APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday April 1, 2019
NOTE: In Sunday's News Nosh, the translation from the Yedioth caption mistakenly said the two 11-year-old boys were escaping from economic hardship in the 'Golan Heights.' The boys came from the Gaza Strip. (Thank you to the reader who wrote in! --OH)
You Must Be Kidding:
“This is the last time the High Court will decide for us. After the elections, we will decide for the High Court."
--Union of Right-Wing Parties said in a statement condemning the High Court ruling that may keep them out of the Knesset.**
Front Page:
NOTE: In Sunday's News Nosh, the translation from the Yedioth caption mistakenly said the two 11-year-old boys were escaping from economic hardship in the 'Golan Heights.' The boys came from the Gaza Strip. (Thank you to the reader who wrote in! --OH)
You Must Be Kidding:
“This is the last time the High Court will decide for us. After the elections, we will decide for the High Court."
--Union of Right-Wing Parties said in a statement condemning the High Court ruling that may keep them out of the Knesset.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- After the elections: Expansive plan to rehabilitate Gaza
- With state aid, Elad organization is taking over the Peace Forest
- Gantz on his partners in leading Kahol-Lavan: I’m not confident of any of them
- Bennett to Attorney General: Cabinet members are excluded; Netanyahu cancelled a (cabinet) discussion
- Small parties preparing for the big mandate feast
- Trump is present in the elections more than any US President before him // Chemi Shalev
- Likud (election) propaganda shows that deep inside they are ashamed // Moran Sharir
- Israel hoped for an embassy, but the President of Brazil announced the opening of a trade office in Jerusalem
- Trump cuts aid to Central America, despite Netanyahu acting as a middle man
- State equates its treatment of asylum seekers to Switzerland, but there their requests are accepted
- Like in Syria, Putin could decide the fate of Venezuela // NYT
- The truth about ringworm - not discrimination against Mizrachi Jews and not a terrible experiment - the treatment for the illness using X-rays was considered the best in the ’60’s
- Gantz and Bezos are not alone // Amitai Ziv on hacks on iPhones
- Grandson of Mahatma Ghandi arrived in Israel to spread non-violence and tells about the advice he gave Arafat
- Bank of Israel report: Government wasted the good years and lowered taxes at the wrong time
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Yedioth Ahronoth and New York Times expose - This is how the enormous system of fictitious social media accounts works for the benefit of the Likud campaign
- The smuggled watches of the celebrities
- Price of gasoline jumped (last night by 20 agorot)
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Another person who opposed the sale of submarines to Egypt: Former head of National Security Council, Yossi Cohen (now Mossad chief)
- Gantz to Shin Bet: Probe whether the Mossad was the one that leaked the hacking of my phone
- The warning of the Governor of the Bank of Israel (over the deficit)
- The police officer who caused serious injury (of a citizen), but won’t be put on trial
Israel Hayom
- Gantz: I don’t rule out serving in a Netanyahu government - Gantz recordings
- Increasing pressure on Lapid to give up on rotation; Gantz silent
- Yaalon presents: Lies on the way to polls // Ariel Kahane
- Kahlon signed: Terrorists’ monies will be be offset
- From Brazil with love (Brazilian President visits Israel)
- Former senior police official on State Comptroller report: “Investigate (Police) relations with (Gantz's company)”
- Halleluja: Madonna will perform at Eurovision in Tel-Aviv
Elections 2019 News:
Elections trickery made the top headlines today. Another leak of the hacking of Kahol-Lavan leader Benny Gantz’s iPhone revealed he said that 1.) he doesn’t rule out sitting under Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu until the trial and that 2.) he didn’t trust any of his three fellow party leaders, Yair Lapid, Moshe Yaalon and Gabi Ashkenazi. (Maariv) Gantz called for a probe to see if the Mossad leaked the news of the phone hack, because Netanyahu is ultimately responsible for the Shin Bet, the Mossad, and the National Cyber Directorate, and Netanyahu is using the phone links against Gantz, who warned yesterday that Netanyahu's campaign 'could cause a civil war,’ and that Netanyahu "only works for himself." Yedioth revealed a whole system of 500 fake social media accounts working in the service of Netanyahu and the Likud party, but the Likud denies any connection.
