APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday May 09, 2014
Quote of the day:
"King David is for the Jews, Jesus is garbage."
--Graffiti found on a Jerusalem church this morning, the day after the Vatican called on Israel to protect
Christian sites.**
Front Page News:
Haaretz
- Police and Shin Bet preparing to prevent hate crimes in shadow of Pope's visit
- Not paying a price (for hate crimes) // Amos Harel"We protect Jews, not you, you butt face...the moment I have the chance, I'll shoot you" - Video taped talk between soldiers and Palestinians (Hebrew)
- Silvan Shalom's dilemma, Peres' holiday present for Netanyahu and the possible (political) breakthrough of Moshe Kahlon and Adina Bar-Shalom // Yossi Verter
- Plea bargain for (Bat-Yam Mayor) Lihiani: I won't be convicted of bribery, but I could serve a prison sentence
- (Making a) Pirouette on the way to parting from public life // Ido Baum
- The rebels withdrew from the capital of the revolution and swore to take revenge against Assad
- Who is an (American) Jew - Parliament of Jews of America on verge of dividing on dispute over Israel // Chemi Shalev
- The rain returned in the middle of May
Yedioth Ahronoth
- The next storm? No pardon for "heavyweight" murderers - Ministers to vote Monday on bill making it difficult to release terrorists
- Spring floods
- Admitted and was convicted - Prosecution to demand one year prison on Bat-Yam Mayor Shlomi Lihiani
- The Netanyahu family's journey to Japan - PM to leave Saturday for official visit to Japan with wife and sons. Flights alone to cost more than a million shekels. Netanyahu's office said he will pay for his sons
- On wings of money // Nahum Barnea
- Dispute in El-Al airlines: Pilots did not show up, thousands of passengers stuck
Maariv
- not published today
Makor Rishon
- not published today
Israel Hayom
- "We came to break the fear of (Yedioth publisher) Noni Moses" - Sheldon Adelson, (publisher of Israel Hayom): "Yedioth's publisher prepared the bill against Israel Hayom"
- The passengers waited, the pilots didn't show up, the flights were cancelled
- Record-breaking storm
- Initiative in Prime Minister's Office: Postpone the elections for the presidency
- Plea bargain: Lihiani convicted in breach of trust, not bribery
- Disappointment at Eurovision: May Feingold did not make it to finals
News Summary:
Top stories ranged from paper to paper and included the surprising rain storm and resulting floods in Israel and the plea bargain of Bat Yam's mayor. The price-tag/hate crime phenomenon was also a top story in both Yedioth and Haaretz, particularly now, ahead of the papal visit. The stalled peace talks also made headlines after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with US National Security Advisor Susan Rice and also gave a televised interview to Maan, while top international human rights organizations called on him to prosecute Israel for war crimes and the Israeli cabinet goes to vote on making it impossible to pardon 'heavyweight' murderers.
After meeting Abbas in Ramallah, Rice thanked him for his leadership and his public statements that any government that is formed will be his government and represent his policies. But Rice also warned both Israelis and Palestinians against moves that would obstruct the resumption of talks at a later date. Nevertheless, the Palestinians are hoping to join more UN organizations and the Israeli cabinet will be voting on a bill that would prevent the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Now Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and 15 other human rights organizations wrote a letter urging Abbas to apply for membership at the International Criminal Court and let it prosecute Israel for war crimes committed in Palestinian territories. This comes a day after the former ICC prosecutor advised the Palestinians not to prosecute Israel. Luis Moreno-Ocampo spoke while in Israel as a guest of the Fried-Gal Transitional Justice Initiative at the Hebrew University.
Later in the day, Abbas said in a televised interview to Maan news agency that "We are ready to return to negotiations conditionally," i.e. if Israel releases the fourth batch of veteran Palestinian prisoners and halts settlement construction for three months.
