APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Quote of the day:
"I started to teach American Jews what it means to love Israel. That you can be critical of the place
you live in, out of love."
—Former Channel 10 News Palestinian affairs correspondent, Shlomi Eldar, in an interview with Haaretz after the release of his new film, 'Foreign Land.'*
You Must Be Kidding:
Israel sentenced 17-year-old Palestinian girl, Ahed Tamimi, to eight months in prison for slapping an Israeli soldier who was on her property, and sentenced an unnamed 20-year-old Jewish man to 400 hours of community service for attacking with stones and injuring a 45-year-old Palestinian farmer who was on his way home from work on a donkey.**
Front Page:
—Former Channel 10 News Palestinian affairs correspondent, Shlomi Eldar, in an interview with Haaretz after the release of his new film, 'Foreign Land.'*
You Must Be Kidding:
Israel sentenced 17-year-old Palestinian girl, Ahed Tamimi, to eight months in prison for slapping an Israeli soldier who was on her property, and sentenced an unnamed 20-year-old Jewish man to 400 hours of community service for attacking with stones and injuring a 45-year-old Palestinian farmer who was on his way home from work on a donkey.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Attack on Syrian reactor: After publication, Military Intelligence and the Mossad exchange accusations
- The blackout collapsed // Amos Harel
- (Battle between Olmert and Barak plays into Netanyahu's hands) // Yossi Verter (Hebrew)
- Despite its pledge, state preparing to also deport elderly asylum seekers
- State announced to residents of Um al-Hiran that the village will be destroyed in April
- Plea bargain with Tamimi and her mother: They will serve 8-month sentence
- Passover activity for secular elementary school students: Chabad people explain how to bring Messiah sooner
- Elections for head of Meretz party today: Party expects decisive victory for Zandberg
- Soccer players filmed making sexual acts on a woman were interrogated
- 43 drug dealers arrested with the help of an undercover agent on a marijuana trading app
- Bennet’s stamp // LIor Dattel
- Government of the million // Yossi Klein
- Five stars: Moran Ifergen’s ’The Wall’ is much more than a documentary film
Yedioth Ahronoth
- After exposing the attack operation in Syria: Battles between the Intel bodies
- A little humility // Alex Fishman
- War of ego // Yossi Yehoshua
- The smoking gun // Ronen Bergman
- Zuckerberg: We made mistakes - Report: Israeli hackers also involved in affair of leaks of details of 50 million Facebook users
- (Musician) Klapter in serious condition
- Young woman from the (sex) video clip of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer star tells investigators: “It was all with consent”
- Tonight: Clocks move to summer time
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- The battles after the celebrations
- According to the book // Ben Caspit (Photo of former prime minister Ehud Olmert)
- The marginal has become the significant // Tal Lev-Ram (Photo of former Mossad chief, Tamir Pardo)
- Overdose // Doron Barush (Photo of former defense minister Ehud Barak)
- International media convinced: Timing of publication of operation is an Israeli message to Iran
- Fear in the security establishment ahead of Passover: Hamas will put into operation organized attacks by shooting cells
- Dispersing the fog - CEO of Orkal, Tzafra Katz to Maariv: “I was not offered the position of US National Security advisor”
- “It was all with consent” - Young woman filmed in sex video with soccer player Anthony Warren testified: “I knew I was being filmed”
Israel Hayom
- The battle over the credit; Israeli admission: Shock and silence in the Arab world
- In Iran, it will be harder and more dangerous // Yaakov Amidror
- The silence of the Arab world as an admission (of support) // Eyal Zisser
- Unnecessary publication: Shoot and don’t talk // Haim Shine
- The wars of the Jews: Unnecessary and harmful // Yoav Limor
- (Military) Censor owes us an explanation // Nachman Shai
- “Shahar, my love, our world is destroyed” - Hundreds at funeral of Shachar Strug, 20, who was killed by an accidentally discharged bullet
- Plea bargain: Ahed Tamimi, who hit soldiers, was sent to prison for 8 months
- The sex video affair: Beitar Jerusalem soccer team player was interrogated and released; The young woman testified: “It was all with consent”
- Tonight: Clocks move to summer time
News Summary:
A day after Israel’s big admission that it had blown up a secret Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007 came the fights: ex-defense minister Ehud Barak ripped into ex-prime minister Ehud Olmert for creating an ’apocalyptic atmosphere' ahead of Israel's strike and ex-Mossad chief Tamir Pardo ripped into Israeli military intel for its 'failure' to find the Syrian reactor sooner (which then-Israeli intel chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin rejected), making the present Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman wonder if he made a mistake by allowing the publication of the strike to begin with. (See Commentary/Analysis below for discussion of whether it was good or bad to admit to the strike and whether the arguments over who should get credit harm Israel or not.) Lieberman said, “The wave of mutual slanders is shameful - credit is not everything in life.” Former defense minister Shaul Mofaz called the arguments ‘irresponsible.’