Election Quickees
- Poll: Kahol-Lavan leads by 4 seats, close race on the question of suitability for prime minister - A poll by News Channel shows that Gantz's list would win 32 seats if the elections were held today, while the Likud receives 28. However, the right-wing bloc is larger. (Maariv)
- Over Half of Israelis Predict Netanyahu Will Lead Next Government, New Poll Shows - Less than a quarter believe building next governing coalition after April 9 will be up to Gantz ■ Channel 12 poll suggests right-wing bloc will have majority in Knesset. (Haaretz+)
- Among the students there is a clear winner: Kahol-Lavan with 47 seats - Had the elections been held only among college students, Benny Gantz's party would have won a big victory. Zehut party headed by Moshe Feiglin won 17 seats, and Meretz headed by Tamar Zandberg won 15. (Maariv)
- Gantz storm: Politicians and celebs confess getting psychological therapy - Psychotherapy is not a shame. That’s what is being made clear on the social media networks by politicians and celebrities who are protesting the Likud campaign, which suggests that the fact that Gantz is using psychological services could undermine his credibility as a candidate for prime minister. (Ynet Hebrew)
- (Shas leader) Deri: "The campaign against Gantz is bloodletting, I don’t accept it” - The chairman of the Shas party referred to the claims that Kahol-Lavan andidate for the government is mentally ill: "He contributed his entire life as chief of staff; he made a mistake when he connected with (Yair) Lapid, but no one should mock him.” (Maariv)
- **High Court rejects Otzma Yehudit bid to bump candidate up slate - Itamar Ben Gvir will retain 7th spot on Union of Right Wing Parties list, which is polling between 5 and 7 seats, leaving open possibility that extremist party won’t enter Knesset. Israeli law bars parties from changing their lists after they are submitted to the Central Elections Committee. (Maariv and Times of Israel)
- Greenblatt: US recognizes Golan annexation 'for the safety of Israel' (- not to boost Netanyahu) - Attempts to label U.S. President Trump's recognition of Israeli Golan Heights as move to boost Netanyahu's re-election chances "cynical," U.S. special envoy Jason Greenblatt says • Move necessary given increased security threats from north, he says. (Israel Hayom)
- (Elections Commission head) Justice Meltzer ordered the Likud: Remove the references to Madhat Yosef (soldier killed during Gantz’s period) from the Likud campaign - Chairman of the Elections Committee accepted the petition of brother of soldier who fell in the battle at Joseph's Tomb and ordered the ruling party not to use his name or his image without authorization for election purposes. (Maariv)
- “They went down to an unprecedented low": a view from Lebanon on the Israeli election campaign - The program "Behind the Wall" on the Lebanese Al-Miyadin channel closely follows the events in the Israeli elections, from the submarine affair to the videos of Naftali Bennett. The regular guest of the show, Dr. Abbas Ismail, tells viewers that Netanyahu is considered an excellent speaker, while Gantz is still not professional in the field. He even compares him to former prime minister Yitzhak Shamir, who did not speak much. He explains to his viewers about the percentage of the threshold, the blocs that are supposed to form the next government, and the surplus agreement. The program also reviews selected cartoons from Israeli newspapers and explains to millions of Arab viewers around the world what lies behind them. (Maariv)
Other News Summary:
In other top news, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro came to town, but much to the chagrin of Netanyahu, Brazil announced the opening of a ‘trade office’ in Jerusalem, and not the embassy it promised.
Not making much news was the Arab League summit in Tunis, where Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said, “We can no longer bear or coexist with status quo,” he blamed US President Donald Trump for emboldening Israel's 'racist policies' and said Israel’s policies and actions “made us lose hope for any peace that can be achieved with it.” Despite rifts between them, the 22 member states of the Arab League - including Washington's regional allies - united against Trump's Israel policy. Egyptian President Abdul-Fattah Al-Sisi said that “Liberation of occupied Arab lands is the only way to end the Arab-Israeli conflict.” Al-Sisi said the Palestinians have a right to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and said that the Israeli occupied Golan Heights must be returned to Syria in order to work towards a comprehensive and just peace. The Egyptian president said that peaceful negotiations based on the Geneva accords are the only way out to end the Arab-Israeli conflict. (Maariv) The Arab League also said it would give aid to the Palestinian Authority after Israel decided to withhold tax money.
and it would seek a U.N. Security Council resolution against the U.S. decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and promised to support Palestinians in their bid for statehood.
