APN's daily news review from Israel

Sunday April 7, 2019

 

Ex-Israeli soldier Elor Azaria who extrajudicially killed an unarmed already shot and incapacitated Palestinian assailant is crowdfunding to publish his tell-all book. And if you donate $220, you could get a private tour of the scene of the execution with his dad.**

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Front Page:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

Elections 2019 News:
With two days before elections, today’s Hebrew newspapers shared the final messages of the parties, and for Likud and Kahol-Lavan it was the same message: Vote for us and not the smaller parties or we will not get the majority we need to form a government. Yedioth also gave the political parties a chance to tell readers why they should vote for them and ran Op-Eds by the two top candidates and Israel Hayom shared the party platforms. And while many thought that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s last-minute pre-election tricks to get votes were the US President’s announcement of recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and then the announcement of the return of the body of an Israeli soldier missing for 37 years, now some say that it is his latest announcement: that Israel will annex parts of the West Bank if he wins the election. He also said he wouldn't agree to evacuate even a single settler from the West Bank.

Election Quickees:

Quick Hits:

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Features:

How the Israeli army shot dead a Palestinian paramedic in a refugee camp
Sajed Mizher, a volunteer paramedic, planned to arrive at school in time for a test. But as he walked over to a man wounded by a gunshot, he was shot himself. (Amira Hass, Haaretz)
"They look at me as if I am a criminal, and still, it’s better than being in the Gaza Strip." The Gazan refugees in Europe speak
In the five years since Operation Protective Edge (Gaza 2014 War), many Palestinians have fled from the Gaza Strip to the Greek islands, and have received refugee status along with those fleeing from Syria. Some even miss the days before the Israeli withdrawal from inside the Gaza Strip. (Tamar Dressler, Maariv)
The Temple Mount, through the lens of time
Photo exhibition at Jerusalem’s David Citadel Museum traces holy site’s history since first pictures were taken there in 1839. (Nir Hasson, Haaretz+)
'The feeling that they are just waiting for me to be gone is pushing me into my grave'
After giving their country their best years, Israel's elderly find they have no strength left to fight – with paltry pensions and meager healthcare, they believe that no one is looking out for them. (Hadar Gil-Ad, Ynet)

