APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday June 06, 2014
Quote of the day:
"The hunger strike of the (Palestinian) administrative detainees puts a spotlight on one of the most serious
injustices of the military rule in the Occupied Territories - the routine use of administrative detention
against Palestinians who are detained for many months, and sometimes years, without knowing the allegations
against them or when they will be released."
--The Association for Civil Rights in Israel speaks against on Israel's policy of administrative
detention and its prime minister's plan to have hunger-striking detainees force-fed.**
Front Page News:
Haaretz
- Israel advancing wave of construction in Territories; European Union threatening sanctions
- State without welfare - Every social worker in Israel cares for hundreds of people. None of them were surprised by the affair in Kiryat Gat
- Internal discussion in Jewish National Fund: Post-Zionists pushing for public supervision of us
- The not-smoking gun of the Big Bang
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Construction on paper - The bluff of the construction in the Territories
- The victory of fear // Nahum Barnea
- Crisis of faith // Alex Fishman
- March of evils // Ben-Dror Yemini
- "Or was my only daughter. I am left alone. My world has been destroyed" - Mother of one of two girls who died in private pool
- They fell from the third floor and were stopped by an awning
- Touching stone - Mick Jagger visits the Wailing Wall
- This is how the broadcast of the Mundial was saved
- New commander of Deep Command
Maariv Weekend (links in Hebrew)
- "Who will console us?" - Tragedy at the pool in Saviyon
- Tax Authority recommends: VAT on fruit and vegetables
- Lieberman's new Middle East // Ben Caspit
- 6 days to Mundial
Israel Hayom
- "Our flowers were picked" - Coral Sheri, 11, who drowned to death in pool in Saviyon, was laid to rest; 3-year-old and 5-year-old fell from third floor
- Sunday: "Terrorists law" at cabinet for government approval; Rising tension with US over Fatah-Hamas government; Australia: "E. Jerusalem is not occupied territory"
- "Former housefather behaved violently" - So it says State and Prime Minister's defense in lawsuit filed by Meni Naftali, former housefather of the PM's residence
- Bitter coffee: Prices at Ben-Gurion Airport are significantly higher than prices at same franchises in Israel
News Summary:
Today's biggest stories in the Hebrew papers were the unresolved deaths of two schoolgirls in a private swimming pool and the Israeli government decision to unfreeze plans to build 1800 settlement homes in addition to the EU reactions to the announcement to build 1500 more settlement homes. And, Australia has declared East Jerusalem unoccupied.
The EU urged Israel to backtrack on its decision to build additional settlements and gave a veiled threat of sanctions. But Israel was undeterred. Israeli officials told the EU to focus on Syria, not settlements. Moreover, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called his ministers to convene Sunday to discuss additional sanctions against the Palestinians for their creation of a Hamas-Fatah unity government, that the world has accepted. One of the political alternatives to be discussed is the annexation of settlement blocs, which is advocated by Economy Minister Naftali Bennett. Nevertheless, the May peace index poll by Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University found that the country's Jews are cool to annexation of territories and 60% oppose unilateral withdrawal, while the country's Arabs oppose annexation but over two-thirds support withdrawal. Interestingly, Yedioth wrote that most of the of the Housing Ministry's 1500 tenders in the West Bank won't be carried out. Additionally, Finance Minister Yair Lapid ordered the Palestinian Authority's tax monies collected by Israel be transferred to the PA, meaning there economic sanctions were not imposed.
The Palestinians were outraged by the settlement expansions decision. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Israel's leadership must be called for a hearing at The Hague. "Israel is turning towards escalation," Maariv quoted him as saying. A spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas said: "Israel must understand the settlement policy is unacceptable." The PLO plans to appeal to the UN Security Council and the General Assembly.
