APN's daily news review from Israel

Sunday August 25, 2019
 

Quote of the day:
"The fact that an Arab decided to make an attack and my brother was killed in it does not mean that I will put an X on the whole sector. I have many Arab friends and I really love them.”
--Jewish Israeli chef, Shlomi Nahum, talks about life and cooking after two of his brothers were killed.*

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Front Page:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

Top News Summary:
The killing of an Israeli girl by a roadside mine in the West Bank and the hunt for the Palestinian killers, the Israeli strike in Syria, and the US and Iraqi reactions to the Israeli strikes in Iraq and the rejection by Kahol-Lavan of the historic offer by the leader of the mostly-Arab Joint List to join a center-left coalition were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.

Three suspects were detained in the murder of Rina Shnerb, who died when an improvised charge exploded at a West Bank spring she and her family were visiting. Some of the Palestinians were detained for the purpose of gathering intel into the planting of the mine. But this time the security forces are not putting sieges on Palestinian villages during their manhunt, Ynet reported. US special envoy to the Mideast Jason Greenblatt said that donor countries should consider pulling funding from the Palestinian Authority ‘over terrorism.’

Meanwhile, Israel confirmed that the attack it made Saturday in Syria was to foil an Iranian drone attack. Syrian opposition activists reported three deaths in the attack. And after U.S. officials told the New York Times that Israel struck an Iranian weapons depot in Iraq, a former Iraqi prime minister warned of a ‘strong response’ from Iraq if Israel was indeed responsible for the strikes. Then, US officials denied the earlier statement by a US official and said that the blasts in Iraq might be due to the heat.

At the Gaza-Israel border, thousands of Palestinians protested and Israeli soldiers seriously wounded five of them. Yet, the Qatari envoy to Gaza said Israel and Hamas were committed to the truce despite the violence. "Both sides have no war intentions but there is a lack of money and the humanitarian situation is bad,"  Mohammed Al-Emadi said. "Should people feel financially at ease, the ghost of war will be totally removed.”


Elections 2019 Quickees:

Quick Hits:

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Features:
What’s Killing Israel’s Lone Soldiers?
Young Diaspora Jews account for only 2 percent of soldiers serving in the Israeli army, but in the past year the suicide rate among them has been disproportionately high. Haaretz investigates why. (Judy Maltz and Yaniv Kubovich, Haaretz+)
The Trip Rashida Tlaib Didn’t Get to Take
A visit to Upper Beit Ur, where the mother and grandmother of Palestinian-American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib were born, and where she married in 1998. (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+)
How the 1929 Arab massacres of Jews shaped a generation of Israeli leaders
More than 130 Jews were killed in Jerusalem, Hebron and elsewhere. Children would write about their experiences, and Haaretz noted that ‘we know that the whole of the Arab nation in this land wasn’t responsible.’ (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
Haaretz Photo Blog Unhealed Wounds: The personal cost of the right to protest
New international photography and multimedia project shows people from around the world who were injured by police brutality and crowd-control weapons. (Tali Mayer, Haaretz+)
How Israeli Media Became a Playground for Billionaires
Instead of developing a competitive, decentralized market, a handful of businessmen are acquiring newspapers, websites and TV channels in order to gain influence. (Nati Tucker, Haaretz+)
Jaffa beauty
Neither the Western Wall, nor the Bahá'í Gardens nor Masada - the only Israeli place to be selected for Time magazine's 100 most amazing sites in the world is a Jaffa hospital that has become a luxury hotel, The Jaffa. The American magazine noted the historical aspect of The Jaffa Hotel, which was housed in an ancient building that was once a hospital and a hostel for Christian pilgrims and was known as the "French Hospital". The magazine also chose to name the two hotel architects, world-renowned architect John Pawson and Israeli architect Rami Gil. It is evident that the Time's editors mainly noted the combination of old and new, the spectacular design and the history behind the walls. (Yedioth Hebrew)
These Israeli Lawmakers Want African Asylum Seekers Deported. Now They're Replaced by Them
In a new play that Haaretz's social-affairs reporter helped create, the five migrants represent lawmakers generally keen to deport them – and even the leftist gets lampooned. (Aya Chajut, Haaretz+)
The crime: Collaborating with the Nazis. The punishment: Excommunication from Judaism
Was a Judenrat member a traitor to his people? A new study addresses a little-discussed chapter in Holocaust history, and recalls how Israel's early judicial system dealt with Jews who collaborated with Nazis. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
Israeli tech pioneer who made it possible to talk on Skype and watch YouTube dies
Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and Virginia-based Internet Society’s hall of fame, Danny Cohen's name may not be well known, but his work helped shape how we use the internet. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
Israeli Right Resurrects ‘Voluntary Transfer’ of Palestinians, Despite 50 Years of Failure (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) The proposal by a ‘senior government official’ to assist emigration from Gaza joins the efforts of esteemed Israeli leaders and professors, but they haven’t been able to suppress Palestinian aspirations.
Furor over Trump's 'disloyalty' remarks is a diversion (Carol Greenwald, Israel Hayom) The president of the United States was not being anti-Semitic; he was simply being honest, saying out loud what a lot of people are thinking.
The dual loyalty test (Yossi Shine, Yedioth Hebrew) The "dual loyalty" labeling against minorities and political groups exists in America almost from its inception. In the 19th century, the Irish were suspected of loyalty to the Catholic Church, during World War I, the Germans were suspected of their treacherous affiliation to Berlin, and during World War II, tens of thousands of Japanese Americans were imprisoned in the enclosed camps following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Historian Wyman wrote that the fear of “dual loyalty" labeling caused American Jews to abandon their brethren in Europe during the Holocaust. After the war, American Jewry experienced another jolt of loyalty when Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were prosecuted and executed for handing over atomic secrets to the Soviets. In fact, the American socialist left has always been identified with Jews. And yet for Jews, America became a national home like they never knew, and Judaism there underwent a profound process of Americanization. Jews have always emphasized that they are true to pluralistic America, and they boast of their identification with the wide range of patriotic-American views…The dual loyalty question has for years focused on the "Jewish lobby" activity accused of hurting the American interest in the Middle East. The Pollard affair shocked American Jewry, and President Bush Sr. and Secretary of State Baker warned Jews of "over-loyalty" to Israel. Even after the 9/11 attacks, "neo-conservative" Jews were accused of dragging America to war in Iraq for the sake of Israel. During the Obama era, J Street was set up as an alternative American lobby to AIPAC's "blind loyalty.” And here, after years of allegations of over-loyalty to Israel from the center and left, President Trump comes and blames Jews for disloyalty to the United States for "lacking loyalty" to Israel. Unqualified support for Israel. Trump asks: "How can one be a loyal Jew and loyal to Israel and at the same time support the Democratic Party, in which Israel-haters, like Rashida Tlaib and Ilan Omar star?” In the Trump equation, Jews who do not support Israel betray their Judaism and are traitors towards America. Trump is accused of being the president who enflames the "old anti-Semitism." But he and his followers in Washington and Jerusalem argue that the president is actually the big fighter against the "new anti-Semitism" of the BDS and other Israeli-haters. Trump, who adopts Israel as the definition of Judaism and Jewish interest, has been dubbed in Jerusalem as ‘Cyrus.’ In Jerusalem, he is seen as a newer version of Brandeis, who believes that Jewish loyalty and loyalty to America demand loyalty to Israel. This thesis aligns well with Netanyahu and (far-right minister) Bezalel Smotrich, who embrace evangelical Christianity over progressive Judaism, thus effectively validating the claim that those who do not adhere to the new Trump doctrine are not within the boundaries of loyalty.