The reactor was so secret that “Even the Syrian chief of staff did not know about its existence…We could count on one hand the number of people in Syria who knew about the reactor,” said then head of the Mossad's Operations Branch, Ram Ben-Barak. (Maariv) The US-based Institute for Science and International Security said that it is not possible to rule out that Syria has an underground nuclear facility, which Der Speigel reported it had.Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has not reacted to the Israeli announcement. But as Israeli analysts said earlier, a TV station identified with the Syrian regime said the disclosure was a message to Iran that Israel could act on its own against Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that Israel's policy remains preventing enemies from obtaining nuclear weapons, what seems to mean the Israeli analysts and Syrian TV station were right.
A day after Israel’s big admission that it had blown up a secret Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007 came the fights: ex-defense minister Ehud Barak ripped into ex-prime minister Ehud Olmert for creating an ’apocalyptic atmosphere' ahead of Israel's strike and ex-Mossad chief Tamir Pardo ripped into Israeli military intel for its 'failure' to find the Syrian reactor sooner (which then-Israeli intel chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin rejected), making the present Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman wonder if he made a mistake by allowing the publication of the strike to begin with. (See Commentary/Analysis below for discussion of whether it was good or bad to admit to the strike and whether the arguments over who should get credit harm Israel or not.) Lieberman said, “The wave of mutual slanders is shameful - credit is not everything in life.” Former defense minister Shaul Mofaz called the arguments ‘irresponsible.’
The reactor was so secret that “Even the Syrian chief of staff did not know about its existence…We could count on one hand the number of people in Syria who knew about the reactor,” said then head of the Mossad's Operations Branch, Ram Ben-Barak. (Maariv) The US-based Institute for Science and International Security said that it is not possible to rule out that Syria has an underground nuclear facility, which Der Speigel reported it had.Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has not reacted to the Israeli announcement. But as Israeli analysts said earlier, a TV station identified with the Syrian regime said the disclosure was a message to Iran that Israel could act on its own against Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that Israel's policy remains preventing enemies from obtaining nuclear weapons, what seems to mean the Israeli analysts and Syrian TV station were right.
