APN's daily news review from Israel

Wednesday March 28, 2018
 

Quote of the day:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

News Summary:
Three Palestinians from Gaza carrying hand grenades and knives were caught 20 kilometers inside Israel in what Israeli military analysts called a ‘major failure’ by the IDF, while the IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot gave interviews to the Hebrew newspapers and warned Gazans ahead of the mass march planned for Friday, ‘Land Day,’ and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu went to the hospital with a high fever and was released after tests - making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. What the papers failed to report was the revival of an ancient Jewish ritual of sacrifice, which was allowed for the first time at the foot of the Temple Mount, sparking anger among the Palestinians.

The Hebrew newspapers called the infiltration of three Palestinians armed with grenades and knives 20 kilometers inside of Israel a ‘serious failure’ of the security forces. That was obvious. But, with the usual exception of Haaretz (whose reporter Yaniv Kobovich wrote “the army is finding it difficult to determine whether they actually intended to carry out a terrorist attack,”) what the Hebrew media failed to question were the motives of the three young men, and instead labeled them as ‘terrorists,’ because the IDF did, due to the three hand grenades found on them. However, the ‘terrorists’ walked by the wide open entry gate of Kibbutz Tze’elim as shown in the kibbutz’s security video camera footage. The papers (not Haaretz) also wrote that the three “were on their way to the Tze’elim military base,” thereby suggesting that their motive was to attack it. But even IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis said the situation was unclear: “There are many unknown factors here. On the one hand, they infiltrated with ammunition, and on the other hand, there was no resistance…They didn’t pull out the weapons at any point...We know they passed close to (Jewish) communities and chose not to enter and attack, so we are still investigating their intentions in infiltrating into Israel,” said Manelis. Indeed, a look on the map shows they had to pass by a number of other Jewish communities, which form a ring around the Gaza Strip, in order to get to Tzeelim area. Manelis also noted that most of the Palestinians attempting to cross the border fence are coming to Israel to look for work. (Some of those have come with knives. — OH) The difference here is the three hand grenades.

Ahead of the Passover holiday starting Friday evening, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot gave separate interviews to the Hebrew newspapers in which he expressed the most concern about an escalation with the Palestinians, warning it was an explosive, sensitive situation” and said that the IDF would shoot anyone who harms Israel’s infrastructure. (Maariv)

That may have been a message to Gazans ahead of the Hamas-organized mass march to the border fence this coming Friday, which has the army very tense. Thousands of Palestinians of all ages are expected to participate and the army fears hundreds of protestors may try to reach the border fence and even break through it. [NOTE: Civil disobedience acts are the most challenging for the military. But the Hebrew media has not even noted that this march is an act of civll disobedience and has focused only on the IDF viewpoint. - OH] Haaretz+ reported that the IDF plans to keep Palestinians away from the fence, even at the expense of killing civilians. It reported that the army plans on using snipers and riot control methods that could include spraying rioters with “skunk” liquid and shooting tear gas at them from drones. The IDF has even posted a video in Arabic on its Facebook page, warning not to approach border fence during their planned 'Great March of Return' on Friday, and told them that Hamas is exploiting them for sinister schemes instead of solving their problems.

Inside Israel, Israel’s Police Chief Roni Alsheikh said there was no need to be concerned about Arab Israeli’s actions on Land Day, Friday. "We are coordinated with the Arab sector," he said. "I am unfamiliar with any unusual events in the past 15 years and I don't think anything exceptional will happen this year."

For the first time, religious right-wing activists were permitted to hold an ancient sacrifice ritual for Passover at the foot of the Temple Mount, JPost and Maariv online reported. The ceremony, (VIDEO) which included the slaughtering of a lamb and a demonstration of the work of the Kohanim, was attended by hundreds of right-wing religious activists and senior national-religious rabbis, including the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Rabbi Arieh Stern, Rabbi Dov Lior, Rabbi Uri Sharki, and MK Yehuda Glick. This was the closest to the Temple Mount that the Jerusalem District Court and the police have ever allowed the ritual to take place. According to Jewish law, it should take place on the Temple Mount and it is year by year getting closer. Last year it was held on the Mount of Olives. The ritual at the foot of the Temple Mount sparked the ire of the Palestinians, who plan to protest Friday saying the act violates the status quo and that it is another sign of the how the state is allowing religious right-wing Jews to encroach at the Temple Mount. Indeed, three Jewish teens were detained for posting flyers around the Old City calling for Muslims to evacuate the Temple Mount compound to accommodate the Jewish sacrifice ritual, JPost reported. The signs, prepared by the Returning to the Mount movement, requested in Arabic that Muslims evacuate but noted that, if they don't, Israelis will still make the sacrifice regardless. But, as reported, they have yet to get permission to make the ritual inside the compound.
 

Quick Hits:

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Features:
Israeli ministry sets sights on millions of 'potential Jews' to improve country’s image and fight BDS - Diaspora Ministry recommends 'strategic plan' for communities with 'affinity' to Judaism or Israel, some of which can be converted. Plan calls for introducing Jewish and Israeli studies, launching public diplomacy projects and even finding a framework for them to make Aliyah. (Noa Landau and Chaim Levinson, Haaretz+)
'Yoni Netanyahu’s mistake nearly led to disaster': U.K. historian sets the record straight on Operation Entebbe
The PM's slain brother was not a central figure in the operation, Saul David, on whose book the film '7 Days in Entebbe' was based, tells Haaretz. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
 

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