The subject of Gaza all but disappeared from the news, but remained in online news and in the commentary and analyses. Here are the Quickees:
- Israel allows fishing zone in Gaza to be expanded by record range - Gaza fishermen's committee say they've received Israel's approval through Egyptian mediators to extend the permitted zone from 22km to 28km (from 12 to 15 nautical miles), a range unseen since the second intifada; move could indicate progress on a long-term ceasefire deal. The move reinforces the belief that a ceasefire arrangement between Hamas and Israel might be in the cards. COGAT: "This is a policy that distinguishes between terror and the population." (Ynet and Maariv)
- Despite overnight rockets, Israel opens Gaza crossings - Israeli army shells Hamas outposts after five rockets fired at south from the Strip. (Haaretz)
- Palestinian factions slam Israel after Gaza border crossings open: Doesn't ease blockade - Reopening the crossings is just a return to the situation before last week's escalation and is 'not significant in terms of citizens or merchants who want access to the outside world’. (Haaretz+)
- Gaza resident - ”We hope for war: Either we will die,or we will live like human beings" - Gaza residents who once worked in Israel tell Ma'ariv: "What do we get from opening the Kerem Shalom crossing? It's good for merchants, not for the poor, who are the vast majority of Gaza residents. Our refrigerators are empty," he says. Another resident tells of the difficulty and says: "People suffer from illnesses and do not even allow themselves to go to the doctor. The children of these families are those who infiltrate Israel, as in the case of the two children who were caught on the weekend. Most of those who join the armed factions do so in order to support the family. I am sure that if they get work permits in Israel, most of them will abandon these factions. “ The first says: "When you have eight children, you have no control over them. Their deterioration is rapid. True, some of them join the resistance out of a desire to die through martyrdom, instead of committing suicide. Most are uneducated. They do not have money for food, so certainly not for books and notebooks. It's not ordinary poverty, it's poverty that can not be described in words." (Maariv)
- Hundreds of Israelis protest Gaza blockade outside IDF headquarters - The demonstration Saturday night in the heart of Tel Aviv was in solidarity with Palestinians taking part in the Great March of Return. (+972mag)
- Netanyahu is keeping Gaza events from cabinet members, Bennett tells attorney general - Naftali Bennett wrote to the attorney general, saying the prime minister won't call a cabinet meeting over Gaza, prefers to handle it himself. (Haaretz+)
Quick Hits:
- Israeli farmers are cultivating Palestinian land beyond West Bank separation barrier - The route of the separation barrier deviated from the Green Line and cut Palestinians off from their land, which is now being cultivated by nearby Israeli farms. (Haaretz+)
- Israel to approve over 1,400 housing units in West Bank settlements - In addition, the Civil Administration is expected to advance approval for some 3,500 more housing units in Jewish settlements. (Haaretz+ and Maan)
- Israel to demolish Palestinian home, steel structure in Yatta - Israeli authorities delivered a demolition notice for a family home to resident Abed al-Mutleb al-Nuajaa and another notice for a steel structure for housing sheep to Mousa Hassan al-Shuwaheen. (Maan)
- Netanyahu's approval of submarine sale risked lives, former defense official says - Amos Gilad calls the prime minister's reasoning for excluding the defense ministry from the sale of submarines to Germany 'completely unreasonable.’ (Haaretz)
- Another opponent of the sale of the submarines: former head of the NSC Yossi Cohen - Cohen currently serves as head of the Mossad and was then head of the NSC and strongly opposed the deal. "It was not for nothing that Netanyahu and the Prime Minister's Office did not tell the media to speak with Cohen as someone who knew the deep ‘secret,’” a former senior security official told Maariv yesterday. "The reason is simple: Cohen, who is close to Netanyahu, also opposed the deal and thought that Israel should try to prevent it.” Yesterday, Raviv Drucker published interview with Israel's ambassador to Germany, Yoram Ben-Ze'ev, who sharply criticized the (government’s) conduct in the negotiations with the Germans, the approval of the sale of submarines to Egypt and the submarine affair in general. His words complemented those of legendary former head of the Defense Ministry's security bureau, Major General Amos Gilad, in a penetrating interview on Channel 11. (Maariv)
- "The State Prosecutor's Office believes that Netanyahu's cousin did not speak the truth in his testimony in Case 1000" - The State Prosecutor’s Office concluded that Nathan Milikovsky did not elaborate on the business ties between him and the prime minister after the elections, and that the matter may now be investigated, according to Channel 13 News. (Maariv)
- Trump cuts aid to pro-Israeli governments in Latin America - The administration says Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador aren't doing enough to stop the flow of immigrants into the U.S. In the past the countries have tried to leverage their ties with Israel in order to improve their standing in Washington. (Haaretz+)
- 'Don't you know who he is?' Israel Police dismiss left-wing activist's complaint because of his political views - Officer recorded saying there's no point investigating report on settlers trespassing private Palestinian land, calling the activist an 'anarchist' (Haaretz+)
