APN's daily news review from Israel - Sunday April 11, 2021

 

Quote of the day:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

Top News Summary:
Israeli Border Police beat and injured a member of Knesset at a left-wing protest (VIDEO), the Likud is raising the pressure on key right-wing party leaders and Prince Philip died (andIsraeli politicians reacted) making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.

Meanwhile, news on the ground took over the news in print regarding Iran. After Iran announced Saturday the enrichment of uranium at its Natanz nuclear plant to a level prohibited by nuclear agreement, an ‘accident’ hit the plant today damaging the electrical distribution grid.Iran's atomic energy agency said it was ‘nuclear terrorism.’ The incident comes just as U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Israel, where he meets with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz to discuss Iran and the US return to the nuclear agreement. Austin is the first top Biden administration official to visit Israel.

Elections 2021:
The pressure is on the right-wing anti-Netanyahu parties, Yamina led by Naftali Bennett and New Hope led by Gideon Sa’ar, to joint Netanyahu’s coalition, and on the ‘Religious Zionist’ party members to agree to a coalition formed with the support of the Arab Ra’am party. The papers say that Bennett won’t commit to Netanyahu, but that he told him there won’t be a fifth election and hinted that he does not rule out the possibility of a government with centrist leader of Yesh Atid, Yair Lapid. (Yedioth Hebrew) Maariv reported that according to the Likud, if Bennett would just agree to join the coalition, Sa’ar would, too. Meanwhile, outside the official prime minister residence on Balfour Street, the anti-Netanyahu protests resumed, now calling for the formation of an non-Netanyahu government. And a homeless man was convicted of attacking an elderly anti-Netanyahuprotester in October when he was drunk.
 

Quick Hits:

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Features:

Israeli Troops Shot a Palestinian Teen Weeks Ago. His Parents Aren't Allowed to Talk to Him
Ahmed was hospitalized twice, underwent surgery and was then imprisoned. But Israel hasn't let his parents visit or even speak to him on the phone. They're being kept in the dark about his condition.  (Gideon Levy and Alex Levac, Haaretz+)
60 years since the opening of the Eichmann trial: back to the horrifying stories
The testimonies of the 108 survivors who went up to the witness stand one by one shocked the whole world. "I felt it was my revenge," says Yosef Zalman Kleinman, one of the last surviving witnesses. (Maaya Boenes, Maariv)
Facebook Reveals: The Real Iranian Disinformation Wars
The latest takedown of fake accounts from Facebook shows that a secret war is underway online - but its not between Israel and Iran, but rather Iranians vs Iranians. (Omer Benjakob, Haaretz+)
Never-before-seen Aerial Photos of Pre-state Israel Taken by a Nazi Pilot
During the longest and most complex sortie executed by the Nazis in the skies of pre-state Israel, the German Junkers plane photographed Tel Aviv, the Jordan Valley, Tiberias and an airport near Amman. (Nir Hasson, Haaretz+)

