APN's daily news review from Israel - Sunday October 25, 2020

Exchange of the day:

Trump: “Do you think Sleepy Joe could have made this deal, Bibi, Sleepy Joe?”
Netanyahu: "Uh ... well ... Mr. President, one thing I can tell you is we appreciate the help for peace from anyone in America and we appreciate what you’ve done…”
--Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu avoids badmouthing US Presidential candidate Joe Biden days before the US elections.*

Front Page:

Haaretz

• Israel and Sudan declared normalization agreement with US mediation
• Slowly and carefully // Zvi Bar’el
• The F-35 deal: Netanyahu again hid the fateful decision from the security establishment and the public // Amos Harel
• Trump was at his best in the last debate, but continued to convince the convinced // Chemi Shalev
• The (US) votes in danger: US postal system won’t make deadline in swing states
• In Arab towns, they returned to holding large weddings and the infection rate rises again
• 17-year-old from Gan Ner was killed in brawl between Jews and Arabs from the neighboring community
• Actor Yehuda Barkan died of corona at age 75
• Proportional revenge // Amira Hass
• Professionals are leaving or silenced and the “Shayetet Forum” decides: This is how the Education Ministry is conducting itself during the corona crisis
• From Marcus to Grossman: Many books described the life under a dictatorship. Here are some of the best

Yedioth Ahronoth

• Israel and Sudan: Historic agreement
• The jet storm
• What they gave, what we’ll get // Nahum Barnea
• We will miss you, Yehuda - Actor Yehuda Barkan: 1945-2020

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

• Air battles
• Parting from one of the greats of Israeli cinema - Yehuda Barkan

Israel Hayom

• Waiting for the Saudis: “After Sudan, more countries are on the way”
• Significant move in the new Middle East // Amnon Lord
• Blow to Iran and to terror organizations // Yoav Limor
• The fruits of the “Arab Spring” // Eldad Beck
• (Actor) Yehuda Barkan passed away
• “I voted for a man named Trump” - Photo of Trump voting
• Increase in fines and studies: Today fateful discussion in corona cabinet
• Who will release Israel from the chains of the civil service authority? // Jacob Bardugo

Top News Summary:
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu celebrated another normalization agreement, this time with Sudan, as Defense Minister Benny Gantz made an unprecedented attack against him, saying that the prime minister hid from him and the from defense establishment the agreement to sell F-35s to the UAE in exchange for a normalization deal, making the top stories in the Hebrew newspapers along with the death from corona of the beloved actor and prankster Yehuda Barkan.

Also, tens of thousands protested against Netanyahu and his government in Jerusalem and across the country Saturday night for the 18th week, focusing on the annulment of the Knesset vote to probe Netanyahu’s alleged involvement in the submarine corruption affair. On

Thursday, thousands of demonstrators were joined by several hundred self-employed Israelis protesting against the government’s economic policies. A man was arrested with a screwdriver and pepper spray in his possession on suspicion of intending to attack protesters at a protest in Holon where a pro-Netanyahu counter protest took place.

US President Donald Trump sealed an agreement between Israel and Sudan Friday to normalize ties between them. Earlier on Friday, the US removed Sudan from its blacklist of countries promoting terror. The Palestinians rejected the deal, but President Mahmoud Abbas made clear he was still committed to a just peace and his willingness to immediately resume talks with Israel. In Sudan, too, many opposedhttps://www.ynetnews.com/article/rJHPd9G00w the plan including the head of Sudan’s largest party and Sudanese protesters burned the Israeli flag. But Sudanese asylum seekers and migrant workers in Israel said they would consider returning to Sudan, something Israel is keen will happen. Iran also denounced the deal saying it was made so that Sudan could be removed from the US blacklist of countries promoting terrorism.

Egypt and the UAE, who both have normalized relations with Israel, welcomed the deal. *In a sign that Netanyahu fears that Trump may lose the upcoming election, Netanyahu avoided Trump’s invitation to publicly badmouth his opponent Joe Biden.
Trump: “Do you think Sleepy Joe could have made this deal, Bibi, Sleepy Joe?”
Netanyahu: "Uh ... well ... Mr. President, one thing I can tell you is we appreciate the help for peace from anyone in America and we appreciate what you’ve done…” (VIDEO)

But Netanyahu’s success in achieving this agreement was marred on today’s front pages by the storm over the F-35s, which Netanyahu allegedly agreed that the US sell the advanced weaponry to the UAE without consulting Gantz or the defense establishment, much like he is accused of allowing a German company to sell submarines to Egypt without the approval of the defense establishment. Netanyahu said the claims were baseless. But, the defense establishment also said, "We could have obtained a more significant compensation package from the United States" had Netanyahu consulted with it, Maariv reported.

