News Nosh: 11.5.18

APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday November 5, 2018

 
You Must Be Kidding: 
"(Yitzhak) Rabin's assassination has no historical influence."
—Statement made by Speaker of Knesset (Likud) MK Yuli Edelstein.*

Quote of the day:
“Not only did the violence influence, but it has completely changed the face of history, and it is fitting to internalize this as part of the required reform that we are all committed to.”
MK Itzik Shmuli (Zionist Camp) responded to Edelstein's above remark.*

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • 24 hours to the mid-term elections in the US: Yedioth correspondents report
  • America’s soul // Nahum Barnea in New Jersey
  • Highway 90 - 6 killed yesterday and 17 killed in two weeks: Wen will they deal with the highway of death?
  • Yedioth probe: The wild driving on Hwy 90
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
  • Highway of Death - 17 killed in two weeks on the longest road in the country (Photos with names of each of the Palestinians killed)
  • Immediate danger // Meir Uziel
  • Parting // Prof. Wafa Elias
  • (Police Commissioner) Alsheikh’s response - In special message to his subordinates, Police Commissioner spoke about the storm regarding the materials that were transferred to the Attorney General regarding the candidates for his position: The move was coordinated with Mendelblitt before the candidates were named
  • The measles panic
  • Iranian pressure - New Trump administration sanctions go into effect today
Israel Hayom
  • Campaign ‘Just not Trump’ - fuel for the Republicans // Boaz Bismuth in Portsmouth, Ohio
  • America chooses an identity: Tomorrow - mid-term elections in the US
  • Assassination in the heart of Tel-Aviv
  • The Lane of Death: 17 killed on Hwy 90 - in two weeks
  • Until Teheran folds: Today the sanctions on Iran are renewed
News Summary:
The death of another six people killed on Highway 90, the high energy and stakes ahead of US mid-term elections tomorrow and the pressure on Iran with new US sanctions starting today made top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers along with the measles outbreak in the country that infected two more high school students.

Interestingly, only Israel Hayom did not publish the photos of the six Palestinian men from E. Jerusalem, who were killed in the car accident on Israel’s longest road, Highway 90, at around 5:30 in the morning, while on their way to work in an Israeli factory in Beit Shaan, two-hours drive away. The right-wing paper did publish the photos of the 11 Israeli victims of the other two accidents that took place on that road over the last two weeks.
 
