News Nosh 3.3.19

APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday March 3, 2019
 
Quote of the day:
"Dear bleeding hearts,
You are left-wingers and you have a sense of self-deprecating humor – in other words, you’re almost perfect. So how is it possible that you spent whole days pondering whether it’s appropriate to take part in a despicable act?"
--Haaretz's ethical adviser, Yoana Gonen, responds to letter by family whose moral dilemma is whether to help a friend move into a new West Bank settlement house, whose construction was halted by the High Court of Justice.*

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • The claims and the facts (on the indictments against Netanyahu)
  • The obsession // Sever Plocker
  • Four his sake, for our sake // Ben-Dror Yemini
  • Why now // Shlomo Pyotrakovsky
  • Expensive children - How much does it cost to raise children here?
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
Israel Hayom
  • Prime Minister: We will take apart the claims in the hearing
  • The challenge: To preserve the (right-wing) bloc // Yehuda Shlezinger
  • After (Attorney General) Mendelblitt’s (announcement) - Likud campaign goes into higher gear: “We’re in war”
  • Desecration of a memorial in France: “Shocking sign for everyone”
  • Police knocked on the door: “There is a kidney for you for transplant”
  • “Parting from you with a bow” - Oded Teumi, one of the great actors of Israeli theater, passed away
  • Danger of cancer in the Chief of Staff’s town
  • “You failed again”: Mother of one of the youth killed at Tzafit River answers the head of the pre-military academy
  • “I went out in order to murder Jews because of the occupation”: New details from the interrogation of the murderer of Ori Ansbacher
  • They are continuing to provoke: Thousands prayed in the new mosque at the Gate of Mercy (Bab al-Rahma on the Temple Mount)
  • I read the Attorney General’s document and my esteem for Netanyahu grew // Hadar Lifshitz

Elections 2019 News:
In the aftermath of Attorney General Avichai Mendelblitt's announcement to indict Netanyahu on bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three cases, pending a hearing, Yedioth focused on the 'holes' in Netanyahu's defense (Ynet here focuses on Case 1000),  Israel Hayom wrote that Likud said it was 'going to war,' with a strategy to label the Kahol-Lavan party as 'left-wing' and the Attorney General as 'unable to withstand media pressure,' Maariv focused on Netanyahu's recruitment of Likud ministers to "charge TV studios" to defend him, and in the streets of Tel-Aviv hundreds protested for and against him. Haaretz's top story was the analysis by jurist Mordechai Kremnitzer that the dropping of charges of bribery in Cases 1000 and 2000 was wrong and it will weaken the prosecutor’s case against Netanyahu (which Maariv reported was exactly what Netanyahu's lawyers thought and they were very satisfied. “Without even starting to lay out our arguments, 2/3 of the bribery clauses were dropped,“ they told Maariv. They also claimed that the removal of the bribe suspicion from Case 2000 will help them further reduce the bribe article from Case 4000.)

Also in election news, all the coalition parties said they would continue to serve in the Netanyahu government despite the announcement, but Kulanu party said it would wait till the results of the hearing to make any further decisions. Polls show that Kahol-Lavan can form a majority coalition with center, center-left and Arab parties and Netanyahu might not be able to. According to a poll conducted by Kan public broadcaster, the center-left bloc has 61 seats, as opposed to the right's 59. A Channel 13 News poll found that Kahol-Lavan would get 36 seats to the Likud’s 30. Israel Hayom-i24NEWS poll predicted that Kahol-Lavan party would get 38 seats to the Likud’s 29.

