APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday July 6, 2017
Quote of the day:
"It's too bad that back in the real world things aren't as pretty as they are here."
"It's too bad that back in the real world things aren't as pretty as they are here."
--One of the participants said at the end of a joint exercise between Israeli and Palestinian
rescue and security forces, simulating a vehicular crash situation.*
You Must Be Kidding:
Israel confiscated two home solar power units Wednesday from a small Palestinian sheep-herding community, which had been contributed by the European Union to power their refrigerators, used to store cheeses – on which the family’s livelihood depends.**
You Must Be Kidding:
Israel confiscated two home solar power units Wednesday from a small Palestinian sheep-herding community, which had been contributed by the European Union to power their refrigerators, used to store cheeses – on which the family’s livelihood depends.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Sitting on the fence: Senior members of Labor party avoiding taking sides
- The polls prophesize a similar number of mandates to both Peretz and Gabai
- Trump’s treatment of N. Korean crisis is already causing damage // Chemi Shalev
- (Education Minister) Bennett allotted 100 million shekels to studying Jewish culture
- In a gov’t tender for caretakers for kindergartens for autistic children, there is no demand for experience in the field
- The trial began of the Israeli blogger jailed in Azerbaijan
- Police questioned woman who violated order not to post on Facebook
- The skin of the secular people // Uri Misgav
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Expose - 7 days fewer of holiday during the school year
- Buji (Herzog), sit on the fence // Sima Kadmon says ousted opposition leader shouldn’t say which of the candidates in the runoff he supports
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- War of the camps – Finalists for the Labor party leadership bringing together their supporters
- Goal of Rishon L’tsion: To pass Haifa and become Israel’s 3rd largest city
Israel Hayom
- “Put the Police Commissioner on disciplinary trial” – MK Amsamlem, who initiated bill to transfer police budget to Public Security Minister made sharp attack against Police Commissioner, (who opposed the bill)
- “Dearest David, I was lucky to be your mother for 22 years”
- “Israel and Russia are in the same boat against terrorism” – Interview with Russian diplomat
- A hug of empathy (from Indian Prime Minister to orphan, whose parents were murdered in terror attack in Mumbai)
- Peretz and Gabai asked Herzog: “We need your support”
- Crisis in (Persian) Gulf worsened: Qatar rejected Saudi ultimatum
News Summary:
Labor party politicians took sides ahead of the runoff between two ethnically Moroccan members for the leadership as Mizrachi Likud members look on with envy, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot said Israelis don’t need to worry about the Iranian arms factory in Lebanon and the latest on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic trip to Israel. And some interesting reports from the Warsaw where UNESCO voted on a resolution condemning Israel for its excavations in E. Jerusalem.
Amir Peretz and Avi Gabai continued campaigning as they tried to collect big Labor Party names to give them more support. But a poll suggested that neither of them will overtake Netanyahu in a general election ahead of the runoff next week. Likud Central Committee members complained that their party only is made up of mostly Mizrachi supporters from the periphery of the country, but only Ashekenazi Jews are in the top seats. Maariv reported that harsh messages were heard yesterday on social networks against the leadership of the ruling Likud party. In the Whatsapp group, "The Strong Likud Princes,” Meir, a member of the Likud Central Committee, wrote: "We are portrayed as a racist party and there is unrest among a large constituency of Likud voters from the periphery. We will lose mandates if Bibi does not lead a move to restore respect for the voters. The Labor Party is ahead of us in appointments and in its treatment of the periphery. Friends, the truth is that the Likud, which exists because of the Sephardim (Mizrachi Jews), stopped paying any attention to them. On the other hand, Labor became the Likud of that past, with Moroccan candidates at the top. The Likud must undergo an earthquake and immediately.” Haaretz+ has a background piece on the two men who want to lead the Labor Party back to power.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome from Israeli President Reuven Rivlin as the two talked about the special bond between India and Israel and the newspapers all displayed a photo of Modi’s visit with the orphan of an Israeli couple killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Modi was also honored at an event of the 10,000 members of the Indian community in Israel. Modi and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu also signed seven India-Israel cooperation agreements. Netanyahu asked Modi about the probe into the 2012 attack on the Israeli embassy in New Delhi, which Haaretz+ reported that to this date, India has refused to place the blame on the Iranians, and has yet to prosecute any suspects involved in the attack.
Also of interest, Israel was furious about what it called the ‘sad, pathetic’ UNESCO decision to condemn Israeli excavation in E. Jerusalem, and rejecting the statement that Israel was an “occupying power” there. The resolution read that UNESCO "regrets the failure of the Israeli occupying authorities to cease the persistent excavations, tunneling, works, projects and other illegal practices in East Jerusalem, particularly in and around the Old City of Jerusalem, which are illegal under international law." This year's forum in Krakow is expected to vote on Friday on another resolution about Israeli conduct in the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron. The Israeli papers portrayed the resolution as if UNESCO were denying Israeli sovereignty over all of Jerusalem, not just E. Jerusalem. Israel Hayom called the resolution ‘anti-Israel.’
