News Nosh 5.31.20

APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday May 31, 2020

 Quote of the day:
"Border Police officers claimed they believed he was holding a gun – there was none – and when they called out for him to stop, he started running. The penalty was death. The Border Police, the most brutal of all units, knows no other way to overpower a fleeing autistic Palestinian except to execute him."
--Haaretz's Gideon Levy writes about the killing by two Israeli Border Policemen of Eyad Hallaq, a 32-year-old autistic man, who was on his way to the Elwyn Center for disabled people.*
You Must Be Kidding: 

"The shooting in Jerusalem, as horrible as it was, did not take place on racial background, but in the context of a nationalist conflict, which unfortunately creates terror. Just this week there were those who told us an intifada was the natural and desired result of all the talk about extending sovereignty. That is the reason for police presence in Jerusalem, and that is the background for the tension."
--'Israel Hayom' commentator Eithan Orkibi writes a whole Op-Ed saying declaring is no parallel of racism between the killing by police of George Floyd in Minneapolis and of Eyad Hallaq in Jerusalem, yet the only actual refute is the paragraph above, which fails to explain why there cannot be racism toward an occupied people.**


Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • The infection test - Alert for second wave - the restrictions on the economy could return
  • Careful, complacency // Nadav Eyal
  • No surprises // Sarit Rosenblum
  • Take responsibility // Sever Plocker
  • Burning from anger (in US)
  • Suspicion: The commander shouted “Stop fire,” the Border Policeman continued shooting  - The shooting, the storm and the investigation (over killing of autistic Palestinian man)
  • Soccer returns? The sport supplement returns!
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
  • Routine life - on condition
  • No good news (for self-employed) // Yehuda Sharoni
  • The (Border) Policemen were questioned under warning (for shooting dead the autistic Palestinian man)
  • The streets (in the US) are enraged
  • Return game - After three months, Israel soccer returned from the corona break
Israel Hayom

Top News Summary:
The sharp rise in corona cases and the government’s plan to extend emergency laws for another 10 months, the killing of an autistic Palestinian young man by Israeli Border Policemen and the burning protests across the US over the killing of a black man were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.

The killing, if not murder in cold blood, of Eyad Al-Hallak, a 32-year-old autistic Palestinian man, by two Border Policemen, while Eyad was on his way to the school where he learns and works, was covered in the Hebrew media as a tragic event where - unusually - the papers Border Policeman were perceived as in the wrong for shooting an innocent man who was fleeing in the back - and his being autistic made it clear to the newspapers and the readers that he was no threat. The Israeli Border Police have a long record of abuse of and killing Palestinians, as a look at the first few reports in just today’s Quick Hits section shows. Racial profiling and racist violence towards Palestinians are more common in this semi-military unit that any others - with the exception of the Kfir Brigades. Yet, only Haaretz and Israel Hayom made the connection between the top stories of the killings of minorities by police. However, while Gideon Levy’s Op-Ed in Haaretz and the Haaretz Editorial today showed the parallel between the racism behind the killings, Israel Hayom’s Eithan Orkibi argued there was no connection. (See Commentary/Analysis below.)

Also interesting were the following news related to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister and ‘Alternate Prime Minister’ Benny Gantz.  Yedioth Hebrew reported today that after the government’s Special Permits Committee already approved a two million shekel loan to Netanyahu for his legal defense fees, Netanyahu has now asked the committee for approval to receive a donation of 10 million shekels from Australian tycoon and personal friend, Spencer Partridge, who is also a witness in Case 1000. Judicial affairs correspondent Tova Tzimuki wrote that the Special Permits Committee approached the Attorney General with an embarrassing request: What is his opinion on the Prime Minister’s request?  Just last Wednesday, the High Court justices wrote that letting a criminal defendant serve as prime minister is a moral failure, but they had to let Netanyahu keep his post despite his trial because they couldn't legally or politically bar him. (Also Ynet Hebrew)