- Knocked him over and kicked his testicles: A policeman who caused serious injury to citizen will not be prosecuted - Yitzhak, 61, claimed that the policeman attacked him in a dispute over the parking of his car; he showed photos of his injury. Policeman denied, claimed he was attacked first and that Yitzhak injured himself. The Police Unit Investigating Police decided to make do with disciplinary action, but this did not happen either. (Maariv)
- Murdered Israeli Arab mother feared reporting violent husband to police, family says - Relatives of 39-year-old Susan Watad, whose body was found three days after she disappeared, say the knew about 'quarrels' with her spouse, who was taken into custody. (Haaretz+)
- Underqualified Workers Costing Israeli Economy $11 Billion a Year, Central Bank Says - Report places blame mainly on poor quality of schools, estimates wages could rise just by boosting Israeli skills to OECD average. (Haaretz+)
- National Union of Israeli Students objects to deepening gender segregation - New plan ushers in separate graduate programs and dramatic reduction in oversight by Council for Higher Education on programs for ultra-Orthodox students. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli couple celebrates marriage amid Gaza border tensions - With 900 invited guests, Ben Ben-Moshe and Adi Amrami marriage went ahead as planned in southern Israel as rockets launched by Palestinian terrorists fly overhead from Gaza Strip, Israel Defense Forces responds with dozens of airstrikes across border. (Israel Hayom)
- Parliamentary report refutes right-wing lawmaker's claims about refugees in Israel - Likud MK who commissioned study hoped to prove European countries deport Eritrean asylum seekers en masse. Instead, it showed they approve vast majority of requests, compared with Israel's 0.1 percent. (Haaretz+)
- Map proves Syria recognized Banias as Israeli before 1967 - Exclusive: Tel-Hai College researchers confirm map drawn by Syrian government agency in 1965 places Banias on the Israeli side of the border • Syrian forces occupied area and shelled Hula Valley communities regularly before Israel captured the Golan. (Israel Hayom)
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Rare Appearance at Amos Oz Commemoration in Washington - Acclaimed author's daughter, New York Times columnist Roger Cohen, J Street founder Jeremy Ben Ami among speakers at event in Reform synagogue. (Haaretz+)
- Seal With Biblical Name Found in Jerusalem House Destroyed by Babylonians 2,600 Years Ago - The seal bears the name of Nathan-Melech, apparently an officer of the Judahite King Josiah, and was found in First Temple-period ruins. (Haaretz+)
- Israel's tourism industry courting visitors from China - With a population of over 1 billion, China is a gold mine when it comes to tourism potential • "Made for China" conference focuses on ways of developing ties between Israel and China • Hainan Airlines launches third direct route to Tel Aviv. (Israel Hayom)
- $1 million prize awaits Israeli team if moon landing works - SpaceIL made the final cut in the $20 million Google Lunar XPrize competition, which ended last year without a winner. The new award was inspired by SpaceIL’s perseverance. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Former London mayor: It’s not anti-Semitic to hate Jews of Israel - Ken Livingstone, who quit Labour two years into suspension for saying Hitler was a Zionist, says accusations of anti-Semitism in party were the work of 'ghastly old Blairites... doing everything possible to get rid' of Corbyn. (Ynet)
- One Turkish soldier killed in Syria, military retaliates - Turkey said the attack was carried out by the Kurdish YPG militia in the Afrin region, where Turkey-backed Syrian rebels drove out YPG fighters last year. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- With no documents and no home, desperate Syrian mothers turn to child marriage - Women are hardest hit in Syria because often male relatives had their names on land deeds, and many of them have either died or disappeared in the eight-year civil war; just 4% of female refugees surveyed in Jordan and Lebanon had property in their name. (Reuters Foundation, Ynet)
Features:
How Netanyahu’s Most Right-wing Government Ever Changed the Face of Israel
Haaretz correspondents review the government's work in the past four years, ahead of the April 9 election. (Haaretz+)
Keep Politics Out of Eurovision? It Was Born Political
A diplomatic history of the annual song contest, which looks to be one of the most political ever when it comes to Tel Aviv in six weeks. (Yigal Ravid, Haaretz+VIDEO)
Everyone knew this Arab Israeli woman would be murdered. It wasn't enough to prevent it
Being an Arab woman who wanted to choose her own destiny, Diana was shot in the head at close range a day before her wedding. (Bar Peleg, Haaretz+)
Elections 2019 Commentary/Analysis:
Israel's Concessions to Hamas Are Just the Prelude (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The government is prepared to go far to achieve quiet in the south until the April 9 election – but not as far as it'll go on after it.
In our politics, what sounds strange today is the composition of tomorrow's government (Meir Uziel, Maariv) There are those who think that a Likud-Gantz government is a reasonable possibility, and in such a situation there may be a triangular rotation - one third to Ganz, one third to Lapid and one third to Netanyahu.
Netanyahu praised Gantz when he was chief of staff, and now he is generously dishing him dirt (Ben Caspit, Maariv) When it comes to blackening the name of a political rival, Netanyahu is generous. If Gantz is cuckoo, as the Likud people suggest, what will we say about the person who serves as deputy chairman of the crazy cuckoo's nest in Israel? In general, are the Netanyahu family convinced that moving the discussion to Gantz's mental fitness is the right move? Didn’t Gantz's attorney hint to the attorney general, in his efforts to close the Prime Minister’s Residence case (against Sara Netanyahu - OH), that the client is not in a state of mind that makes her legally responsible.