Quick Hits:
  • IDF shoots, critically injures and detains Palestinian along Gaza border - IDF said it shot the Palestinian, whose name and age were not released, late Saturday, after he allegedly crossed the security border fence with Israel along the borders of the besieged Gaza Strip. He was transferred to an Israeli hospital. (Maan)
  • Dozens of Israeli Teens From Gaza Border Communities to March to Jerusalem in Protest of Security Situation - Organizers say more than 150 high school pupils from are expected to participate in the five-day march. 'We are launching this protest so that people will see us.’ (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  • Report: Bennett supports entry of workers from Gaza - “Shoot terrorists, don’t strangle residents" - The cabinet discussed the issue of a (long-term) arrangement with Hamas and also dealt with the question of the entry of workers from the Gaza Strip into Israel, Channel 11 KAN News reported. Education Minister Naftali Bennett attacked Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman: "His steps create anger and frustration among the (Gazan) residents.” Israel denies that the issue of allowing Palestinian from Gaza to work in Israel will be part of the agreement and says the deal will only be about fuel and salaries. (Maariv)
  • Israeli Security Forces Raid PA Offices in West Bank Over Sale of Jerusalem Home to Jews; injure Palestinian staff - Israeli forces stormed headquarters of Palestinian Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and of Jerusalem Governorate in E. Jerusalem, fired tear-gas into the offices bombs, confiscated bags and computers and physically attacked the staff inside both buildings, some who went to hospital. No reason was given. Police have recently enforced a stricter policy against individuals in the Palestinian Authority who act to uncover Palestinians who sold properties to Jews. (Maan and Haaretz+VIDEO of beatings)
  • East Jerusalem resident acquitted of bomb plot suing for damages - Khalil Nimri files claim for NIS 80,000 for reimbursement of defense expenses and compensation for his unjust detention one year after being acquitted of planning a terror attack at a hotel in Eilat. (Ynet)
  • Jerusalem municipality inspectors caught on camera confiscating Palestinian female vendors' goods - The city called the video in which the inspectors can be seen chasing the women away a 'deceitful manipulation on the part of the vendors’. (Haaretz+VIDEO)
  • 1,500 Israeli Arab students stay home from school over bus cuts - Education Ministry claims schools are not far enough and therefore do not meet the criteria for financing transportation. (Haaretz+)
  • Israel issues imprisonment sentence against Palestinian cancer patient - On Sunday, Israeli Salem military court sentenced 22-year-old Ali Mahmoud Hanoun, who suffers from leukemia, to 13 months in prison and to pay a fine of 3000 shekels ($812). Hanoun has been detained since March. Israeli authorities claimed that medical tests performed on Hanoun during his detention showed he no longer suffers from the disease. (Maan)
  • Israeli Arab Ex-lawmaker, Imprisoned for Smuggling Phones to Inmates, Asks to Be Transferred Over Health Concerns - Basel Ghattas says that his current prison is overcrowded and the bathroom hard to use since it does not have toilet seats, forcing inmates to squat. (Haaretz+)
  • This morning, the trial of Israeli left-wing activist Ezra Nawi will begin - The extreme left-wing activist is accused of giving information to the Palestinian Preventive Security Services about Palestinians who sold land to Jews in the Hebron Hills area - after which the Palestinian Preventative Security killed some of them. Case was opened following investigation by [right-wing] organization, Ad Kan, three years ago. (Israel Hayom Hebrew)
  • Israel orders stop-construction of Palestinian homes near Bethlehem - Israeli forces delivered stop-construction orders on Sunday to four recently renovated Palestinian-owned houses in al-Khader village, under the pretext of being built without the difficult-to-obtain Israeli permit. (Maan)
  • Israel delivers stop-work order of Palestinian home in Beit Ummar - Locals said Israeli forces attempted to confiscate a truck full of building materials that was parked in front of Thaer Mahmoud Al al-Alami’s home-under-construction, however, Beit Ummar residents prevented the confiscation. (Maan)
  • Israeli forces force closure of shops, streets in Hebron City - Large numbers of Israeli forces deployed across Hebron City, sealed off streets, imposed restrictions, banned residents from movement and went on rooftops. Meanwhile, dozens of Israeli settlers raided Palestinian houses in Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron and showered (Palestinian) residents with rocks. (Maan)
  • Arabs voted more than Jews in 2018 municipal elections - According to data published by the Interior Ministry, the voter turnout among rich people in the municipal elections was lower than among poor people; voting rates in the periphery were higher than in the center of the country. (Ynet)
  • *Yitzhak Rabin's Assassination Had 'No Historical Influence,' Knesset Speaker Says - Yuli Edelstein criticizes speech by Meretz chairwoman Tamar Zandberg, who called the murder 'the best political assassination in history.’ (Haaretz+ and Maariv)
  • (Assassin's wife) Larissa Amir on the assassination: "Yigal saw this as a single chance to stop the Oslo agreement" - The wife of the prime minister's murderer continues her campaign to try to effect change in everything related to her husband's imprisonment, adding: "While he was shooting, he did not think these were blanks. There is no reason for him to sit in jail all his life,” she wrote in a Facebook post. (Maariv)