And while there are ethical questions about Netanyahu’s leadership, his party members are declaring doubt about Gantz’s leadership abilities.  Saturday night, Likud MK and former Jerusalem mayor, Nir Barekat declared in an interview with Channel 13 News that Gantz “doesn’t have the economic experience, the international outlook and the broad perspective it takes to be prime minister. Much to my delight, Binyamin Netanyahu continues to lead the country. I am committed, like the whole of Likud, to the (coalition rotation) agreement, but hope that in the next year and a half there will be some change…In the election campaign, I argued, like my fellow Likud members, that he lacks the skills and experience, and my opinion has not changed. There are political constraints and I'm glad there is unity, but my opinion hasn't changed." (Maariv) This comes only days after Gantz stormed out of a meeting with Netanyahu after hearing that Netanyahu loyalist, Minister Miri Regev, told Yedioth Ahronoth that Gantz “was not yet ready to be prime minister.” The media reported that Netanyahu chastised Regev and the two leaders met again later that night to decide on issues regarding who would sit on what Knesset committee, etc. (Maariv)

Annexation Quick Hits:
  • Netanyahu Says Palestinians in Jordan Valley Won't Get Citizenship After Annexation - Palestinians 'have to recognize that we are the ones dictating security rules over the entire territory,' prime minister says. (Agencies, Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  • U.S. warns its nationals to avoid West Bank, Gaza amid annexation talks - Embassy in Jerusalem singles out checkpoints, markets and government facilities as possible targets of potential attacks and asks citizens to maintain vigilance; 'Violence can occur with little or no warning,' says official statement. (Maariv and Yedioth/Ynet and Israel Hayom)
  • Annexation? The IDF is preparing a war game - The political echelon has not yet shared with the military the decision-making process for the possibility of applying Israeli law to the Beqaa Jordan Valley as early as July, nor was it told to prepare a position document, but the chief of staff is not waiting. (Maariv and Yedioth Hebrew)
  • Despite Support at EU, Austria Clarifies It Opposes Israeli Annexation - Austria and Hungary – who blocked anti-Netanyahu resolutions in the past –prevented a joint EU statement against annexation due to its timing, foreign minister says, but reiterated stance against annexation to Israeli counterpart. (Haaretz+)
  • Report: Mossad chief met with Egyptian security officials over annexation plan - Mossad Director Yossi Cohen secretly met with Egyptian Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Kamel and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during his secret trip to Cairo and also discussed the Trump administration's peace plan and the ongoing situation in Gaza, London-based Arabic daily Al-Araby reported. (Israel Hayom)
  • Palestinian Leadership Argues Severing Ties With Israel Shouldn't Influence International Court - Palestinian Authority says will reply by June 10 deadline to ICC demands for clarification regarding status of Oslo Accords, to argue breaking agreements is a sovereign right. (Haaretz+)
  • Palestinians launch campaign to boycott IDF humanitarian, economic aid [sic- just the social media accounts] - The campaign by Palestinian activists and journalists comes on the heels of PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s May 19 decision to renounce all agreements and understandings with Israel and the US, including security cooperation. The campaign, titled “You are either with me or with the Munasseq [Arabic for Coordinator],” specifically targets the popular Arabic accounts of the head of COGAT, Maj. Gen. Kamil Abu Rukun. As part of the campaign, Palestinians are being urged to unlike and stop following the accounts. (JPost/Maariv)
  • (Some settlers:) "Apply sovereignty to the four northern Samaria communities as well" - Despite promises of the past: A struggle for settlement of the northern Samaria communities, San-Nur, Homesh, Ganim and Kadim, which were evacuated in the 2005 disengagement - and are probably not in the annexation plans. Samaria settler leader Yossi Dagan: "It is inconceivable that the prime minister will complete the disengagement plan that (Ariel) Sharon implemented.” (Yedioth Hebrew)
  • More Than 90 Percent of West Bank Eviction Orders Go to Palestinians, Report Shows - Analysis of Israeli-issued evacuation orders, obtained after a High Court injunction, also shows Israel claimed more land in the Jordan Valley than anywhere else, as annexation looms. The report, entitled “National Calamity” (Makat Medina), is due to be released next week by Haqel and Kerem Navot. The largest amount was in Jordan Valley, where inhabitants were evicted from some 5,000 out of 12,500 dunams of land (around 1,235 of 3100 acres). “When you examine the locations of the eviction notices, you see a strong correlation between territory Israel has for many years devoted great efforts to annex and the numbers of orders, as well as their sizes,” Dror Etkes of Kerem Navot said.(Haaretz+)
  • Largest Evangelical pro-Israel Summit to Be Held Virtually Days Before Netanyahu's Annexation Target Date - Trump officials expected to speak at this year's Christians United for Israel gathering, as Netanyahu vows to begin annexation process on July 1. (Haaretz+)
     