It’s Gantz or Smotrich (Uzi Baram, Haaretz+) A large majority of the public supports limited public transportation on Shabbat, favors civil marriage and thinks the Nation-State Law should be amended to give expression to the principle of civic equality. Thus at first glance, there seems to be a contradiction between people’s views and the way they actually vote. This contradiction may indicate that Netanyahu isn’t the weakest link in the right-wing government. So what is this link, and is it possible to use it to undermine the right’s position by Election Day? A campaign based on slogans like “Smotrich and Ben-Gvir – is that the Israel you want?” or “When Netanyahu disappears, you’ll be left with a country run by Regev, Litzman, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir” (referring to Culture Minister Miri Regev and ultra-Orthodox politician Yaakov Litzman) wouldn’t be sophisticated. But it would have clear messages.
The writing is on the wall: 23 years ago it ended in murder (Arik Henig, Maariv) During all the years of Netanyahu's rule, he did nothing to inspire hope. On the contrary, he is quarreling and debating with derogatory statements towards anyone who does not align himself with his bad way.
Israeli Arabs Aren’t Flocking to the Polls (Haaretz Editorial) Campaign slogan adopted by the Hadash-Ta’al joint ticket is wishful thinking, as internal survey commissioned by it shows half of Arab citizens don't plan on voting.
Netanyahu is not responsible for everything wrong with Israel (Dahlia Scheindlin, +972mag) It was Labor, not Likud, that conquered the West Bank and enabled the settlement enterprise. Netanyahu looms so large that he has become a symbol of everything that’s right and wrong with Israel. But there’s more to it.
With Gaza Calmer, Netanyahu’s Trumpian Tactics Draw Fire (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Nine days to go: Election campaign reignites, undecided voters are wooed and predictions of Netanyahu’s supposedly assured victory are challenged, albeit silently.
Commentary/Analysis:
Israeli Army, Gazans Are Waiting for You (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) I assume that many people, like me, are curious to know what was going through the mind of the man from Gaza who, at 5:20 A.M. last Tuesday, pressed the button that sent the entire region to the brink of the abyss. Did he intend to press the button of his electric kettle, but in a moment of distraction, due to all the day’s worries, he pressed the button to fire a rocket instead? Was it after he left his house without being able to ensure that his children had bread? Was it because he was angry at Hamas, which is suppressing the protests over bread? Or because he was angry at Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has put the Gaza Strip under financial siege? Or perhaps it was because of the strangulation caused by his neighbors, with their total blockade of sea, land and air?…But observing from a distance, it is clear that for all Israel’s military might, a single match can turn it into a military power on chicken legs. It’s like a rusty nail in the hands of a poor but gutsy child facing a gleaming Cadillac owned by the toughest guy in the neighborhood. The tough guy intimidates the whole neighborhood, but from among the dilapidated houses on the other side of the tracks that uncultured boy steals out, the rusty nail in his hands, and scratches the entire side of the tough guy’s beloved Cadillac. It’s truly painful; it truly is uncultured. The boy genuinely deserves to die and burn in the fires of hell. But reality surpasses even the wildest imagination. After a year of demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel border, which began on Land Day in 2018, the number of Palestinian casualties has reached about 200 dead and thousands of wounded. In Israel, by contrast, we’ve heard of almost no casualties aside from the seven people hurt by the criminal launch of that last missile. And nevertheless, Israelis feel threatened; it’s as if 200 people had been killed on the Israeli side rather than in Gaza. And in fact, this is an ironclad rule: In every battle between the nail and the Cadillac, the nail will have the upper hand, because the nail can be thrown into the trash without anyone shedding a tear over it. Moreover, after the boy has lost everything, he no longer has anything left to lose, and there are a lot of nails on the ground. But the scratch on the Cadillac tears at the master’s heart and drives him crazy.
Israel has no way of winning in Gaza (Oded Shalom, Yedioth/Ynet) Invading the Hamas-run enclave would be like fighting in the jungles of Vietnam, and the IDF's technological advantages would vanish in the maze of tunnels. The terror group may ask for a temporary cease-fire, but will never surrender, and Israel - subjected to relentless rocket fire, loss of life and damage to property - will agree to such a truce. It will be a rerun of Operation Protective Edge in 2014 and all the other military operations in Gaza that came before. And that, too, is the truth.
Hold off in Gaza, for now (Dr. Hanan Shai, Israel Hayom) To return to the doctrine of decisive victories, the chief of staff must be allowed to restore the IDF to an "effective, lethal and innovative" army.
While Palestinians gathered on Israel-Gaza border, Arab world looked away (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) 'Hamas is not part of the Arab nation,' the Saudi press has often claimed. But Hamas is alive, kicking, and holding two million hostages.