Election Quickees:
  • "David Sharan, former head of Netanyahu's bureau, testified against him in the case in Case 4000" - The former Prime Minister's Office chief testified that the prime minister had instructed him to promote the Bezeq-Yes deal and to help (Bezeq main shareholder) Shaul Elovitch, according to the Channel 13 News. Netanyahu recently supported him in the Likud primaries. (Maariv and Times of Israel)
  • Charges Against Netanyahu Reveal: Tycoon Ended Cabinet Minister's Term - Gilad Erdan wanted to remain communications minister to see reforms through that would have broken Bezeq's monopoly, but Netanyahu refused. (Haaretz+)
  • Cases against Sara Netanyahu and Milchan closed, newspaper publisher to be charged with bribery - Along with his decision to indict Benjamin Netanyahu, pending a hearing, the attorney general announces decisions on other suspects. (Haaretz+)
  • Religious Jews Condemn Netanyahu's Far-right Pact in Jerusalem Protest - Some 300 protesters vowed to 'not give fascism a pass' after religious right-wing parties join forces with Kahanist party under PM's auspices. (Haaretz+)
  • 'Antithesis to American Values': Pro-Israel Democratic Senators Slam Netanyahu's Deal With Kahanists - Robert Menendez and Ben Cardin, who are considered close to AIPAC and were two of only four Democrats to vote against the Iran nuclear deal, join wave of protest over far-right alignment. (Haaretz+)
  • Netanyahu Is Israel's Nixon, Says Conservative New York Times Columnist - Bret Stephens, who lived in Israel and advocated the prime minister's efforts against the Iran nuclear deal, calls Netanyahu 'Politically gifted, in many ways strategically canny, but also a fatally flawed human being.’ (Haaretz+)
  •  'Corruption threatens democracy': Elizabeth Warren slams Netanyahu after indictment decision - Presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren says allegations against Netanyahu 'cut to the heart of a functioning democracy.’ (Haaretz+)
  • ‘Daily Show’ host Trevor Noah mocks Netanyahu for taking ‘trashy bribes’ - Noah says Israeli prime minister was thinking too small after receiving champagne, cigars and Mariah Carey tickets: ‘I’m all for corruption — but you have to have standards!’ (Haaretz)
  • Hayamin Hehadash calls to annex part of West Bank, grant citizenship to Palestinian residents - Meanwhile, Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked fail to release agenda on religion and state affairs in party platform. (Haaretz+)
  • Labor's No. 2 calls Gaza disengagement 'genius move - Former GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. (res.) Tal Russo says if Israel had not evacuated its Gaza Strip settlements, there would have been "major terrorist attacks and a lot more wounded" • Russo: "Noise" over arson terrorism incentivizes the enemy. (Israel Hayom)
  • Explained - Netanyahu indictment: What are the charges and what happens next (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
 