Corona Quickees:

  • Netanyahu Seeks Bill to Allow Extension of Coronavirus State of Emergency Until March 2021 - The move would enable the government to extend movement restrictions on the public at any time during the next 10 months. (Haaretz+)
  • Netanyahu Vows to Step Up Enforcement of Regulations - Dozens of staff in two hospitals quarantined. Over 100 test positive for coronavirus Friday, highest since beginning of May. Drop in confirmed cases Saturday. (Haaretz and Ynet)
  • Despite Rise in Infections, Israel Decides Against Shutting Schools - Tel Aviv levies fines on 20 businesses, including restaurants and cafes, for violations of Health Ministry rules. (Haaretz+)
  • Israel's bone marrow courier faces race against time in coronavirus world - As air travel grounds to a halt, Mishel Zrian criss-crosses the Atlantic dozens of times, sleeping in empty airports and unable to return home to see his family in Israel, all in a race against time to deliver life-saving transplants. (Agencies, Ynet)
  • Israel’s COVID-19 Experts: The Lockdown Saved the Country, but Steps Are Needed to Avert Another - Members of the government’s coronavirus team of 10 experts tell Haaretz why the drastic measures taken this spring were absolutely necessary. (Haaretz+)

 

Quick Hits:
  • Israeli Police Officers Shoot and Kill Disabled Palestinian in Jerusalem - Eyad Hallaq, 32, was autistic and attended and worked in a special needs school close to where he was shot. Shooting Border Police officer says he suspected Hallaq was a terrorist because he was wearing gloves. According to a statement by the Border Police, two officers noticed the Palestinian carrying a suspicious object that they thought was a gun and ordered him to stop. After the man refused and started fleeing the scene, the officers started chasing him on foot and opened fire, ultimately killing him. Investigation source says policeman may have continued shooting despite commander telling him to stop. (Israel Hayom, Ynet and Haaretz+)
  • Court orders probe into violent arrest of asylum seekers by Tel Aviv police - A video surfaced of an officer hitting a suspect pinned to the ground, but police say the video does not show violence they were subjected to first. (Haaetz+)
  • After Violent Arrest, Public Security Minister Warns Against Attacking Police Officers - Amir Ohana's statement comes after video shows officer hitting an asylum seeker pinned to the ground, but police say video does not show violence they were subjected to first. (Haaretz+)
  • Israeli Policeman Gets 2 Years in Prison for Robbing Palestinians at Checkpoints - Amjad Ashkar stole thousands of shekels from people he and another Border Policeman stopped under the pretext of searching their vehicles. [NOTE: It is very unusual for the name of a Border Policeman or a regular policeman accused of harming Palestinians or Ethiopian-Israelis - those are usually their victims - to be released to the press. In this case, they do name the Border Policeman - and it just so happens that he’s Arab. The other policeman involved in the thefts was not named. - OH] (Haaretz+)
  • Justice Ministry urges disciplinary action for policeman who attacked a Temple Mount guard - Department for investigation of police officers said they saw no reason to launch a criminal investigation, despite video evidence of the policeman beating the guard. (Haaretz+)
  • Israeli Army Reports Attempted West Bank Car-ramming Attack, Palestinian Driver Shot - Fadi Adnan Ka'ad was killed after he arrived near the Meir spring area in the "Ephraim" regional brigade, and tried to run over IDF fighters who were operating in the area. But his family claims his car slid on the road. IDF Spokesperson’s Unit also said that the soldiers responded by firing and neutralizing the terrorist and that there were no casualties to Israeli forces. Palestinian media reported that after the incident, riots and disturbances began in the Nabi Saleh town, located near the scene of the incident. (Israel Hayom, Maariv and Haaretz+)
  • Border Policeman was lightly wounded when he was hit at the Tunnels checkpoint (West Bank); The suspect turned himself in - A man who arrived at the scene while riding a scooter, which apparently was stolen, was asked to stop at the tunnel checkpoint - and his scooter hit the Border Policeman who was standing there. Border Policemen opened fire on him, but he escaped. During the night the suspect, a man in his 20’s from Hebron, turned himself in to security forces, lightly wounded from a bullet. (Maariv)
  • Battle Over Memory: Israel State Archives Issue Order to Hand Over All State Documents - Archivists warn that documents removed from public archives could disappear from public eye. State archivist threatens penalties for archives holding classified material. (Haaretz+)