Commentary/Analysis:
They're Israel's Far Right, Pro-ethnic Cleansing Nationalists. But Don't Call Them 'Nazis' (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, far right leader Bezalel Smotrich threatened Palestinian citizens of Israel with ethnic cleansing. Calling him a Nazi is too easy a way out of the real, pressing problem his camp poses for Israel and Judaism.
The new discourse that MK Mansour Abbas seeks to conduct requires serious consideration on the part of the right-wing (Kalman Liebskind, Maariv) The national (right-wing) camp should respond to those from the Arab public, who want to have a civil, rather than Palestinian, dialogue and tell them exactly how we see them and their place in the puzzle that makes up Israeli society.
*It is impossible to feel a little sadistic malice towards the right-wing when they remember that Arabs are human beings (Ran Adelist, Maariv) Until the sewing of the quilt, known as the Israeli government, is completed, not enjoying the flip-flop performances of the right-wing in the face of the show by (Ra’am party chief) Mansour Abbas. It is not possible and should not be avoided to feel a bit of sadistic malice at the sight and hearing of right-wing speakers when they justify a Jewish-Arab fraternity directly from the style of the left-wing. In a panic attack, the drowning Netanyahu clung to Mansour Abbas, and the right-wing discovered in a moment that the Arabs are human beings. Hallelujah! And immediately they blamed the left! After all, only the right-wing is able to accept the Arabs as equal citizens. Rabbi Kanievsky took the surrealness of identities a step further and from his office it was stated that he preferred an Arab to a leftist. He’s right. Just as any leftist prefers an Arab over Kanievsky. The Arabs themselves, by the way, prefer to get rid of both the left and the right. "In my opinion, the preferred option is a right-wing government with the support of the Arabs," said Yitzhak Shilat, rabbi of Ma'ale Adumim. Shilat is a clear example of those confused religious Zionists who are unable to bridge (it’s impossible) between the apartheid state they symbolize and the Ten Commandments they memorize. So what do they do? They speak nonsense and squirm and stuff an elephant into they eye of a needle. And why did the right-wing fall in love with Mansour Abbas? Correct. Because "he did not mention the word Palestinians" (noted journalists Yair Sharki and Amit Segal). And all the drainage pipes from Balfour, one after the other, held on to them. As if Abbas had at once removed the spell and all believers in the salvation of God in the twinkling of an eye were healed from the primitive base hatred of “the Arabs." So I have news for them: Mansour and his friends are firstly part of the Muslim Brotherhood and immediately afterwards Palestinian Arab Israelis. An issue that is still not understood by Shai Golden (Channel 13 News): "Until the Arab public disconnects from the Palestinian narrative, nothing will change here." Which is about the same as demanding that the Jewish public disconnect from the Jewish narrative." "I have no doubt that the Netanyahu government will be a completely right-wing government, if it is formed, it will immediately make a U-turn, and return to its fixed ‘values’ and return the Arabs to their natural role as enemies at home. There is nothing like pure and contagious hatred to strengthen national identity. "Arabs are second-class citizens?" 103FM radio host, Nissim Mash'al, asks Daniela Weiss, chairman of the Nahala settlement movement. “Correct,” Weiss replies, “Anyone who is not a Jew in Israel is a second-class citizen, because this country is for Jews. What is so hard to understand?" The truth is, she’s right. It’s iron logic. But these are not Jews and Arabs but first and second class human beings in a democratic state, and again Weiss is right: Israel isn’t supposed to be a democratic state. In order for it to be one, a democratic opposition must be formed in Israel against the coalition that connects Weiss' truth and Netanyahu's lies. 
The terrorists' huggers [Arab MKs] proved this week that their place is not in the Knesset, but in prison (Prof. Arie Eldad, Maariv) The refusal of MKs of the Hadash and Balad faction (of the Joint List party) to declare allegiance to the State of Israel is not a provocation or a despicable parliamentary exercise, but the removal of a mask. Precisely the severe political crisis is a rare opportunity to break free from dependence on Israel's enemies at home.