Quick Hits:
- **Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi reaches plea bargain, to serve 8 months in Israeli prison - Tamimi's cousin, mother reach plea bargains as well. Mother to serve 8 months. Her lawyer says agreement is proof army wanted to 'settle scores.’ (Haaretz, Israel Hayom, Maan and Ynet)
- Woman present at the hearing of the case of the mother of Ahed Tamimi slapped the military prosecutor - An Israeli woman in her ’40’s sitting in the courtroom of the Samaria Military Court got up and slapped hard the attorney for the Judea and Samaria area, who remained in place stunned. Police detained her for questioning. (Maariv and Times of Israel)
- Israeli Sentenced to Public Service for Throwing Rocks and Injuring Palestinian - Attackers tried to take hold of donkey that 45-year-old Walaja resident was riding and when he objected, they threw a stone at him. He had a hard time breathing and then they threw two more stones at him. Judge Chana Miriam Lomp said she imposed light sentence because of the man’s personal circumstances and because he accepted responsibility for his actions and recognized his mistake. (Haaretz)
- Israel to evacuate long-disputed Bedouin village Umm al-Hiran in April - Authorities have been trying to reach an evacuation agreement with the residents of the unrecognized village in recent years to no avail; an Israeli policeman and a village resident died in altercations over the issue last year. (Haaretz+)
- A significant increase in warnings of “organized” attacks in Judea and Samaria - Most of the warnings are about armed squads, not lone wolves, that will fire and throw explosives at civilians and soldiers, with funding and direction by Hamas headquarters in Gaza. However, coordination with the PA continues. (Maariv)
- Despite Israel’s Pledge, Refugees Over 67 Also Face Expulsion - Asylum seekers are being told in the notices for a pre-deportation hearing that their age is not a criterion that can prevent their deportation. (Haaretz+)
- Defendant in Be'er Sheva lynch of Eritrean man was convicted - Prosecution to seek months in prison for David Moyal, the first defendant to be convicted on trial for brutal lynch in the central bus station of an Eritrean man who was mistaken for terrorist. (Ynet)
- Israel's Prison Service, told to give inmates more room, suggests tent cities and waiting lists - Some 3,200 prisoners are currently living under conditions that don't meet the requirements laid down months ago; 40 percent of them are Palestinian security prisoners. (Haaretz+)
- Historic flight to Israel over Saudi Arabia takes off from India today - Israel’s El Al airlines also hopes to be allowed to fly through Saudi airspace, and has been vying for such permission despite the lack of diplomatic relations with Riyadh. (Haaretz)
- Navigator who plotted reactor bombing perished in training accident - Major Emanuel Levy, who charted course for IAF jets that bombed Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007, died in training accident only 3 years later; 'Were he still alive, we'd celebrate with a beer in a Tel Aviv pub,' his brother says. (Ynet)
- Soldier who shot comrade to death says shooting accidental - Military Police opens probe into shooting that killed Staff Sgt. Shachar Strug, 20; Duvdevan soldier who shot him arrested, claims in questioning he did not know gun was loaded. (Ynet)
- 5.5 years prison for a soldier for rape and committing an indecent act against a female soldier who served with him - The military court convicted the soldier of raping another soldier in the unit when she hosted him at her home after he claimed he could not return home. In addition to the prison sentence, he was demoted to the rank of Private. (Maariv)
- President Rivlin visits bereaved families of terror victims - President visits homes of Adiel Kolman, Lt. Ziv Daus and Sgt. Netanel Kahalani, all of whom were murdered in terror attacks in past 7 days; 'Our children grow up and are tasked with our defense. When such a calamity befalls us, we look up to you,' president tells Daus's family, later asking Kolman's widow to 'lend me your strength.' (Ynet)
- Israel scrambles as Trump's plan to relocate U.S. embassy to Jerusalem stuck in red tape - Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon is promoting an emergency move that would bypass planning regulations enforced by law; hurdles posed by Israeli law and U.S. demands complicate plan. (Haaretz+)
- Palestinian leader's health scares spark succession talk - Palestinian sources say heart specialist present at Ramallah presidential compound whenever Abbas is there, while his regular physician visits daily; Abbas is said to be regularly complaining about strong stomach pains, but aides deny rumors he's suffering from cancer. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Religious Chabad movement teaching its brand of Passover to secular Israeli schoolchildren - While parents have complained that their kids are being indoctrinated in impromptu lessons held ahead of the holiday, the Education Ministry says it ‘trusts schools’ judgment’ in selecting workshops. (Haaretz+)
