APN's daily news review from Israel

Monday December 17, 2018
 

Quote of the day:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

News Summary:
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu faced a threat from the right flank as nine of his ministers demonstrated against their government’s counter-terrorism policy in the West Bank, they approved a bill to expel Palestinians from their homes that the prime minister, the attorney general and the heads of the security services opposed and they approved another bill to legalize 66 settlement outposts. Meanwhile, the Israeli settler couple injured in the Palestinian shooting attack near Ofra settlement last week spoke to the press for the first time, saying that "During the three days our baby lived, he united us —secular, religious, ultra-Orthodox, right and left wing,” and an Israeli crime boss described in court his early experiences with violence, making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.

Also making news was the speech given by Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh yesterday and an irregular incident in which Israeli soldiers clashed with Israeli Border Police in order to release their settler friends. And in the meantime, IDF forces are continuing the manhunt in the Ramallah area for the Palestinians behind the two recent attacks. They found a rifle used in one of the attacks and they detained dozens more Hamas members in the West Bank over the weekend, as well as two armed Palestinians in Hebron.

*Government ministers from Habayit Hayehudi, Kulanu and even Likud joined a settler demonstration outside the Prime Minister's Office (or Residence - the papers couldn't agree), calling on Netanyahu to take harsher measures against Palestinians to prevent more attacks on Israeli settlers and soldiers. Later on the ministers met in a government cabinet meeting where they clashed with Netanyahu to approve a bill that would allow expelling from their homes to other places in the West Bank the families of West Bank Palestinians who committed or planned to commit attacks against Israelis. Habayit Hayehudi sponsored the bill arguing that it was a deterrent. Interestingly, some of the newspapers (Maariv and Israel Hayom) left out key details regarding the heated debate: that Shin Bet Chief Nadav Argaman and IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot were present and both argued against the bill saying it will not deter and will only inflame the West Bank. Haaretz reported that Argaman also expressed concern that if the bill becomes a law, it will harm the Shin Bet’s ability to use administrative detention (prison without charges) as a tool used in investigations, since courts will rule that administrative detention is unnecessary if expelling the family is an option. Argaman also reportedly said that “it’s a bill that cannot be implemented," explaining that "we are unable to go into Hebron and Nablus every day and see who lives where and whether the family has returned to their residence." Maariv’s courts reporter, Avishai Grinzaig, let his right-wing bend affect his reporting. He made no mention of the presence and opposition of the two security chiefs and only wrote that “During the cabinet discussion, there was a great disagreement between security officials whether or not the law would strengthen deterrence. Bennett demanded that the security forces adopt the position of security sources that the move would help Israeli deterrence.” The ‘position of security sources’ that he referred to was linked to a problematic article he wrote published yesterday, according to which, “Senior officials in the political system claimed that senior Shin Bet officials support expulsion of families of terrorists.” Grinzaig wrote that “Political sources familiar with the mood in the security organization told Maariv that it supports the move promoted by Habayit Hayehudi party.” According to Grinzaig’s source (sounds like a member of Habayit Hayehudi party): “Senior Shin Bet officials are very supportive of the law, and the organization's position is that the law will help deter potential terrorists.”

Israeli ministers also approved a bill that would retroactively legalize 66 West Bank outposts. Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit has said that the law could have international ramifications that would expose Israel to significant risks.

Speaking Sunday at a rally attended by tens of thousands of people to mark 31 years since Hamas’ formation, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh raised numerous issues that the Israeli media found interesting. The main issue was regarding the botched IDF operation in Gaza. Haniyeh said Hamas seized a ‘tech asset' that exposed IDF's methods. He also warned that IDF soldiers who enter Gaza will be caught or killed. He also spoke about high Palestinian support for Hamas and downplayed growing ties between Israel and Arab states, saying that the Arab Muslim nation despises the Jewish state. He said he was prepared to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at any time to advance the reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah. And he noted that Avigdor Lieberman, who wanted Hamas toppled, is no longer defense minister, but the Palestinian resistance continues to exist. (Haaretz+, Ynet, Ynet Hebrew and VIDEO, Israel Hayom and Maariv)

**Irregular incident: Ultra-Orthodox battalion soldiers suspended after clashing with border guards
Two soldiers from Netzah Yehuda Battalion had a scrap with cops while trying to free their settler friends, who were arrested for throwing rocks at Palestinian homes.
A clash broke out between Border Police officers and two IDF soldiers after the latter tried to release three settlers who had been detained for throwing stones at Palestinian houses on the outskirts of Ramallah. During Border Police activity on the outskirts of Ramallah, an illegal demonstration of 50 settlers took place, in which three suspects were detained for throwing stones at Palestinian homes. After they were detained, two IDF soldiers, who serve in the area, arrived to try to release the detainees. A confrontation broke out, during which the Border Police transferred the soldiers to be dealt with by their commanders. The soldiers involved in the incident were suspended until a joint investigation of the incident is completed by IDF and Border Police commanders. (Far-right-wing - OH) Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir called to investigate the Border Police officers who were involved in the incident and to prosecute them "for their conduct and intervention in the professionalism of the soldiers of the Netzach Yehuda (Battalion)….”Border Police officers often abuse their authority and deviate from their duties, but this incident is a crossing of a red line in the disgraceful behavior of the Border Police. If, until now, we thought that the Border Police officers were harassing the Jewish settlers, as they have done not once or twice, now, from last night, we are witnessing a new harassment: the harassment by Border Policemen of soldiers whose fellow soldiers were recently murdered, and whose only crime was assisting the heroic settlers who protested the murder.” (Maariv)