Other Quick Hits:
  • IDF attacks in Gaza after explosive device lands in Israel - IDF attacks Hamas outpost after incendiary device tied to balloons falls in Israeli community without causing damage • Some 8,000 protesters clash with troops in weekly demonstrations along Gaza border fence, Hamas report 11 hurt. (Haaretz and Israel Hayom)
  • Paramedics, journalist among injuries during weekly Gaza protest - At least 17 Palestinians were injured by Israeli forces, on Friday afternoon, during weekly protests in the besieged Gaza Strip. (Maan)
  • Israeli forces detain Palestinians near Gaza fence - Israeli forces detained unarmed Palestinians near the security fence and took them to an unknown location for interrogation. (Maan)
  • Jerusalem Rejects Procedure Allowing Palestinian Construction in East Jerusalem - A committee turned down 20 residential building permits, ruling out almost any future Palestinian construction in the city's east. (Haaretz+)
  • Israeli right-wing extremist joined terror group as minor, judge rules - Defendant is accused of several attacks targeting Arabs, including an assault on a Palestinian house in the West Bank while the family was inside. (Haaretz+)
  • Israeli forces open fire towards Palestinian lands in Gaza - Israeli forces opened fire from watch towers towards Palestinian agricultural lands in eastern Rafah and Khan Younis cities in the southern besieged Gaza Strip, on Saturday morning. (Maan)
  • E. Jerusalem playground collapses due to Israeli excavations - The collapse was reportedly mainly due to the continuous Israeli archaeological excavations in that area of Silwan neighborhood, building tunnels leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound from its western side. (Maan)
  • Palestinian forced to demolish own home in Jerusalem - Hussam Al-Abbasi said that he was forced to demolish his own home, on the third floor of apartment in a housing building, after the Jerusalem Municipality ordered him to do so or pay for demolition costs because he did not have the rarely-received building permit. (Maan)
  • Ashrawi: 'Israel’s administrative detention an assault on human rights' - Commenting on Israel’s release Thursday of Palestinian lawmaker and prominent human rights defender Khalida Jarrar after spending 20 months in administrative detention, Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Member, said Israel’s administrative detention policy is “an assault on universal human rights.” (Maan)
  • Israeli settlers assault, injure Palestinian in Jerusalem - A group of Israeli settlers attacked Amin Natsheh, a Palestinian from occupied East Jerusalem, Friday night, while near his workplace in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of the city. He was hospitalized. (Maan)
  • Israel trying to deport stateless Palestinian journalist from Jerusalem - Mustafa al-Haruf has spent the last 20 years living in East Jerusalem, where he has a wife, daughter, and works as a photographer. Now Israel wants to deport him to Jordan, where he has no family or legal status. (+972mag)
  • Israeli conscientious objector sentenced to 30 days in prison - After 18 months of service in the Israeli army, Roman Levin told his commanders that he was no longer willing to participate in the oppression of the Palestinian people. ‘When I visited Ukraine, I encountered disrespect toward Jews. This is how my empathy for the Palestinian people developed.’ (+972mag)
  • Building NextGen bridges: Young Israelis and Palestinians talk peace - VIDEO: Some 150 university and high school students from both sides meet in Haifa to hash out trust building measures and practical solutions to the decades-long conflict. (Ynet)
  • Sheldon Adelson Being Treated for Cancer; Condition Described as 'Dire' - The Republican mega donor is being treated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and hasn't been at his company's Las Vegas office since Christmas. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Ilhan Omar: Influential Americans 'Push for Allegiance to Foreign Country' - Minnesota Democrat says 'everything' she and fellow Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib say about Israel is labeled anti-Semitic 'because we are Muslim.’ (Haaretz and Israel Hayom)
  • PM with Liberian president: 'Israel returning to Africa in a big way' - PM Netanyahu meets with former soccer star and Liberian President George Weah in Jerusalem Friday as Israel expands Africa outreach. "From a great athlete you've become a great leader." (Israel Hayom)
  • Israel's first polygamy conviction ends without prison time - Court rejects prosecutors' demand, sentencing Bedouin man who married two women to 400 hours of community service. (Haaretz+)
  • State Recognizes Some Darfuris Qualify as Refugees but Does Not Act - Despite the acknowledgment, no asylum seeker has yet received an answer about eligibility for refugee status; court postpones asylum request hearing due to elections. (Haaretz)
  • Eritrean deemed 'not desperate' enough for homeless residence offered bed in mental hospital - This despite Social Services Ministry’s allocation of 40 million shekels to provide housing designed for asylum seekers who are in life-threatening distress. (Haaretz+)
  • High Court Strikes Down Petition to Increase Disability Benefits to Elderly - Justices tell petitioners 'it would be advisable to persist in conducting the struggle within the public sector,' as they do not possess power to support them on the judicial-institutional realm. (Haaretz+)
  • 'My Rights, Our Power' women's rights campaign launches in Palestine - On the occasion of the International Women’s Day (8 March), a week-long joint campaign “My Rights, Our Power” was launched, on Friday, in Palestine to raise awareness on women’s fundamental human rights. (Maan)
  • Czech FM reaffirms commitment to UN resolutions on Jerusalem - Czech Republic’s Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek affirmed his country’s commitment to the United Nations’ resolutions on Jerusalem, overriding an earlier statement by the President of Czech Republic Milos Zeman, who vowed to move the country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. (Maan)
  • Vandals Deface Monument to French Synagogue Destroyed by Nazis - Strasbourg mayor describes act as clearly anti-Semitic. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Drones Rescue Last Physical Proof of Jewish Life in European Towns - In Ukraine, drones are helping to locate Jewish cemeteries; in Poland, a barcode will be linked to every graveyard. New tools are saving valuable historical information from oblivion. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  • Minnesota Republican Party Branch Shares Facebook Post Comparing Bernie Sanders to Hitler - The Facebook post featured side-by-side images of the two and drew parallels between their respective platforms. (JTA, Haaretz)
  • Sudan intel chief denies meeting Mossad head to talk about supplanting nation’s leader: “A campaign of ongoing rumors" - Following the report that the head of the Israeli Mossad, Yossi Cohen, met with his Sudanese counterpart at the Munich Security Conference, the intelligence agency issued an unusual announcement: "We will not maintain diplomatic relations with the robbing and occupying entity." (Maariv and Times of Israel)
  • Yazidis Reunite With Family in Iraq After 5 Years of ISIS Captivity - The women and children are among thousands of civilians who emerged in the past few days from the last speck of territory held by Islamic State. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Ten ISIS Militants Executed by Rival Jihadists in Northern Syria - Executions were in response to an Islamic State suicide bomb attack at a restaurant in Idlib a day earlier, according to media outlet associated with Tahrir al-Sham. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Trump, contradicting allied general: All ISIS territory retaken - Addressing U.S. troops on progress made in Afghanistan, Mideast over past two years, U.S. President Trump says U.S.-backed forces in Syria have retaken 100% of territory once held by Islamic State • SDF commander: Total victory will come in a week. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)
  • As Prices Soar, Erdogan Woos Voters With Vegetables at Cut Prices - Turkey's president faces local elections on March 31, when runaway prices and an economic downturn could cost his ruling party key municipal seats. (Agencies, Haaretz)