But more interesting was the “unexpected drama (that) unfolded” after that vote, as reported on by The Jerusalem Post’s Tovah Lazaroff. “The dueling narrative of Jewish and Palestinian victimhood came to a head on the floor of the World Heritage Committee Tuesday as the 21 member-states held a moment of silence first for Holocaust victims and then again for the Palestinians." Palestinian Ambassador Elias Sanbar stood in both instances. Israel’s Ambassador Carmel Shama HaCohen stood only for the Holocaust victims. Later, Sanbar said: “I did stand for one moment of silence in respect of the [Holocaust] victims because I do not think that victims have either nationality or religion. They are human beings above and beyond any other thing. That is why they are victims of humanity as a whole.”
Quick Hits:
- Palestinian support for violence drops, survey finds - Palestinians from the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem are polled on hot button issues such as violence with Israel, PA and Hamas leadership and the split between Palestinian governance. (Ynet)
- French president tells Abbas he supports 2-state solution - PA President Mahmoud Abbas: Palestinian people must regain independence in their own state with east Jerusalem as its capital • French President Emmanuel Macron: There is no alternative to the two-state solution, and it is currently in danger. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)
- **Israel Confiscates Palestinian Shepherds' Home Solar Power Units - The units were intended to operate refrigerators, used to store cheeses – on which the family's livelihood depends – and medicines for the sheep and the family. (Haaretz+)
- 800 housing units to be approved beyond Green Line - An additional 114 housing units in Arab neighborhoods in east Jerusalem are also expected to be approved, indicating that a green light may have been given by the Trump administration. (Ynet)
- Israel Police question social activist over alleged gag order violation in Facebook post - Incident marks escalation of police enforcement of such orders, which are aimed at journalists, not civilians. (Haaretz+)
- High hopes for Israel's Arabic TV channel collapse in debt - A fifth of all Israelis are Arabs, but they have access to 1,000 channels via satellite TV, leaving Hala TV trapped in a vicious circle of low ratings and inferior content. (Haaretz)
- IDF officer buried after being accidentally shot by fellow soldier - Bidding their final farewells to Lt. David Golovenchich, who was shot by mistake during a drill, family, friends and soldiers escort him on his final journey at Mt. Herzl Cemetery; 'You were admired by your soldiers. They will continue in your path,' says commander; ‘I can’t describe what has befallen me...I love you David,' says mother. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- No one indicted for death of IDF officer in training drill - After Yishai Rosales was killed in 2016 during a training exercise when soldiers accidentally fired a mortar shell in the wrong direction, no indictments have been issued and a disciplinary hearing is the harshest measure taken in the case. (Ynet)
- IDF closes dedicated Bedouin reconnaissance battalion - Military says Bedouin recruits often prefer to join other units, says all jobs open to qualified Bedouin soldiers • Former battalion will become two, six-team patrol companies • IDF hopes to increase enlistment from Bedouin sector. (Israel Hayom)
- Shin Bet agents honored for bravery, determination - Ten security agency officers receive citations of excellence in special ceremony • Honorees include cyberwarfare expert, analytics team head, agents' field coordinator • President Rivlin lauds their "uncompromising work" • PM Netanyahu: You are winners. (Israel Hayom)
- Western Wall crisis: Bid to force government to make good on egalitarian prayer space shot down in Knesset - Bill aimed to give government decision on the Kotel, suspended last week, the force of law: 'These decisions tear to shreds both the covenant between Israel and Jewish people.’ (Haaretz+)
- Reporter who lost libel suit against Netanyahus suspended with pay - Media criticism site reports that Yedioth Ahronoth has not published any columns by staff writer Yigal Sarna ever since a Tel Aviv court ruled that Sarna had published a libelous Facebook post about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara. (Israel Hayom)
- 3 years after Protective Edge, tourism to Israel rebounds - Previous record tourism numbers reached before Gaza campaign in 2014 will be surpassed this year, says Tourism Ministry. Rise follows strong marketing campaign • Regional tourism coordinator: Israelis showed solidarity, flocked to southern tourist sites. (Israel Hayom)
- WATCH: 'Don't go to Israel... you may never want to leave' - The video—a class project that attempts to turn negative beliefs about Israel on its head—features shots of Israel's historical sites, natural scenery, rich culture, societal aim toward tolerance and acceptance, the empowerment of Israeli women, and more. (Ynet)