Israel officials have been quoted saying their government was caught by surprise, not only by the agreement between Fatah and Hamas to create a unity government - with some analysts saying it would never actually take place - but evenmoreso by the US government's support of the new unity government. Now Ynet quoted a BuzzFeed report, according to which, US sources said that the US secretly negotiated with Hamas ahead of the government's formation. “Our administration needed to hear from them that this unity government would move toward democratic elections, and toward a more peaceful resolution with the entire region,” said the US official. "It was important to have that line of communication." The US denied the report and Israel Hayom quoted US Ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro, telling Israel Army Radio that the US has no ties with Hamas and will not work with Hamas.
Meanwhile, Hamas has begun handing over Palestinian government offices in Gaza.
Separately, Australia has declared that East Jerusalem is not occupied. Its attorney general and foreign minister said that 'occupied East Jerusalem' is a "term freighted with pejorative implications, which is neither appropriate nor useful."
Today's biggest stories in the Hebrew papers were the unresolved deaths of two schoolgirls in a private swimming pool and the Israeli government decision to unfreeze plans to build 1800 settlement homes in addition to the EU reactions to the announcement to build 1500 more settlement homes. And, Australia has declared East Jerusalem unoccupied.
The EU urged Israel to backtrack on its decision to build additional settlements and gave a veiled threat of sanctions. But Israel was undeterred. Israeli officials told the EU to focus on Syria, not settlements. Moreover, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called his ministers to convene Sunday to discuss additional sanctions against the Palestinians for their creation of a Hamas-Fatah unity government, that the world has accepted. One of the political alternatives to be discussed is the annexation of settlement blocs, which is advocated by Economy Minister Naftali Bennett. Nevertheless, the May peace index poll by Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University found that the country's Jews are cool to annexation of territories and 60% oppose unilateral withdrawal, while the country's Arabs oppose annexation but over two-thirds support withdrawal. Interestingly, Yedioth wrote that most of the of the Housing Ministry's 1500 tenders in the West Bank won't be carried out. Additionally, Finance Minister Yair Lapid ordered the Palestinian Authority's tax monies collected by Israel be transferred to the PA, meaning there economic sanctions were not imposed.
The Palestinians were outraged by the settlement expansions decision. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Israel's leadership must be called for a hearing at The Hague. "Israel is turning towards escalation," Maariv quoted him as saying. A spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas said: "Israel must understand the settlement policy is unacceptable." The PLO plans to appeal to the UN Security Council and the General Assembly.
Israel officials have been quoted saying their government was caught by surprise, not only by the agreement between Fatah and Hamas to create a unity government - with some analysts saying it would never actually take place - but evenmoreso by the US government's support of the new unity government. Now Ynet quoted a BuzzFeed report, according to which, US sources said that the US secretly negotiated with Hamas ahead of the government's formation. “Our administration needed to hear from them that this unity government would move toward democratic elections, and toward a more peaceful resolution with the entire region,” said the US official. "It was important to have that line of communication." The US denied the report and Israel Hayom quoted US Ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro, telling Israel Army Radio that the US has no ties with Hamas and will not work with Hamas.
Meanwhile, Hamas has begun handing over Palestinian government offices in Gaza.
Separately, Australia has declared that East Jerusalem is not occupied. Its attorney general and foreign minister said that 'occupied East Jerusalem' is a "term freighted with pejorative implications, which is neither appropriate nor useful."