  • Israeli doctors late to save diplomat behind Israel and Sudan secret ties - Najwa Gadaheldam, a close adviser to Sudan's leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, instrumental in fostering relations with Jerusalem was in critical condition and unable to be transported to Israel for treatment. (Ynet)
  • Netanyahu's pre-election overseas trips cost taxpayer fortune, memos reveal - The information, released after a government watchdog filed a petition to Jerusalem court, shows flights were never approved by relevant diplomatic and legal bodies; PM's Office says trips did not exceed 'usual costs'
  • Jews and Arabs Share Genetic Link to Ancient Canaanites, Study Finds - Today’s Jews and Arabs in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and parts of Syria get half their ancestry from Bronze Age Levantines, who descended from a mix of locals and migrants from Iran or the Caucasus. (Haaretz+)
  • Ancient Israelites Used Cannabis as Temple Offering, Study Finds - Analysis of altar residue shows worshippers burned pot at a Judahite desert shrine – and may have done the same at the First Temple in Jerusalem. (Haaretz+)
  • HBO taps award-winning writer for Netanyahu biopic - Variety reports that Kirk Ellis, best known for his work on 2008 miniseries 'John Adams,' will write TV series called 'Bibi' based on Ben Caspit's 'The Netanyahu Years,' which chronicles the life of the Israeli leader. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Lebanon Extends Mandate of UN Force Along Israel's Border - The extension of the peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, comes as Israel calls for major changes in the way the mission operates on the ground in southern Lebanon. (Haaretz+)
  • Lebanese PM visits UN peacekeepers as Israel calls for more assertive role - Israel wants the peacekeepers to have access everywhere in southern Lebanon and to report any obstructions on the part of Hezbollah operatives to the Security Council. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Israeli Cyber Chief Says Major Attack on Country's Water Systems Foiled - Although Iran not mentioned directly, head of National Cyber Directorate says attempt marks first cyber attack on 'real life' rather than IT and data, could have had disastrous consequences. (Agencies, Haaretz and Ynet and Israel Hayom)
  • Iran Denounces George Floyd Killing, Zarif Tweets #BlackLivesMatter - Tehran slams U.S. for being racist, says government is wasting its resources on global adventurism. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Pompeo Hits Back at Zarif Over U.S. Protest Criticism: 'You Exterminate Jews' - Tehran slammed U.S. for being racist, says government is wasting its resources on global adventurism. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • U.S. ends sanctions waivers allowing some work at Iran nuclear sites - ‘A regime that just days ago invoked The Final Solution and which regularly threatens to wipe Israel off the map must never obtain a nuclear weapon,' Pompeo says in a press statement announcing the move. (Haaretz+)
  • European States Criticize U.S. Move to Revoke Iran Sanction Waivers - Waivers had allowed Russian, European and Chinese companies to continue to work on Iran’s civilian nuclear facilities. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Iran 'Determined' to Continue Nuclear Work Despite More U.S. Sanctions - Washington recently imposed sanctions on two scientists and said it will end waivers allowing international companies to work on Iran’s civilian nuclear facilities. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Father's beheading of 14-year-old daughter sparks outcry in Iran over so-called honor killing - Romina Ashrafi's case has led President Rohani to urge his Cabinet to speed up harsher laws against such killings, pushing for speedy adoption of relevant legislation. (Agencies, Haaretz)


Features:
The Sex Worker Who Spied for Israel's Pre-state Militia
Shunned during her tragic life for being a sex worker and brothel owner who had Arab friends, Michal Garbovitz is now hailed for aiding the Haganah. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
Gaddafi planned to overthrow the Saudi regime, but then they still thought he was crazy
The Libyan leader was secretly recorded trying to recruit an Arab statesman for his plan. The conversation that leaked is complimentary to  both of them - allowing a glimpse behind the scenes of Arab politics. (Jacky Khougy, Maariv)
Is It an Israeli's Duty to Present His Country in a Positive Light?
Should I avoid airing Israel's dirty laundry while abroad? Haaretz’s ethics adviser has an answer. (Yoana Gonen, Haaretz+)

