APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday February 27, 2018
You Must Be
Kidding:
IDF forces detained 15-year-old Mohammed Tamimi from his home, despite him being seriously wounded after a soldier shot him in the head in December and he is awaiting surgery next week to restore part of his skull.**
Front Page:
IDF forces detained 15-year-old Mohammed Tamimi from his home, despite him being seriously wounded after a soldier shot him in the head in December and he is awaiting surgery next week to restore part of his skull.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- State Prosecutor: Elovitch is suspected of giving bribes and receiving benefits worth a billion shekels in exchange
- The full message exchange between the judge and the investigator shows the coordination in a new light
- The Netanyahu choir // Ido Baum
- Suspicion: Man from Raanana stabbed his wife, murdered his 3-year-old son and committed suicide
- The ultra-Orthodox parties demand bringing to vote tomorrow the laws that will exempt ultra-Orthodox from the draft
- Thirteen border points that are stoking tensions with Lebanon // Amos Harel,
- Not just a cable car: (Settler NGO) Elad will build Israel's longest zip line over E. Jerusalem
- Another scandal // Meirav Arlozoroff
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Murderer Daddy
- Tamar Fogel sues the murderers of her family for 400 million shekels
- I am Purim (photo of two little girls in costume)
- “They expect the judge to resign” - The legal elite expect that Poznansky-Katz will be dismissed
- It’s only a hitch // Yoaz Hendel
- Time to decide // Nadav Eyal
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Murdered his 3-year-old son and committed suicide
- The judge’s associates: “She won’t resign”
- The revolving door // Yehuda Sharoni
- Investigation needed // Adv. Yoram Sheftal
- WhatsApp court // Meir Uziel
- Going towards a crisis: Ultra-Orthodox demand approving tomorrow the draft law
- Jerusalem Municipality: There’s money for the marathon, less for the workers
Israel Hayom
- “Resignation or dismissal” - Likely: The probe points to an ethical violation by the judge, not a criminal one
- “Standard practice”? A profound low // Haim Shine
- Investigation commission needed // Mati Tuchfeld
- Improper relationship, even before the text messages // Avraham Diskin
- “Thousands” of investigations, four understandings // Sharon Gal
- We are not surprised // Yossi Hadar
- Severe disrespect of the liberty of others // Yossi Beilin
- Daddy, why? - Horror: Ilan Gadsy kidnapped his son from the home of his ex-wife, murdered him and committed suicide on the train tracks
- Draft law being formulated: Secular students of Torah will also get an exemption
- See those in costume: Today the Purim holiday begins
News Summary:
A man murdered his toddler and then killed himself, pressure to resign was on (and a probe has been opened against) the judge who coordinated with an investigator the remand of detainees in Case 4000, but that didn’t free the prime suspects, confidants of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu - making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
At the remand hearing of Netanyahu’s confidants, Bezeq Telecom tycoon, Shaul Elovitch, and Netanyahu’s former media advisor, Nir Hefetz, the prosecution revealed that the men are suspected of colluding in a graft case in which Elovitch received over 1 billion shekels worth of benefits in exchange for giving the Netanyahu family positive coverage on the Walla news website he owns.
Police also suspect that Elovitch and Hefetz erased phone text messages linking the coverage that benefited Netanyahu to Bezeq's benefits, and that the two tried to coordinate versions. (Maariv) Elovitch complained in court about ‘repeated attempts to break my spirit.’ Haaretz wrote that the full text of the text message exchange put the issue “in a new light” in that it became clear that the judge and the Israel Securities Authority investigator were not planning to fool the lawyers of the suspects in court, but to deceive the police investigators whom they were meeting in advance of the court hearing. Meanwhile, ministers Arieh Deri and Yisrael Katz were recorded chuckling over Netanyahu's 'unbelievable luck' that the judge and investigator were acting improperly in the affair in which he will be questioned on Friday.