But Israeli law may prevent that from happening. Yedioth reported that the Israeli security cabinet will vote Sunday on bill that if passed would outlaw giving pardons to 'heavyweight' murderers - the intention being that Israel would not be able to release Palestinians who murdered Israelis as part of peace talks or anything else, explained Yedioth.
Interestingly, NRG Hebrew website noted that in his interview, Abbas said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's massacre of Palestinian refugees at the Yarmouk refugee camp "was worse than the '48 Nakba." Asaf Gabor quoted Abbas calling the events in Syria a "new Nakba." Only in the last paragraph of the article did Gabor quote Abbas saying that the Palestinian Authority is ready to return to negotiations. Abbas also addressed the upcoming elections in the Palestinian Authority and said that the next unity government will be composed of experts who don't identify politically and that the elections will end the "split between Gaza and the West." Mousa Abu Marzouq, a member of Hamas' politburo, also said Thursday that the Palestinian unity government is neither Fatah nor Hamas. He outlined the responsibilities of the national unity government, stressing that meetings next week would finalize its formation, Maan reported.
PRICE TAG:
**Israel is concerned that its radicals will make a major attack on Christian sites during the pope’s visit two weeks from now and the Vatican has urged Israel to secure Christian sites, expressing concern over 'lack of security' for Christian property and what they call the 'lack of responsiveness from the political sector,' following a number of recent vandalism attacks on churches and monasteries. A similar statement was issued by the Latin Patriarchate on Wednesday. Wadi Abu Nassar, a senior advisor to the Catholic Church who is considered close to the Vatican, told Haaretz+ that he found the current situation “surprising.” In most countries, the media focus is on the pope’s personality and actions in the run-up to a papal visit, he said, but “in Israel, it’s preoccupied with threats by extremists to undermine the visit’s agenda and atmosphere..." And validating fears, this morning the words 'Price tag, King David is for the Jews, Jesus is garbage' were found sprayed on a church in Jerusalem. Both Haaretz+'s Amos Harel and Yedioth's Oded Shalom wrote about how hate crimes go unpunished. Harel wrote that perpetrators receive backing from right-wing figures and settler leaders.
Top stories ranged from paper to paper and included the surprising rain storm and resulting floods in Israel and the plea bargain of Bat Yam's mayor. The price-tag/hate crime phenomenon was also a top story in both Yedioth and Haaretz, particularly now, ahead of the papal visit. The stalled peace talks also made headlines after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with US National Security Advisor Susan Rice and also gave a televised interview to Maan, while top international human rights organizations called on him to prosecute Israel for war crimes and the Israeli cabinet goes to vote on making it impossible to pardon 'heavyweight' murderers.
After meeting Abbas in Ramallah, Rice thanked him for his leadership and his public statements that any government that is formed will be his government and represent his policies. But Rice also warned both Israelis and Palestinians against moves that would obstruct the resumption of talks at a later date. Nevertheless, the Palestinians are hoping to join more UN organizations and the Israeli cabinet will be voting on a bill that would prevent the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Now Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and 15 other human rights organizations wrote a letter urging Abbas to apply for membership at the International Criminal Court and let it prosecute Israel for war crimes committed in Palestinian territories. This comes a day after the former ICC prosecutor advised the Palestinians not to prosecute Israel. Luis Moreno-Ocampo spoke while in Israel as a guest of the Fried-Gal Transitional Justice Initiative at the Hebrew University.
Later in the day, Abbas said in a televised interview to Maan news agency that "We are ready to return to negotiations conditionally," i.e. if Israel releases the fourth batch of veteran Palestinian prisoners and halts settlement construction for three months.
But Israeli law may prevent that from happening. Yedioth reported that the Israeli security cabinet will vote Sunday on bill that if passed would outlaw giving pardons to 'heavyweight' murderers - the intention being that Israel would not be able to release Palestinians who murdered Israelis as part of peace talks or anything else, explained Yedioth.
