News Nosh 6.27.19

APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday June 27, 2019


You Must Be Kidding: 
"I'll keep doing it the way that we want to do it."
--The response of Trump advisor Jared Kushner when asked by reporters at the Bahrain economic conference what would happen if the Palestinian Authority rejected the US peace plan's political component.**

Front Page:
Haaretz
  • Ehud Barak establishes new party: “The Netanyahu rule must be brought down”
  • Hot goods // Yossi Verter
  • Netanyahu: At no stage was a rotation offered to Kahol-Lavan; Gantz: There is no way back from dissolving the Knesset
  • The warnings of escalation are in the service of Netanyahu // Amos Harel
  • Canceling of the elections harms democracy // Mordechai Kremnitzer
  • Airports Authority: There are unexplained disruptions of GPS in Israeli airspace
  • Despite agreements with Thailand and China, worsening conditions for foreign work migrants (on Israeli farms)
  • Researchers found dangerous concentrations of lead in the blood of children in Gaza
  • Director Yona Roznkayer suffered from PTSD from his military reserve duty service. In the end, a witty and sweeping film came out of it
  • Farmers in the US are in a crisis - and prices of food in Israel are expected to rise
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • In Likud they admit: Canceling the elections - trial balloon. Assessment: zero likelihood to prevent the dissolution of the Knesset; (Ehud) Barak establishing new party
  • Barak (lighting) in the eyes // Nahum Barnea writes that Ehud Barak’s entrance into politics will force Kahol-Lavan to change the way it criticizes Netanyahu
  • What’s his is his // Sima Kadmon writes that Ehud Barak has ‘killer instinct’ needed to bring down Netanyahu
  • A real threat // Sever Plocker writes that canceling the elections seriously harms democracy
  • The goal sanctifies // Amichai Atali
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
  • The Barak (lighting) returned - Ehud Barak announced establishment of new party and told the Prime Minister: “You must not continue to hold the wheel of the rule”
  • The ouster // Ben Caspit
  • Media persona Yaron London does not apologize for his remarks: “There was no sexual meaning to it”
  • “We will soon present the diplomatic plan” - Senior Trump advisor, Jared Kushner, closed the economic conference in Bahrain
  • Amazing (‘Adir’ - F-35) exercise - For the first time, international exercise of F-35 planes held with US, Israel and the UK
Israel Hayom
  • Tonight: ‘Israel Hayom’ Forum in Jerusalem on Israel-US relations
  • “Courageous friendship // Dr. Miriam Adelson writes about on US-Israel relations, Donald Trump and Nikki Haley
  • May you be blessed - Israel says thank you // (President) Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin
  • Strong alliance and more stable than ever // Binyamin Netanyahu
  • We don’t have a greater friend than the US // Boaz Bismuth
  • When justice and morality create power // David Friedman
  • Together with you, a new reality between us // Danny Danon
  • Joint principles for the war on BDS // Noa Tishbi
  • From Bahrain to Jerusalem: Jason Greenblatt will address the Forum
  • Barak will run for Knesset; In the right-wing they reacted: “Most failed prime minister in history”

Elections 2019 News:
Former prime minister Ehud Barak declared his comeback to Israeli politics because “Netanyahu’s regime must be toppled,” while the Likud party admitted that its proposal to cancel September elections was a failed trial balloon (Maariv) and Kahol-Lavan leader Benny Gantz said there was no way back, elections will take place again, making the top story in today's Hebrew newspapers. A poll by Channel 13 News found that Barak dramatically changes the map of the political blocs: Both Likud and Kahol-Lavan will drop to 32 seats and his party will receive six seats. The mostly Arab ‘Joint List’ faction would be the third largest. (Maariv) Meanwhile, today the Meretz party holds its elections for its leader, either sitting chairwoman Tamar Zandberg or Nitzan Horowitz.

**Bahrain Economic Conference:
Interestingly, the US peace economic conference in Bahrain did not make as big headlines on its second day as it had in the run up to the event and on the opening. In Yedioth, the article was on page 19. Most of the news was about US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, bashing the Palestinians. In Maariv the headline was: “Kushner: ‘The Palestinians tend to get angry when things don’t go the way they want.’” Haaretz+ quoted Kushner saying that the Palestinians “don't have a great track record of getting a deal done. I'll keep doing it the way that we want to do it.” And US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said, "We do not understand the Palestinians, and we will not wait for them.” The ambassador also repeated his controversial remarks in favor of Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank. (Maariv) Panelists at the conference welcomed the proposal’s goals, but warned that it needs to be based on a two-state solution. Kushner said the actual peace plan will be revealed soon. Meanwhile, Lebanon said it opposed the US plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It did not attend the conference. Meanwhile, the the head of the IMF said Israel must ease movement restrictions on Palestinians.
 