Forever you will eat sword. It seems that we are indeed destined to learn to live by our sword (Dr. Haim Misgav, Maariv) Gaza is an incurable wound, not by a painful military blow, and not through a withdrawal. An improvement in the economic situation of residents who are not involved in terrorist activity will not change their basic situation. The Marches of Return stem from a very basic ideology, and anyone who thinks that there are ways to deter terror organizations simply spreads false illusions. We must recognize the painful reality, and we must not let the peace messengers deceive us. No political solution will work.
Israel and Hamas owe Egypt their gratitude (Elior Levy, Yedioth/Ynet) The flare-up in Gaza last week seems to be ending in a new agreement that will guarantee calm along the border, for a while at least; and while the UN and Qatar played their part, the real debt is to the Egyptian intelligence officer who drove the process forward
Both sides' interests seem to be overcoming emotion (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) The fact that Israel and Hamas managed to keep the weekend protests from turning into a catastrophe indicates some long-term thinking and a disinclination for a full-scale conflict, but without a solid policy, Gaza will remain a bone in Israel's throat.
In Gaza's Return March, echoes of an Apartheid-era massacre (Samer Badawi, +972mag) The Sharpeville Massacre, in which South African police gunned down 250 black protesters, marked a turning point in the struggle against Apartheid. But it would take another 34 years until democracy finally came to South Africa. A cautionary tale for Palestinians.
A Lottery to Pick the Next Israeli Victims of West Bank Annexation Policy (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) In the current round of fighting in Gaza, TV stations have adopted an emergency footing of nonstop live broadcasts including endless analysis and commentary. But they don’t tell viewers the simple truth, a truth they obviously prefer not to know: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to perpetuate Hamas rule in Gaza so he can annex the West Bank. These facts are obvious and have been partly stated by Netanyahu, but such remarks are immediately forgotten. He uses Hamas rule in Gaza to maintain the intra-Palestinian rift between Hamas and Fatah, thereby weakening the Palestinians and preventing discussions with pragmatists among them. This foils any possibility of establishing a Palestinian state, with the strategic goal of annexing the West Bank. Netanyahu now has some extra support for this in the form of Donald Trump’s recognition of the annexation of the Golan Heights.
How Jordan Is Weaponizing Archaeology Against Israel (Adam Sacks, Haaretz+) Despite formal peace, you won't find maps naming Israel in Jordan. Visit the kingdom's archaeological sites, and the message is clear: 2000 years ago, Jews were already 'oppressors' in the Middle East.
Russia grabs the reins on Mideast peace (Micky Aharonson, Israel Hayom) Moscow is assuming a leadership role as the only mediator able to communicate with all Palestinian factions, including Hamas. In this situation, Israel must be wary of being painted as the rejectionist side.
Israel’s Steady Productivity Retreat Since the 1970s (Dan Ben-David, Haaretz+) Much of the population is receiving neither the tools nor conditions to work in a globally competitive economy.
Ilhan Omar can declare victory (Ari Blaff, Israel Hayom) Now deemed too successful, too white and too powerful, Jews are not part and parcel of the "diversity" progressives have in mind. Jews, or more aptly, those who support Israel, are not welcome.
A German affair, not just a love story in Palestine (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Why does Israel discriminate against foreign citizens who marry Palestinian residents of the West Bank?
Haaretz correspondents review the government's work in the past four years, ahead of the April 9 election. (Haaretz+)
Keep Politics Out of Eurovision? It Was Born Political
A diplomatic history of the annual song contest, which looks to be one of the most political ever when it comes to Tel Aviv in six weeks. (Yigal Ravid, Haaretz+VIDEO)
Everyone knew this Arab Israeli woman would be murdered. It wasn't enough to prevent it
Being an Arab woman who wanted to choose her own destiny, Diana was shot in the head at close range a day before her wedding. (Bar Peleg, Haaretz+)
Elections 2019 Commentary/Analysis:
Israel's Concessions to Hamas Are Just the Prelude (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The government is prepared to go far to achieve quiet in the south until the April 9 election – but not as far as it'll go on after it.
In our politics, what sounds strange today is the composition of tomorrow's government (Meir Uziel, Maariv) There are those who think that a Likud-Gantz government is a reasonable possibility, and in such a situation there may be a triangular rotation - one third to Ganz, one third to Lapid and one third to Netanyahu.