Features:
Without Saying a Word, Israeli Troops Beat Up a Blind Man in His Bed
Israeli soldiers invaded the home of a Palestinian family at night, and battered a man in the face in front of his wife and children. He’s 47, blind and on dialysis, and his toes have been amputated because of diabetes. (Gideon Levy and Alex Levac, Haaretz+)
The secret story of Israel's transit camps
In the early years of the Jewish state, new immigrants were sent to 'ma'abarot', tent cities of Jews from all over the world; conditions were tough and while many of the officers policing these shanty towns grew up there themselves, when the residents rioted, they were met with a firm hand. (Noam Barkan, Yedioth/Ynet)
Timeline of tragedy: The death of Madhat Yusuf
At the onset of the Second Intifada, 12 Border Policemen were stationed at the Joseph's Tomb complex in Nablus when a Palestinian mob attacked; the Druze sergeant was shot and bled to death before being evacuated by PA police over four hours later, and his family never forgave Benny Gantz nor the rest of the chain of command involved. (Ariela Ringel Hoffman, Yedioth/Ynet)
The Arab world's pop culture revolution
While governments in the region have sought to harness the power of the internet—especially after the 2011 Arab Spring—young people have been experimenting with newer forms of digital activism. (Terrance J. Mintner, Ynet)

Elections 2019 Commentary/Analysis:
Facing charges, Netanyahu looks to world stage for help (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Netanyahu has one great advantage over his rivals, and he's using it to maintain his image. The election campaign will heat up, with potentially violent consequences.
What will it take for Israel's right-wing voters to say enough? (Dahlia Scheindlin, +972mag) A small group of right-wing voters could tip the balance and lead to a change of government in Israel. Who are these voters, what do they care about, and would a Kahanist party in the Knesset be a step too far?
Charges Against Netanyahu Are Solid, Embarrassing – and Lethal (Gidi Weitz, Haaretz+) The attorney general describes unprecedented catering to wealthy businessmen, and lays bare a narrative that directly clashes with the prime minister's claims.
Bennett's big nightmare sounds like a good scenario for many Israelis (Udi Segal, Maariv) A unity government will be able to exist only if Netanyahu resigns. Therefore, for the good fortune of the education minister Naftali Bennett and to the dismay of a large part of the public, it’s not possible.
Netanyahu Is Facing Less Severe Charges - and That Could Help His Defense (Mordechai Kremnitzer, Haaretz+) Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit's preference for breach of trust charges over bribery in two cases is a blow against the rule of law and the fight against government corruption.
Netanyahu should do the right thing (Yossi Beilin, Israel Hayom) The presumption of innocence is not the same as the right to lead, even if the law permits it. Israel deserves a prime minister who is entirely dedicated to matters of state.
Now That He's Cornered, Netanyahu Is More Dangerous Than Ever (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) With the planned indictment, the attorney general called him out: Corrupt and corrupting. It’s scary to think what Bibi would offer his coalition partners in return for a law to prevent him from standing trial.
Netanyahu has his 'natural partners' on side, but Likud still worried (Moran Azoulay, Yedioth/Ynet) The prime minister has the clear backing of the right in wake of the attorney general's call for his indictment, but his party fears that a diminished bloc will make it difficult to form a government after the elections.
Seven myths Netanyahu is peddling to the public in the Bezeq corruption case (Nati Tucker, Haaretz+) The main claims being raised by Netanyahu and his cronies, and the truth as it appears in the investigative material.
Meeting with Arafat: All the facts that Netanyahu forgot to mention to his admirers (Nathan Zehavi, Maariv) He tried to advance the two-state solution, appointed a quartermaster as defense minister, and declared that the prime minister should resign if investigations were conducted against him (when Ehud Olmert was prime minister - OH).
Netanyahu indictment highlights key tool to protect democracy from its destroyers (Mordechai Kremnitzer, Haaretz+) The offense of breach of trust, not straight bribery laws, protects the public in a world of corrupt connections between politicians and the wealthy.
Freedom of the press was almost lost (Ariel Kahana, Israel Hayom) If the alleged collusion in Case 2,000 had gone ahead, the country's two largest newspapers would have been unduly influenced by the prime minister, but the media preferred to focus on cigars.
Netanyahu has the support of the right, but at what cost? (Moran Azulay, Yedioth/Ynet) The coalition parties were almost unanimous in their support of the prime minister in the face of his legal woes, but he could find that this support does not come cheap, if he is ever again entrusted with forming a government.
Decision to indict Netanyahu exposes Israel's double rule (Aluf Benn, Haaretz+) On stage, we see players like the government and media outlets, but the real authority is behind the scenes. This is Netanyahu's true legacy.
Not a state of all its citizens and no disengagement plan: Populism is the greatest danger (Lilach Sigan, Maariv) The worst election period we have ever known illustrates the difficult situation we have reached as a society. From the preoccupation with the question of who we are, we have neglected the simple question - what do we aspire to?
Netanyahu against the nation (Friday Haaretz Editorial) A country cannot function when it is led by a person who accuses the police, prosecutors, opposition and press of conspiring against him.
How will the attorney general's decision affect the election? (Mati Tuchfeld, Israel Hayom) Die-hard supporters will cast their ballots for the prime minister's party no matter what. But what about Netanyahu supporters who trust the attorney general or those who wouldn't have voted for Netanyahu but don't want to be bullied?
Netanyahu’s response to his criminal indictment is, in essence, a plea for a putsch (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The prime minister cast himself as innocent victim and escalated his attacks on the rule of law in what Americans might view as a dress rehearsal for the benefit of Mr. Trump.
They forgot what it is to be Jews? The data reveals the truth behind the statement (Shmuel Rosner, Maariv) How small is the Israeli left? It depends on who and what you ask. It is time to start talking about the numbers that present the differences between left and center left, and also the map of Israeli Judaism.
With indictment, Netanyahu's gaslighting will only get worse (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) One minute he's inciting as if Kahane were really alive, the next he's showing off his civilized manners alongside world leaders. And then you start to wonder – maybe he's okay and we're the crazy ones?
In Netanyahu’s Israel, Lying Pays (Nitzan Horowitz, Haaretz+) Nelson Mandela said that ‘love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.’ If only that were true. In the meantime, incitement works.
The struggle against Otzma Yehudit party is not moral, but political (Kalman Liebeskind, Maariv) What happens when Rabbi Benny Lau, the son of a Holocaust survivor, compares Jews to Nazis? And also: when leftist journalists and politicians are arguing with the dead Rabbi Kahane, instead of the living Itamar Ben Gvir.

