall for July 30
Jewish Agency preps envoys abroad how to deal with boycotts by Jewish communities amid Western Wall crisis 
Israel preps diplomats for backlash from U.S. Jewish community over Kotel crisis 
Reform, Conservative movements to protest outside Netanyahu's Jerusalem residence on Saturday 
US Jewish leaders decry Israel's 'delegitimization' of non-Orthodox Jews
 
Quick Hits:

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The concept fell: the life and death of Israel's most senior foreign spy
Ten years after his death, the file of Ashraf Marwan, who became the Israeli source who gave the warning that could have prevented the Yom Kippur War disaster, is still open. Who killed the master spy? (Eyal Levy, Maariv)
When a Black German Woman Discovered Her Grandfather Was the Nazi Villain of 'Schindler's List'
An odd series of events led Jennifer Teege to discover that her grandfather was none other than the notorious Nazi Amon Goeth. (Avner Shapira, Haaretz)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
Now American Jews Are Angry (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) When it comes to the Western Wall, suddenly U.S. Jews are liberals, criticizing Israel. Did they ever fight for the right of Palestinians to worship freely?
IDF's two-front war in West Bank with Jews and Palestinians (Yoav Zitun, Yedioth/Ynet) Army records a surge in number of clashes between Jewish and Palestinian rioters in Yitzhar, with both sides pitted against troops; reservists explain their dilemma; 'We never learn how to deal with a Jewish teen throwing stones so by standing there we give them legitimacy'; residents claim clashes start from Palestinian arson attacks. 
Two Kinds of Disbelief (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) One involves the understanding and acknowledgement that all this is true, while maintaining the right to cry out. The other is one which protects the government and the establishment.
Oslo Syndrome: If the show arrives in Israel, (Culture Minister) Regev will probably veto it (Uri Savir, Maariv) The American play that deals with the talks that led to the agreements is successful in New York because of the Western world's need to rely on diplomatic solutions in an era of violence and conflict. 
New Way to Abuse Refugees (Haaretz Editorial) Resources must be invested in the asylum seekers who are already here, especially since the flow of asylum seekers entering the country has dried up completely.
Don't Blame the System, Major (Eran Ben Ya'akov, Haaretz) My deputy commander in the Israeli army not only distorted the truth, but did it to paint himself as the victim, beating his breast and not accountable for his actions. 
It’s not Olmert who should be ashamed (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) The attorney general and state attorney’s decision to allow five police investigators to raid the Yedioth Books publishing house is nothing less than a dangerous, despicable precedent. The attitude towards the former prime minister is a symptom of a state in which the gatekeepers are increasingly becoming the government’s servants. 
The Dahlan Plan: Without Hamas and Without Abbas (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) True, the plan leaves Hamas in control of security and doesn’t demilitarize it, but in Mohammed Dahlan Israel would have a partner in Gaza who supports reconciliation. 
The Western Wall Crisis: A difficult confrontation is better for the state than indifference (Shmuel Rosner, Maariv) We must hope that the Reform and Conservative movements go to war over the outline for the Wailing Wall. If they fight, it means they still care. If they give up easily, they have given up on their connection with Israel. 
Why India Loves Israel: For Its Brains (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) Warming bilateral ties aren’t based on traditional markers like trade and politics but on Israel's innovative prowess, which has become a valuable diplomatic asset. Alas, Israel is at risk of losing it.
 

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