Quick Hits:
- UN panel urges Israel to stop jailing Palestinians without trial' - Prisoners should have the right to know what they are accused of and to be able to defend themselves,’ say committee members calling for end to administrative detention. (Haaretz)
- **ACLU: "force-feeding of hunger strikers - Forbidden" - After PM Netanyahu said would consider force-feeding of prisoners, Association warns it is illegal. On administrative detainees: "Administrative detention, which which allows denial of man's liberty without trial, is a violation of human rights." (Maariv)
- Israeli soldiers disperse Naksa protests across West Bank Israeli; Solidarity march in Hebron - Four Palestinians injured in clashes with Israeli soldiers during protests at Qalandiya marking Naksa Day, commemorating displacement of the Palestinians in '67 War. Dozens also took part in march in Hebron on Thursday to mark Naksa Day and in solidarity with hundreds of Palestinians prisoners in Israeli jails currently on hunger strike. (Maan)
- Hundreds of Israeli rightists enter Aqsa compound - Some 170 right-wing religious Jews entered the compound, including Michael Ben-Ari, a former MK, and far-right Jewish activist Yehuda Glick, as part of celebrations for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. (Maan)
- Israel building farm on Palestinian land - The farm is part of a intensive project to connect Israel proper to the West Bank settlement of Ariel. (Haaretz)
- Israeli ministers to consider watered-down 'Jewish state law’ on Sunday - The newest version of the bill, sponsored by two right-wing Knesset members, has been stripped of some of its controversial clauses. (Haaretz)
- Cabinet discusses 'terrorist law': "The ability to negotiate will not be wiped out" - Associates of Minister Bennett stressed that the bill does not seek to apply the prohibition to pardoning terrorists already serving a prison sentence in Israeli jails, and said: "The goal of the law is to distinguish between terrorists who must not be released, and those who can be part of transactions in extreme conditions." (Maariv)
- How Israel is trying to bypass the courts and get Bedouin off their land - The monster who came to visit the Sateh el-Bahr Bedouin encampment, between Jerusalem and Jericho, in the West Bank. (Haaretz+)
- In the wake of tensions: President Peres will meet with Palestinian Chairman Abu-Mazen at the Vatican - After much deliberation, the President in coordination with Netanyahu's office, announced the trip, initiated by Pope Francis. Government expected to approve the trip tomorrow by phone. (Maariv)
- On victories and defeats: Tales from Israel's naval commando chiefs - Six former Shayetet 13 commanders talk about everything from the Gaza flotilla operation to stopping Arafat's boat, and even the disaster that befell the unit in Lebanon in 1997. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Jerusalem chosen as 2016 Islamic tourism capital - The fact that Israel tries to hide the Arab and Islamic identity of the city and builds settlements will not change the fact that "Jerusalem is the religious and political capital of Palestine," said Mahmoud Habbash, PA minister of religious affairs. (Maan)
- The geopolitics of getting an invite to al-Sissi inauguration - Israel, Turkey and Qatar were all left off the guest list for different reasons, but Iran will be attending. (Haaretz+)
- Germany extends Holocaust pensions for Jewish ghetto workers - German parliament votes in favor of paying full benefits to some 40,000 Holocaust survivors forced to work for Nazis. (Agencies, Ynet)
- IDF chief of staff reshuffling army brass - Among other changes, Brig. Gen. Roni Nom will go from commanding the national ground training center to the depth corps. (Haaretz)
- Palestinian post-unity scuffles: Gaza chaos after run on banks - Civil servants of the Gaza Hamas government were disappointed to discover new unity government had not paid their wages, but paid those of the previous Fatah-ruled Palestinian Authority government. (Agencies, Ynet and Maan)
- Red Cross visits hunger-strikers' families - Red Cross visited a number of hunger-striking prisoners’ families to comfort them and carry messages from the prisoners. (Maan)
- 70 Palestinian prisoners from Nafha sent to different jails - A lawyer with the advocacy group who visited the Nafha prison in Mitzpe Ramon in southern Israel said prison is "tense" and that punishments against hunger-striking prisoners are being meted out "continuously." (Maan)
- Police probe twin racist attacks on Africans in Israel - Gang attacks migrant in Bnei Brak; Ethiopian youth under arrest for assault on Eritrean nationals in Netanya. (Ynet)
- El Al flight crew attacked; Flight to Munich makes emergency landing - Boeing 737 lands in Sofia to unload violent passenger who ran through plane yelling, 'terrorists'. (Ynet)
-
Israel says Iran giving 'false explanations' to UN nuclear probe - Slow cooperation with
IAEA leads Israel to accuse Iran of covering up disputed activities. (Agencies, Ynet)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.