APN's daily news review from Israel

Wednesday May 14, 2014

Quote of the day:

---

Front Page News:

Haaretz

• "One who takes bribes betrays the trust that was vested in him" - 6 years prison sentence for Olmert
• The immunity is over // Gidi Weitz
• Legacy of corruption // Yossi Verter
• Judge's day // Amir Oren
• For the sake of the public // Editorial
• Lapid thwarted Netanyahu's move: "I will oppose any initiative to postpone elections to presidency"
• IDF plans to evacuate buildings in (settlement) outposts
• Israel did not allow a Russian missile ship (to dock) in order not to anger the US
• (Singer) Eyal Golan gets community service for tax evasion
• Google to be forced to recognize surfers right to disappear from the Internet

• 6 years - Harsh sentence for Olmert, who was convicted of bribery
• The humiliation // Sima Kadmon
• Traitor? // Shimon Shiffer
• Holiday of justice // Igal Sarna
• Law and order // Ariella Ringel-Hoffman
• Explosive device in (Petach Tikva) school 
• End to Netanyahu's initiative (to postpone elections to presidency)
• Victory of privacy - EU court ruled: People have right to be deleted from Google

• Former prime minister Ehud Olmert sentenced to six years prison
• Monument to war on corruption // Shalom Yerushalmi (Hebrew)
• Medal of Courage to judicial system // Amnon Lord (Hebrew)
• Mark of disgrace on all of us // Yehuda Yifrach (Hebrew)
• National soul searching // Yifat Ehrlich (Hebrew)
• Lieberman: "Abu Mazen is not interested in an agreement" (Hebrew)
• Rise in hatred - World study in 100 states: Anti-Semitic positions are rising greatly
• Arrived at an arrangement - Plea bargain for (singer) Eyal Golan: Four months of community service for tax evasion

• 6 years in prison - For the first time in history of State of Israel, former prime minister sent to jail on bribery
• The judge was not scared // Mordechai Gilat
• Without laundering words // Dan Margalit
• The media choir - Yedioth backs the corrupt // Gonen Ginat
• New punishment policy // Prof. Aviad Hacohen
• (Others convicted of bribery in Holyland affair:) Uri Shitreet: 7 years prison, Meir Rabin: 5 years prison, Hillel Chernoy: 3.5 years prison, Eliezar Samhiof: 3.5 years prison, Danny Dankner: 3 years prison, Avigdor Kelner: 3 years prison
• Olmert plans to appeal to high court; His associates: "He is completely innocent"
• Israel Prison Service considering assigning special wing to all the Holyland affair convicted
• From the premiership to criminal involvement. The rise and fall of Olmert
• Shame across the world: Newscasts opened with (Olmert's) sentencing

---

News Summary:
The six year prison sentence handed down to former prime minister Ehud Olmert dominated the news in the Hebrew newspapers today. And, while Palestinians from Hamas and Fatah meet to discuss who will be in the new unity government, Israeli ministers continued the blame game saying that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas does not want peace and US National Security Advisor Susan Rice reaffirmed US hope that peace would be reached.
 
**Reading the Hebrew papers today, one got the impression Israel Hayom appeared satisfied with the sentencing of six years in prison for former prime minister Ehud Olmert on bribery, while Yedioth Ahronoth thought it was over the top, with top political commentator Shimon Shiffer calling Tel-Aviv District Court Judge David Rozen 'arrogant.' Nevertheless, MKs from the left and right lauded Olmert's sentence as an 'important day for democracy.' But Globes reported that legal experts were shocked by Judge Rozen's style. Olmert and his six co-defendants have 45 days to appeal their sentences at the High Court and that is what Olmert will likely do. The Times of Israel listed 10 Israeli public figures sentenced to jail terms. Haaretz+ reported that the Shin Bet will protect Olmert in prison and Israel Hayom reported that the

Israel Prison Service is mulling a special prison wing for all the Holyland affair criminals.
 
In Gaza, Palestinian factions have begun talking about who will sit in the unity government ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections six months later. In a Washington Post Op-Ed, Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter said the unity government could be a chance for peace. He also expressed his support for the continued US mediation in peace talks and for the Palestinian appeal to the UN, NRG Hebrew reported.
 
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman charged Abbas with being more concerned with his political standing than with securing a viable peace agreement, and said the Palestinians will not accept a deal regardless of whatever concessions Israel would be prepared to offer. He also expressed his support for more sanctions against the Palestinians: “The State of Israel has not yet used the tools at its disposal to deal with the unilateral steps the Palestinians have taken until now” — a reference to Abbas’s appeal to 15 United Nations agencies. And Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz blamed Abbas for the failure of the peace talks saying that Abbas refused to discuss recognition of Israel as Jewish state. Steinitz also said Israel will survive with or without peace deal. But, US national security advisor Susan Rice reaffirmed the US desire to reach peace amid tensions with Israel. 