In Washington, Gantz and his counterpart, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper signed a joint declaration reaffirming the US promise to maintain Israel’s military edge.

‘Israel Hayom’ wrote that Saudi Arabia’s King Salman i blocking a normalization agreement with Israel, but his son, Crown Prince Mohammad Bin-Salman wants to go ahead with it. UAE is the first Arab country to get an exemption for an Israeli visa. And Guatemala and Estonia designated Hezbollah as a terrorist group, to the satisfaction of Israel.


Corona Quickees:

• Coronavirus Israel Live: Cabinet to Meet Sunday, Discuss Shortening Lockdown Exit Strategy - Beloved actor Yehuda Barkan dies of virus at 75. Education, Health Ministries permit schools to hold outdoor activities. Bnei Brak's status changed from 'red' to 'yellow.' (Haaretz)
• In the age of corona, desire to make aliyah becomes infectious, too - Marking Aliyah Day, which honors Diaspora Jews who chose to emigrate to Israel, Jewish Agency reports of record immigration requests since the global pandemic erupted. (Israel Hayom)
• No change in the health condition of Saeb Erekat, says family - Salam Erekat said Saturday her father is still breathing using an ECMO device which supports the respiratory functions. (WAFA)
• Despite corona-triggered economic crisis, Moody's maintains Israel's credit rating - In April, the international credit agency moved Israel's economic outlook from "positive" to "stable." Finance Ministry: Decision encouraging. (Israel Hayom)
• University students prefer to study from afar - According to a poll of the Law and Business Academic Center in Ramat Gan, 70% of those polled said they preferred to integrate distance learning even after the epidemic disappears from our lives. (Maariv, p. 12)
   

Quick Hits:

• Israeli court cancels Friday decision on freezing administrative detention of Maher al-Akhras - An Israeli court decided Friday to cancel an earlier decision to freeze the administrative detention, without charge or trial, of Palestinian detainee Maher al-Akhras, whose health situation has severely deteriorated after 89 days of hunger strike, according to the Palestinian Prisoner's Society. (WAFA)
• Family of hunger-striking detainee Maher al-Akhras embark on hunger strike - Al-Akhras’s wife told WAFA Friday in a phone call that his mother, his three children and she embarked on an open-ended hunger strike outside the room where al-Akhras is detained at Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot. (WAFA)
• Palestinian hunger striker transferred to Israeli prison service's medical center - Maher Akhras, hunger striking for 90 days over his administrative detention, released from public hospital Friday after refusing treatment. NGO concerned he may be fed by force. (Haaretz+)
• UN expert calls for Israel to immediately release Maher Al-Akhras - Michael Lynk, UN special rapporteur for human rights in Palestine, said Friday that Israel should immediately release Maher al-Akhras, a Palestinian detainee who has been on hunger strike for close to 90 days in protest of being detained without charges and trial. (WAFA)
• Settlers assault Asira al-Qibliya, injure a farmer in the head - Palestinian farmer Abdulbaset Ahmad was hospitalized after he was hit in the head with a rock by settlers from the nearby illegal settlement of Yitzhar, when they attacked homes of Palestinians on the outskirts of the village and pelted them with stones, said the mayor. (WAFA and PHOTO)
• In two weeks, UN records 19 incidents of attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian olive harvesters -Bbetween 6 and 19 October settlers injured 23 Palestinian farmers, burned or otherwise damaged over 1,000 olive trees and stole large amounts of produce, according to the biweekly Protection of Civilians Report by the United Nations. (WAFA)
• Occupation forces inspect vehicle of Palestinian minister Walid Assaf - Israeli occupation forces searched today the vehicle of Minister Walid Assaf, Chairman of the Palestinian Authority’s Commission on Apartheid Wall and Colonization Resistance, said the commission. (WAFA)
• Occupation forces to demolish two homes near Bethlehem - The houses, each occupying an area of some 180 square meters, belong to two brothers identified as Essa and Assaf Froukh, and are currently inhabited by their families. (WAFA)
• Japan’s new prime minister reaffirms support for the two-state solution - Japan’s new prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, today reaffirmed his country’s firm support for the two-state solution for the Palestinian–Israeli conflict. (WAFA)
• Israeli Teenager Killed During Brawl Between Jewish and Arab Youth in North - Seven other youth from neighboring communities, part of a mixed Jewish and Arab regional council known for coexistence, were arrested after confrontation outside the entrance to the Arab village of Maqbuliyeh that left 17-year-old Itai Yitzhak dead. (Haaretz+)
• Jerusalem's Museum of Islamic Art to Auction 268 Precious Items, Despite Outcry 0 Five percent of the Jerusalem museum's collection will be auctioned at Sotheby's London, including rare Breguet watches. (Haaretz+ and Times of Israel and Sotheby's)
• Alliance of Israeli Arab Parties Shows Cracks After Contentious Knesset Vote - Member's role in annulment of vote on opposition measure sharpens differences. Lawmaker says faction 'going from crisis to crisis' since government formed in May. (Haaretz+)
• Israeli Ministry Refuses to Help Asylum Seekers Retrieve Money Stolen by Employers - Many asylum seekers found that their employers never deposited 20 percent of their salaries in a fund, which they would get back when they leave the country, but instead pocketed them as profits. (Haaretz+)