- Tamar Zandberg heavily favored as Israel's left-wing Meretz party begins primary - The 41-year-old is known for being less choosy about possible partners in a coalition government. (Haaretz+)
- Jerusalem mayor set to announce he is running in Likud primaries - Nir Barkat denied in November that he was planning to enter national politics, but he has been laying the groundwork to stand for a major executive role in the party • Official announcement expected after Jerusalem budget is passed on Thursday. (Israel Hayom)
- Terror victim's son to UN: You are complicit in my father's murder - Micah Lakin Avni, whose father Richard Lakin was killed in a 2015 Jerusalem attack, accuses Human Rights Council of "turning a blind eye" as PA uses U.N. funds to pay murderers • U.N.'s failure to report, condemn these crimes is "unconscionable," he says. (Israel Hayom)
- Israeli Hackers Reportedly Offered Trump-linked Firm Cambridge Analytica Private Info on Two Heads of State - Directors at the company instructed staff to use data provided by hackers, and in two cases in 2015 employees refused using such materials, the Guardian reports. (Haaretz)
- Ex-Mossad chief counts 30 hackers for his startup XM Cyber - Retired Mossad chief Tamir Pardo says he has assembled a team of more than 30 hackers from Israel’s security and intelligence services into a startup called XM Cyber that seeks to keep companies’ networks safe by imitating how real hackers work. (Haaretz+)
- Austria recalls embassy employee from Israel over Nazi T-shirt - Juergen-Michael Kleppich, a member of Austria's far-right Freedom Party, posted a photo of himself wearing the the shirt on Facebook. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- ADL slams chief rabbi of Israel for calling black people 'monkeys' - 'Racially charged comment made by Israeli Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, comparing people of color to 'monkeys,' is utterly unacceptable.’ (Haaretz and Ynet)
- Two Israeli firms probed over Africa bribery allegations - Three senior Israel Shipyards officials are suspected of bribing African officials to advance defense contracts worth tens of millions of dollars, police say. (Haaretz)
- James Packer, Australian billionaire embroiled in Netanyahu corruption case, steps down due to mental illness - Packer resigns from board of his casino; Packer named as witness in corruption case against Netanyahu, involving Israeli Hollywood producer Milchan. (Haaretz)
- Arab League aims to stop Israel from gaining Security Council seat - Israel is the only country in the Middle East that has never sat on Security Council. Arab League chief says summit in Riyadh April 15 will work to prevent Israel from gaining seat. Two-thirds majority in 193-nation General Assembly needed to win seat. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)
- Iran's supreme leader says Tehran has 'defused' regional threats - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei does not elaborate on the nature of the threats Iran claims to have thwarted • President Hassan Rouhani lauds Iranian soldiers, diplomats in the Middle East for establishing "stability and increase security for the region." (Israel Hayom)
Features:
How Julie Fisher Went From U.S. Ambassador’s Wife to Ambassador for Israel’s Embattled Asylum
Seekers
Fisher hopes her new Consortium For Israel and the Asylum Seekers will tackle the humanitarian crisis in the community, which is facing the threat of mass expulsion back to Africa. (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+)
WATCH: Five facts on Israel's planned deportation of asylum seekers – and two ways you can help
Sudanese refugee Mutasim Ali and Israeli lawyer Asaf Weitzen tell you everything you need to know. (Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
East Jerusalem Palestinians Are Presented With an Ultimatum by the Israeli Police: Risk Your Life or Go to Jail (Haaretz Editorial) The arrests and interrogation signify that the Jerusalem police expect Palestinian passers-by to understand what's happening before their eyes and act within seconds or else be brought to trial.
'Peaceful' Palestinian protests (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom) The Palestinians are busy planning mass processions toward Israel in an attempt to create a "third intifada" that copi es the murderous First Intifada, which they define as a success.
Were we Palestinians wrong to endorse a non-violent struggle? (Saeb Erekat, Haaretz+) Europe told us only after we Palestinians endorsed non-violence and the 1967 borders would they act on our behalf. We did. Now they refuse to act, because of pressure from a rogue state - America.