Elections 2019 Commentary/Analysis:
Leftists, Flock to the Polls in Droves (Haaretz Editorial) The recognition that every vote counts is particularly true for this race, with its dramatic implications for Israel’s future.
Choosing between Israel and Judea: (What really divides Israelis) (Dr. Sagi Elbaz, Maariv) It's acceptable to assume that Israeli society is dealing with four central rifts: The Jewish-Arab rift, the secular-religious rift, the Ashkenazi-Mizrachi rift and the rift between right-wing and left-wing. The four last years of Netanyahu's government, especially the present election cycle, prove that that assumption is wrong. More than anything, Israeli society is divided between the tribes whose base is not nationalist, religious, ethnic, but rather value-based. On the one hand, the tribe that supports meaningful democracy, state institutions, the superiority of the rule of law, freedom of expression and free press, tolerance, openness and sensitivity to the Other, human rights, equality before the law, equality of opportunities. On the other side there is a tribe that supports ethnocracy, in other words, the superiority of the ethnic group of the majority over the smaller minority group because its [different] ethnicity, and national identity. This tribe despises democratic institutions and shows almost blind loyalty to strong leadership - political, religious, community - even if that leader acted impropoerly, committed a crime and became corrupt. It's true that the Israeli right-wing is mostly Jewish, religious and Mizrachi and according to in-depth research prefers the characteristics of an ethnocratic rule over a democratic one. The ethnic identity is more prominent for him than his civil status. But there are parts of the right-wing that criticize the cyncial corrupt and non-democratic government of Netanyahu. People in high standing such as Benny Begin, Reuven Rivlin, David Levy, Limor Livnat and many others who remained loyal to the democratic institutions and the rule of law. They are part of the same tribe that identifies with a center-left political leadership, even if in their view the chance of a diplomatic arrangement with the Palestinians is not realistic at this point. And therefore, if these two tribes, liberal Israel and conservative Judea can no longer agree on one core value that is based on respecting democratic institutions, the rule of law, the advancement of civil rights and equality, then there is no more real purpose in their existence as one people.
Election promises are one thing, coalition talks are another (Mati Tuchfeld, Israel Hayom) No one will be shocked if ultimately, Benny Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu sit in the same government, or if the haredi parties agree to join a coalition under Blue and White.
Voting for democracy or for Messianism (Lt. Col. (res.) Ron Tira, Maariv) The elections aren't about people or policy, but about something much deeper and more important: the identity of the state and its civilization. The upcoming elections are a national referendum on whether Israel will preserve its identity as a Jewish, stately, democratic and Western state or whether it will complete the revolution and turn into a Messianic, religious-exile state, that integrates into the Middle East and not in a positive sense.  
Netanyahu's policy of divide and rule (Shlomo Pyuterkovsky, Yedioth/Ynet) The prime minister is relying on a tried and tested political trick of pitting 'us' against 'them'; but a vegetable hurled at him during a visit to what should have been a stronghold has let his camp fearful that cracks are beginning to form in his united front.
If re-elected, Netanyahu's first order of business will be an obscenity against democracy (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) In the final days before the election, Netanyahu pulled from his hat some impressive diplomatic coups, while presiding over an unusually ugly campaign rife with trashy video clips. It seems to have paid off.
Only a significant loss for the religious-nationalist right-wing would cleanse the poison from the system (Ran Edelist, Maariv) Any result that is not a decisive victory by Kahol-Lavan and the leftist bloc will not alter anything in the present situation, as exemplified by the Golan Trick that Netanyahu and Trump created to create a patriotic wave.
Netanyahu has cunningly navigated the Mideast. Israeli voters will reward him (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Corruption takes a back seat to indisputable diplomatic achievements. Israeli fake accounts network takes a page from Soviet propaganda.
The timing of Netanyahu's trip to Moscow wass more for election purposes than for security (Yossi Melman, Maariv) The prime minister has important Israeli interests to promote with Putin, first and foremost the deployment of an air defense system in Syria, but that was not the main reason for his departure.
Netanyahu closes in on election victory, courtesy of Putin’s decisive 'October Surprise' (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) With five days to go, the right is no longer complaining about biased polls while the left suffers from early onset depression and despair.
What would Menachem Begin think about Israel’s elections? (Jonathan S. Tobin, Israel Hayom) It's nice that this hero's greatness is finally being recognized by all segments of Israeli society, but the notion that he has somehow become an avatar of today's Left-wingers is bunk.
