News Nosh 7.11.17

by APN 07/11/17
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APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday July 11, 2017
 
You Must Be Kidding: 
"The time has come to dry up the [resources] used by leftist organizations that undermine the government, slander Israel and try to infringe on its right to defend itself. We must block their funding sources and prevent them from undermining the country."
--Likud MK Miki Zohar proposed a bill to bar foreign donations to Israeli human and civil rights organizations. 

Front Page:
Haaretz
  • Avi Gabai elected to head the Labor Party
  • Life before death // Yossi Verter
  • The Labor is just beginning // Ravit Hecht
  • Hope for change // Haaretz Editorial
  • Associate of Netanyahu and another five suspects interrogated in submarine scandal; Prime Minister expected to testify
  • Trump’s son met with someone close to Kremlin in order to get information against Clinton
  • Experts Committee did not agree on criminalizing users of prostitutes, the decision returns to the Knesset
  • (Culture Minister) Regev: Next year, the cultural institutions in Tel-Aviv will feel a lot of pain
  • High Court went into an abyss // Nehemia Shtresler
  • Where are you, Shaked? // Revital Hovel
  • Kahlon’s partners are furious over his campaigning and are putting spikes in his wheels
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • The Labor is his - Sensation Avi Gabai elected chairman of Labor Party
  • Avi the conqueror // Nahum Barnea
  • Gabi who? // Sima Kadmon
  • The Likudnik // Be-Dror Yemini
  • (Submarines affair:) Netanyahu’s confidante is under house arrest
  • 82-year-old Holocaust survivor shot dead a thief and injured another
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
Israel Hayom
News Summary:
The inexperienced Avi Gabai surprised and won the leadership of the Labor party, a top-ranking security official and an associate of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and four others were arrested in the submarine graft case (background to the affair also known as Case 3000) - making the top two stories of today’s Hebrew newspapers.

Also in the news, Haaretz reported that in a rare move, the US Ambassador to Israel will join the Trump peace negotiations envoy, Jason Greenblatt in his meeting today with Palestinian leaders and negotiators.
 