Commentary/Analysis:
The Israeli Soldiers Who Beat a Blind Palestinian Man Are Beastly (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) It was beastly human beings who stormed into the home of Mizhar Munzer and his wife Iman, who covered up the gravity of the incident, who did not punish anyone and who remained indifferent to this abuse.
Hate: An Israeli Love Story (B. Michael, Haaretz+) For anti-Semitism hunters, preserving paranoia and blurring the line between Judaism and Zionism is the best way to handle criticism of the country's abominations.
The dangerous illusion of a two-state solution (Tamar Asraf, Yedioth/Ynet) The left-wing has been advocating 'two states for two nations' as if it was an advertising slogan, promising us something, they themselves know can never realistically be achieved, while relying on wishful-thinking and half-truths.
Settler violence against Palestinians is the escalation to fear in the West Bank (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Rise in attacks against Palestinians likely to continue as army, police, Israeli society stand by passively or encourage attacks.
Oshrat Kotler, the human animals and soldiers of the Red Army who saved her grandfather (Meir Uziel, Maariv) When she apologized for the broadcast, it got worse. I would ask her why she insisted on reminding us again of what was unbearable to hear. That is to say, the unacceptable assertion that the soldiers are in an impossible situation because of "the reality of control over another people." It can be said that this is because of the reality of building a homeland for the people returning to their homeland, or because of the reality of the need to defend themselves from destruction.
*Readers Ask Haaretz A Friend Is Moving to a Home Built on Stolen Palestinian Land. Is It Immoral to Help? (Yoana Gonen, Haaretz+) Should you help a good friend move to an illegal settlement home in the West Bank? Haaretz's ethical adviser has an answer
Unrest on the Temple Mount: Why now? (Rachel Avraham, Israel Hayom) Following both Turkey's and the PA's increased control over east Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, the Fatah-influenced waqf is using the Gate of Mercy issue as an excuse to stir up trouble.
The element of surprise: The conclusions from the meeting between Netanyahu and Putin should be taken with limited restraint (Tal Lev Ram, Maariv) In a briefing to journalists accompanying him on his trip to Moscow, Netanyahu presented three achievements from his meeting with Putin: The Syrian air defense system, the S300, will not be transferred to the Syrian army; Israel has the freedom to continue to operate in Syria, according to the red lines noted by the Russians; And a political team will be set up to remove from Syria the foreign forces that entered it before the civil war…The Russians have no problem conducting a friendly meeting with the Israeli prime minister in parallel with cooperation with its great enemies. And therefore the agreements reached should be treated with limited attention. At this stage, the assessment in our defense establishment is that the Russians will not exert pressure to remove the Iranians from Syria, and will continue to play a dual and complex game to realize their interests in Syria.
The IDF's Much-needed Revolution of Consciousness (Israel Harel, Haaretz+) The bloody doctrine of 'containment' must give way to decisive victory, which will cause the enemy to lay down its arms. Only then can peace be imposed upon it.
What is good for the Jews: The rift between Hamas and the PA is no longer just their problem (Jackie Khougy, Maariv) For a long time there has been no venom in the relationship between the PA and Hamas as was seen this week. Nevertheless, yet it is no longer certain that this split is beneficial to Israel. Also, how the Egyptian president Abdal Fattah Al-Sisi began to reform the world. For al-Sisi, the summit of European and Arab countries that Egypt hosted in Sharm el-Sheikh was a success. Al-Sisi sought to strengthen cooperation with the capitals of Europe in the fight against terrorism. In addition, he took advantage of the opportunity to give a hug to the Palestinians on the eve of the presentation of Donald Trump's peace plan. And all this was intended as a framework for the last minute in the speech of the Egyptian president. Al-Sisi appealed to "all peace-loving peoples.Do not listen to the propaganda of hatred and division, he said, and do not listen to those who try to blame the other because he is the devil only because his religion, gender or ethnic affiliation are not like yours. Let us embark on joint work, on the basis of human values and our confidence that all humanity has one destiny.” This is not the first time that Al-Sisi has called for international reform and cooperation against the extremists. In the past, he declared that something had gone wrong in the way of Islam and should put back on track. He sought to enlist the clerics, headed by Al-Azhar, to correct the world, which would restore the religion of Muhammad to its proper place. They turned their backs on him. You can understand what pushed him to (ask). Extremism engenders terror, and terrorism is one of Egypt's foremost problems.
Kushner tries to win support for peace plan in Arab world – and inflames Israeli right (Amir Tibon, Haaretz+) Trump’s special adviser is trying to dispel the notion that his plan is biased toward Israel, but isn’t finding buyers on either side for what he’s selling.
 
