APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday June 13, 2014
Quote of the day:
"We will continue in our unwavering fight against criminal nationalistic activity by extremist
elements, and these criminal terrorists will meet a harsh response."
--Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon decides to leave Border Police forces inside radical Yitzhar settlement.**
--Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon decides to leave Border Police forces inside radical Yitzhar settlement.**
Front Page News:
Haaretz
- Islamic militia and Kurds taking over disintegrating Iraq
- The joint interest of the US and Iran // Amos Harel
- Leader of the insurgents in Iraq: a profile
- Opening whistle (Mundial in Brazil)
- Ultra-Orthodox save the Left from itself // Yossi Verter
- Palestinians' hunger-strike: Leaders of the revolt; Internal struggles; The Israeli considerations
- The divorced father who murdered his two children requested not to have a psychiatric exam
- Whiter, more conservative and more Christian: The Republicans are getting farther from the Jews
- At the opening of Book Week, the crisis of the publishing houses is worsening
- Not Ladino and not Spanish: The extinct language of the Jews of north Morocco
Yedioth Ahronoth
- "I sent them to their death" - The broken mother, whose ex-husband murdered their two children, received the bitter news in Ohio
- What an opening // Nahum Barnea on Mundial from Sao Paolo
- Harpaz affair: Gabi Ashkenazi interrogated 11 hours
- The housekeeper affair (with MK Meir Sheetrit): "A recording of (sexual) harassment) was revealed"
- The furniture affair (with Sarah Netanyahu): Netanyahu's zigzagging explanation
Maariv Weekend (Hebrew links)
- "I feared sending my children to Israel" - the mother, whose children were stabbed to death by their father, told her friends
- 33% of the public: (Interior Minister) Gideon Saar - the most serious threat to Netanyahu in Likud
- On winners and losers // Ben Caspit
- Opening whistle (on Mundial)
- Escape attempt by security prisoners thwarted
Israel Hayom
- The children paid with their lives - Another ugly divorce and war over child custody ended in murder
- Opening whistle (of Mundial)
- Housekeeper (of former presidential candidate, MK Meir Sheetrit) to police: "He tried to kiss me"
- (Former chief of staff) Gabi Ashkenazi and his wife, Ronit, questioned under warning for 11 hours
- Ashkenazi interrogated - and (Yedioth publisher) Noni Moses is dealing with (Netanyahu's) garden furniture // Itzik Saban
- Iran sending forces to help Iraqi regime
- Maccabi Tel-Aviv coach David Blatt heading to NBA
News Summary:
With the exception of Haaretz, possible cases of misbehavior by the prime minister (his wife, to be exact), a candidate for president and the former chief of staff dominated today's Hebrew newspapers. Meanwhile, the papers also discussed the Sunni Islamist forces advancing towards Baghdad. Yedioth's Alex Fishman reported that Israel is following developments closely and with great concern. Israel fears that Jordan is the next target of Al-Qaeda. Fishman writes that the militant group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), is already on the triple border of Israel-Syria-Jordan (located not far from the south-eastern corner of the Sea of Galilee). Uzi Dayan wrote in Israel Hayom that the turmoil east of Israel reinforces the view that Israel must control the Jordan Rift Valley in the West Bank, also know as the Beqaa. And, while Haaretz+'s Amos Harel did say that Israel must do everything possible to bolster Jordan, he did not declare Israel needed to continue the occupation over the Jordan Beqaa Valley or to annex it.
With the exception of Haaretz, possible cases of misbehavior by the prime minister (his wife, to be exact), a candidate for president and the former chief of staff dominated today's Hebrew newspapers. Meanwhile, the papers also discussed the Sunni Islamist forces advancing towards Baghdad. Yedioth's Alex Fishman reported that Israel is following developments closely and with great concern. Israel fears that Jordan is the next target of Al-Qaeda. Fishman writes that the militant group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), is already on the triple border of Israel-Syria-Jordan (located not far from the south-eastern corner of the Sea of Galilee). Uzi Dayan wrote in Israel Hayom that the turmoil east of Israel reinforces the view that Israel must control the Jordan Rift Valley in the West Bank, also know as the Beqaa. And, while Haaretz+'s Amos Harel did say that Israel must do everything possible to bolster Jordan, he did not declare Israel needed to continue the occupation over the Jordan Beqaa Valley or to annex it.