Interestingly, NRG Hebrew website noted that in his interview, Abbas said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's massacre of Palestinian refugees at the Yarmouk refugee camp "was worse than the '48 Nakba." Asaf Gabor quoted Abbas calling the events in Syria a "new Nakba." Only in the last paragraph of the article did Gabor quote Abbas saying that the Palestinian Authority is ready to return to negotiations. Abbas also addressed the upcoming elections in the Palestinian Authority and said that the next unity government will be composed of experts who don't identify politically and that the elections will end the "split between Gaza and the West." Mousa Abu Marzouq, a member of Hamas' politburo, also said Thursday that the Palestinian unity government is neither Fatah nor Hamas. He outlined the responsibilities of the national unity government, stressing that meetings next week would finalize its formation, Maan reported.
PRICE TAG:
**Israel is concerned that its radicals will make a major attack on Christian sites during the pope’s visit two weeks from now and the Vatican has urged Israel to secure Christian sites, expressing concern over 'lack of security' for Christian property and what they call the 'lack of responsiveness from the political sector,' following a number of recent vandalism attacks on churches and monasteries. A similar statement was issued by the Latin Patriarchate on Wednesday. Wadi Abu Nassar, a senior advisor to the Catholic Church who is considered close to the Vatican, told Haaretz+ that he found the current situation “surprising.” In most countries, the media focus is on the pope’s personality and actions in the run-up to a papal visit, he said, but “in Israel, it’s preoccupied with threats by extremists to undermine the visit’s agenda and atmosphere..." And validating fears, this morning the words 'Price tag, King David is for the Jews, Jesus is garbage' were found sprayed on a church in Jerusalem. Both Haaretz+'s Amos Harel and Yedioth's Oded Shalom wrote about how hate crimes go unpunished. Harel wrote that perpetrators receive backing from right-wing figures and settler leaders.
Quick Hits:
- Rabbi Eliyahu: They are inciting against Yitzhar settlement in order to harm the settlement enterprise - Chief Rabbi of Tsfat/Safed Shmuel Eliyahu slammed what he called the media attack against the settlement of Yitzhar and said, "They turned the victim into a criminal. (Yitzhar settlers) are moral people who contribute to the state." Eliyahu spoke to 'Kol BaRamah' Radio after the settler woman from Yitzhar was arrested on suspicion of incitement to kill Israeli soldiers. (NRG Hebrew)
- Dozens demonstrate in support of two jailed IDF refuseniks - Druze conscientious objector Omar Sa’ad serving seventh jail term; ultra-Orthodox Uriel Ferera behind bars for first time. (Haaretz+)
- Yeshiva students can enlist in IDF, prominent rabbi's daughter says - Adina Bar-Shalom, daughter of late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, says "many yeshiva boys wander from window to window, from cigarette to cigarette. We all know this." Says government and rabbis agreed that less serious yeshiva students should enlist in the army. (Israel Hayom)
- Palestinian prisoners began mass hunger strike in Israeli jails - The prisoners demanded Thursday that Israel end the practice of holding Palestinians in custody without charge or trial. More than 100 Palestinians in Israeli prisons without charges launched a mass, open-ended hunger strike on April 24. (Maan)
- Lawyer: Administrative detainees won't end hunger strike -The group of some 100 detainees in Israeli prison without charges say they refused an offer by the Israeli prison service to end their strike in return for "vague" promises. They began hunger-striking over two weeks ago. (Maan)
- (Israeli citizen and) Palestinian activist Ameer Makhoul marks 4 years since arrest - The human rights activist was sentenced to 9 years as part of plea bargain in which he admitted to "spying" and contacts with Hezbullah. Makhoul charged that his confession was obtained through torture and drugs. Supporters say his case was meant to intimidate Palestinian activists in Israel. (Maan)
- The goal: To celebrate Jerusalem (annexation) Day without racism (against Arabs) - Various sources in the city have demanded from the Education Ministry and the police to deal with the racist calls by pupils participating in the marches, such as "'Death to the Arabs" and curses against the Prophet Mohammed, and teach them how severe such behavior is. (Yedioth Jerusalem supplement, p. 48)
