APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday May 30, 2014
Quote of the day:
“What was supposed to have been a joyous week of triumph and bonding with Israel turned into a
disgraceful exercise in mistreatment and humiliation for too many fledgling friends of Israel."
--Dr. Elihu Richter, an Israeli professor who tried to visit the six Christian Iranian-British and Iraqi-British delegates Israel incarcerated at Ben-Gurion airport in 'intolerable conditions.'**
--Dr. Elihu Richter, an Israeli professor who tried to visit the six Christian Iranian-British and Iraqi-British delegates Israel incarcerated at Ben-Gurion airport in 'intolerable conditions.'**
Front Page News:
Haaretz
- Police: Zaken recordings justify indictment against Olmert and his attorney
- One follows six - After his failure to find a candidate for the presidency or to cancel the institution, Netanyahu is pulled into supporting Rivlin // Yossi Verter
- Budget for Netanyahu residence at the supermarket: 13,000 shekels a month
- Chief of Staff who declared war against leaks found himself on the side of the interrogated
- The shooting in Beitunya: Rubber bullets can also kill
- Even the chocolate can't sweeten the taste of division in Ukraine
- Haaretz probe: Only 10% of those who receive prestigious awards in Israel are women
- In the city of sports and tourism of (Jerusalem Mayor) Barkeat, social services are neglected
- The victims of the Iraqi pogrom of 1941 are fighting to be recognized as people persecuted by the Nazis
Yedioth Ahronoth
- The new case against Olmert
- The hidden song of Naomi Shemer
- More than 100 children - in Kiryat Gat had sex with a 40-year-old woman
- Scandal in Shayetet Navy command: This is how the rape case was invented against the commando
- "Netanyahu's pressure was heavy. But I'm going to say, 'yes'? That I will be the president of the state? Come on, really." - Nobel Prize laureate Elie Wiesel reveals the behind the scenes of Netanyahu's efforts to crown him president
Maariv
- (Ultra-Orthodox) take advantage (of presidency race) to take revenge on Netanyahu (for yeshiva student draft) - "We won't support Rivlin"
- Police: Put Olmert on trial for obstruction of justice
- Panic in south: Dozens of complaints against woman (who had sex with boys)
Isarel Hayom
- "Another indictment for Olmert - Obstruction of justice and misleading testimony"
- "Every boy knew: Whoever wants sex - goes to her"
- Press Council: Opposes any legislation that would limit the freedom of press
- Forecast: Burning weekend
- Report: How long will you wait for surgery in Israel?
News Summary:
Police recommend indicting former prime minister Ehud Olmert for obstruction of justice, six candidates race for the presidency that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu lost and a mentally ill woman has sex with dozens of boys making top stories in today's Hebrew papers.
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the Nakba Day shootings that killed two Palestinian high school students, Haaretz has learned that soldiers sometimes intentionally misuse ammo to cause more harm - and that can be lethal. The IDF has insisted that its soldiers only used rubber-coated bullets in the incident two weeks ago and that such bullets can't kill. According to B’tselem 21 Palestinians died from being shot with rubber-coated metal bullets from the start of the second intifada in September 2000 to the beginning of this year.
In an odd article titled, "Civilians caught in clashes in Issawiya were rescued by police," Maariv reported on how during clashes between police and Palestinian youth in the E. Jerusalem neighborhood, the police noticed two men and a woman in a car who seemed "terrified and afraid." The article told how they 'rescued' them from the clashes. What was strange about the article was that it did not mention the obvious: that the 'civilians' were Israeli Jews and that is why the police rescued them. Palestinian civilians are also caught in clashes between stone-throwing youth and and rubber-coated metal bullet shooting Israeli security forces, but are not considered for rescue.
Former French president Nicholas Sarkozy had some advice for Israel. Sarkozy, who was in town this week with his wife who gave a concert, met with a group of 40 Israeli business people, Yedioth's Nahum Barnea reported. "I love Israel," said Sarkozy. "But I don't understand why a country that is so strong in economic innovations and initiatives can be so weak in diplomatic innovations and initiatives. You need to learn to accept criticism. Not everyone who criticizes you is your enemy. Bibi (Netanyahu) is my friend and there are things about him I admire, but we have differences of opinion. I think Israel needs to initiate a great move towards the Palestinians...If you take small risks, the profit will be small; a big risk will bring a big profit...Israel needs to put a significant offer on the table and then see how everyone reacts. The profit will be all yours: if the other side accepts it, you'll get an agreement. If the other side says no, the world will know Israel wants peace. The whole world thinks you are a strong state. The only place in the world that does not think you are a strong state is Israel."