[Note: The Netzach Yehuda infantry battalion is made up of ultra-Orthodox soldiers and is part of the Kfir Brigade, which operates in the West Bank. Soldiers in the Netzah Yehuda battalion have been at the center of several controversies connected to helping right-wing extremists and abusing Palestinians. In several cases in 2015, battalion soldiers were convicted of abusing and electrocuting Palestinians and filming it. In 2016, an off-duty soldier was sentenced for pointing a loaded gun at an Arab civilian and another soldier from the battalion was convicted for taking part in what was called the “wedding of hate,” in which extremists celebrated the murder of a Palestinian toddler who was burned alive in Duma several months earlier. - OH]
 

Quick Hits:

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Features:

BDS Isn't anti-Semitic, Says Gideon Levy. Listen to Our Podcast, While It's Still Legal
Israel's most controversial journalist says that the government's hysterical response to the boycott movement proves that it isn't winning this 13-year war - and defends his most recent op-ed. (Haaretz)
'Hezbollah's Operation Barbarossa': How Army Chief Pushed Netanyahu to Go After the Tunnels
Discussions on how to respond split Israel's leadership, with PM Netanyahu equivocating about the timing and Chief of Staff Eisenkot advocating immediate action. (Yaniv Kubovich, Haaretz+)
After wave of attacks, settler hitchhiking spots become fortified oases
A popular way of getting about is now a top target for attacks, sowing fear in the hearts of Israelis in West Bank. The method is bold and effective: A car pulls up, a terrorist gets out, opens fire at short range, and flees. (Elisha Ben-Kimon, Yedioth/Ynet)
A Culinary Journey Along Turkey's Border With Syria
Good neighborly relations prevail in Turkey’s multicultural Antakya region, but there is less harmony when it comes to food. (Ronit Vered, Haaretz+)
Rehabilitation, reintegration of Palestinian child former detainees in West Bank
The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and Save the Children (SC) in the occupied Palestinian territory held the closing workshop for their project: “Rehabilitation and Reintegration within their families and communities of the Palestinian child ex-detainees in the West Bank including East Jerusalem” to discuss lessons learned and what more needs to be done for future responses for children ex-detainees. (Maan)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
Legalizing Outposts: Netanyahu's Ministers Try to Profit From Terror Attacks (Mordechai Kremnitzer, Haaretz+) All means are kosher for the end goal of entrenching Jewish hold of the West Bank.
I am the state and the state is me (Einav Schiff, Yedioth/Ynet) Netanyahu holds an impressive collection of ministerial posts, including foreign and defense, and seems unwilling to cede power to anyone who is a potential threat. It’s been three years, and it seems Netanyahu’s appetite for power knows no limits. He was forced to give up the ministry he held most dear—communications—and the one that’s likely to cost him the most, politically speaking. He also had to give up the finance and industry ministries. But that’s peanuts in comparison to the two highly prized portfolios he now holds—foreign and defense.
Stop Using 'Arab' as a Derogatory Term (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) In response to wealthy suspect Shaul Elovitch, who reportedly refers to Finance Minister Kahlon as ‘the Arab,’ I suggest he responds: ‘Yes, Mr. Elovitch, I am a proud Arab Jew.’
The settlement enterprise is crucial to Israel's security (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) Judea and Samaria's Jewish communities have absorbed several waves of terrorism, preventing them from crashing into central Israeli cities • Peace and security are national goals but they are also a means of resettling the Jewish people in their land.
Half-recognition means redividing the capital (Yaakov Ahimeir, Israel Hayom) Australia's recognition of "west Jerusalem" as Israel's capital is unilateralist and premature, and should have been withheld until the sides properly negotiate the matter.
Australia, a True Friend of Israel (Haaretz Editorial) The Australians recognize what is self-evident about West Jerusalem, but at the same time they also see as self-evident that East Jerusalem is slated to be the capital of Palestine.
Good intentions (Ariel Kahana, Israel Hayom) No sane person doubts the status of the western half of Jerusalem, but that took 70 years. Perhaps in 70 more years, Australia and the rest of the world will see east Jerusalem the same way.
This is corruption: the religious right-wing protects Netanyahu in order to impose his views on the state (Ran Adelist, Maariv) Religious activists and religious leaders claim that they themselves are not corrupt, but this is not true, and in order to achieve their goals, Israel is losing itself as a normative society.
The Leadership Gap Among Israeli Arabs (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) Two-thirds of Haifa’s Arabs rejected the communist-front party led by Raja Za’atry, and didn’t want him as deputy mayor.
This is hatred (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) Palestinians are taught from infancy not only to hate but to kill Jews and to support the "martyrs" who carry out the murders.
Hamas owes its 'Palestine from the river to the sea' slogan to Zionists (Seraj Assi, Haaretz+) Decades before the Hamas rallying cry of a 'free Palestine from the river to the sea' came the 'Greater Israel' imagined and demanded by the first Zionists – and by today's Israeli political right.
How far will the IDF go? (Maj. Gen. (ret.) Yaakov Amidror, Israel Hayom) Hezbollah was preparing what would have been a brutal blow to the Israeli homefront in a future clash. Thanks to intelligence work and careful planning, Israel has managed to clip Hezbollah's wings.
Turkey Not Only Jailing Writers, but Readers Too (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Austrian journalist imprisoned on charge of ‘supporting terror’ after supposedly incriminating books found in his Ankara apartment.

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