Netanyahu Indictment Commentary/Analysis:
Even Netanyahu Was Surprised by Gantz’s Silence as He Let Loose the Lies (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+)  It didn't seem that Kahol Lavan's champions of the rule of law and the pursuit of justice would so suddenly turn into wilting wallflowers.
Netanyahu, Don’t Drag Your Trial Out (Thursday Haaretz Editorial) The problem is that Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to drag out the legal process through every possible tactic. At the opening session, his attorneys asked that the hearing of the evidence begin only in another year. The fact that the defendant also serves as prime minister should not make the court schedule the sessions at lengthy intervals and conduct the trial at a leisurely pace. A defendant, regardless of whether he’s an ordinary citizen or the prime minister, is not supposed to dictate the speed at which the trial proceeds.
The drip method: Every day, messages are sent to change public opinion (Lilach Sigan, Maariv) Netanyahu's supporters keep repeating the same messages, until they are finally absorbed (by the public). And what in the meantime is Kahol-Lavan doing? Being silent. The deal should be mutual: quiet will be answered with quiet, propaganda with propaganda.
No, the People Are Not With Netanyahu (Zehava Galon, Haaretz+) Even I was surprised by the polling results. There are no legions or an army – just politicians who have deceived their voters and now describe their government as representing the “will of the people,” alongside media outlets that have become addicted to the misconception that “the people are right wing,” which they happily ply to the public.
Israel's new government must prove itself worthy of its cost (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) The rampant and wasteful distribution of ministries is nothing new, but if the current government silences the incitement that is tearing the country apart, it may be absolved of its sinful waste of public funds.
Inside Netanyahu's Smear Campaign Against the Justice System (Chaim Levinson, Haaretz+) Using Likud ministers and his son Yair to test the waters, Netanyahu is no less concerned about public opinion than about the court proceedings. The goal: Make the public believe he won't get a fair trial.
Test result: The natural option for Netanyahu's trial is an acquittal (Michael Kleiner, Maariv) The temptation to ask for the deletion of the lawsuit is great, but Netanyahu's lawyers would prefer to go the long way. Then doubts will deepen and an acquittal will become a natural option.
Netanyahu Isn't Satan nor Sacrificial Lamb, but a Wounded Animal (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) The prime minister is a maimed animal. This statement does not diminish from the egregiousness of his statements – the incitement, the attacks on the judicial system and the media, hurling accusations at all and sundry – but it explains his conduct and motives.
In Bibi's eyes: You see totalitarian traits - he sees necessary steps (Anna Barsky, Maariv) When part of the public thinks that the accusations against the prime minister are a political move, for him it is the truth. While people don't believe his words, Netanyahu does mean every word he says.
A Sick Country and a Black Flag (Ehud Barak, Haaretz+) This is not our Israel. The head of the executive branch is attacking from within the halls of justice, and threatening the system, including his judges, a system to which he swore allegiance just 10 days earlier, as he prepares to be tried for breaking his earlier oath of allegiance to it. The spectacle of Netanyahu’s “whining threat” 30 minutes before the reading of the indictment is another step by the defendant down the slippery slope of governmental chaos. Neither the right nor “the second Israel” took and gave bribes, neither of them committed fraud or breach of trust. He alone sits on the defendant’s bench and his deception and diversionary tactics will come to naught once the evidentiary stage of the proceedings gets underway.
Netanyahu's trial is of no interest to Israel's Arab voters (Shakib Ali, Yedioth/Ynet) The community has seen broken promises, rampant incitement, racist laws and police shoot its members, leaving them numb to the notion that Israeli democracy is worth fighting for.
Netanyahu's conduct is a declaration of war on Israeli democracy (Ehud Olmert, Maariv) The PM's decision to send his subordinate ministers to say that the Attorney General is a delinquent is a challenge to the basis of the state's existence - and this is a far more serious crime than the ones he is on trial for.