A review of the right-wing bloc on the political map, along with my opinion and recommendations (Prof. Arieh Eldad, Maariv) My family, my friends and my acquaintances, my devoted readers and my listeners on the radio: here is the list of right-wing parties, or those that can be mistaken for such. For Moshe Feiglin's ‘Zehut’ party will vote mainly the religious who are certain that he is our righteous Messiah, confused leftists, those who are desperately lost and those who aren’t connected to any party. Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu party) claims to be a sane right. That’s insulting. In contrast to his DNA and most of his supporters, he may nevertheless join Gantz in extreme circumstances (a complete stalemate and a dead end). Avigdor Lieberman pretends to be a strong right and every time a he breaks to the left diplomatically or before elections. The New Right Wing: Bennett and Shaked. Ayelet Shaked is the great hope of this list. In my opinion - she is suitable to be prime minister. The connection between the religious and secular people is also good in my view. They support imposing Israeli sovereignty over the [Palestinian - OH] territories. The Union of Right-Wing Parties: the connection between the Habayit Hayehudi, the Haichud Haleumi and Otzma Yehudit. Walking proof that the common sense and the fear of the not crossing the minimum threshold can bridge even 50 shades of loyalty to the Land of Israel. They deserve that you vote for them because of MK Bezalel Smotrich, Davidi Ben-Zion, my beloved nephew, and Itamar Ben-Gvir. The latter must enter the Knesset, if only to see the faces of the High Court justices who disqualified Michael Ben Ari. This is right-wing party without reservations, which deserves your support.
A dozen reasons why Netanyahu will win the election – and half a dozen why he won't (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Four days before the vote, the stage seems set for his victory, unless Israelis decide at the very last minute that enough is enough.
Three days until Israeli election: Netanyahu hits the panic button (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) We’ve seen it all before in 2015. But will a last-minute, 'the Arab voters are moving in droves' strategy, be as effective for Netanyahu in 2019?  Meanwhile, Lapid fly to Paris for a photo-op.
The law in the social media networks is simple: either you are loyal till death or you are a traitor (Haim Etgar, Maariv) As soon as I mentioned that Netanyahu was my favorite candidate, I was not allowed to present the shortcomings of his campaign, to express reservations or to demand answers to things that irritated me.
Bennett for Defense, Shaked for Justice (Israel Harel, Haaretz+) Naftali Bennett, who has a detailed program to break out of this vicious cycle with the Gaza Strip, is being attacked for being a “war monger.” Another critical effort for the country’s well-being is the reinstatement of the separation of powers. Here too the right-wing governments acted feebly. Ayelet Shaked came along and started the thousand-mile journey to reinstate the balance between the Knesset and government and the legal system, even though she didn’t get the required backing from Netanyahu to bring about a real revolution.
In spite of the fact that he was attacked from all sides, Ganz is still here (Ben Caspit, Maariv) What was not said about him? What didn't they falsely accuse him of? And he is still a step from the country's keys. But even his party knows that they depend on their voters to go in droves to the polls.
Annexing the West Bank: Why We Must Take Netanyahu's Pre-election Stunt Seriously (Victor Kattan, Haaretz+) Annexation would be disastrous for the Palestinians. It would also be enormously damaging for Israel. Netanyahu knows that – but he also knows his base has moved rightwards, and that Trump will back him anyway
Non-Jews Are About to Lose the Right to Vote in Israel (Samuel Heilman, Haaretz+) The Israeli right is not so subtly moving toward an atmosphere of disenfranchising non-Jewish voters. Palestinian citizens of Israel who boycott the elections may not get another chance to ensure their voice is heard.
Turkey, Ukraine and Israel: An electoral comparison (Ruthie Blum, Israel Hayom) Israelis across the political spectrum have been talking a lot lately about "fearing" the results of the April 9 elections. This is not only preposterous when contrasted with the situation in Turkey but also reeks of ingratitude towards Israeli democracy.
Why I’m voting for Meretz again (A.B. Yehoshua, Haaretz+) Although unfortunately I no longer believe (though I would dearly love to be proven wrong) in the possibility of the two-state solution, which is a fundamental plank of Meretz’ ideological platform, I still plan to vote for Meretz in the upcoming election. This is not just because I agree with the party’s other ideological principles, but mainly because Meretz embodies the most important parliamentary and public support for two organizations – B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence. And I would be grateful if intelligent, moral people on the right and among the settlers would also try to listen and take the following explanation into consideration.
The time has come for election considerations to come from deep thought on the question of what are the consequences for the state (Meir Uziel, Maariv) Emotional thinking takes over everyone. The noise of the gossip from which we are all nourished obscures the ability to focus on the question of what is good for bringing about the success of the state in the next four years.
Benny Gantz Is the Best Candidate for Prime Minister (Friday Haaretz Editorial) Gantz is preferable because on Election Day, you have to choose reality, not dreams. And he offers Israel a better reality than Netanyahu does
The known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns that could decide Israel's election (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Netanyahu's risky last-minute 'oy gevalt' campaign could drive Likud satellites below the threshold – and doom his chances of re-election.
With Gantz as election rival, Netanyahu competes against an old version of himself (Aluf Benn, Haaretz+) The fact that the right rose to power 42 years ago and that Netanyahu has ruled for a decade doesn't stop them from arguing the real power remains in the hands of their political opponents.