How Russian and Arab Israelis ‘Castled’ (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) The political imbroglio of the past two years is the result of Benjamin Netanyahu’s political divorce from Avigdor Lieberman…Little by little, Lieberman found himself in a new sociopolitical milieu, joining Yair Lapid (in his reincarnation as head of the left-wing camp), Labor (in its radical feminist reincarnation) and Meretz, and open to a relationship with the Arab parties. That’s how it is in Israel. Moving away from Netanyahu means getting closer to the “left” and vice versa, because “left” and “Netanyahu” are opposites. We can’t infer from this that Netanyahu is “right-wing” or that “left-wing” is left. “Netanyahu” and “left,” similar to explanations by commentator Avishai Ben-Haim and sociologist Lev Luis Greenberg, are the names of tribes. If you consider the division into camps tribal, it’s clear that leaving one tribe means joining another…
Soon they'll tell us Labor and Meretz aren't 'Left' (Dr. Limor Samimian-Darash, Israel Hayom) Analysts are promising us that a government that includes the left-wing bloc, Bennett, Lapid, Lieberman, and Sa'ar will not be "left-wing" – but how could such a government plausibly function?
One can speak in terms of almost equal: we are a bit racist but also pragmatic (Dror Rafael, Maariv) Israeli Arabs are breaking through the sectoral discourse and are becoming sought-after and part of the decision-making, to the point that if there is no Arab in the news TV studio, it is impossible to hold a political panel.
The police must be respected, but on the other hand, a police officer must be respectful of every citizen he faces (Alon Hachmon, Maariv and VIDEO) I do not pretend to pass judgment on the police in the incident of violence with MK Ofer Kasif from the Joint List, nor against the MK himself. But the situation is embarrassing for both parties. A police officer must be respectful of every citizen he faces even if he is a "regular" citizen and not a Knesset member. Once the incident escalates, the police officer must show stateliness and do everything in his power to avoid using unnecessary force. But when a police officer feels, he claims, that he is being attacked and humiliated and is denied the opportunity to perform his duty, is he allowed to use force? This is where the question of proportionality comes in, and it is not a separate question. It must be part of the question of what caused the policeman to react as he did, and what is the other party's part, and also: could the incident really not have been prevented?
Israel Police's Attack on Parliamentary Immunity (Haaretz Sunday Editorial) The assault by police on MK Ofer Cassif during a demonstration in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem on Friday should shock the entire political world. The fact that Cassif had been participating in a non-violent demonstration and found himself in a hospital emergency room with broken glasses and a torn shirt following an assault by riot-control police, infringes not only on his immunity as an elected official, but also on freedom of protest.
Netanyahu Liable to Concoct ‘National Emergency’ to Keep Himself in Power (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) The fear that should now be nesting within the breast of every Israeli is of extreme moves by Netanyahu.
Facing the craziness raging around, the opening of the (Netanyahu corruption) trial in Case 4000 is great fun (Ron Kaufman, Maariv) Israel on its 73rd birthday is rotten inside, corrupt, led by criminals and accused. At least opening the papers and TV and reading and hearing all of Bibi's servants twisting uncomfortably in their seats on all the networks and channels is amazing.
Colonialism in the Israel State Archives (Ravit Hecht, Haaretz+) In a report he published last week (“Why are these documents top secret and hidden in Israel’s archives,” April 4), Ofer Aderet raises an important topic: the way the government conceals documents in the Israel State Archives for decades by classifying them as confidential or top-secret. He cited the efforts of scholars and organizations to gain access to decades-old primary sources about episodes in Israeli history, some or even most of which are still under censorship…The report does not mention, however, materials looted from Palestinians and from Arab countries that have been locked for decades in the state archives, and the fights to release them for publication. This includes not only security-related materials whose period of classification has expired (yet they remain hidden away), but also cultural treasures, such as the archives of photographers, cultural institutions and even art exhibitions seized starting in the mid-1930s that Israel continues to hold, under a veil of secrecy. Cultural and historical treasures that tell the Palestinian narrative – not the Israeli one – are controlled and hidden by Israel. They were not mentioned in the article. The issue has been silenced. I preface my remarks by saying that the campaign by Israeli organizations to have material declassified is of utmost importance and significance, in order to understand the past and to correct our understanding of history from this moment forward…