Quick Hits:
  • Israeli soldier wounded after Palestinian attacks soldiers near West Bank settlement - Palestinian man tried running over a group of soldiers when his car hit a safety rail, according to soldiers at the scene. He then exited the car brandishing a knife and was shot. (Haaretz, Maan and Ynet) 
  • Man kills Palestinian who broke into his home, wounds another - After hearing noises in his home, resident of Moshav Beit Yitzhak catches 2 Palestinian burglars before opening fire, killing one and seriously wounding the other. (Ynet and Maan)
  • Israeli Electric Corp transfers power to Palestinians in landmark energy deal - This type of agreement is the first of its kind, marking the inauguration of a new power plant in Jenin, which will be first of four stations constructed across the West Bank. The agreement also delineates the payments the PA will make to Israel in order to buy the fuel needed to run the plant. The station does not have the capability to generate power autonomously but rather collects and redistributes energy created in Israeli plants. (Maan, i24, Maariv and Ynet)
  • Egyptian fuel deliveries resume to Gaza power plant as power lines remain damaged - As a result of the resumption in fuel deliveries from Egypt, a second turbine in Gaza’s power plant was back in operation, out of its three total turbines. Only one of the turbines had been function for the past few days. (Maan) 
  • Gaza Power Watch: How Many Hours of Electricity Does Gaza Get Everyday - A severe electricity shortage in Gaza leaves residents with as little as four hours of power a day in the sweltering summer heat. Who gets electricity and when? (Haaretz)
  • Part of land for Amona evacuees' settlement is owned by Palestinians, say petitioners - Palestinians tell High Court aerial photos show that 15% of land for Amona evacuees was cultivated. (Haaretz+) 
  • Civil Administration accepts settler appeal for Machpelah House - Settlers vow to return to Hebron's Machpelah House following ruling Civil Administration by determining that copies of ownership documents are as good as originals; Hebron settlers: 'This should be the government's answer to the UNESCO decision.' (Yedioth/Ynet) 
  • Israeli settlers attempt to take over Silwan land, claiming pre-1948 Jewish ownership - The landowner, Rafaat Basbous, in Silwan just south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, said 20 workers escorted by Israeli forces and settlers raided the land adjacent to his family’s home and started delimiting the area with barbed wire, claiming that it had been owned by Yemenite Jews prior to the creation of the state of Israel. (Maan)
  • Palestinians denounce Orthodox patriarchate for reportedly selling land to Israelis - A similar protest was reportedly supposed to take place in front of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in occupied East Jerusalem, but was prevented by Israeli police, prompting clerics to denounce Theophilos III’s practices inside the church following Sunday mass. (Maan)
  • Committee: Convicted Israeli terrorists receive support from Israeli state - Amid what the Palestinian Committee of Prisoners’ Affairs has described as a "frenetic Israeli campaign" against Palestinian authorities' payment of allowances to Palestinian prisoners in Israel and their families, the committee published a list on Monday of Israelis convicted of murdering Palestinians and anti-Palestinian extremist organizations, who have received financial and legal support from the state of Israel. (Maan)
  • Israel continues to deny family visits to Hamas-affiliated prisoners from Gaza - Previously, around 80 family members a week were able to leave Gaza to see their relatives, compared to Monday’s 14. The number of prisoners being permitted by Israel to receive visits has been greatly reduced. Hamas said that Israel decided to suspend family visitations for all Hamas-affiliated prisoners from the besieged Gaza Strip. (Maan) 
  • The decision to cancel family visits to Hamas prisoners was made despite the opposition of the security establishment - The responses refer to the time when the decision came into effect and not to the actual implementation of the decision. There are those who argue that the situation with Gaza is tense and this will make it worse. (Maariv)
  • Israeli forces detain 2 young Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel from Gaza - The IDF said the two young men did not have any weapons, and were taken in for questioning. (Maan) 
  • Summer camp for youths who lost young ones to terror attacks - For many kids who lost loved ones in wars or terror attacks, opening up about their suffering can be difficult. 'One Family' allows them to enjoy summer camps together; 'Here, everyone understands. After the camp I feel stronger.' (Ynet) 