Now All That's Left for Netanyahu to Do Is Erect a Golden Statue of Himself (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) “If there’s anything that scares me about the memory of the Holocaust, it’s noticing sickening processes that occurred in Europe in general and Germany in particular, then, 70, 80 and 90 years ago, and finding evidence of them here among us today, in 2016.” With these words, Maj. Gen. Yair Golan (then the Israel Defense Forces deputy chief of staff) caused a public uproar in a speech at a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony.  “The comparison implied by the deputy chief of staff with the processes that characterized Nazi Germany 80 years ago is outrageous. The assertion is totally baseless. These statements should never have been made, and certainly not at the time and place where they were made. They are an affront to Israeli society and they cheapen the Holocaust,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded angrily then. “Baseless”? “An affront to Israeli society”? “Cheapening of the Holocaust”? The enlistment of Holocaust survivors and Netanyahu’s not-very-veiled threats against his judges and the justice system as a whole, which he made in his speech, casting himself as a victim, at the Jerusalem District Court minutes before the start of his trial, are the most reliable proof of the validity of Golan’s fears…
A stain that will remain forever: Does everyone remember what Netanyahu was not investigated on? (Yitzhak Ben-Ner, Maariv) Submarines, Bibitours, the non-profit organizations and more: It is doubtful that any of these affairs will be investigated, but they represent severe patterns of behavior and will remain hovering over him like black clouds until investigated.
Why You Shouldn’t Expect Civil Disobedience in Israel (Etan Nechin, Haaretz+) Given everything that has been seen and heard, including on social media, one might believe that the State of Israel was just one step away from civil war. But so far, there’s been no evidence to support that.
Netanyahu incited in his speech (at the opening of his trial) or not? It all depends on the security needs of his victims (Ben Caspit, Maariv) There was a debate this week over whether Netanyahu incited in the speech he gave at the court against the law enforcers in the State of Israel. It's his right to defend his innocence, isn't it? Indeed, it is his right. For that they invented the court, not the stairs leading to it. The test for incitement is simple: Following the attacks by Netanyahu and his proxies do the victims need increased security? The answer is a big yes. Another question: Is it possible that following the remarks by the Prime Minister and the interpretation of them on social media networks that there would be some kind of Yigal Amir mutation, to do an act and prevent the "wolves" from coming and "devouring" the Messiah (according to Netanyahu)? The answer is a big yes. When the prime minister quotes Holocaust survivors as saying "the wolves are coming to devour you," he is not only turning the heads of the law enforcement into predatory wolves, he is also implicitly calling for action. He already did that once in his life. It cost another man his life. But he didn't learn a lesson. Why should he learn? It worked out for him…
When Netanyahu burns down the house (Kahol-Lavan leaders) Gantz and Ashkenazi need to differentiate themselves from him (Avi Benayahu, Maariv) Kahol-Lavan joined a unity government that has a “Corona Cabinet" and a “Reconciliation Cabinet" (what will they talk about there?) after more than a year that included three dirty and hate-filled election campaigns, incitement and rifts. They did this for three main reasons, and I identified (and still do) with all of them: Israel comes first; maintaining democracy and the rule of law; and reconciliation, bringing hearts together and healing the rifts. And then, even before the ink on the unity agreement dried up, the Prime Minister turned from being a defendant into being a prosecutor on his own behalf against the state authorities and law enforcement agencies. Instead of lowering his head and fighting for his innocence, he opens machine guns against the police commissioner and the police, the State Prosecutor's office and the Attorney General, the "left-wing press" and almost against the court (this will apparently come later). The performance aimed to bring together the Bibists, intimidate the judges with hostile public opinion and deny the legitimacy of the process, to turn Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit into the “offender" and make it clear that Netanyahu's conviction or prosecution is an invitation to civil disobedience. Kahol-Lavan leaders had need to quickly hold an angry press conference that day with Gantz, Ashkenazi and Avi Nissenkorn to balance Netanyahu's nightmare show, to disengage from his words, express complete confidence in law enforcement agencies and pledge that no one would threaten or crush them.
Demonstrating against the forces of condescension (Ruthie Blum, Israel Hayom) Protestations to the contrary, the chattering classes in the press, academia and the courts have been on an endless campaign to delegitimize the right.
I apologize: not only to Binyamin Netanyahu, but to all the enlightened right-wing (Ron Kaufman, Maariv) It is time to ask forgiveness from our Prime Minister, the man who represents Israel, also the Other Israel and the Third Israel. He sacrifices himself daily and is humiliated, solely for us. [Op-Ed is tongue in cheek - OH]
Yamina's great opportunity to seize the reins (Caroline B. Glick, Israel Hayom) Now in the opposition, the national-religious faction is uniquely positioned to significantly advance the cause of legal reform.