A man murdered his toddler and then killed himself, pressure to resign was on (and a probe has been opened against) the judge who coordinated with an investigator the remand of detainees in Case 4000, but that didn’t free the prime suspects, confidants of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu - making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
At the remand hearing of Netanyahu’s confidants, Bezeq Telecom tycoon, Shaul Elovitch, and Netanyahu’s former media advisor, Nir Hefetz, the prosecution revealed that the men are suspected of colluding in a graft case in which Elovitch received over 1 billion shekels worth of benefits in exchange for giving the Netanyahu family positive coverage on the Walla news website he owns.
Police also suspect that Elovitch and Hefetz erased phone text messages linking the coverage that benefited Netanyahu to Bezeq's benefits, and that the two tried to coordinate versions. (Maariv) Elovitch complained in court about ‘repeated attempts to break my spirit.’ Haaretz wrote that the full text of the text message exchange put the issue “in a new light” in that it became clear that the judge and the Israel Securities Authority investigator were not planning to fool the lawyers of the suspects in court, but to deceive the police investigators whom they were meeting in advance of the court hearing. Meanwhile, ministers Arieh Deri and Yisrael Katz were recorded chuckling over Netanyahu's 'unbelievable luck' that the judge and investigator were acting improperly in the affair in which he will be questioned on Friday.
Quick Hits:
- **Israeli army detains 10 members of family of soldier-slapping Ahed Tamimi, including teen cousin who was shot in the head - One of those detained was Mohammed Tamimi, the 15-year-old cousin of Ahed Tamimi, who was seriously wounded after soldiers shot him in the head with a rubber bullet in December, after which Ahed slapped two soldiers who entered her property, pushing them off. Residents of Nabi Saleh believe that the motive for the raid was vengeance on the village and the Tamimi family. (Haaretz and Maan)
- Soldier who shot Palestinian in Jericho: 'He ran towards me with metal rod' - Staff Sgt. A., the squad commander who shot dead Yassin Omar al-Saradih during clashes in Jericho, says the attacker was brandishing a metal rod over a meter in length; 'he resisted and tried to snatch the weapon from me,' he tells CID investigators. (Ynet)
- Teen whose family was murdered sues terrorists for $115 million - Tamar Fogel, whose parents and three siblings were massacred as they slept in their home in 2011, files lawsuit one month before statute of limitations expires. Suit includes PLO and Palestinian Authority, demands end to PA's policy of paying terrorists. (Israel Hayom)
- Israeli bulldozers level lands in northern Gaza - As the bulldozers razed and leveled lands over the town of Beit Lahiya, military drones flew overhead. (Maan)
- Bill seeks to exempt nonreligious Torah scholars from IDF service - Under amendment to draft law proposed by ultra-Orthodox parties, exemptions to military service on religious grounds would be expanded to include groups in addition to haredim. Yisrael Beytenu says it will fight bill, haredi parties aim to fast-track it. (Israel Hayom)
- Major church leaders opt to keep Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed indefinitely - Church leaders in the city, protesting tax payments and a bill to expropriate church properties, explain that they were forced to 'use what they have' to pressure the government. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Heartbreak for Christian Pilgrims at Shuttered Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem - Christians from as far away as the Philippines and Cameroon waited outside the church on Monday, hoping for a miraculous resolution to the dispute between three denominations and Israel. (Haaretz+)
- Right-wing Group to Build Israel's Longest Zip Line Over Jerusalem's Old City - Critics of the idea say it's a tourist trap that turns Jerusalem into 'a cheap amusement park with attractions like in Disneyland.’ (Haaretz)
- Three Israeli Arabs Charged With Allegedly Plotting Temple Mount Terror Attack - Members of the alleged cell, three residents of the city of Umm al-Fahm, are said to have considered several locations for the thwarted attack, with synagogues, churches and the Temple Mount all possible targets. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- 3 years for new immigrant who converted to Islam, sought to join ISIS - Belarussian immigrant, Valentine Mazlevski, who converted 17 years ago, sentenced to 3 years, 2 months in prison after he planned to head for Syria and join ISIS; Shin Bet prevented him from leaving country, before arresting him. (Ynet)