Interviews:
This award-winning filmmaker is praised by his fellow Israelis. And it's making him uncomfortable
Nadav Lapid, whose film on a fed-up Israeli living abroad won Berlin's Golden Bear, says Israel lacks a rebellious instinct. 'We need someone to be in the opposition, to upset the power structure of cinema.’ (Interviewed by Nirit Anderman in Haaretz+)

Yael Dayan on upcoming elections: "Something bad has happened to us"
At the age of 80, with chronic lung disease, Yaela Dayan continues to follow politics closely, recounts her longing for her brother, and her views on the #MeToo revolution. (Interviewed by Karin Spingold in Maariv)
"I am thrilled about every combination and every maneuver that can replace the current prime minister," she says. "I think it would be better he be replaced by the power of the electorate than by the power of the courts. In the state record and in his personal record, it is preferable that there be a change of government, not a verdict, prison or whatever else. So I am very happy about this union (between Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid), even though it isn’t left-wing.”
Do you trust these people?
"There are people there who were very active both in Meretz and in the Labor Party, and the group is quite reliable and strong and certainly worthy of changing the government, especially when I now see the people from the extreme right, people who are proud of their support of Jewish terror.”
Dayan refers to her visit to Hebron in October 1996, during which the Jewish terrorist Israel Lederman poured a cup of hot tea on her. He was sentenced to three years in prison and a civil suit was filed against him. "Itamar Ben-Gvir, who, Heaven forbid, is going to be a member of the Knesset, every time the trial took place he came to the court, jumped, cursed and screamed that the man who did it (poured the hot tea on her) did a mitzvah (a good dead) and that it was a pity that he only poured tea on me and did not burn me completely. Until today, his face remains in front of my eyes,“ she recalls. “There cannot be more someone more inappropriate than him to be a Knesset member."
“(Kahol-Lavan) is not a dream team and it's true that it's much more center than center-left, but it’s possible to live with that. This group, its direction, and what we know about the people in it, is devoid of corruption and it acts with equality in its worldview, and there will be no problems of exclusion (of women).”
 
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.