Netanyahu praised Gantz when he was chief of staff, and now he is generously dishing him dirt (Ben Caspit, Maariv) When it comes to blackening the name of a political rival, Netanyahu is generous. If Gantz is cuckoo, as the Likud people suggest, what will we say about the person who serves as deputy chairman of the crazy cuckoo's nest in Israel? In general, are the Netanyahu family convinced that moving the discussion to Gantz's mental fitness is the right move? Didn’t Gantz's attorney hint to the attorney general, in his efforts to close the Prime Minister’s Residence case (against Sara Netanyahu - OH), that the client is not in a state of mind that makes her legally responsible.
It’s Gantz or Smotrich (Uzi Baram, Haaretz+) A large majority of the public supports limited public transportation on Shabbat, favors civil marriage and thinks the Nation-State Law should be amended to give expression to the principle of civic equality. Thus at first glance, there seems to be a contradiction between people’s views and the way they actually vote. This contradiction may indicate that Netanyahu isn’t the weakest link in the right-wing government. So what is this link, and is it possible to use it to undermine the right’s position by Election Day? A campaign based on slogans like “Smotrich and Ben-Gvir – is that the Israel you want?” or “When Netanyahu disappears, you’ll be left with a country run by Regev, Litzman, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir” (referring to Culture Minister Miri Regev and ultra-Orthodox politician Yaakov Litzman) wouldn’t be sophisticated. But it would have clear messages.
The writing is on the wall: 23 years ago it ended in murder (Arik Henig, Maariv) During all the years of Netanyahu's rule, he did nothing to inspire hope. On the contrary, he is quarreling and debating with derogatory statements towards anyone who does not align himself with his bad way.
Israeli Arabs Aren’t Flocking to the Polls (Haaretz Editorial) Campaign slogan adopted by the Hadash-Ta’al joint ticket is wishful thinking, as internal survey commissioned by it shows half of Arab citizens don't plan on voting.
Netanyahu is not responsible for everything wrong with Israel (Dahlia Scheindlin, +972mag) It was Labor, not Likud, that conquered the West Bank and enabled the settlement enterprise. Netanyahu looms so large that he has become a symbol of everything that’s right and wrong with Israel. But there’s more to it.
With Gaza Calmer, Netanyahu’s Trumpian Tactics Draw Fire (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Nine days to go: Election campaign reignites, undecided voters are wooed and predictions of Netanyahu’s supposedly assured victory are challenged, albeit silently.
Commentary/Analysis:
Israeli Army, Gazans Are Waiting for You (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) I assume that many people, like me, are curious to know what was going through the mind of the man from Gaza who, at 5:20 A.M. last Tuesday, pressed the button that sent the entire region to the brink of the abyss. Did he intend to press the button of his electric kettle, but in a moment of distraction, due to all the day’s worries, he pressed the button to fire a rocket instead? Was it after he left his house without being able to ensure that his children had bread? Was it because he was angry at Hamas, which is suppressing the protests over bread? Or because he was angry at Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has put the Gaza Strip under financial siege? Or perhaps it was because of the strangulation caused by his neighbors, with their total blockade of sea, land and air?…But observing from a distance, it is clear that for all Israel’s military might, a single match can turn it into a military power on chicken legs. It’s like a rusty nail in the hands of a poor but gutsy child facing a gleaming Cadillac owned by the toughest guy in the neighborhood. The tough guy intimidates the whole neighborhood, but from among the dilapidated houses on the other side of the tracks that uncultured boy steals out, the rusty nail in his hands, and scratches the entire side of the tough guy’s beloved Cadillac. It’s truly painful; it truly is uncultured. The boy genuinely deserves to die and burn in the fires of hell. But reality surpasses even the wildest imagination. After a year of demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel border, which began on Land Day in 2018, the number of Palestinian casualties has reached about 200 dead and thousands of wounded. In Israel, by contrast, we’ve heard of almost no casualties aside from the seven people hurt by the criminal launch of that last missile. And nevertheless, Israelis feel threatened; it’s as if 200 people had been killed on the Israeli side rather than in Gaza. And in fact, this is an ironclad rule: In every battle between the nail and the Cadillac, the nail will have the upper hand, because the nail can be thrown into the trash without anyone shedding a tear over it. Moreover, after the boy has lost everything, he no longer has anything left to lose, and there are a lot of nails on the ground. But the scratch on the Cadillac tears at the master’s heart and drives him crazy.
Israel has no way of winning in Gaza (Oded Shalom, Yedioth/Ynet) Invading the Hamas-run enclave would be like fighting in the jungles of Vietnam, and the IDF's technological advantages would vanish in the maze of tunnels. The terror group may ask for a temporary cease-fire, but will never surrender, and Israel - subjected to relentless rocket fire, loss of life and damage to property - will agree to such a truce. It will be a rerun of Operation Protective Edge in 2014 and all the other military operations in Gaza that came before. And that, too, is the truth.
Hold off in Gaza, for now (Dr. Hanan Shai, Israel Hayom) To return to the doctrine of decisive victories, the chief of staff must be allowed to restore the IDF to an "effective, lethal and innovative" army.