- 8 La Familia fans (of Beitar Jerusalem soccer team) given prison sentences over violent offenses - District Court hands down jail terms ranging between 22 to 48 months to supporters of Beitar Jerusalem for series of assaults on supporters of other soccer teams, including attack of Hapoel Tel Aviv fan with a hammer. (Ynet)
- Israeli Foreign Ministry director slams government’s clandestine anti-BDS arm - The clash at the Knesset Transparency Committee highlighted infighting between the foreign and strategic affairs ministries. (Haaretz+)
- Minister mulls Independence Day celebrations in New York - Gala reception at a luxury hotel in Times Square and a short clip to play on a digital megascreen in the square are reportedly being planned. Event expected to cost up to $5 million. Foreign Ministry questions value to Israel, blasts lavish spending. (Haaretz and Israel Hayom)
- EU, Arab League affirm Jerusalem must be joint capital - As the U.S. prepares to move its embassy to Jerusalem in a step angering the Arab world, EU, Arab League insists city must be the joint capital of Israel and a future Palestinian state. EU foreign policy chief: City's special status must be preserved. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)
- Even supporters of U.S. embassy move think Adelson paying for it is a bad idea - Many supporters of the embassy relocation don't think a private citizen should be funding the move; embassy 'should. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Religious Zionist rabbis support Netanyahu: "We must not talk badly about the prime minister" - Four rabbis published a new letter in which they express unreserved support for the prime minister, who is under investigation. "The Master of the Universe expects us to act in a straight manner, certainly on a great man who heads the nation.” (Maariv)
- There's been too much talk about the Holocaust law, Polish ambassador tells Israeli lawmakers - Polish delegation to meet Israeli team to examine the ramifications of the law, which outlaws attributing the Nazi crimes to the Polish nation. (Haaretz)
- Poland’s Chief Rabbi Implores Jewish Leaders Not to Boycott His Country Over Holocaust Law - 'Saying things like ‘Maybe we should pull out of Poland’ will have the opposite effect,' Rabbi Michael Schudrich warns as rift between Israel and Poland deepens. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli Government to Appeal Ruling Giving Eritrean Army Deserters Refugee Status - The interior and justice ministries believe that the ruling may force the state to reopen asylum requests by thousands of Eritreans, leaving the state unable to deport or imprison them. (Haaretz+)
- In rare move, U.S. Orthodox leaders visit Israel to lobby against Kotel, conversion deals - Delegation will meet with Israeli prime minister, president and Jerusalem mayor in two days of intensive lobbying against demands of non-Orthodox Jewish groups. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli Gardener Born on Christmas Day Finds 700-year-old Ring With Image of St. Nicholas - Artifact may date from after the Crusader period and could have been worn by a pilgrim hoping for the saint’s protection during a quest to the Holy Land. (Haaretz+)
- The Netanyahu Family’s Dog, Kaya, Dies at 13 - The mixed-breed canine spent two years living at the Prime Minister’s Residence and occasionally even made headlines. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli judoka wins bronze following Iranian's withdrawal - Tohar Butbul takes Israel's second bronze medal at Dusseldorf Grand Slam, after Iranian judoka Mohammad Brimanloo purposely gains weight to avoid Israeli opponent in under-73 kilogram category. (Ynet)
- Islamic Party's Secret Weapon in Tunisia Local Elections: A Jewish Candidate - In bid to attract liberal voters, Simon Salama will stand for the Ennahda party in municipal elections. Muslim party rejects criticism from religious circles. (Haaretz+)
Features:
Part 3: Former security prisoner: 'We were afraid Shalit would commit suicide'
In third part of special series of interviews, Palestinian terrorists released from Israeli prisons in 2013 talk about the Fatah-Hamas rivalry after the Gaza takeover, the internal politics that shaped the list of prisoners released in the Shalit deal, and their admiration for the families of kidnapped IDF soldiers. (Elior Levy, Yedioth/Ynet)
It was discovered by accident: the Jewish tribe Abayudaya in the remote village of Uganda
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin visited the community and even converted some of them. Now, with his partner Jonathan Segal, they are raising funds to establish a school that will help locals learn Torah and Hebrew. (Carmit Sapir Weitz, Maariv)
Commentary/Analysis:
For Bibi’s Crowd, Loyalty Beats Justice (Nehemia Shtrasler, Haaretz) While the left sanctifies universal values of justice and morality, the right places loyalty and comradeship at the pinnacle of its values, particularly to our mothers and fathers, and Netanyahu is the father of us all.