  • Rabin's sister, Rachel: "Yigal Amir succeeded" - Late Prime Minister's sister is disappointed by the current situation and when asked what needs to be changed she said: “We have to change the education, you can be divided in your opinion, but you do not have to attack and curse, it's all about education.” Rachel said the assassination ended the peace process: "I think that Yigal Amir succeeded, he interrupted the process, and no one else was found who could pick up the stick and take it forward.” She opposed the booing of Minister Tzachi Hanegbi during his speech at the Rabin memorial rally. And she recalls: "We saw the rally on television, and I said to my husband, 'Look how happy (Rabin) is...(Later) We heard he died on the radio,” she told KAN BET. (Maariv)
  • Nazareth Illit seeking to change its name - Mayor Ronen Plot says residents are tired of the 62-year-long confusion between the biggest Jewish city in Galilee and the neighboring Arab town of Nazareth—where, according to Christian belief, Jesus Christ had lived. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Israel to Halt Advance of Bill Meant to Override Court Rulings on Asylum Seekers - Coalition sources say that ministers will instead promote a broader override bill that has little chance of being passed. (Haaretz+)
  • Ministers back changing coalition laws to counter 'putsch' attempts - Amendment would force president to choose head of party with the most votes to assemble coalition after an election, rather than being able to choose anyone as at present. Move follows claims that former minister Gideon Sa'ar tried to exploit loophole. (Israel Hayom)
  • Knesset Closes for Visitors to Film a Reality Show for Which It Is Paying – With Murky Legality - As part of a promotional content deal with Reshet 13 for which the Israeli parliament will pay $460,000, it would be able to insert messages into the program, although it is illegal to include promotional content in broadcast. (Haaretz+)
  • Battered Women in Israel Denied Critical Aid Due to Bureaucratic Delays - ‘Social Affairs Ministry is abandoning battered women,” says former MK Zehava Galon, co-sponsor of law whose deadline for implementation passed eight months ago. (Haaretz+)
  • Israeli Gas Exports to Egypt Hit Snag Over Capacity of Pipeline - Gas must first run through domestic network, which can’t carry enough gas to meet contractual requirements. (Haaretz)
  • Jordan says Israel wants to discuss border land deals - Israel has officially requested talks on Jordan's decision to end 25-year deal giving Israel access to two border areas under Jordanian sovereignty, says government spokeswoman • Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi: Jordan had been waiting for Israeli request. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)
  • Friends of the IDF raise record $60M for Israeli soldiers at LA gala - "I love the soldiers and the Israelis and the FIDF. My granddaughter is set to enlist soon and she will be a lone soldier and I'm very proud of her," says Dr. Miriam Adelson, whose $10 million donation, with her husband, Sheldon, is matched Haim Saban. (Israel Hayom)
  • Israel to host forum of leading digital nations for first time - Conference will be held in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on November 19-21 • Participating countries to present their visions for a digital future • Conference host Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel: "Our uniqueness is that we leave nobody behind." (Israel Hayom)
  • GOP Candidate: No Peace in Israel Until Jews Convert to Christianity - Mike Harris, a former Baptist pastor running as a Republican congressional candidate in North Carolina said in a sermon that every tongue in Jerusalem 'shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.’ (Haaretz)
  • Midterms in Hamptons: Where Both Sides Love Israel and Being Jewish Doesn't Matter - Republican incumbent Lee Zeldin and Democratic challenger Perry Gershon are engaged in a typically divisive race for the 1st Congressional District. ‘The fact both candidates are Jewish doesn’t help the situation,’ says a local rabbi. (Haaretz+)
  • 20 Years After Matthew Shepard, Jared Polis Set to Make History in Colorado - The state’s strong economy has pulled in young people and minorities from places like California and Texas, putting (Jewish - OH) LGBT gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis ahead in the polls. (Haaretz+)
  • Iranians chant 'Death to America' over fresh US sanctions - Thousands rally in Tehran, burn American, Israeli flags and photos of President Donald Trump. Struggling to cope, Iranians fear more misery from reimposed U.S. sanctions on oil, banking sectors. Iran will defeat U.S.'s psychological war, general vows. (Agencies, Israel Hayom and Haaretz)
  • Iran begins production on locally manufactured fighter jet - Some military experts believe the Iranian-designed Kowsar fighter jet is a carbon copy of the F-5, first built in the United States in the 1960s. Iran's air force believed to have no more than a few dozen aging jets, acquired before the 1979 revolution. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)
  • Bahrain Court Sentences Three Opposition Members to Life Behind Bars on Charges of Spying for Qatar - The three opposition members claim that the court, which overturned a previous ruling of acquittal, is targeting them over their political views. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Saudi-backed Forces Advance Towards Yemen's Hodeidah as UN Warns of Famine - Fighting was focused around the airport, which the coalition failed to seize in a previous offensive, and also at the eastern entrance to the city and near a university that lies 4 km south of the port. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Report: Adolf Eichmann's sons established a Nazi cell in Argentina - British website MailOnline reports that after Eichmann's execution in Israel, sons Horst and Klaus were so angry, they formed a Nazi terror cell that attacked Jewish businesses • Eichmann's youngest son, Ricardo, reportedly rejected their father's legacy. (Israel Hayom)