Quick Hits:
  • 19 incendiary balloon fires reported in South - COGAT announced on Tuesday that it will stop the transfer of fuel into Gaza in response to incendiary balloons. (Maariv and JPost)
  • Jewish Suspect in Arson Murder of Palestinian Dawabsheh Family Refuses to Testify - Amiram Ben-Uliel, who is suspected of setting ablaze the home of the family and killing three in Duma village, was set to testify in Court Wednesday but his attorney says he changed his mind because he felt he endured 'injustice.’ (Haaretz+, Ynet and Maariv)
  • Ex-military prosecutor: Police, prosecutors in rape case were terribly negligent - Former Israeli military prosecutor Col. (Res.) Ilan Katz harshly criticized investigation that led to the arrest and subsequent release of a Palestinian man for the rape of a seven-year-old Israeli girl. Katz: "In this case, there was terrible negligence on the part of the police and the military prosecutors, and you can see that from the fact that Katusa was released without any conditions," said Katz. Katusa was held in custody for 55 days. (Ynet)
  • Chile Tells Israel President Wasn't Aware of Palestinian Officials During Temple Mount Visit - Israel reprimanded ambassador because Pinera was accompanied by head of Jerusalem's Waqf and the Palestinian Jerusalem affairs minister. (Haaretz+)
  • Israel Military Advocate General and Attorney General decided: no investigation will be launched following assassination of senior Jihad official (and killing of 5 members of his family) - In July 2014 during Operation Protective Edge, six people were killed in an attack by an IDF helicopter, including Abdel Hafez Hamed, a senior terrorist in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization. Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel - demanded that the Military Judge Advocate General's Office open a criminal investigation against those involved, stating that the shooting was carried out without prior warning, at a place "not being used for war activity, indicating that the purpose of the bombing was to cause the death and injury of residents with criminal intent." The complaint further said that all the victims were members of one family, including women and children, indicating that they were not operatives who planned to carry out a military operation, and that eyewitnesses said there were no weapons or armed men in the arena. The Military Advocate General rejected the request and an appeal was submitted to Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit, who also decided that there was no reason for the complaints. (Maariv)
  • Russia Responsible for GPS Disruptions in Israeli Airspace, Security Officials Believe - Israel believes the disruptions are part of Moscow's attempts to protect its planes in northwest Syria ■ Russian ambassador calls reports 'fake news.’ (Haaretz)
  • Russia denies it's responsible for GPS disruptions in Israeli airspace
  •  - Russian sources call the report on Israel's Army Radio - saying its military in Syria operated a satellite signal jammer - 'fake news'; pilots around Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport have been losing satellite signals due to mysterious disturbances for the past three weeks. (Ynet)
  • Iran's Supreme Leader Calls U.S. Offer for Negotiations a 'Deception' - U.S. President Donald Trump imposed more sanctions on Iran this week, but Iranian central bank governor says oil exports are still increasing. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Experts fear 'snowball effect' as Iran abandons nuclear deal - Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Israel has bombed nuclear facilities in Iraq and Syria in the past. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Donors Pledge $113 Million to Help Palestinian Refugees - Pierre Krahenbuhl said the UN Relief and Works Agency faced 'the unprecedented reality' last year of having the United States, its single largest donor, cut funding from $360 million to just $60 million. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Oman Announces It Will Open Ramallah Embassy to 'Support Brotherly Palestinian People' - In 2018, Netanyahu made a rare visit to Muscat for talks with Sultan Qaboos. (Agencies, Haaretz and Israel Hayom)
  • Yair Netanyahu Stars at pro-Trump Student Group’s Jewish Leadership Conference - Sebastian Gorka, Jexodus' Elizabeth Pipko, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and Dennis Prager are among some of the other speakers at the Turning Point USA conference. (JTA, Haaretz)
  • Netanyahu's Former Aide Admits Criminal Offence in Plea Deal - Ezra Saidoff, who was involved in ordering some $100,000 worth of catered meals to the Prime Minister’s Residence, is expected to pay a fine and do community service. (Haaretz)
  • Mossad Agent Who Survived the Holocaust and Helped Incriminate Eichmann Dies - Michael Maor, who lost his parents in the Holocaust, broke into a Frankfurt office and photographed the papers that proved Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann’s guilt. (Haaretz+)
  • Tel Aviv Mayor: Education Ministry Using Schools in Battle Against Democracy - 'There are teachers who are afraid to tell their pupils that democracy is based on the sovereignty of man and not on the Bible' says Ron Huldai of religious coercion in public schools. (Haaretz+)
  • Eleven dead in militant attack on security forces in Egypt's Sinai - Seven Egyptian police officers and four militants were killed in a clash in the north of the Sinai Peninsula, the interior ministry said on Wednesday. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Venezuela government says it thwarted ‘coup’ plot aided by Israeli, US ‘agents’ - After defecting to US, former intelligence chief says Hezbollah cells were allowed to operate in Venezuela and raise funds. (Agencies, Times of Israel and Maariv)