Getting to the bottom of a tragic 'disloyalty' (Melanie Phillips, Israel Hayom) Jewish Democrats are supporting a party that is tacitly enabling the expression of potentially murderous anti-Semitism. Yet they have the gall to attack as an anti-Semite the man who is calling out the party for the way it is progressively throwing Israel and Jews under the bus.
Unhappy with Iraq strikes, U.S. outs Israel (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Israeli strikes on Iran targets will undermine relations with Baghdad, Washington fears ■ What Netanyahu's silence on Trump's 'disloyal Jews' means for the fight against Tehran.
Trump's 'disloyalty' jibe shows he is no friend of Israel (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) The president's recent remarks calling Jews who vote Democratic 'disloyal' to Israel resemble arguments made by white supremacists and are harmful to the American Jewish community.
Israeli Defense System Iron Fist Enjoys Belated Glory (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) More than nine years since it was given the cold shoulder by the Defense Ministry, justice has been done for Iron Fist, to be manufactured by Elbit Systems.
IDF dependency on technology could be its downfall (Yoav Keren, Yedioth/Ynet) Recent events on the Gaza border leading to suspension of three Israeli soldiers who failed to engage the enemy in battle should raise a red flag over the army's growing reliance on tech.
Note to the Netanyahu government: The status quo in the Gaza Strip will not last forever (Yossi Melman, Maariv) The increase in electricity supply to Gaza produces relative quiet, but it is deceptive and fragile. The Strip is still in dire straits. The signs of the economic crisis are also felt in the West Bank.
When Gaza comes to the West Bank (Shimrit Meir, Yedioth Hebrew) The sequence of attacks in recent weeks reveals a worrying trend that if we do not get control of it quickly and turn the steering wheel to the other side, it could end in the worst scenario - the Gaza-ization of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).
Opinion Israelis, Demonstrating Isn’t Enough – Strike! (Ofra Rudner, Haaretz+) Strikes are the most effective bargaining chip that working people have in the face of the power of money and government. Worse than that, they undermine the appearance of normality and restore civilian sector issues to the public agenda. In Netanyahu’s world, limiting the right to strike would be good for the population and the current wonderful situation. But in the real world, the situation has been awful for quite some time and people have had enough with the pretense.
Israel's hard choices when it comes to Gaza (Amos Yadlin, Yedioth/Ynet) Israel has options if and when it decides to change the strategic standoff on the Gaza border; though none are very good, all require weakening the military wing of Hamas and most would benefit from a diplomatic process.
Shooting and talking (Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth Hebrew) The situation heating up in the south does not interfere with the efforts for an ‘arrangement’ with Hamas. On the contrary, Israel and Hamas continue, at least through middlemen, to negotiate. Last night, a terrorist approached the fence and threw explosives at an IDF force.  Today, a Qatari envoy is expected to arrive in Gaza with the money suitcases and Hamas is planning demonstrations on the fence. In the IDF, the blamed the escalation on Islamic Jihad, but Hamas remains the real address: When it wants to preserve the quiet - it succeeds.
Not just Palestinian 'lone wolves': Israeli teen's murder points to organized West Bank cells (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Attack attests to a level of preparation, familiarity with the scene and proficiency in crafting explosive devices. It also signifies an uptick in grave incidents.
While critics cry foul, US, Israeli envoys deliver for democratic allies (Alex Traiman, Israel Hayom) While criticism is being leveled at the Israeli ambassador to Washington and the US ambassador to Jerusalem over Israel’s entry ban on pro-BDS Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, the envoys are targets because of the trust they have with their nation’s leaders. It is precisely those relationships that make them so effective.
Hypocrisy towards the settlers (Elisha Ben-Kimon, Yedioth Hebrew) The important trade agreements with South Korea reveal the lack of determination regarding the issue of Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria. The two major parties followed each other in mutual wrangling over whether Israel excluded Judea and Samaria [the West Bank - OH] and the Golan Heights from the trade agreements or not. Words, allegations were thrown, and each side embraced the settlers and showed how much it keeps the industrialists and businessmen operating across the Green Line.  Most of the attention was captured by Minister of Economy Eli Cohen, who signed the agreement for the Likud, and MK Zvika Hauser of Kahol-Lavan The two competed in the race and bypassed each other at every hour from the right. Later, Yesha [West Bank] Council leaders joined in the celebration.
What should Israel look for in the tribal war in Yemen? (Ran Edelist, Maariv) For years, there has been a tribal war between the Houthis, who have Iranian support, and between a Saudi-American-backed tribal coalition. The question is what the hell does Israel have to look for there.