Commentary/Analysis:
**Ex-IDF Soldier Who Killed a Dying Palestinian Assailant Is Crowdfunding a Tell-all Book (Alon Idan, Haaretz+) And if you donate $220, you could get a private tour of the scene of the execution.
Renewal of the assassinations (of Hamas officials) in Gaza could complicate Israel even more (Jackie Khougy, Maariv) What was true in the second intifada is doubtful whether it will work these days. And also: how the city of Eilat became the spearhead in Israel's relations with Jordan. Let's say Israel launches an assassination operation and kills two or three senior Hamas figures. After a few days of battle they will continue to challenge us along the border. Let's say that the IDF will act more harshly, for example, killing more than two, three, five or ten Hamas leaders and commanders in the military wing, and their immediate reaction will be a rain of missiles at best, and another war at worst. If an extensive military campaign breaks out again, there are two possibilities. First, that at its end, we will return to the zero point as in Protective Edge War (2014). Even then, both sides were were hit hard, but the Hamas regime remained intact. They will continue to make our lives bitter until the siege is lifted, because they have nothing to lose. A second possibility is that the war will end with the overthrow of Hamas. In this case, the problem will be particularly challenging. No one wants to take over the Gaza Strip (not Egypt, not Israel, not the UN), and whoever wants to do so is not capable of doing so. If the IDF returns to Gaza, it will have a bitter life. If it does not return, the space will be filled by the strongest force. Who will have this power? Fragments of Hamas, rogue factions, and/or extremists from Sinai. With a rule of gangs in the Gaza Strip, we will soon miss Hamas, just like today we miss the days of the Palestinian Authority. ■ 2000 Jordanian workers will work during these coming months in hotels in Eilat. They did not arrive there by accident, but as part of an agreement between Jerusalem and Amman. The agreement was five years old, and a month ago it was upgraded for the summer season ahead. A senior representative from the Foreign Ministry met in Aqaba with a high ranking official in the Jordanian administration, and the two signed an appendix to the agreement. Instead of 1,500, the agreement will be extended to 2,000 Jordanian workers. For the hotel industry in Eilat this agreement was profitable and saved it. The hotels were crying for working hands. For the Jordanians, the venture is equivalent to a huge enterprise that supports thousands of families, and not just the 2,000 workers who work there. They arrive each day in the morning and return to their country in the evening, and at the border crossing Wadi Arava  a transport industry was established. The vast majority live in Aqaba, even though they come from all parts of the kingdom, and thus the need for accommodation units was also born. The Kingdom of Jordan itself is a considerable employer of foreign labor. In Aqaba hotels you will find many workers from Egypt. Jordanians are also employed there, but their monthly salary is more modest, and it is more worthwhile for them to work here. There they earn about 300 dinars a month (about 1,600 shekels). In Israel, on the other hand, they receive the minimum wage (5,300 shekels), but it is three times higher. Some even get tips from the vacationers, and may reach a salary of 7,000 shekels. Although the holiday season begins in April and ends in October and most of them are forced to return to the kingdom during the winter months, the work in Eilat is very worthwhile. In the placement agencies in Jordan there is a demand for work in Eilat even beyond the need for workers. It is therefore not surprising that the parties recently discussed the possibility of copying the model to the Dead Sea. The main difficulty is the need to establish a terminal from scratch. On the margins of the project, each of these Jordanian workers can be seen as a small peace activist. These thousands of young people will return to their country at the end of a few years, after they have known Israelis closely. This is in an era in which the distance and alienation between the two populations are at their peak.
Algeria’s president for 20 years is going, but not the system that enabled his rule (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) It may seem that an era is ending with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s resignation, but the protesters have to oust the military leaders, too.
Israeli attitudes toward American Jews (Asaf Romirowsky, Israel Hayom) Just as Israelis don’t want American Jews to make Israel a partisan issue, Israeli leaders should not push American Jews away.
We’re still waiting for the call to tell us my brother is coming home (Pirhiya Hyman, Yedioth/Ynet) Like Zachary Baumel and Zvi Feldman, my brother Yehuda Katz has been missing since 1982, but I still believe he will be found alive and well and expect Israel keep up the good work until all of our missing soldiers return.

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