Features:

Settlers Hurled Rocks at the Palestinian Farmer's Head. His Age Didn't Deter Them
Settlers stoned and injured a 73-year-old Palestinian in his grove, others vandalized another farmer's 200 trees. A journey during the season of harvest – which is also clearly the season of settler violence. (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+)

Top Commentary/Analysis:
Left, Right both need to tone down the rhetoric (Dr. Yuval Steinitz, Israel Hayom) I have been on both sides, and I know that the vast majority of people are patriots and democrats. But everyone should take a deep breath and look at the messages they are sending, because words can still kill.
Netanyahu Spews About Unity but Is Crafting His Next Election Campaign – and Israel’s Demise (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) The only alliance left for the prime minister is with the ultra-Orthodox, for whose sake he’ll sacrifice us all.
A gulf that will swallow up Israel (Uri Heitner, Yedioth/Ynet) Conspiracy theories nurtured by both sides of the political spectrum serve to do nothing more but tear Israel apart in the midst of the worst crisis it has ever known, and during times of a real external threat to its very existence.
Why the Likud has turned into the party of people like [vulgar and loudmouth MK - OH] Oren Hazan (Shahar Amano, Yedioth/Ynet) Make headlines, pretend you’re an idiot, sting Attorney General Mendelblitt, and most importantly - flatter Bibi. Because the decision about the primaries is in his hands, and only loyalty will achieve tenure in the Knesset.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is the Trojan horse of the left (Ran Adelist, Maariv) Netanyahu's corruption serves the agenda of the left. Proof: These days he is building Jerusalem and strengthening the Arab presence in the east of the city…I am increasingly strengthened in my opinion that Binyamin Netanyahu is the Trojan horse of the left-wing. The extreme. There is no other way to explain his conduct…Could it be that all his peace ploy with the UAE was meant to thwart annexation and take the settlements off the agenda? The man who gave up Hebron and froze construction in the territories (as always, when he fears he will be exposed, he ordered these days to "promote the construction of thousands of units") will always be the leftist who avoids a decisive battle in Gaza, maintains a strict balance of terror with Hezbollah. How much…nonsense does it take to declare an annexation “starting Sunday at the cabinet meeting,”, postpone the annexation to July and nullify it in September? Is this the right-wing superhero who sees four steps ahead? Exactly. This is Netanyahu. Super trickster, except that he serves the left-wing…
Palestinian volunteers help olive harvesters in ways the Palestinian Authority can’t (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) In dozens of villages, the harvest has become life-threatening, and Israel prevents Palestinian security forces from protecting farmers. Volunteers have fill the vacuum – but settler violence isn’t limited to three weeks a year.
Israel's Right Is in a Morally Critical Condition (Zehava Galon, Haaretz+) As I write these lines, the senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat is in critical condition and his family has been called to take their leave of him at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. As he fights for his life, in Israel there is a debate over what that life is worth to us. Not a lot, it turns out.
Stuck together: The weakness of the unity government is also its main strength (Yoram Dori, Maariv) Both Gantz and Netanyahu know that they have no ally in the Knesset who can bring them to the prime minister's throne - except the opponent, so all the mutual threats between them are like waving an empty gun.
The Joint List party is trapped between the past and the present (Michael Milstein, Yedioth/Ynet) Arab politicians are in a dilemma: should they continue to adhere to the slogans of the past, or adapt to a large part of their public, which is already living in the 21st century?…In the last election campaign, the Arab citizens joined forces and produced a precedent-setting political achievement, but they are currently in a sharp crisis of expectations. Fifteen seats in the Knesset have not improved their situation and probably will not in the future either. Despair from the political game may develop into a growing alienation of the Arab public from the country. The realization of this insight is very evident in recent polls in Arab society and reflects a drop of up to four seats of the Joint List in the next election, which Arab commentators say stems from the possibility that many in Arab society not to vote. (In a poll conducted in recent days by the by Yusuf Makada’s ’Stat Net Institute,’ only 57.7% of Arabs answered that they intend to vote, and in an interview with Mkada, he made it clear that 11 seats is a likely forecast.) Among the Arabs that do intend to vote, and in an interview with him he made it clear that 11 seats is a reasonable forecast). Like the Palestinian leadership, Arab politicians in Israel are currently faced with the dilemma between continuing to adhere to the past slogans of the 20th century and the stubborn demand for historical justice, and adapting to the circumstances and reality of the 21st century, which requires flexibility that will make it possible to meet the needs of a changing society, and especially of the younger generation in it. Along with the national and ideological goals, and even more so, the Arab citizens at the end of 2020 also demand self-realization, improvement in the fabric of life, civic equality and broad integration in all areas of activity in the country.