U.S. Conservatives Gave the Israeli Right Huge Political Power. When Will the Left Do the Same? (Rami Hod, Haaretz+) Funded by ideologically-driven American conservatives, the new right is redrawing Israel's political map and government policies. The center-left needs to start adopting similar practices or risk being left behind.
As long as the Left is happy (Avi Bareli, Israel Hayom) Washington has given back to the Palestinians the right to veto any political process in the Middle East that is not to their liking.
US deflection of Israel's concerns on Iran troubling (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom) President Obama's echo chamber is coming back in the service of President Joe Biden to put Israel on the defensive and validate another awful nuclear deal with Iran.
Iran Is on Its Way to a New Nuclear Deal, but Who Will Sign It? (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) In a catch-22, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei might want to postpone a new agreement to help conservatives in the upcoming Iranian presidential election, but a new conservative president might oppose a new agreement.
US must understand Iran's word is worthless (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) One has to wonder why the Americans are so anxious about re-entering the nuclear deal when it is the Iranians who should be dreading delays.
Biden made good start but Palestinians need action as well as aid (Daoud Kuttab,Yedioth/Ynet) While U.S. has renewed financial assistance, White House has been unclear on its stance on upcoming Palestinian elections, especially need for Israel to honor its commitment to allow Palestinians in Jerusalem to participate.
By restoring aid to UNRWA, Biden insists on going backward (Eldad Beck, Israel Hayom) UNRWA's very existence some 70 years after it should have ceased to be is a symbol of the international community's support for the idea of the State of Israel's disappearance. Anyone who calls themselves a friend of Israel should have supported UNRWA's dissolution a long time ago.
Iran's Retaliation to Israel at Sea Has Been Largely Symbolic. That Could Change(Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Much has been written about the Iranian ship Israel struck. No less important is the timing.
Biden's pick for undersecretary of defense should worry Israel (Ariel Kahana, Israel Hayom) Despite voicing support for Israel's government, US President Biden has thrown his full support behind the candidacy of political adviser Colin Kahl, a man who helped formulate the Iran nuclear deal and enlisted support for the infamous anti-Israel UN Security Council resolution adopted at the end of Obama's second term.
Why did the regime in Jordan decide to turn an internal dispute into a public interest? (Prof. Alexander Bligh, Maariv) The impression created is that the current regime in Jordan fears internal subversion, and at the present time it has decided to act contrary to the past and turn an internal dispute in the royal court into a outward and public matter. It seems that the explanations should be sought in the foreign sector. Amman, like Jerusalem, understands that the new administration in Washington is re-examining the United States' international alliances. The Hashemite Kingdom has a great interest in making it clear that if it is abandoned, it faces many dangers. King Abdullah's message is clear: Jordan is not part of the regional diplomatic campaign - Saudi Arabia, the Gulf and Israel. There is no reason why the preference for tightening relations with Iran over existing ties with traditional allies should include Jordan as well. It is possible that in King Abdullah's view, the only way to create American empathy is through an artificial presentation of danger to the regime, and hence to the stability of the kingdom and the entire region. This complex equation also includes the complex relations with Israel: during the reign of the late king, Hussein, the Hashemite kingdom could rely on Israel to come to its aid if it was in danger. But the present king does not share this view. Signalling danger to the regime may be a first component in building justification for American political, military, and economic assistance.
An Israel Prize for the Occupation (Friday Haaretz Editorial) The High Court of Justice provided valuable ammunition Thursday to the forces that persecute and silence all criticism of the Israeli occupation in the territories. In granting Education Minister Yoav Gallant’s request to reexamine the political statements of Prof. Oded Goldreich with an eye to denying him the Israel Prize in mathematics and computer science, the justices facilitated a separate track for leftists: Even if the Weizmann Institute scientist ultimately does receive the prize, it will not be as part of the familiar ceremony, but later, at an unknown place and time, with no connection to the event held on Independence Day. Perhaps in the basement of Gallant’s home. Justices Justices Isaac Amit, Noam Sohlberg and Yael Willner accepted Gallant’s position – also supported by Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit – that more time is needed to determine whether Goldreich’s signature on a petition calling on the European Union to cease cooperating with Ariel University – an ostensible violation of the so-called boycott law – can be deemed an “external” consideration that outweighs the professional considerations for granting the prize. When the examination is completed and a decision is made, the matter will be returned to the court…