Quick Hits:

---

Commentary/Analysis:

Israel Hayom is no newspaper (Sefi Rachlevsky, Haaretz+) Israel Hayom is an anti-newspaper designed to promote the prime minister and crush the real press.
Sheldon Adelson and my personal moral dilemma (Orian Morris, Haaretz+) Adelson’s newspaper, Israel Hayom, spares no effort in waging the unceasing campaign to perpetuate the rule of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Apartheid is 66 years old (Khaled Titi, Ynet) There are two peoples here, and one controls the other's freedom of movement, education and development. What is that if not racial segregation?
The Israeli left imagines it's Lennon (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) Just like the average Israeli leftist, Beatles icon John Lennon cooperated with occupation while musing about a world without borders.
To hate properly (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) It’s not the legislation that creates the hatred, it only grants it legitimacy and turns those who espouse it into loyal law-abiding citizens.
State symbols cannot be canceled just like that (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) Like flag and anthem, presidency is as important as laws defining State of Israel's character.  
Amos Oz’s serious error: Saying neo-Nazis, not terrorists (Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, Haaretz+) I groaned when I read the Israeli author's words: Just as the revulsion against hate crimes is finally making it onto the U.S.-Jewish agenda, using the term 'neo-Nazi' will distract rather than prod us to action.
Ambassador Indyk's speech (Elliot Abrams, Israel Hayom) Indyk's account of the collapse of peace talks unfairly blames Israel, ignores American mistakes, and remains fixated on settlement construction. 
Give us hope for our blood, sweat and tears (Yossi Klein, Haaretz+) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu loves to see himself as a latter-day Winston Churchill: Not even close, and definitely no cigar. 
Obsolete paradigms doomed Kerry's mission (Yehezkel Dror, Haaretz) A holistic approach must supplant personal diplomacy and stale attitudes. 
Slow and steady (Zalman Shoval, Israel Hayom) A comprehensive peace deal with the Palestinians is simply not within reach. A strategy of partial deals is preferable.
Why should the U.S. Jewish community speak with one voice on Israel? (Seth Lipsky, Haaretz+) The Conference of Presidents already has its share of dovish voices of J Street's ilk. What the leadership lineup needs is more hawks. 
If J Street is out, then justify why you're in (Sara Hirschhorn, Haaretz+) Where are the liberal values and transparency in the U.S. Jewish world when a secret ballot means those organizations voting against J Street’s inclusion escaped publicly justifying their decision? 
Beware of fake interfaith promotions (Isi Leibler, Israel Hayom) Relations with courageous Muslim leaders truly interested in peace are undermined by those who grovel to Islamic extremists.
Ten comments on ADL’s global survey of anti-Semitism (It’s not all bad) (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The most infuriating findings? That 62% of Poles, 61% of Lithuanians and 52% of Austrians(!) think Jews 'talk too much about the Holocaust.' Seriously.
ON OLMERT'S SENTENCE:
Olmert’s sentence seems gratuitous, even vengeful (Alan M. Dershowitz, Haaretz+) Israel’s former PM’s six year prison term is a tragedy for Israel and Jews worldwide. The judge used his long record of public service against him, rather than to his credit.
A Medal of Valor should be given to Judge Rosen (Amnon Lord, NRG Hebrew) Olmert's trial pretty much crushes the various forums that maintained (Ariel) Sharon and Olmert. Therefore, you can say that a whole oligarchic group is symbolically going to jail now. 
Olmert's sentence: Not a revolution, but another step toward good governance (Ido Baum, Haaretz+) The six-year prison sentence of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, shocked many Israelis, but it is not exceptional, harsh or extreme. It's suitably severe.
The humiliation of Ehud Olmert (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) Branded a traitor and ultimately forgotten - this is what awaits the former PM who let his excesses rule him.
Olmert's branding as a traitor - a long unfolding drama (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) The fact that the sparks of brightness in his public activity will likely be forgotten is as harsh a blow to former PM Olmert as his jail sentence.
A disgrace to all of us (Yehuda Yifrah, NRG Hebrew) The severity of the Holyland affair is derived from the ease with which state officials have (been able to become corrupt). But symbolically, we all go to jail with Olmert. 
Once a crime-fighter, Olmert became blinded by power (Gidi Weitz, Haaretz+) It is hard not to wonder how the man who used to collect information about clandestine ties between politicians and wealthy businessmen became the first prime minister to be convicted of criminal offenses and sent to prison.
 

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