Features:
A Young Gazan’s Dream, Amputated
Alaa ad-Dali was the Gaza cycling champion. He won the Tokyo Race twice in a row. The Tokyo Race is held in Gaza. No rider from Gaza was ever able to get to the Tokyo Race in Tokyo. At his home in Rafah, where the walls are bare of plaster, the cycling champ shows off his medals and trophies. They stand in the corner of his room. Ad-Dali has never been able to leave the cage of Gaza or compete in any other race except for the Tokyo Race in Gaza. On March 30, 2018, he finished his morning training, then rode to the fence to take part in the first March of Return protest. He was standing about 250 meters from the fence and watching what was going on when he was shot by an Israeli soldier. Two days later, he awoke in the European Hospital in Khan Yunis. “I felt like my life was over. I thought about my bike and about my dream of being a cycling champion.” He is now 21 years old. He removed one pedal from his bike and learned to ride with one leg. “The bicycle is my soul,” he says in a film clip about him produced by B’Tselem.  (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+ and Mondoweiss)
 
Elections 2019 Commentary/Analysis:
The Barak Factor: Energy, Aggression, Venom (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Barak is the only person in the country who can tell Netanyahu: 'As your former commander: Bibi, you can no longer remain at the helm of the government.’
Ehud Barak returned to the arena and proved that, like Peres, he is the man who always returns (Ben Caspit, Maariv) Barak ousted Peres from the Labor party and then Netanyahu as prime minister. Two dangerous opponents, heavy tools. But then it turned out that his software was suitable for dismantling, not assembling.
Honor the decision to hold snap elections (Amnon Lord, Israel Hayom) Canceling the election – without Likud leaders knowing with certainty they can form a stable government – is a dubious proposition, although a unity government with Blue and White would have some benefits.
Can Netanyahu spin himself out of another election? (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) While there's no apparent majority to a possible bill to cancel the September elections, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein thinks the Blue and White party should sleep on it; and who knows, perhaps the PM who has already proven that there are no limits when it comes to his political survival, has an offer they cannot refuse.
It’s hard to grasp to what level of ridicule Netanyahu brought what remains of the Israeli stateliness (Ben Caspit, Maariv) "The Edelstein Initiative" is no longer an effort to preserve the rule of the right-wing or of the Likud. The task is to protect the freedom of the leader and the welfare of his family and all those who raise a hand in favor of kosher immunity.
Ehud Barak Promises to Topple Netanyahu, Yet May End Up Joining Him (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) The former prime minister is seen by the Israeli public as a leader of equal stature to Netanyahu, but his return is unlikely to end right-wing rule.
The Arab-Jewish alliance has a dangerous common denominator that we must not allow (Menachem Ben, Maariv) Anyone who calls for an ostensibly enlightened Jewish-Arab partnership in the David Grossman style ignores the rising Palestinian nationalism among Israeli Arabs, the consequences of which can be devastating.
It is shameful to see for what Israel is willing to give up its homeland (Prof. Arieh Eldad, Maariv) The Palestinian poor are not willing to give up what they call their "homeland," even for all the world's wealth, while rich Israel is willing to give up even for free, in return for an agreement.

Other Top Commentary/Analysis:
In Dropping Rape Charges Against Palestinian, a Self-evident Legal Decision (Mordechai Kremnitzer, Haaretz+) In order for lessons to be drawn, one must ensure that debriefings are geared toward structural and procedural improvements, not toward looking for heads to roll.
What we owe to the true victim of the rape case (Chen Artzi Sror, Yedioth/Ynet) She is just seven years old, but the horrific assault she endured has been distorted, used, manipulated; this is too much to bear for young delicate shoulders that should only know the weight of a schoolbag, not the prejudices and political machinations of the adults who should be supporting her in her hour of need. Amid the tweets of various politicians, calls for the death penalty and heartless claims of an invented attack, there stands a little girl who innocently believed all of these people would help her. And after the main suspect in the case was released, the confusion intensified even further and caused a whole bunch of other politicians to start pushing their own agenda. And so it went from "the Arabs are to blame" to "the ultra-Orthodox are to blame." Because that's how it is. Rape cases are only interesting to the public as long as there is an agenda to pursue. After all, sexual violence is everywhere, and happens all the time.
The conclusion from the “Tripartite summit" is that Israel can rely solely on itself (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) The practical significance of the meeting between the national security advisors of the US, Russia and Israel and everything regarding the policy vis-a-vis Iran and Hizbollah is that we must not even think for a moment that we will receive aid from the superpowers.
We (still) have no peace partner (Dr. Kobi Michael, Israel Hayom) Blaming Israel for usurping the rights of Israeli Arabs and casting the “right of return” as an inalienable right even as the Bahrain peace conference convenes only prove that we won't have peace anytime soon.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.