- *Israeli, Palestinian rescue teams hold joint exercise - Despite animosity toward activities involving Israeli-Palestinian cooperation efforts, several rescue teams from both sides of the border participate in drill simulating a car crash; ‘It's too bad that back in the real world things aren't as pretty as they are here.’(Ynet)
- Hamas' new top leader delivers first speech in Gaza City - As tensions mount between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority and feuds intensify over Gaza's electricity crisis, Ismail Haniyeh calls on Mahmoud Abbas to terminate cooperation with Israel and join forces to defeat the 'occupation.' (Agencies, Ynet)
- Abbas to Meet al-Sissi in Cairo Under Shadow of Rift With Hamas - Palestinian President will warn Egyptian counterpart about possible implications of opening of Rafah crossing at Gaza-Egypt border without coordinating first with the Palestinian Authority and discuss settlement activity in West Bank. (Haaretz)
- France fetes Israeli group that aids children of asylum seekers - Journalist Yael Gvirtz founded Elifelet in 2012 after a south Tel Aviv apartment that was home to asylum seekers was firebombed. It now has about 250 volunteers. (Haaretz)
- Tolerance Is No Longer Appropriate Says NY Rabbi, Holocaust Survivor Honored by Pope - Arthur Schneier told diplomats that concept of tolerance conveys the idea 'I am superior, I tolerate you,' goal must be mutual respect. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Arab states fume as Qatar rejects demands, but no new sanctions - In a joint statement, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain slam Qatar's response to their demands, which includes cutting back ties with Iran and severing links with Muslim Brotherhood; Egyptian FM: 'Qatar's position reflects a failure to realize the gravity of the situation.' (Agencies, Ynet and Israel Hayom)
Features:
The Mystery of the Novelist Who Is Said to Have Predicted the Intifada in 1951
An uprising of cows is featured in the first Israeli dystopian novel. Only now has the author's tragic story come to light. (Ben Levy and Irit Eilam Abadi, Haaretz+)
Spy chases: Between 007’s Aston Martin and Mossad’s Volkswagen Camper
Yana Sofovich and Ronen Bergman take James Bond’s flagship car for a wild ride on Israel’s roads, leaving the stunned drivers behind them in the dust. On the way, they look back at the slightly less heroic cars that have starred in the real world of Israeli intelligence. Here’s what they can reveal, for your eyes only. The history of Israeli intelligence is filled with stories that include cars, although slightly less heroic and a lot more practical than the Aston Martin. (Yana Sofovich and Ronen Bergman, Yedioth/Ynet)
Commentary/Analysis:
Israeli Labor Party's primary heralds a democratic awakening (Haaretz Editorial) The battle to lead Labor – reports of whose death were premature – proved that the party has innovative forces and has managed to maintain a vibrant and dynamic democratic apparatus.
Something in politics has changed, and the Likud party has to start worrying (Ephraim Ganor, Maariv) The generation of the periphery, which said "always vote Likud" has disappeared, as a result, the rise of Amir Peretz and Avi Gabai for the second round of Labor primaries should turn on red lights in the ruling party.
As India and Israel Embrace, Talk About a 'Zionist-Hindu' Conspiracy Is Spiking in Pakistan (Kunwar Khuldune Shahid, Haaretz) Even though conspiracy theories and anti-Semitism are ubiquitous in Pakistan, Narendra Modi's visit to Israel has led them to alarming new heights.
What international isolation? (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) Israel’s diplomatic situation has never been better. The US president supports us more than others, the Europeans criticize Israel’s policy but respect us, African and Far East countries are developing economic ties with us, and even Sunni Arab states prefer semi-secret relations over total isolation. The Indian prime minister’s historic visit is just part of this process.
Why the insistence that Israel is ostracized, even though reality proves the opposite? (Amos Gilboa, Maariv) Despite the political and economic successes, despite the new connections and international visits, there are those who insist that we are still lepers. Is it blindness, hatred or desire?
A leftist academic responds to calls to stop teaching at a West Bank university (Yossi Goldstein, Haaretz+) Ariel University's existence depends only on the science it creates. In 10-15 years it will be one of Israel's top three universities.
The next Middle East war (Clifford D. May, Israel Hayom) As Hezbollah prepares for a new and bloodier conflict with Israel, the Trump administration could pressure the Lebanese and Iranian governments to respect UNSC Resolution 1701.
Israeli Labor Party taps former turncoats in bid to save a sinking ship (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Runoff candidates Amir Peretz and Avi Gabbay are both big in the country’s outskirts, where the party is hemorrhaging. The kingmaker might be ex-Labor chief Shelly Yacimovich, who's likely to back Gabbay.