Yoav Gallant Does Not Deserve to Be Israel’s Education Minister (Gideon Levy,Haaretz+) …The opposition and the media leave Gallant alone. They don’t mock him as they do Miri Regev and Osnat Mark, nor do they revile him as they do Amir Ohana, Miki Zohar and David Amsalem, although the damage he does exceeds theirs. Gallant is an Ashkenazi Jew, a general and “one of us,” so they barely touch him. But the damage he causes is mounting, together with the ridicule raised by his pathetic attempts to be the state’s chief education officer. Now he’s celebrating a shabby victory: the unbelievable High Court of Justice ruling permitting him to temporarily withhold the Israel Prize from Prof. Oded Goldreich over his political opinions. Gallant is now “reexamining” the “sincerity” of Goldreich’s objection to the boycott movement against Israel. Examine how? Is there a sincerity gauge? Will he summon Goldreich to the regime’s thought-crimes investigation branch for interrogation? Today anything is possible…
Netanyahu, the conspiracy theorist (Yossi Beilin, Israel Hayom) The prime minister seems to genuinely believe that a long line of people he either appointed or played a central role in appointing in recent years have joined forces with the formidable Left and the media to carry out nothing short of an "attempted coup."
Netanyahu's Political Troubles Could Reverberate Across Mideast (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Turbulence in the coming weeks may not be confined to coalition-building ■ A routine medical checkup for Palestinian president, a possible emergency for Israel ■ Israel's vaccine drive slows down, but that's not necessarily bad news.
Netanyahu’s Shameful Speech: When Holocaust Remembrance Day Becomes a Campaign Event (Alon Pinkas, Haaretz+) For Netanyahu, the day commemorating the Holocaust is just another opportunity for a self-serving political tirade.
Netanyahu's Corruption Trial Shows He Received Something Far More Valuable Than Money (Gidi Weitz, Haaretz+) Testimony of former news site CEO shows that for years a bribery culture dominated Israels largest media company.
My Mom Is Moroccan, My Dad Was Ashkenazi. It Was Clear Which Culture Would Prevail (Iris Leal, Haaretz+) Their marriage lasted two years, but it shaped my mother's identity and influenced her all her life, trapping her between two worlds.
India Is Now a Key Arena for Iran’s Proxy War Against Israel (Abhinav Pandya,Haaretz+) Iran, unnerved by Delhi's pivot towards Israel and the Gulf, increasingly poses a concrete terrorist threat to Israeli interests in India, thanks to its robust intelligence footprint and willing proxies. India's government can no longer afford to look away.
In a Democracy, the Prime Minister Cannot Skew the Media (Ravit Hecht, Haaretz+) The story of the Case 4000 corruption trial, as revealed in the testimony of Ilan Yeshua, former CEO of the Walla website, is a rather simple one. It is possible to distill the affair, which was exposed by Haaretz’s Gidi Weitz, down to the order that Yeshua testified he’d been given by the owner of Bezeq at the time, Shaul Elovitch, after the publication of a not very flattering article about Sara Netanyahu: “Take it down immediately, I’ll kill you, that’ll stop the approval of Yes.”…This case is especially interesting because by way of it, Israeli democracy is asking itself what type of democracy it really is. Is it enough to hold elections that reflect the will of the people to establish a democracy – alongside the widespread connections and norms as detailed in the indictment and in Yeshua’s testimony? Or maybe a country in which the press does not act as a critic of the government – any government – but instead is busy keeping it happy cannot be called a democracy at all. Does the newspaper that someone opens or the news broadcast someone else watches aspire to present the information in the most accurate way? Or maybe all of this is just sophisticated scenery for a performance directed by various powerful people. This is a case of supreme moral importance because the bribes Netanyahu is accused of receiving are not the envelopes stuffed with cash, whose absence is celebrated by his supporters, and not even the luxury goods from Case 1000. The bribe is symbolic wealth – turning freedom of the press into a joke, and trading in what is presented to the public as unsalable: impartial professionalism.
 

 

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