The Palestinian unity government was expected to be announced yesterday, but discussions continue between Hamas and Fatah over who will be the ministers. However, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that Rami Hamdullah would be the Prime Minister and asked him to build a temporary cabinet of technocrats within the next five weeks.
Ynet reported that the Palestinian Authority's Religious Affairs Minister Mahmoud Al-Habbash said that the unity government will be 'under the ideology of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, not Hamas,' which supports nonviolent resistance. He said the Palestinian Authority rejected any efforts to teach Palestinian children a culture of violence, after Israel’s Channel 2 ran a report on a Hamas rally in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, where one boy said he wanted to become a “martyr” and take revenge on Israeli soldiers for killing his uncle.
Police recommend indicting former prime minister Ehud Olmert for obstruction of justice, six candidates race for the presidency that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu lost and a mentally ill woman has sex with dozens of boys making top stories in today's Hebrew papers.
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the Nakba Day shootings that killed two Palestinian high school students, Haaretz has learned that soldiers sometimes intentionally misuse ammo to cause more harm - and that can be lethal. The IDF has insisted that its soldiers only used rubber-coated bullets in the incident two weeks ago and that such bullets can't kill. According to B’tselem 21 Palestinians died from being shot with rubber-coated metal bullets from the start of the second intifada in September 2000 to the beginning of this year.
In an odd article titled, "Civilians caught in clashes in Issawiya were rescued by police," Maariv reported on how during clashes between police and Palestinian youth in the E. Jerusalem neighborhood, the police noticed two men and a woman in a car who seemed "terrified and afraid." The article told how they 'rescued' them from the clashes. What was strange about the article was that it did not mention the obvious: that the 'civilians' were Israeli Jews and that is why the police rescued them. Palestinian civilians are also caught in clashes between stone-throwing youth and and rubber-coated metal bullet shooting Israeli security forces, but are not considered for rescue.
Former French president Nicholas Sarkozy had some advice for Israel. Sarkozy, who was in town this week with his wife who gave a concert, met with a group of 40 Israeli business people, Yedioth's Nahum Barnea reported. "I love Israel," said Sarkozy. "But I don't understand why a country that is so strong in economic innovations and initiatives can be so weak in diplomatic innovations and initiatives. You need to learn to accept criticism. Not everyone who criticizes you is your enemy. Bibi (Netanyahu) is my friend and there are things about him I admire, but we have differences of opinion. I think Israel needs to initiate a great move towards the Palestinians...If you take small risks, the profit will be small; a big risk will bring a big profit...Israel needs to put a significant offer on the table and then see how everyone reacts. The profit will be all yours: if the other side accepts it, you'll get an agreement. If the other side says no, the world will know Israel wants peace. The whole world thinks you are a strong state. The only place in the world that does not think you are a strong state is Israel."
The Palestinian unity government was expected to be announced yesterday, but discussions continue between Hamas and Fatah over who will be the ministers. However, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that Rami Hamdullah would be the Prime Minister and asked him to build a temporary cabinet of technocrats within the next five weeks.
Ynet reported that the Palestinian Authority's Religious Affairs Minister Mahmoud Al-Habbash said that the unity government will be 'under the ideology of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, not Hamas,' which supports nonviolent resistance. He said the Palestinian Authority rejected any efforts to teach Palestinian children a culture of violence, after Israel’s Channel 2 ran a report on a Hamas rally in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, where one boy said he wanted to become a “martyr” and take revenge on Israeli soldiers for killing his uncle.