Palestinians choose guns over butter (Stephen M. Flatow, Israel Hayom) Imagine how many Arab lives might have been saved if money had been spent on medicine and equipment as opposed to weapons to fight the Israelis.
Twenty Years Since the Second Intifada Began, Why Hasn’t There Been a Third? (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Conditions on the ground may be ripe for another popular uprising, but a lack of trust in the Palestinian leadership and lingering trauma from the events of 2000-2004 have prevented it – so far.
Splitting Israel into cantons would be disastrous (Dr. Shuki Friedman, Israel Hayom) The seculars in Tel Aviv, the Haredim in Jerusalem, the right-wingers in Judea and Samaria, and so on and so forth. Beyond the impracticability of this idea, the very discussion is dangerous.
Now as Before, Israelis Can Join Hands (Israel Harel, Haaretz+) There is not enough space here to describe the many “existential” crises we’ve endured since then. In each one, moralists, scientists, jurists, historians and literary figures prophesied the end that was nearly upon us; about how the Jewish people is not cut out to run its own state, that the long years of exile sapped us of these abilities. The height of despair came after the Yom Kippur War. Then practically everyone asserted: The country is galloping headlong into the abyss. I suggest that those who are currently despairing take an example from the people who were uprooted from Gush Katif, Israel's settlement bloc in Gaza, and from the victims of the Oslo Accords.
Ballots come and go, Abraham Accords are here to stay (Michal Divon, Israel Hayom) The peace treaties between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are too monumental to be viewed simply as a byproduct of the US presidential elections.
Sudan Normalization Overshadowed by Netanyhau's Run-in With the Truth (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) With Israeli defense minister's claim that PM hid major security decision on F-35 jets from the defense establishment, and the submarine affair still lurking in water, Netanyahu is looking increasingly rudderless.
Saudi relations with Israel are still a long way off (Smadar Perry, Yedioth/Ynet) As long as conservative King Salman sits on the throne and Trump's future is murky, any major headway or change in policy can only be made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is waiting to see how the future unfolds.
The delayed fruits of the Arab Spring (Eldad Beck, Israel Hayom) Without the upheaval of the last decade, it is unlikely that Israel would have been able to make peace with three Arab states in under two months.
Israel-Sudan Deal Is More Cause for Caution Than Celebration (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The agreement’s prospects depend on the immediate economic benefits the Khartoum government can show its citizens who have already managed to overthrow a long-standing tyrannical government.  “Finally, Israelis will be able to seek political asylum in Sudan,” ran the joke last Friday after the announcement of an agreement to normalize relations between the two countries. In a more serious vein, there was already talk in Israel of the anticipated benefits of finally being able to deport Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers back to their country.
Israel-Sudan treaty deals blow to Iran, terrorism (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) The deal with Khartoum goes a long way toward chipping at the notion that any progress between the Arab world and Israel is inextricably linked to the Palestinian issue.
Bribes, Bombs and Saudi Billionaires: The Secret History of Israel’s Explosive Relations With Sudan (Yossi Melman, Haaretz+) Netanyahu wants Sudan to join the 'friends of Israel' club of Sunni Arab states. The Mossad, with Saudi help, has tried that beforeץ
Sudan deal could make Israel key regional player (Amnon Lord, Israel Hayom) Apparently, when true policy shifts occur, they do so behind the smokescreen of media demagoguery and populist propaganda.
From 'The Three No's' to normalization - a timeline of Israel-Sudan relations (Itamar Eichner and Daniel Salami, Yedioth/Ynet) Khartoum - one of Israel's hardline Arab foes - hosted the Arab League summit that gave birth to stringent anti-Israel policies, cooperated with al-Qaeda, Iran and Hamas, but now it has finally agreed to lay decades-old hostilities to rest.