Other Top Commentary/Analysis:
Bearing Personal Responsibility (Haaretz Editorial) Eyad Hallaq, a 32-year-old Jerusalem resident, was shot to death on Saturday morning by police officers in the Old City. Hallaq was a disabled Palestinian man, and an initial investigation finds he was on his way to the school where he received therapy when he was killed. The police spotted him and asked to check him. He misunderstood, panicked and fled. Hallaq managed to run a few dozen meters and then tried to hide in a garbage room when a police force came, spotted him and shot him. Witnesses said they heard at least seven gunshots. He died on the spot...Hallaq had no knife nor any other threatening object. As of publication, the police has not provided any evidence nor even claimed that Hallaq had endangered the officers or anyone else. His only crime was not understanding what the police officers had asked of him and then panicking. It seems that this time there was a lethal combination of police having a light trigger finger and the Jerusalem district police’s discriminatory policies toward Palestinian residents of the city. This violence is at the very least supported by the silence by those in charge of law enforcement and the department that investigates police. Only last week the investigators shut two files, one in which a police officer was documented cruelly beating a Palestinian resident, and the other being a case where a Palestinian woman was seriously wounded in the face by after an officer struck her with the butt of his gun. In addition, an investigation into 9-year-old Malek Issa’s loss of an eye by a sponge bullet fired by police has gone on for months...
**Between Minneapolis and Jerusalem
 (Dr. Eithan Orkibi, Israel Hayom) The killing of Eyad al-Hallaq in Jerusalem was unsettling [in Hebrew article it says 'heartbreaking' - OH], as was the horrific images of George Floyd in Minneapolis gasping for air. Both of them civilians, both killed by police. Their tragic and outrageous deaths are part of a long history of violence. But the similarities end there, and after observing the path social media took this weekend, maybe it needs to be said clearly: The attempt to draw parallels between Jerusalem and Minneapolis are manipulative, and in many ways irresponsible. Leading pundits worked hard to frame the shooting of al-Hallaq as an example of systemic racism in Israel, and many even blamed the public security minister by proxy..."Blackwashing" of Palestinian terror can be the new term to describe the justification for attacks on Israelis.
*'Being Black in America Shouldn't Be a Death Sentence.' What About Being Palestinian? (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Did you see the American police officers? Did you see how they choked George Floyd to death in Minneapolis? Did you see Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on his neck, pinning him down, with Floyd begging for his life until he died five minutes later? What racist police forces they have in America, how brutal…A few days after Minneapolis, on Saturday morning, in Jerusalem’s Old City, Eyad Hallaq, a 32-year-old autistic man, was on his way to the Elwyn Center for disabled people. Border Police officers claimed they believed he was holding a gun – there was none – and when they called out for him to stop, he started running. The penalty was death. The Border Police, the most brutal of all units, knows no other way to overpower a fleeing autistic Palestinian except to execute him. The cowardly Border Police officers fired some 10 bullets into Hallaq as he fled, until he died. That’s how they always act. That’s what they’ve been trained to do.
The media is dramatically marketing the Palestinian Authority’s false threats (Nadav Haetzni, Maariv) Last Friday, Israeli media reported on "Palestinian forces" leaving Abu Dis and the surrounding villages due to Abu Mazen's (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) announcement of a cease-fire with Israel. A great deal of drama took place on Israeli channels…But, not only was there no room for concern, if the reporting were reliable  - the issue never happened. Those who went to check on the "retreat" at the Abu Dis police station encountered Palestinian "policemen" who wondered what the fuss was about. They explained that troops that had entered some villages because of corona returned to their permanent residence. But there was someone who pumped this false story to the Israeli journalists, who eagerly bought the false drama. Tehy are happy to add trees to the fire of intimidation over the talk of applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria (West Bank)…The Palestinians puff up their chest and put on the threat suit. Israeli journalists market the empty threats with abysmal seriousness, helping to deter the Israeli government, which is like a leaf in the wind.
Abbas – the leader who cried wolf (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) The Palestinian leader has been singing the same hollow tune for nearly two decades. Now it is falling on deaf ears.
Late to Realize the Cost of Trump's Plan, Israeli Settlers Aren't Going to Pay (Noa Landau, Haaretz+) The 'Deal of the Century' has reignited the debate between the pragmatic settler faction and those who believe giving up the rest of the land represents nothing less than ethical bankruptcy.
Is the EU rethinking its hostility towards Israel? (Melanie Phillips, Israel Hayom) The widespread fury over the proposed extension of Israeli sovereignty constitutes merely shadow-boxing.
"It's not the same": When top judges don't let their political agenda confuse them (Kalman Libskind, Maariv) Look at to what lengths the judges go to explain how they ordered the destruction of Migron, Amona and Nativ Ha’avot [settlement outposts built on privately - owned Palestinian land. - OH], but they would not order the state to demolish even one Bedouin house built on private Jewish land in the Negev.
The US-Israeli campaign against the ICC (Eytan Gilboa, Israel Hayom) Israel and the United States should conduct a relentless campaign against the court with all the diplomatic and legal tools at their disposal.
My Fellow Settlers Are Wrong to Oppose Trump’s Annexation Plan (Oded Revivi, Haaretz+) Efrat mayor: To gain U.S. recognition, we settlers must compromise on our dreams for complete control of Judea and Samaria – or risk losing what we have already achieved.
Whatever happened to the Emergency Committee for Israel? (Jonathan S. Tobin, Israel Hayom) What should we think of those who considered Barack Obama a threat to the Jewish state's survival, but who now seek to revive his policies merely to spite Trump?
Annexation Echoes Trump and Netanyahu’s Shared Defiance of the Law and Disdain for Others (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) In the eyes of the world, the two rule-breaking and self-victimizing leaders are about to commit a crime.
 