  • Israeli forces detain 10 Palestinians in raids including 11- and 12-year-old boys - Israeli troops raided the village and detained Muhammad Barjas, 11, and Hindi Nasser al-Hindi, 12, while the two were playing in front of their house in the village of al-Judeira in the Jerusalem district. Locals highlighted that Israeli military raids are a daily occurrence into the village, due to its proximity to Israel’s illegal separation wall and military bases built on the community’s land. (Maan)
  • The Palestinians are establishing a European-funded school near the Herodion (in West Bank) - The Regavim organization claims that the school built by the Bedouin population in East Gush Etzion is intended to take control of areas that are not theirs, and called it "the insolence of the Palestinian Authority and of the Europeans." (Maariv)
  • **New bill aims to bar BDS [sic - left-wing] donors from giving to Israeli groups - Israeli lawmaker from Netanyahu's Likud party, MK Miki Zohar, vows to push bill day after Israel backtracks criticism of Hungarian PM's campaign against Jewish-American financier George Soros. (Haaretz and Israel Hayom)
  • Obama's Israel ambassador Shapiro to testify on Taylor Force Act in Senate hearing - Dan Shapiro recently voiced concern legislation may 'lead to unintended consequences for Israel, Palestinians, U.S.'; Elliott Abrams to testify as well. (Haaretz+)
  • Rivlin commemorates 11th anniversary of Second Lebanon War - At first memorial ceremony to take place at the National Memorial Hall in Mount Herzl, bereaved families mark 11th anniversary of the 2006 34-day military conflict in against Hezbollah; 'Should another war be imposed on us, we will vigorously defend our lives, our independence and our citizens' says President Rivlin. (Yedioth/Ynet) 
  • Children with cystic fibrosis in Gaza in 'mortal danger' for want of medicine - Tens of Palestinian children being treated at a Gaza City hospital for cystic fibrosis are facing possible imminent death, amid what rights groups described as the worst medication crisis the besieged Gaza Strip has seen in years, stemming from debilitating budget cuts by the Palestinian Authority. (Maan) 
  • 37 undocumented Palestinian workers detained, 57 others see permits revoked - Israeli forces detained at least 37 Palestinians near the checkpoint near Husan village in the occupied West Bank on Sunday for attempting to enter Jerusalem without Israeli work permits, while 57 Palestinians had their work permits revoked for allegedly violating their terms. (Maan) 
  • Guns 'N Roses extends Tel Aviv show, angers religious fans - The rock band announces they will increase their Tel Aviv concert by one hour, forcing producers to start the concert earlier, before Shabbat officially ends; producers offer observant fans full refunds. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Jerusalem youths represent 'Palestine' at taekwondo match - Young Arab athletes from east Jerusalem compete in Tunisia, honor PLO leaders and terrorists at memorial • Zionist NGO head: It makes no sense for Arabs to hold Israeli ID cards while representing Palestinian Authority and slandering Israel. (Israel Hayom) 
  • 39 murders, 400 shootings in Arab society this year - With violence in Arab sector rising, Abraham Fund Initiatives conduct survey on Arab views on crime and police; results show Arab citizens see partnership with police as key to eradicating the phenomenon. (Ynet) 
  • ISIS claims Israeli UAV hovers over Sinai - In a video uploaded by the terror group showing a recording of Friday's deadly terror attack in northern Sinai which left 23 Egyptians dead, ISIS claims Israeli UAV can be seen hovering in the skies as it provides succor to Egyptian military. (Ynet)
  • The complete list of rabbis blacklisted by the Israeli Chief Rabbinate - Israel's Chief Rabbinate has published a list of rabbis whose opinions on the matter of 'Who is a Jew?' it says should be disregarded. (Haaretz) 
  • The Russians Are Coming Back Record Number of Tourists Visit Israel in First Half of 2017  - Nearly 1.75 million visitors between January and June, a 26% jump from the previous year; 31% increase in number of Russian travelers. (Haaretz)
  • Demonization of George Soros Throughout Europe Recalls anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories of Yore  - Elected officials are attributing all manner of sins to Soros, a political strategy that seems aimed at de-legitimizing projects that Soros has supported in Central and Eastern Europe's transition to democracy. (Agencies, Haaretz) 
  • Self-Immolation, Catalyst of the Arab Spring, Is Now a Grim Trend - Seven years after Mohamed Bouazizi's desperate and dramatic protest helped start revolutions across the region, frustration at the failed promise of the Arab Spring is widespread. (NYT, Haaretz)