Israel-India relations were born in Oslo (Dr. Yoav Fromer, Ynet) The Indian prime minister’s visit to Israel doesn’t prove that there is no diplomatic isolation. Rather, it points to the huge potential in reaching an agreement with the Palestinians, or at least in trying to advance negotiations.
Change the stupidity: (Former) MK Ghattas deserves to go to jail, but not everyone who supports him is a traitor (Ran Adelist, Maariv) A member of the Knesset has committed a security offense and his punishment is due to him, but his friends are permitted to part with him.
The True Success Story of Jews in the 20th Century (Ofri Ilany, Haaretz+) Israel exists thanks to America’s liberal Jews, and not vice versa.
Improving ties between Egypt and Hamas unsettle Palestinian politics (Nidal al-Mughrabi, Reuters, Ynet) With Hamas and Gaza's citizens struggling with limited power and intense summer heat, Hamas begins to warm ties with Egypt with the help of Mohammed Dahlan, who is considered a threat to PA President Abbas.
An uprising of cows is featured in the first Israeli dystopian novel. Only now has the author's tragic story come to light. (Ben Levy and Irit Eilam Abadi, Haaretz+)
Spy chases: Between 007’s Aston Martin and Mossad’s Volkswagen Camper
Yana Sofovich and Ronen Bergman take James Bond’s flagship car for a wild ride on Israel’s roads, leaving the stunned drivers behind them in the dust. On the way, they look back at the slightly less heroic cars that have starred in the real world of Israeli intelligence. Here’s what they can reveal, for your eyes only. The history of Israeli intelligence is filled with stories that include cars, although slightly less heroic and a lot more practical than the Aston Martin. (Yana Sofovich and Ronen Bergman, Yedioth/Ynet)
Commentary/Analysis:
Israeli Labor Party's primary heralds a democratic awakening (Haaretz Editorial) The battle to lead Labor – reports of whose death were premature – proved that the party has innovative forces and has managed to maintain a vibrant and dynamic democratic apparatus.
Something in politics has changed, and the Likud party has to start worrying (Ephraim Ganor, Maariv) The generation of the periphery, which said "always vote Likud" has disappeared, as a result, the rise of Amir Peretz and Avi Gabai for the second round of Labor primaries should turn on red lights in the ruling party.
As India and Israel Embrace, Talk About a 'Zionist-Hindu' Conspiracy Is Spiking in Pakistan (Kunwar Khuldune Shahid, Haaretz) Even though conspiracy theories and anti-Semitism are ubiquitous in Pakistan, Narendra Modi's visit to Israel has led them to alarming new heights.
What international isolation? (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) Israel’s diplomatic situation has never been better. The US president supports us more than others, the Europeans criticize Israel’s policy but respect us, African and Far East countries are developing economic ties with us, and even Sunni Arab states prefer semi-secret relations over total isolation. The Indian prime minister’s historic visit is just part of this process.
Why the insistence that Israel is ostracized, even though reality proves the opposite? (Amos Gilboa, Maariv) Despite the political and economic successes, despite the new connections and international visits, there are those who insist that we are still lepers. Is it blindness, hatred or desire?
A leftist academic responds to calls to stop teaching at a West Bank university (Yossi Goldstein, Haaretz+) Ariel University's existence depends only on the science it creates. In 10-15 years it will be one of Israel's top three universities.
The next Middle East war (Clifford D. May, Israel Hayom) As Hezbollah prepares for a new and bloodier conflict with Israel, the Trump administration could pressure the Lebanese and Iranian governments to respect UNSC Resolution 1701.
Israeli Labor Party taps former turncoats in bid to save a sinking ship (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Runoff candidates Amir Peretz and Avi Gabbay are both big in the country’s outskirts, where the party is hemorrhaging. The kingmaker might be ex-Labor chief Shelly Yacimovich, who's likely to back Gabbay.
Israel-India relations were born in Oslo (Dr. Yoav Fromer, Ynet) The Indian prime minister’s visit to Israel doesn’t prove that there is no diplomatic isolation. Rather, it points to the huge potential in reaching an agreement with the Palestinians, or at least in trying to advance negotiations.
Change the stupidity: (Former) MK Ghattas deserves to go to jail, but not everyone who supports him is a traitor (Ran Adelist, Maariv) A member of the Knesset has committed a security offense and his punishment is due to him, but his friends are permitted to part with him.
The True Success Story of Jews in the 20th Century (Ofri Ilany, Haaretz+) Israel exists thanks to America’s liberal Jews, and not vice versa.
Improving ties between Egypt and Hamas unsettle Palestinian politics (Nidal al-Mughrabi, Reuters, Ynet) With Hamas and Gaza's citizens struggling with limited power and intense summer heat, Hamas begins to warm ties with Egypt with the help of Mohammed Dahlan, who is considered a threat to PA President Abbas.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.