Interviews:
Netanyahu: The Palestinians have to concede, not Israel
On the magnitude of achieving US recognition of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, Prime Minister Netanyahu says, "Only if the Palestinians consent to complete Israeli security control everywhere, they can have their own entity that Trump defines as a state." (Interviewed by Amnon Lord in Israel Hayom)
Binyamin Netanyahu: ”I feel well because I feel I'm fighting for truth and justice," Netanyahu tells Israel Hayom from his office in the Knesset. "Of course, also for our country. This is something I do all the time."
Q: In that speech [outside the courthouse] what you said can be taken as you saying that there's no alternative to your leadership on the Right, and all the other [politicians] are pushovers. But they were all standing beside you.
Binyamin Netanyahu: “I didn't say there's no alternative. I said they [the Left] want to topple me in order to remove the Right from power. That's how they think. And they would certainly be willing to accept someone – they wouldn't care if they got someone from the Right who was a pushover. Someone obedient. Who kowtows to all the nonsense they utter through their proxies in the media. Their mouthpieces. Absolutely.
"They've been this way before. Who uprooted communities and were handled with kids gloves. That's not me. Which is why they want to get rid of me. Because they think this is the way to take control of the right. Take control of the country. In the worst case, someone from the Right will be the one doing their bidding."

'Every Cultural Institution Which Isn’t Perceived as 100% ‘pro-Israel’ Is Taking a Serious Risk'
Renowned scholar and curator Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, a recipient of this year's Dan David Prize, talks about the pandemic, the problems of launching shows about the Jewish state – and bagels. (Interviewed by Gilad Meltzer in Haaretz+)

'Israeli annexation bid will have disastrous consequences,' Jordanian FM warns
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi tells UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov the Israeli plan to apply sovereignty to Judea and Samaria "will kill the two-state solution," warns "world will not be able to remain silent in the face of institutionalized apartheid." (Interviewed by  Shahar Klaiman in Israel Hayom)

'This American Life' Host Ira Glass on Pulitzer-winning Storytelling, Trump and Growing Up Jewish
Ira Glass, whose show recently received the first-ever Pulitzer for audio reporting, shares his secret to balancing ambitious journalism with entertainment. (Interviewed by Tzach Yoked in Haaretz+)

'The Marmara raid wasn't a failure'
A decade after Israeli naval commandos stopped a flotilla trying to breach the maritime blockade on Gaza Strip, soldiers involved in the raid say mission intelligence fell short, passengers' violence "was off the charts." (Interviewed by Lilach Shoval in Israel Hayom)

‘Not Really Welcome’: These Interfaith Couples Wanted to Live in Israel. Now They're Living in Limbo
For Israelis with non-Jewish foreign spouses, obtaining a partnership visa is a bureaucratic headache at the best of times. So what happens when the country’s borders are closed? Haaretz speaks to three desperate couples to find out. (Interviewed by Allison Kaplan Sommer in Haaretz+)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.