Features:
Who is Moshe Edri, Israel's next police commissioner?
Moshe 'Chico' Edri served 28 years in the police, during which he commanded over the Traffic Police and the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv districts; his close work with Minister Erdan at the Public Security Ministry after his retirement from the force gave him the edge over his competitors; but the LGBT community is against the appointment, holding his responsible for the murder of Shira Banki at the 2015 Jerusalem Pride Parade. (Ynet)
Israel's next police chief has checkered background
As Jerusalem's police chief, Moshe Edri was blamed for the Shira Banki murder at the gay pride parade. Edri is also 'one of ours,' according to an adviser to Yisrael Beitenu, Lieberman's party. Edri, 51, is a graduate of the Pirhei Aharon yeshiva high school in Haifa and lives with his family in the Kfar Oranim settlement. He’s a fitness, cooking and extreme sports enthusiast. (Josh Breiner, Haaretz+)
A one-man mission to save Sephardic spiritual treasures
Rabbi and Professor Moshe Amar rummages through ancient basements in Morocco in order to save ancient Jewish manuscripts and inscriptions; 'the interest in folklore has pushed out religious texts and the academia has shut it out.' (Tali Farkash, Ynet)
Letters to the Editor: Canceling My Visit to Israel (Haaretz)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
Rabin Memorial Rally Organizers Don’t Understand They're Living in a Divided Country (Ravit Hecht, Haaretz+) There was a disconnect between the sentiments of the crowd and the memorial's content, and the effort to portray a mood of reconciliation between left and right was indecent and pathetic
The Right’s Denial of Responsibility (Haaretz Editorial) The right’s attempt to depoliticize Rabin’s murder is another stage in the ideological struggle between right and left.
A Shameful Saturday Night in the Square (Meirav Arlosoroff, Haaretz+) The answer to incitement and intolerance of the right cannot be mutual intolerance by the left.
Yuval Harari's new book assumes that Israel is a fascist state (Meir Uziel, Maariv) One of the worst parts in the book is the obvious assumption in the eyes of Yuval Nahar Harari that Israel is a fascist state: "When the Germans looked in the fascist mirror in the 1930s, they saw Germany as the most beautiful thing in the world. And if Russians today look in the Fascist mirror, they will see Russia as the most beautiful thing in the world. And if Israelis look in the Fascist mirror, they will see Israel as the most beautiful thing in the world " (p. 289). The conclusion of the book is that the answer is Vipassana. For health. However, I wonder to what conclusion the book will lead one of its many readers in the world who, instead of keeping silent in Vipassana, will be registered in a branch of an anti-Israel movement at his university or in his city.
Gazans Are Bending Israel and Hamas to Their Will – All the Way Toward a Deal (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Gazas's residents have become a strategic force that managed to cultivate a political relationship between Israel and Hamas, even forging an unofficial security coordination. Now, both sides can't keep ignoring them.
Villain in a bottle: Rabin assassination conspiracy theories (Amnon Abramovich, Yedioth/Ynet) A few days after Rabin's murder, conspiracy theories started springing up around us like mushrooms after the rain; some even claimed that Shimon Peres initiated the assassination; indeed, conspiracy theories make life more interesting, but at the end of the day, Rabin was murdered by a sole far-right, religious extremist; For the purpose of union and peace, we should all make an effort to tolerate the other and stand together against Rabin's murder—not for his legacy.
Jewish Tree Terror Settlers keep attacking Palestinian farmers' produce, and Israeli authorities don't care (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Israelis coming from a nearby northern West Bank outpost damage trees, steal olives and throw stones, yet the Palestinian villagers say involving the police is a waste of time.
Israel cannot afford a purist policy on Brazil (Yaakov Ahimeir, Israel Hayom) Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro has said some rude and radical things but is also a staunch supporter of Israel. That presents a dilemma for the Jewish state.
Thanks to Trump, the Entire Mideast Now Knows: You're Either With America, or Against Us (Elliott Abrams, Haaretz+) Trump’s policy has been grounded in realism, in reasserting that the U.S. knows who its friends are - and who are not: A simple, old-fashioned, yet absolutely indispensable stance for a world power.
US midterms a referendum on Trump's presidency (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) American voters are usually apathetic but President Donald Trump's campaigning on behalf of Republican candidates has injected new energy into the midterm elections. Whatever the result, Trump will leverage it to his advantage in 2020.
The Only One Who Dared Stand Up to Trump (Chaim Levinson, Haaretz) The great Trump is sitting in Washington exploding because little Abu Mazen doesn’t give a damn.
Anti-Semitism and the fragmentation of society (Amnon Lord, Israel Hayom) Why is that when Jews are shot in Pittsburgh, every left-wing pundit has to blame U.S. President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's Education Minister Naftali Bennett?
Israel-lovers Bail Out Saudi Crown Prince as Netanyahu's Next Stop on Gulf Tour Emerges (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) After charming the Omani sultan, stepping up for Saudi's crown prince after the Khashoggi murder and getting closer to Qatar over Gaza, Bahrain seems like the next natural step for the Israeli premier.
Pushing Iran to its breaking point (Prof. Abraham Ben-Zvi, Israel Hayom) Iran is no longer expected to retaliate harshly to the new economic sanctions, giving U.S. President Donald Trump another win for deterring a perilous collision with the American superpower.
The rise of the global far-right could energize the anti-occupation movement (Eli Bitan, +972mag) The warm relations between Israel and a new crop of anti-democratic leaders are tragic, but they also expose the true nature of Israel’s relationship to the Palestinians.

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