Judge's texting scandal reflects warped workings of legal system
(Avi Cohen, Israel Hayom) Many have decried the string of texts between the judge and an investigator in Case 4,000 as appalling, but those in the know were not surprised. The Israeli judiciary will bounce back from this controversy, hopefully without these texting habits.
Refuge for Land Thieves (Haaretz Editorial) A government is obligated to protect the rights of those subject to occupation. Ayelet Shaked is making it hard.
Everyone knows everyone: Put an end to the revolving legal door (Yehuda Sharoni, Maariv) The story of the text messages revealed in full force the issue in which yesterday's lawyer becomes a judge of tomorrow. The potential for conflicts of interest cries out to the sky. If nothing is done, there is a chance that it will happen again.
Extremist ultra-Orthodox sect left directionless by the death of its leader (Aaron Rabinowitz, Haaretz+) Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, the head of the so-called Jerusalem Faction, died unexpectedly on Saturday at the age of 86.
Israel’s entire legal system has been polluted (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) There is no law and no justice when a judge lets the state representative guide her on the number of days she should keep suspects in custody. If the public reaches the conclusion that it’s all fixed, we will no longer have a legal system, because without faith there is no law.
Thirteen Israeli Border Points Stoking Tensions With Lebanon (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) As Israel moves to reinforce border wall and Lebanon fights over its territorial waters, American mediation is making little headway - and Hezbollah isn't helping.
Iran Is Trying to Avoid a Clash but May Surprise Israel (Ephraim Kam, Haaretz) Tehran will find it hard to remain silent for long if Israel strikes Iranian targets; at some stage it might shock us with the timing, weapons or method.
Text messages won’t erase the evidence (Attila Somfalvi, Ynet) The mountains of documents, recordings and testimonies collected by police and ISA investigators in Case 4000 have nothing to do with the judge and attorney’s stupidity. Some politicians, however, are eager to destroy the entire legal system to rescue a few corrupt people from the hands of justice.
An Israeli Premier Hounded by Corruption Probes Spoke at AIPAC Before. It Didn't Get Him Very Far (Amir Tibon, Haaretz+) Hoping to avoid the fate of his predecessor, Olmert, Netanyahu sees the pro-Israel lobby's annual conference as the perfect place to escape his domestic woes.
Selective law enforcement and Netanyahu (Erez Tadmor, Israel Hayom) Selective investigations into Netanyahu by the police, who meanwhile ignore allegations into worse crimes allegedly committed by other senior politicians, is a threat to Israeli democracy itself.
The Morning After Netanyahu, Normalcy Will Reappear (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) Without doing anything exceptional, the next prime minister should enjoy a wave of support just because he isn’t Netanyahu.
By summer there will be a war here, Bibi will not give up easily (Ron Kaufman, Maariv) Case 4000 seems to have a lot of merchandise. Perhaps there will also be two or three state witnesses, because we are a state that is run and is conducted like a criminal organization. I also lost faith in the High Court. The loss will not be returned until the Chief Justice, Mrs. Esther Hayut, announces: I’m done- comma - thank you - period…By the summer there will be a war here, Bibi will not give up easily, he treats us like french fries.
Israel Is the World's Only Democracy With Religious Law So Instilled in Its Military (Monday Haaretz Editorial) Chief Military Rabbi Krim praised the avoidance of non-kosher pizza on base, but he has been slammed for comments on raping women during wartime and disparaging gay people.