Why Assad won't retaliate and the message sent to Iran (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) When deciding to divulge responsibility for Syrian reactor's bombing, Israel took into account Assad's army being greatly weakened by the ongoing civil war and Moscow's unwillingness to back Damascus if it retaliated; timing of publication also meant to send Iran a message: drop your nuclear program, or else.
Israel's Shaky Ethos of Sacrifice (Tal Niv, Haaretz+) The choosing of Israel Prize winners says something about national cohesiveness. These awards should go to people from all walks of life: more women and definitely more non-Jewish citizens.
Olmert’s delusional conspiracy theory (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) The former prime minister is truly convinced that it wasn’t Palestinian President Abbas who thwarted his peace proposal, but rather his own political rivals. In an odd and puzzling campaign, he is refusing to hold the Palestinians accountable and pointing the finger at everyone else.
Don't frighten us with demographics (Yoram Ettinger, Israel Hayom) Dire predictions about the future of the Jewish population in Israel have been consistently proved wrong since the 19th century. In fact, the Jewish birth rate in Israel is rising while the Arab birth rate is dropping.
Plenty of credit to go around in Syrian reactor strike (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) The discussions, arguments and interests that led to one of the most successful military operations conducted by Israel in its 70 years of independence.
Israel is Great at Dealing With Threats It Can Bomb (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) It knows what to do with a nuclear reactor but doesn’t know what to do with the occupation, which threatens its future much more than any reactor.
The discovery of the reactor was a resounding intelligence failure? I wish we had more of them (Ben Caspit, Maariv) After the locating of the reactor, a brilliant, perhaps one-time chapter of a series of courageous, thorough, professional and secret actions was made. These were the beautiful days of an Israeli leadership that took responsibility.
Despite criticism, Israel wasn't wrong to break the silence surrounding the strike on the Syrian reactor (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) It’s doubtful the blackout would have withstood a High Court challenge for much longer, especially considering that many of the details on the 2007 attack had already been published abroad.
The brilliant achievement has become a mud-slinging battle - while ignoring the lessons (Tal Lev Ram, Maariv) There are many more questions that apparently were not fully investigated after the operation, at least not in a joint discussion that deepens the gaps between the various bodies, the entire security establishment and political establishment.
The Arab world silently celebrates (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) The few Arab media outlets that reacted to Israel's acknowledgment of its 2007 airstrike on a secret Syrian nuclear reactor were overjoyed to recall Assad's failure.
Is Cynthia Nixon good for the Jews? Depends which Jews (Jonathan S. Tobin, Haaretz+) In New York politics, being at odds with Israel, or sympathizing with the Palestinians, was traditionally a recipe for trouble. Orthodox Jewish voters aside, that’s just no longer true.
University for the Rich (Emilie Moatti, Haaretz+) As long as IDC was a college, it was possible to bear the hollow elitism of those who study there and those who run it. But now that it’s become a university, there’s no longer any need to pretend it’s about solidarity and equality.
Fisher hopes her new Consortium For Israel and the Asylum Seekers will tackle the humanitarian crisis in the community, which is facing the threat of mass expulsion back to Africa. (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+)
WATCH: Five facts on Israel's planned deportation of asylum seekers – and two ways you can help
Sudanese refugee Mutasim Ali and Israeli lawyer Asaf Weitzen tell you everything you need to know. (Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
East Jerusalem Palestinians Are Presented With an Ultimatum by the Israeli Police: Risk Your Life or Go to Jail (Haaretz Editorial) The arrests and interrogation signify that the Jerusalem police expect Palestinian passers-by to understand what's happening before their eyes and act within seconds or else be brought to trial.
'Peaceful' Palestinian protests (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom) The Palestinians are busy planning mass processions toward Israel in an attempt to create a "third intifada" that copi es the murderous First Intifada, which they define as a success.