Features:
Anti-terror Fantasy Camps Are Popping Up Throughout Israel and the West Bank - and Tourists Are Eating It Up
A two-hour simulation includes a suicide bombing in a Jerusalem marketplace, a stabbing attack, a live demonstration with attack dogs and a sniper tournament. 'I wonder whether a Jew in Auschwitz could have dreamed that this would ever exist in Israel.’ (Judy Maltz, Haaretz) 
“Fearful for the State": The veteran generation of Israelis leads the weekly demonstrations against the prime minister
In contrast to the young people who slept in tents in the social justice protest of 2011, those who have been spending the past 34 weeks in front of the home of the Attorney General, demanding he investigate Netanyahu, are people aged 50-60. (Galit Edot, Maariv) 
Avi Gabbay, a Business Exec With Little Political Experience, Just Won Israel's Labor Party Primary and Hopes to Replace Netanyahu
Starting out in an immigrant transit camp and rising to the top of Israel's biggest telecommunications firm, Avi Gabbay just won the leadership of Israel's Labor Party. (Chaim Levinson, Amir Teig and Almog Ben Zikrim, Haaretz)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
Avi Gabbay, the man who came out of nowhere (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) For too many years, Labor has been a dead party. Electing Gabbay as its leader is its way of choosing life, an option of reinventing itself. By picking Gabbay, it picked the new, the unknown, an adventure. 
With Avi Gabbay's Election, Israel's Labor Party Proves There's Life Before Death (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Like Trump and Macron, Gabbay overtook his party's 'old guard' and could upset Israel's entire political balance. Should Netanyahu be concerned?
Avi Gabai's achievement put him in line with Netanyahu, Lapid, Lieberman, and Kahlon (Ben Caspit, Maariv) The new Labor chairman joined the big league together with the prime minister and Kulanu party (who would have believed). Now he has to learn that in this league you pay for mistakes and when you’re wrong you get into trouble. 
Israel's New Democratic Hope for Change (Haaretz Editorial) Through their choice on Monday of Avi Gabbay as their party's new leader, Labor’s 52,000 members made it clear they want to infuse their party with new blood. 
The Demise of Israel's Labor Party (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) To many it looks like Labor’s leaders continue to be ideologically wedded to the ‘land for peace’ formula regardless of the facts on the ground in the tough Middle East
The submarines affair: Whether Benjamin Netanyahu knew about the actions around him or not - Case 3000 stinks (Yossi Melman, Maariv)  In any case the prime minister is allowed to use trustees for sensitive tasks, but he should not allow them to enjoy the proximity to his ear. But did not he know and lose control of his associates, or he knew and he was silent?
Netanyahu, the man who wasn't investigated (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Interesting that Israel's PM isn’t a suspect in 'Case 3000,' the boats-and-submarines affair. 
A stench envelops the billions spent in the naval vessel deals (Ben Caspit, Maariv) The interpretation of the big profits allegedly derived from the prime minister's deal with Germany raises a question: Even if we ignore the criminal aspect, how can everyone know about what happened except Netanyahu?
Why American Jews Need to Lose All Faith in Israel's Government (Rami Hod, Haaretz+) Move on from your outrage on the Wall. To really change Israel, the Left must win power. That means you breaking your 'apolitical' taboo and supporting it. 
An Israeli in Tehran's High-tech Court: One Can Dream, Right? (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The high-tech business potential is huge in Iran, where masses of 20- to 35-year-olds speak the same tech language as in Israel. Too bad contact with them remains virtual, for now.
With Iran as the real enemy, Saudi-Israel ties will (Smadar Perry, Yedioth/Ynet) Retired Saudi general implies his country is willing to give up the Arab peace initiative and postpone the Jerusalem issue until the last stage of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. There will be no normalization with the Arab world, he clarifies, until Israel works to solve the situation with the Palestinians.
UNESCO isn't anti-Semitic (Yonatan Mizrahi, Haaretz+) What Netanyahu and the right fear from the UN agency’s decision on Hebron is not anti-Semitism, but the strengthening of the international recognition of Palestine as a state. 
ISIS: The beginning of the end (Oded Granot, Israel Hayom) Israel should welcome Islamic State's defeat in Mosul, but it should keep in mind that it was never a primary target for ISIS. The main threat is still Iran. 
The Foolhardy Crisis With U.S. Jews That Threatens Israel's National Security (Dov S. Zakheim  and David Makovsky, Haaretz+) Israelis, diffident about Diaspora ties and crises, need to wake up: the U.S. aid that's deterred major wars since 1973 isn't automatic, and U.S. Jews are instrumental in securing it
The US is still the leader (Zalman Shoval, Israel Hayom) Given the threat of radical Islam, the arms races in Iran and North Korea, and Russia stirring the pot in the Middle East, there is no viable alternative to American strength and deterrence.


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

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