While Palestinians gathered on Israel-Gaza border, Arab world looked away (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) 'Hamas is not part of the Arab nation,' the Saudi press has often claimed. But Hamas is alive, kicking, and holding two million hostages.
Forever you will eat sword. It seems that we are indeed destined to learn to live by our sword (Dr. Haim Misgav, Maariv) Gaza is an incurable wound, not by a painful military blow, and not through a withdrawal. An improvement in the economic situation of residents who are not involved in terrorist activity will not change their basic situation. The Marches of Return stem from a very basic ideology, and anyone who thinks that there are ways to deter terror organizations simply spreads false illusions. We must recognize the painful reality, and we must not let the peace messengers deceive us. No political solution will work.
Israel and Hamas owe Egypt their gratitude (Elior Levy, Yedioth/Ynet) The flare-up in Gaza last week seems to be ending in a new agreement that will guarantee calm along the border, for a while at least; and while the UN and Qatar played their part, the real debt is to the Egyptian intelligence officer who drove the process forward
Both sides' interests seem to be overcoming emotion (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) The fact that Israel and Hamas managed to keep the weekend protests from turning into a catastrophe indicates some long-term thinking and a disinclination for a full-scale conflict, but without a solid policy, Gaza will remain a bone in Israel's throat.
In Gaza's Return March, echoes of an Apartheid-era massacre (Samer Badawi, +972mag) The Sharpeville Massacre, in which South African police gunned down 250 black protesters, marked a turning point in the struggle against Apartheid. But it would take another 34 years until democracy finally came to South Africa. A cautionary tale for Palestinians.
A Lottery to Pick the Next Israeli Victims of West Bank Annexation Policy (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) In the current round of fighting in Gaza, TV stations have adopted an emergency footing of nonstop live broadcasts including endless analysis and commentary. But they don’t tell viewers the simple truth, a truth they obviously prefer not to know: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to perpetuate Hamas rule in Gaza so he can annex the West Bank. These facts are obvious and have been partly stated by Netanyahu, but such remarks are immediately forgotten. He uses Hamas rule in Gaza to maintain the intra-Palestinian rift between Hamas and Fatah, thereby weakening the Palestinians and preventing discussions with pragmatists among them. This foils any possibility of establishing a Palestinian state, with the strategic goal of annexing the West Bank. Netanyahu now has some extra support for this in the form of Donald Trump’s recognition of the annexation of the Golan Heights.
How Jordan Is Weaponizing Archaeology Against Israel (Adam Sacks, Haaretz+) Despite formal peace, you won't find maps naming Israel in Jordan. Visit the kingdom's archaeological sites, and the message is clear: 2000 years ago, Jews were already 'oppressors' in the Middle East.
Russia grabs the reins on Mideast peace (Micky Aharonson, Israel Hayom) Moscow is assuming a leadership role as the only mediator able to communicate with all Palestinian factions, including Hamas. In this situation, Israel must be wary of being painted as the rejectionist side.
Israel’s Steady Productivity Retreat Since the 1970s (Dan Ben-David, Haaretz+) Much of the population is receiving neither the tools nor conditions to work in a globally competitive economy.
Ilhan Omar can declare victory (Ari Blaff, Israel Hayom) Now deemed too successful, too white and too powerful, Jews are not part and parcel of the "diversity" progressives have in mind. Jews, or more aptly, those who support Israel, are not welcome.
A German affair, not just a love story in Palestine (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Why does Israel discriminate against foreign citizens who marry Palestinian residents of the West Bank?
Interviews:
‘Artists, Activists, Writers: Go to Israel. Invade It’
At a time when artists are increasingly perceived as dangerous, it’s more important than ever to defy coercion, says André Lepecki, one of the most influential figures in the art world. (Interviewed by Shany Littman in Haaretz+)
'What’s the Alternative – to Join the Forces of Evil?' Israeli Singer Noa's Revolution Against 'Trumpism'
The singer talks with Haaretz about her new album, Bach, the Israeli cross she has to bear and how to survive in the era of Cardi B. (Interviewed by Ben Shalev in Haaretz+)
‘Artists, Activists, Writers: Go to Israel. Invade It’
At a time when artists are increasingly perceived as dangerous, it’s more important than ever to defy coercion, says André Lepecki, one of the most influential figures in the art world. (Interviewed by Shany Littman in Haaretz+)
'What’s the Alternative – to Join the Forces of Evil?' Israeli Singer Noa's Revolution Against 'Trumpism'
The singer talks with Haaretz about her new album, Bach, the Israeli cross she has to bear and how to survive in the era of Cardi B. (Interviewed by Ben Shalev in Haaretz+)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.