Biden looks on the road to victory - what does it mean for Israel and the region? (Prof. Eitan Gilboa, Maariv) During Obama's tenure, there was a severe rift between Israel and the Democrats. There will be an urgent need to heal that rift in order to ensure that Biden's policies, if he is elected, do not repeat the policies of the previous Democratic president. Two internal factors will influence his policy toward Israel: the composition of Congress and the positions of the radical wing of the Democratic Party. Democrats will continue to dominate the House of Representatives, and are likely to take over the Senate, which Republicans now control. Full control of the Democrats in the White House and Congress would allow Biden to conduct policy as he pleased without opposition from lawmakers. The Radicals among the Democrats, led by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, are hostile to Israel. To maintain party unity, Biden will have to assign them some senior appointments, but it is unclear whether they will include foreign and security posts.
Will Iran 'pay the price' for election interference? (Jonathan S. Tobin, Israel Hayom) Biden's pledge raises important questions about his policy priorities, as well as about how Americans think about foreign foes and threats to democracy.
Israeli Army Sees Widening Cracks in Syria-Russia-Iran Alliance (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) South Syria rarely makes it to Israeli headlines, but the flames there are still high. ‘The truth is there are no more civilians there,’ says one Israeli security official.
If Netanyahu is innocent, why are the Bibists fighting with all their might against a commission of inquiry? (Ben Caspit, Maariv) The answer is simple: the prime minister has something to hide. He does not want the public to find out that he preferred to invest billions in submarines and ships that the IDF does not need, instead of the tools and systems it has.
Biden repeated Nixon's mistake (Prof. Abraham Ben-Zvi, Israel Hayom) Has Joe Biden waited too long to bring the popular and beloved Barack Obama into his campaign?
Netanyahu Mirrors 'Trump Style'; Election Defeat Could Mean a Change of Tack (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) Trump’s campaign managers are troubled by the loss of the senior-citizen vote. This is an important point due to the classic identification between the Republican right and conservatism. A Pew survey in February found that two-thirds of Americans feel “exhausted” by the flood of news Trump produces every day. This tempo is the essence of everything the conservatives, and older people in general, are afraid of: The world is moving too fast; stop for a moment. But it isn’t only a matter of style. We have to make an effort to remember the world before Trump. What was the status of the United States and its presidents, what did its relations with Europe, the United Nations and international law look like?
Trump's Mideast master plan is not all about Israel (Ron Ben-Yishai, Yedioth/Ynet) Although all normalization agreements are a boon to Jerusalem, the U.S. president's fervid reelection campaign and the prime minister's hasty decisions make such treaties a potentially double-edged sword.
There is no mitzvah in Judaism to pity enemies like Saeb Erekat (Prof. Arie Eldad, Maariv) It is possible to pity a terrorist like Saeb Erekat for humanitarian, political or reputation reasons, but not in the name of Judaism: it has never obliged us to help our enemies.
Donald Trump and Orthodox Jews Share No Values at All (Daniel Landes, Haaretz+) Backing Trump is a morally disastrous decision for Orthodox Jews, and for Orthodox rabbis in particular. He stands against everything we believe in.
Calmer Trump turns new leaf, builds momentum (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) Biden rouses Trump supporters by calling them "chumps." Trump seizes on the former vice president's green energy gaffe.
Fighting the new commissars (Caroline B. Glick, Israel Hayom) The time for a reckoning with the social media giants has arrived, and not only in the United States.
Charles Aznavour’s Last Chanson Chides Israel About Cluster Bombs (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Did you love Charles Aznavour? Did you melt when he sang “La Bohème” or hum “Au printemps tu reviendras?” Did your heartstrings tremble when he sang “She” in his rasping voice? Nicolas Aznavour published an open letter in Haaretz on Friday, addressed to President Reuven Rivlin. This letter should rattle all Israelis, causing them deep shame. Nicolas accompanied his father when Charles received the Raoul Wallenberg medal from President Rivlin, as acknowledgement that Aznavour’s family had saved Jews during the Holocaust. The son of survivors of the Armenian genocide, Shahnour Aznavourian, Charles Aznavour’s birth name, accepted the medal with great emotion, with his older sister Aida beside him.

 

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