Partners in a putsch: Those who revealed the text-messages wanted to tell their friends and miss the point (Attorney Yoram Sheftel, Maariv) Instead of immediately publishing the text messages, Channel 10 had to turn to one of the defense attorneys and expose them to him. Attorney General Mendelblit should have immediately ordered a criminal investigation, with an order to immediately confiscate the telephones.
The Handsome Jew Riding Through the West Bank (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Jewish colonialism is racing forward, self-confident, full of tools and tricks; its ability to repress and dispossess others knows no limits; and there is no responsible adult to say, 'enough, no more.'
The Palestinians' failed gamble (Zalman Shoval, Israel Hayom) The Palestinians assume that the U.S.'s diminishing Middle East presence and shaky ties with Europe have combined to create the optimal conditions for internationalizing the conflict with Israel.
Israel Is Creating More Millionaire West Bank Settlers (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Our brethren at Netiv Ha’avot, who are living in a totally illegal outpost – illegal under int’l law, even if ‘authorized’ – will each get a million shekels ($287,000).
The judiciary is imploding (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) The alleged collusion between a judge and an investigator in Case 4,000 against the prime minister proves how capricious and undemocratic the efforts to topple Netanyahu have become.
Give Due Process Its Due (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) Israelis are not known for their patience, but that is what's required now as we wait for the law enforcers to decide about Netanyahu.
Trump and Netanyahu: You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours (Orly Azoulay, Yedioth/Ynet) Looking more and more like conjoined twins, the American president and the Israeli prime minister will try to make the most of their meeting in Washington next week—each for his own political and personal purposes.
Bassam Made Me Fall in Love With Gaza. Now He's Gone (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Bassam al-Aqra showed me the Strip's magnetizing mixture of warmth, energy, simplicity, courage and humor.
In third part of special series of interviews, Palestinian terrorists released from Israeli prisons in 2013 talk about the Fatah-Hamas rivalry after the Gaza takeover, the internal politics that shaped the list of prisoners released in the Shalit deal, and their admiration for the families of kidnapped IDF soldiers. (Elior Levy, Yedioth/Ynet)
It was discovered by accident: the Jewish tribe Abayudaya in the remote village of Uganda
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin visited the community and even converted some of them. Now, with his partner Jonathan Segal, they are raising funds to establish a school that will help locals learn Torah and Hebrew. (Carmit Sapir Weitz, Maariv)
Commentary/Analysis:
For Bibi’s Crowd, Loyalty Beats Justice (Nehemia Shtrasler, Haaretz) While the left sanctifies universal values of justice and morality, the right places loyalty and comradeship at the pinnacle of its values, particularly to our mothers and fathers, and Netanyahu is the father of us all.
Judge's texting scandal reflects warped workings of legal system
(Avi Cohen, Israel Hayom) Many have decried the string of texts between the judge and an investigator in Case 4,000 as appalling, but those in the know were not surprised. The Israeli judiciary will bounce back from this controversy, hopefully without these texting habits.
Refuge for Land Thieves (Haaretz Editorial) A government is obligated to protect the rights of those subject to occupation. Ayelet Shaked is making it hard.
Everyone knows everyone: Put an end to the revolving legal door (Yehuda Sharoni, Maariv) The story of the text messages revealed in full force the issue in which yesterday's lawyer becomes a judge of tomorrow. The potential for conflicts of interest cries out to the sky. If nothing is done, there is a chance that it will happen again.
Extremist ultra-Orthodox sect left directionless by the death of its leader (Aaron Rabinowitz, Haaretz+) Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, the head of the so-called Jerusalem Faction, died unexpectedly on Saturday at the age of 86.
Israel’s entire legal system has been polluted (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) There is no law and no justice when a judge lets the state representative guide her on the number of days she should keep suspects in custody. If the public reaches the conclusion that it’s all fixed, we will no longer have a legal system, because without faith there is no law.