- Nationalist-religious attack against the IDF: "Something bad is happening to the army" - The vast majority of graduates of the military-prep yeshiva "Bnei David," enlist into elite combat units and continue to become officers in the IDF. For the first time, following the dismissal from officer's course of a cadet who attended Bnei David, unusual criticism of the Army is being heard. "In recent months, religious cadets have had a lot of problems at Officer's Course, people come out with a very bad feeling," said Rabbi Natanel Eliyashiv, head of Bnei David. The commanders of the dismissed cadet said he was "extremist religious and rigid." He had also refused to serve with female soldiers. (NRG Hebrew)
- Graduates of Boyer High School: We don't want singer Ahinoam Nini at the jubilee celebrations - Among those invited to the prestigious event was the singer who graduated from it. But the decision sparked a storm among some graduates, who claimed her statements oppose Zionism. About 100 of them signed a petition against her participation. (Yedioth Jerusalem supplement, p. 50/Ynet Hebrew)
- Hate campaign against lighter of torch on Israeli Independence Day - "Traitor of the Palestinian people" was written on Arabic websites, next to curses and threats against Hindiya Suleiman, 60, from the village of Bueina Nujeidat. (Yedioth, p. 8)
- Jerusalem municipality: Unknown person hung PLO flag at (Jewish) school - Old City residents claim: Over last two weeks, despite telling municipality several times, the PLO flag flies proudly above the (Jewish) 'Beit Ha'Emet' public school. Municipality response: "The issue was taken care of and the flag was removed that day." MyNet checked: the flag was hung again. (Yedioth's mynet Hebrew)
- IDF facing budget disaster; Ya'alon: 'The money is gone' - Defense officials prepare for crunch as crisis in military spending means government could be, 'forced to stop the army'. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Israel navy has new weapon to counter Hezbollah - IAI-developed radar has greater range than its predecessors, can distinguish between enemy and friendly ships, detect multiple targets simultaneously. (Ynet)
- Danish lawmaker demands Palestine be invited to Eurovision - Citing Israeli military's treatment of Palestinians, Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen says inviting Palestine into song contest would send strong message to Israel. (Haaretz+)
- Bedouins in strategic West Bank area fear eviction - Community of Bedouins located in W. Bank, east of Jerusalem, say demolitions in home village are part of Israeli push to relocate hundreds of Palestinian Bedouins, make way for Israeli settlements. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Number of homeless youths in Tel Aviv up by 25% - NGO also reports increase in teens reporting sexual assault and violence in Ethiopian community. (Haaretz+)
- Poll: Majority of (Jewish) public is satisfied with the State of Israel - According to a Israel Democracy Institute survey of Jewish citizens, 76% are satisfied with Israel's achievements, although the younger population less so. Regarding military-security issues, 82% expressed satisfaction. On economic-social issues only 31% were satisfied. And 56% of the Jewish public disagree with Obama that both the Israelis and Palestinians are responsible for the failure of the peace process. (NRG Hebrew)
- New museum tells of Israeli setback on a 1948 battleground - A month later, Israel won the day at a total cost of 28 elite Palmach soldiers over three days of fighting. The new HaReut Museum in the Upper Galilee is next to the Metzudat Koach Memorial that commemorates the second round of the battle. (Haaretz+)
- Rights group calls for inquiry into abuses by Palestinian Authority security forces - In one incident, PA preventive security forces stopped a car in Yatta for flying the Hamas flag. The officers hit the driver's vehicle from behind until it crashed into a wall, then took the driver from the car and kicked and beat him with their rifles. (Maan)
- Israeli forces raid town west of Salfit, question residents - They surveyed the town's neighborhoods and obstructed transportation as well as searched and interrogated residents. (Maan)
- Isaac Herzog met with Syrian opposition leaders - Israeli opposition leader and chairman of Labor party met in Berlin with the Syrian opposition leaders, with whom he has been in contact for years. (Yedioth, p. 5)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.