Quick Hits:
- Israeli court extends detention of hunger-striking Jerusalem woman - Umm Muhammad, wife of Ahmad Ubeid, who is serving life sentence in Israel, was in court last Friday to attend a hearing for her son Anas, who was detained the day before, when an Israeli intelligence officer asked her to accompany him to an office for a couple of questions. Surprisingly, the officer notified Umm Muhammad that she was under arrest without charges. She immediately began a hunger strike (joining some 240 other Palestinians in Israeli jails). (Maan)
- **Church leaders livid over Israel's mistreatment of Iranian, Iraqi delegates - Six Iranian refugees, all British nationals who arrived for the Jerusalem 'Crossroads' conference, incarcerated near airport, five deported 10 hours later. Others either denied visas or only received them after conference ended. (Haaretz+)
- Top Hamas official tells Shin Bet of links to Israel's Islamic Movement - Member of Hamas' Shura Council arrested in April admits Islamic movement in Israel used by Hamas to transfer funds, Israeli security service says. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Woman, 69, needed stitches after being shoved by police officer - Officer says he was acting in self-defense after Esther Amsalem hit him. (Haaretz)
- Pope's prayer with Israeli, Palestinian presidents slated for June 8 - The pope extended an invite to Peres and Abbas to pray for peace with him at the Vatican when he was on his official visit to the Holy Land. (Haaretz)
- Lebanese patriarch backs followers in Israel - As part of controversial Holy Land visit, head of Lebanon's largest Christian group arrives at Kufr Birim, promises to harness help of Vatican for residents who were uprooted from village in 1948. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Complaints against (high) level of matriculation exam in Arabic language - Students who took the exam claimed that many words were not understood and much of the limited time was spent translating. Ministry of Education: "We have not received complaints." (Maariv)
- Israeli strike on Iran would be a 'grave mistake' while talks continue - Israeli nuclear experts warn concessions Tehran has made so far on nuclear program are easily reversible. (Ynet)
- Sudan says it declined Iran air defense offer after Israeli strike - In fear of upsetting Saudi Arabia, Sudan distances itself from the Islamic republic while denying any connection to Muslim Brotherhood. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Comptroller: Streamlining defense budget management could save millions - The army could make military procurement cost-effective by using online tenders. This could also increase supervision and control of IDF acquisitions. (Ynet)
- Outgoing chief economist: "Lapid is 100% politics and 0% economics" - Dr. Michael Sarel, resigned from the highest post in the Treasury because of Finance Minister Yair Lapid's "0% VAT" program. He speaks of his decision to retire: "There is always politics with finance ministers, but in the case of Lapid, it's pure populism." (Maariv)
- Treasury wants prison for FATCA non-compliance - The Finance Ministry proposes fines and up to 7 years imprisonment for bank employees keeping information from the US. (Globes)
- Stanley Fischer sworn in as US Fed board member - Former Bank of Israel governor awaits Senate approval before he can be officially appointed the Fed's vice-chair. (Globes)
- Israeli academic drops discrimination suit in U.K. - Moty Cristal receives apology for being discriminated against after his 2012 workshop was canceled because he is Israeli. (Haaretz+)
- UK envoy: We reject boycotts of Israel - Ambassador Matthew Gould offers clear rejection of BDS efforts during event marking Queen’s birthday. (Times of Israel)
- Turkish tourism to Jerusalem increasing, despite obstacles - Despite the intensive and invasive searches they often face by Israeli security personnel, the numbers of Turks visiting Al-Aqsa increased after imams inside and outside of Jerusalem encouraged them to visit in order to counteract attempts at "Judaizing" the compound and the Old City by Jewish extremists. (Maan)
- When it comes to real estate, Jerusalem is far from united - The capital has been quickly growing in recent years but it's also splitting into three cities: secular and observant Jews, ultra-Orthodox Jews, and Arabs. (Haaretz+)
- Turkey hints Brussels shooting may be linked to EU far-right rise - Turkey condemns Jewish Museum shooting which left 3 dead, says its concerns 'are growing' in face of European Parliament election results. (Haaretz)
- Israeli NGO, Angelina Jolie to educate on gender-based violence - IsraAID will present a panel on its work in South Sudan at a London summit chaired by the actress and British FM William Hague. (Times of Israel)
- The Australian-Israeli tending to Syria's war wounded - and his goats - Dr. Michael Harari moved to Rosh Pina in search of a quieter life. (Haaretz+)
- Iranian hackers said to use Facebook to spy on Israelis - Over 2,000 executives and officials fall victims to brazen, complex 3-year ‘Newscaster’ scam run by social network ‘friends,’ report says. (Times of Israel)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.