Thirteen Israeli Border Points Stoking Tensions With Lebanon (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) As Israel moves to reinforce border wall and Lebanon fights over its territorial waters, American mediation is making little headway - and Hezbollah isn't helping.
Iran Is Trying to Avoid a Clash but May Surprise Israel (Ephraim Kam, Haaretz) Tehran will find it hard to remain silent for long if Israel strikes Iranian targets; at some stage it might shock us with the timing, weapons or method.
Text messages won’t erase the evidence (Attila Somfalvi, Ynet) The mountains of documents, recordings and testimonies collected by police and ISA investigators in Case 4000 have nothing to do with the judge and attorney’s stupidity. Some politicians, however, are eager to destroy the entire legal system to rescue a few corrupt people from the hands of justice.
An Israeli Premier Hounded by Corruption Probes Spoke at AIPAC Before. It Didn't Get Him Very Far (Amir Tibon, Haaretz+) Hoping to avoid the fate of his predecessor, Olmert, Netanyahu sees the pro-Israel lobby's annual conference as the perfect place to escape his domestic woes.
Selective law enforcement and Netanyahu (Erez Tadmor, Israel Hayom) Selective investigations into Netanyahu by the police, who meanwhile ignore allegations into worse crimes allegedly committed by other senior politicians, is a threat to Israeli democracy itself.
The Morning After Netanyahu, Normalcy Will Reappear (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) Without doing anything exceptional, the next prime minister should enjoy a wave of support just because he isn’t Netanyahu.
By summer there will be a war here, Bibi will not give up easily (Ron Kaufman, Maariv) Case 4000 seems to have a lot of merchandise. Perhaps there will also be two or three state witnesses, because we are a state that is run and is conducted like a criminal organization. I also lost faith in the High Court. The loss will not be returned until the Chief Justice, Mrs. Esther Hayut, announces: I’m done- comma - thank you - period…By the summer there will be a war here, Bibi will not give up easily, he treats us like french fries.
Israel Is the World's Only Democracy With Religious Law So Instilled in Its Military (Monday Haaretz Editorial) Chief Military Rabbi Krim praised the avoidance of non-kosher pizza on base, but he has been slammed for comments on raping women during wartime and disparaging gay people.
Partners in a putsch: Those who revealed the text-messages wanted to tell their friends and miss the point (Attorney Yoram Sheftel, Maariv) Instead of immediately publishing the text messages, Channel 10 had to turn to one of the defense attorneys and expose them to him. Attorney General Mendelblit should have immediately ordered a criminal investigation, with an order to immediately confiscate the telephones.
The Handsome Jew Riding Through the West Bank (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Jewish colonialism is racing forward, self-confident, full of tools and tricks; its ability to repress and dispossess others knows no limits; and there is no responsible adult to say, 'enough, no more.'
The Palestinians' failed gamble (Zalman Shoval, Israel Hayom) The Palestinians assume that the U.S.'s diminishing Middle East presence and shaky ties with Europe have combined to create the optimal conditions for internationalizing the conflict with Israel.
Israel Is Creating More Millionaire West Bank Settlers (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Our brethren at Netiv Ha’avot, who are living in a totally illegal outpost – illegal under int’l law, even if ‘authorized’ – will each get a million shekels ($287,000).
The judiciary is imploding (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) The alleged collusion between a judge and an investigator in Case 4,000 against the prime minister proves how capricious and undemocratic the efforts to topple Netanyahu have become.
Give Due Process Its Due (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) Israelis are not known for their patience, but that is what's required now as we wait for the law enforcers to decide about Netanyahu.
Trump and Netanyahu: You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours (Orly Azoulay, Yedioth/Ynet) Looking more and more like conjoined twins, the American president and the Israeli prime minister will try to make the most of their meeting in Washington next week—each for his own political and personal purposes.
Bassam Made Me Fall in Love With Gaza. Now He's Gone (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Bassam al-Aqra showed me the Strip's magnetizing mixture of warmth, energy, simplicity, courage and humor.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.