Elections 2019 Commentary/Analysis:
Israeli Arabs Want In, Center-left Says No (Ravit Hecht, Haaretz+) In a week that featured the horrific specter of the ruling party advocating for the disqualification of Arab political representation in the Knesset, the chairman of the Joint List, MK Ayman Odeh, did the most fitting, justified, wise thing: He declared he would be willing to join a center-left coalition. Arab ministers in the government of Israel. That should be the norm. What a pity that Odeh’s potential partners insist on continuing to dance to the tune of stupidity. Kahol Lavan MK Yoaz Hendel announced immediately: “We won’t sit with the Arab parties that basically deny the existence of Israel as a Jewish state.” His party colleague MK Yair Lapid said: “Let Ayman Odeh first look at his own house and see who he’s bringing in before he starts conducting coalition negotiations." They were both referring, directly and indirectly, to Balad, on the extreme end of the Joint List, which is burdened with communists and Islamists, feminists and conservatives, pragmatists and hawks. But Balad’s part in the Joint List, by even a generous assessment, is two or three Knesset seats. Kahol Lavan’s (thinking) is lining up with Likud and Kahanism: (that) all the Arabs are the same, they should all be out.
I have no (Arab) sister (Einav Schiff, Yedioth Hebrew) And this time: Kahol-Lavan Party. MK Ayman's interview with Nahum Barnea in this paper created a surge that could redefine the election campaign. As expected, the readiness of the chairman of the Joint List to join a coalition led the Likud and the prime minister to release a series of threats, about the terrible disaster that will get fall upon us. Nathan Eshel, a close associate of Netanyahu and a supporter of integrating Arabs into power, must be preparing a series of poignant articles in response. At this point, all eyes were on Benny Gantz and his party, lest they break the continuity that began with Yair Lapid's “Zuabeez” and continued with patronizing behavior and disregard for the Arab public - sorry, "non-Jewish” public -  in the previous election. But then a video clip was released that was all disgust with and aversion from the representation of 20 percent of the country's citizens [ i.e. the Arab sector - OH], with no difference between Balad and Hadash, Ra’am and Ta’al. The clip [possibly by Kahol-Lavan party - OH] purported to show how Netanyahu and the Likud are the ones who dare to make plans and deals with the Arab MKs, and Eshel's call to integrate Arabs into leadership is something to be ashamed of. And they call this (party) an "alternative." If so, Kahol-Lavan fell exactly into the trap the Likud prepared. If we weren’t already depressed in the face of the racial tone and historical shortcomings; also from the political-marketing, point of view, what may appear to be a swift and sharp response is actually a surrender to the discourse and agenda that may further hurt voting percentages in the Arab public, and without them, Kahol-Lavan doesn’t stand a chance of making a turnaround. So, after failing to excel in transferring messages to the public, in giving charismatic performances and memorizing names, Benny Gantz proves that he doesn't even understand simple math.
Of Courage and Cowardice in Israel's Election Campaign (Friday Haaretz Editorial) The chairman of the Joint List, MK Ayman Odeh, demonstrated courage. In an interview with the daily Yedioth Ahronoth, parts of which were published on Thursday, he said he would be willing to recommend that Benny Gantz form the next government, and would also agree to be part of a center-left government…This is the first time the leader of an Arab party has announced his willingness to join any government. Not all the components of the Joint List – a joint ticket comprising four parties – agree with his position; the Balad party has already announced its opposition. But Odeh’s announcement is an encouraging breath of fresh air for anyone who wants to see Arabs integrate as citizens with equal rights in this country and its leadership…The response that truly evoked despair came from the leaders of Gantz’s Kahol Lavan party, who, in their cowardice, rushed to distance themselves from the Joint List as if it were a leper.
Where does the Left draw the line? (Ophir Dayan, Israel Hayom) Is the Left, to take down a right-wing government, willing to bring to the government table those whose stated political objective is opposition to the Jewish state? Are they, out of disgust for Netanyahu, willing to cooperate with those who support terrorism? The answer, unfortunately, is clear.
Israeli Arab leader made a rare overture. The consequences could be harmful (Jack Khoury, Haaretz+) Ayman Odeh wanted to rouse the political arena and his voters, but his words may come careening back at him like a boomerang.
Anyone but Cowardly, Warmongering Kahol Lavan (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Vote left, vote right, just don’t vote nothing. The nothing of Kahol Lavan isn’t merely nothing, it’s an actively destructive nothing. It suffocates any possibility of providing an alternative and eliminates any hope for change. The leaders of this nothing threaten that the next round of warfare in the Gaza Strip will be “the last round” and avoid the most moderate of Israeli Arab leaders as if he were the plague. If that’s the alternative to the right-wing government, then we’re better off with the original. It’s true that they are nice and less corrupt, that they would undoubtedly introduce a few changes that would improve the atmosphere in Israel. But they’ve already proven beyond all doubt that whenever a position must be taken not on a populist issue like the need for more hospitals, but rather on a controversial topic such as war and peace, they will always choose a right-wing stance.
The politicians know: The public likes being lied to (Prof. Arieh Eldad, Maariv) Gantz, Ashkenazi and Ya'alon, Peretz and Lieberman and Netanyahu - all promise to defeat Hamas, even though they know the truth: None of them would be willing to pay the price.
Israel should not be governed by a novice (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) Blue and White party leader and former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz is an Israeli patriot, and as such, he should bravely and unpretentiously announce he is not now running for the role of prime minister.
Netanyahu is going for broke (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Netanyahu is putting all his eggs in Likud's basket, while Gantz and Lieberman sign a deal to shouts of 'we told you so,' from both the center-left and the right.
On the right and left, too many Jews are happy to be useful idiots (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) From Benjamin Netanyahu touting Viktor Orban to Bernie Sanders embracing Ilhan Omar, Jewish leaders are eager to endorse any problematic politician. As long as it fits their agenda.
The fight for the open space (Maj. Gen. (res.) Gershon Hacohen, Israel Hayom) For decades now, the Palestinians have understood the essence of their struggle better than us. The purpose of our struggle also used to be clear and we'd be wise to embrace it again: We aspire to an existence in the land of our forefathers in all its fields and open spaces, not just behind our gated "villas in the jungle."
Right-wing union's housing plan: Bribe Israelis into becoming settlers (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) Yamina's housing program purports to be about solving the affordability problem, but it’s nothing more than a way of luring people over the Green Line. Thankfully, it’s a non-starter.
 

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