Were we Palestinians wrong to endorse a non-violent struggle? (Saeb Erekat, Haaretz+) Europe told us only after we Palestinians endorsed non-violence and the 1967 borders would they act on our behalf. We did. Now they refuse to act, because of pressure from a rogue state - America.
Why Assad won't retaliate and the message sent to Iran (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) When deciding to divulge responsibility for Syrian reactor's bombing, Israel took into account Assad's army being greatly weakened by the ongoing civil war and Moscow's unwillingness to back Damascus if it retaliated; timing of publication also meant to send Iran a message: drop your nuclear program, or else.
Israel's Shaky Ethos of Sacrifice (Tal Niv, Haaretz+) The choosing of Israel Prize winners says something about national cohesiveness. These awards should go to people from all walks of life: more women and definitely more non-Jewish citizens.
Olmert’s delusional conspiracy theory (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) The former prime minister is truly convinced that it wasn’t Palestinian President Abbas who thwarted his peace proposal, but rather his own political rivals. In an odd and puzzling campaign, he is refusing to hold the Palestinians accountable and pointing the finger at everyone else.
Don't frighten us with demographics (Yoram Ettinger, Israel Hayom) Dire predictions about the future of the Jewish population in Israel have been consistently proved wrong since the 19th century. In fact, the Jewish birth rate in Israel is rising while the Arab birth rate is dropping.
Plenty of credit to go around in Syrian reactor strike (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) The discussions, arguments and interests that led to one of the most successful military operations conducted by Israel in its 70 years of independence.
Israel is Great at Dealing With Threats It Can Bomb (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) It knows what to do with a nuclear reactor but doesn’t know what to do with the occupation, which threatens its future much more than any reactor.
The discovery of the reactor was a resounding intelligence failure? I wish we had more of them (Ben Caspit, Maariv) After the locating of the reactor, a brilliant, perhaps one-time chapter of a series of courageous, thorough, professional and secret actions was made. These were the beautiful days of an Israeli leadership that took responsibility.
Despite criticism, Israel wasn't wrong to break the silence surrounding the strike on the Syrian reactor (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) It’s doubtful the blackout would have withstood a High Court challenge for much longer, especially considering that many of the details on the 2007 attack had already been published abroad.
The brilliant achievement has become a mud-slinging battle - while ignoring the lessons (Tal Lev Ram, Maariv) There are many more questions that apparently were not fully investigated after the operation, at least not in a joint discussion that deepens the gaps between the various bodies, the entire security establishment and political establishment.
The Arab world silently celebrates (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) The few Arab media outlets that reacted to Israel's acknowledgment of its 2007 airstrike on a secret Syrian nuclear reactor were overjoyed to recall Assad's failure.
Is Cynthia Nixon good for the Jews? Depends which Jews (Jonathan S. Tobin, Haaretz+) In New York politics, being at odds with Israel, or sympathizing with the Palestinians, was traditionally a recipe for trouble. Orthodox Jewish voters aside, that’s just no longer true.
University for the Rich (Emilie Moatti, Haaretz+) As long as IDC was a college, it was possible to bear the hollow elitism of those who study there and those who run it. But now that it’s become a university, there’s no longer any need to pretend it’s about solidarity and equality.
Interviews:
*'Israelis Didn't Want to See Palestinians as Human Beings': Why This Reporter Felt Rejected by Israel
Journalist and filmmaker Shlomi Eldar has no hope for Mideast peace and is pessimistic about Israel's future. So why is he coming back? (Interviewed by Shany Littman in Haaretz+)
*'Israelis Didn't Want to See Palestinians as Human Beings': Why This Reporter Felt Rejected by Israel
Journalist and filmmaker Shlomi Eldar has no hope for Mideast peace and is pessimistic about Israel's future. So why is he coming back? (Interviewed by Shany Littman in Haaretz+)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.