Hunger-Striking Palestinian Detainees: Day #51
- East Jerusalem shuts down in solidarity with Palestinian hunger-strikers - Demonstration planned outside local Red Cross headquarters. (Haaretz+ and Maan)
- 20 more prisoners join open hunger strike - The 20 prisoners, who are affiliated with the leftist party Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said in a letter sent from jail that they intend to stay on hunger strike until the demands of the administrative prisoners are answered, or otherwise until death. (Maan)
- First cracks in Palestinian hunger strike - Three senior Hamas members have accepted food and concluded their protest. (Times of Israel)
- Administrative detainee on 105th day of hunger strike - Ayman Itbeish, 34, on Thursday entered his 105th day on hunger strike in protest against his detention without charge. He is suffering from eye, kidney and stomach problems as well as asthma, PPS said. (Maan)
- Palestinian public apathetic toward hunger strike - Despite the outward appearance of solidarity, the Palestinians in general and the PA in particular are not all that sympathetic toward the cause of the administrative detainees. (Haaretz+)
Quick Hits:
- Jerusalem court indicts hate crime suspects using circumstantial evidence - Shin Bet employing interrogation methods against right-wingers that work with Palestinians - with little success so far. (Haaretz+)
- **Border Police to remain in Yitzhar - Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon extends Border Police deployment in Judea and Samaria settlement following IDF recommendations. "We will continue fight against criminal nationalistic activity," he says. Yitzhar protests "settlement's occupation." (Israel Hayom)
- Israeli forces detain disabled man near Hebron - Muhammad Awad said that "the residents were in their lands with their car parked nearby when suddenly Israeli forces surrounded them." (Maan)
- No charges against IDF soldier who killed 21-year-old Palestinian bystander - Military Attorney General rules that Israeli soldier mistakenly shot 21-year-old Lubna Hanash last year while firing at terrorists [Palestinians throwing Molotov cocktails - OH]. (Haaretz+)
- Ayelet Waldman evokes 'shame' of Hebron in major U.S. magazine - Noted Israeli-born writer's essay in The Atlantic was based on a tour of the West Bank city by Israeli soldiers from anti-occupation NGO Breaking the Silence. (Haaretz+)
- IDF uses Facebook, Instagram to warn soldiers over cyber security - Army's Security Department sends out hundreds of fake messages in Arabic to soldiers' personal Facebook accounts, aiming to raise awareness of dangers of posting sensitive information online. (Ynet)
- Senators to Obama: 'Gravely concerned' over Palestinian unity - 88 senators write U.S. president Palestinian government backed by Hamas poses 'serious setbacks to effort to achieve peace.' (Haaretz)
- Peres welcomes new Palestinian government, raps Hamas - Outgoing president says no one would have backed unity government had Hamas been part of it, group must end violence against Israel. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Tape emerges purporting to show Erekat lashing out at Abbas - In alleged recording of chief Palestinian negotiator angrily reprimanding PA president for not joining more international bodies. Calls Netanyahu filthy. Erekat claims recording is heavily edited, out of context. (Agencies, Ynet and Israel Hayom)
- Hamas calls for end to political detentions in West Bank - Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said charges against Nazih Abu Awn by a Nablus Court aimed "to ruin Hamas' reputation and are an extension of political, security and media campaigns that target Hamas in the West Bank." (Maan)
- Islamic Jihad detainees dig tunnel in prison escape attempt - Israel Prison Service discovers four-meter-long tunnel in cell bathroom; after prison-wide search, guards discover fake uniform in cell of Fatah detainee. (Ynet)
- Ya'alon: Israel will hunt down terrorists who attack its citizens - Defense Minister makes comments a day after IAF strike kills Gaza militant; US: Hamas, not PA, responsible for Gaza rocket fire. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Palestine prepares to join more international organizations - A Palestinian ministerial committee tasked to examine how to join international conventions is scheduled to convene by the end of June in Ramallah to study submitting letters of accession to more multilateral international treaties. (Maan)
- Report: Netanyahus took furniture from PM’s residence for private home - Prime Minister’s Office says the acquisition for Benjamin Netanyahu’s private home meets regulations; attorney general following up on claim. (Haaretz)
- Hijab protests rock East Jerusalem's Christian schools - Christian schools’ refusal to let female students wear a hijab on school grounds has threatened to disrupt the institutions' famed openness. (Haaretz+)
- UNESCO launches postponed exhibition on Jewish connection to Holy Land - Disputed exhibition tying Jews to land of Israel opens after being initially canceled in January due to claims by Arab member countries that exhibition could hinder peace negotiations. (Ynet)
- Islamic countries threaten trade sanctions against Australia over E. Jerusalem policy - Palestinian diplomat says Aussie exports of meat and wheat to Middle East could be affected. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- US Embassy buys Diplomat Hotel in Jerusalem - Hotel, that currently houses new immigrants, is adjacent to the American consulate in the capital. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Hillary Clinton: Turkish FM considered war on Israel after '9/11'-scale attack - Fatal raid on Gaza-bound flotilla in 2010 drove Davutoglu to extremes, the former secretary of state's memoir asserts. (Haaretz)
- Poll: Gideon Saar is main threat to Netanyahu's leadership in Likud - 33% of those polled said the Interior Minister was Netanyahu's threat within Likud, compared to 9% for Defense Minster Moshe Yaalon. (Maariv)
- Iraq turns to UN for military aid, after U.S. reportedly declines request to bomb jihadists - Obama says looking at all options, U.S. prepared to take military action when its interests are threatened. (Haaretz)
- Hundreds of Iraqis flee Islamic militant advance - Families, soldiers flee homes, fearing clashes, kidnapping and rape after Sunni militants seize two towns in the eastern province of Diyala. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Iran's Deputy FM: If nuke talks fail, we'll resume enrichment - Speaking at a conference in Rome, Abbas Araqchi said he believed it was possible for Iran to reach an accord with world powers in time for a July 20 deadline. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Palestinian and American students swap perspectives - Three-day program brings Jewish students from Brandeis University to visit students of Al Quds University, despite suspension of partnership between institutions due to Al Quds Islamist campus rally. (Ynet)
- Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Blatt heading to NBA - After leading his club to the European championship, Israeli coach pursuing a job in US league. (Agencies, Ynet and Haaretz+)
- 16th Pride Parade kicks off in Tel Aviv today - Tel Aviv Pride Parade underway with families, children and adults marching through the streets. 'We'll march together for many years to come', promised Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai. (Ynet)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.