APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday July 16, 2014
Quote of the day:
"Hey, please reserve a missile for me with jalapenos, green olives, extra cheese, and
mushrooms. You have my address. Tell the delivery boy to activate the siren when it arrives, so I know
to get my pants on."
--Israeli reply posted on Domino's Pizza Israel Facebook page after hackers wrote of imminent rocket attacks on Israel.**
--Israeli reply posted on Domino's Pizza Israel Facebook page after hackers wrote of imminent rocket attacks on Israel.**
Front Page News:
Haaretz
- IDF told 100,000 Gaza residents to leave their homes - Netanyahu: We will expand the operation
- Hamas is raising the gamble // Amos Harel
- (Netanyahu) Under a heavy barrage // Yossi Verter
- (Hamas) Rejection was foregone conclusion // Amira Hass
- Where is the red line // Zvi Bar'el
- Netanyahu, don't get drawn in // Haaretz Editorial
- First Israeli killed in operation; Three rockets exploded in Eilat
- The state is not shielding tens of thousands of Bedouin
- Hundreds of thousands in Gaza Strip are disconnected from water
- Shula Zaken began serving her prison sentence
- Fire, without ceasing
- First Israeli casualty - Dror Hanin
- Netanyahu fired (Danny) Danon
- Without a landlord // Nahum Barnea
- Like a tied-up bull // Alex Fishman
- And thank you to the pilots // Aviam Sela
- They won? // Shimon Shiffer
- The right thing // Sima Kadmon
- Window of opportunities // Yossi Yehoshua
- Final account // Amnon Abramovitch
- The world valued it // Ben-Dror Yemini
- Fire without ceasing
- First Israeli casualty in 'Protective Edge': Civilian who came to visit the soldiers in the south
- Limitations of power // Ben Caspit
- On the ground of reality // Or Heller
- A petition of defeat // Kalman Libskind
- A suggestion from an expert on failures // Lior Dayan
- Attorney General decided to end the probe regarding MK Meir Sheetrit
- Until ceasing: fire
- First casualty in "Protective Edge": Dror Hanin, 37 from Beit Arieh, came to give food to our forces near Erez Crossing - and was hit by a mortar
- Wanted: A smart ground invasion // Tzvika Fogel
- Ashkelon gives IDF support // Itamar Shimoni
- The world media: Not with us // Boaz Bismuth
- Netanyahu cleans up house: Dismissed Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon
- Mayor of south: "We expect a solution that will lead to long years of quiet"
- IDF received ninth Iron Dome battery
The rockets from Gaza continued, killing an Israeli citizen - the first of Operation Protective Edge, after Hamas and
Islamic Jihad rejected the Egyptian draft for a ceasefire, making top stories in today's Hebrew
newspapers.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had no problem passing the ceasefire draft in the security-cabinet Tuesday morning. Israeli pundits agreed it was good for Israel and Egypt and bad for Hamas and the Palestinians. Haaretz+ writes that while the Netanyahu hammered out the deal with the Egyptians, Hamas and most of the Israeli cabinet were kept out of the loop.
Only Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett opposed it. Lieberman held a press conference afterward and called to take 'full control of the Gaza Strip." Likud hawk Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon and MK Miri Regev both slammed Netanyahu's agreement for a ceasefire. Danon said, "A ceasefire is a slap in the face for the Israeli people." It cost him his job. Netanyahu could not dismiss Lieberman because it would cost the premier his coalition, the papers wrote.
Most of the Hebrew Israeli newspapers did not discuss why Hamas and Islamic Jihad rejected the Egyptian ceasefire draft. Indeed, political sources in Jerusalem told Yedioth that the rejection gave Israel unprecedented legitimacy to harshen the attacks on Gaza.
Haaretz+ and Ynet reported that Egypt did not consult either of the two organizations in preparing the draft, nor did it answer any of Hamas' demands. Those demands include lifting the siege on Gaza, ending the military activity in the West Bank, releasing all of those rearrested after being released in the Shalit prisoner exchange and the Hamas MPs, and improving the conditions of the Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, Haaretz+ reported. Nonetheless, the Islamic parties said they were mulling over the draft, but analysts said that what they hoped for was mediation from Qatar and Turkey.
Even non-Hamas Palestinian officials slammed Egypt's efforts to negotiate a cease-fire with Israel, claiming that the mediators' proposal ignored Hamas entirely. "The Egyptians coordinated the initiative with Abbas and ignored Gaza," a senior PLO told Haaretz. "Hamas leaders felt humiliated by the fact that the proposal was released without them being consulted about its contents ahead of time."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas praised the ceasefire and will travel to Cairo today to meet with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi and discuss the implementation of the Egyptian cease-fire proposal. On Friday he will discuss the subject in Turkey with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Erdogan reportedly said Israel's policies regarding the Palestinians were no different from the mentality of Hitler. Mideast Quartet envoy Tony Blair also praised the truce bid and called for a long-term peace push.
Meanwhile, the shooting from Gaza continued and Israel restarted its attacks on Gaza, which it had ceased at 9AM Tuesday. The IDF dropped leaflets at 11:30 PM last night telling 100,000 Gaza residents living along the Israeli border to evacuate their homes. A senior army official told Ynet that a ground offensive was necessary to combat terror tunnels and that it could take between a week and two weeks. US Secretary of State John Kerry condemned the 'brazen' Hamas rockets and urged a cease-fire and Israeli President Shimon Peres defended Israeli air strikes on Gaza, despite the 'moral problem.'
Operation Protective Edge, Day 8 roundup from Haaretz:
Since the operation began, Israel has launched more than 1,300 air strikes in Gaza which killed 202 Palestinians and wounded more than 1,100 people. Gaza hospitals are reporting a dire shortage of medicine and equipment, particularly for trauma injuries. More than 900 rockets and mortars have landed within Israel. Only a fraction landed in urban regions. The Iron Dome, which is only meant to intercept rockets that are headed for such areas, has an 87 percent success rate and has shot down 180 rockets over the course of the operation. Haaretz has an excellent update of Day 8, with no paywall.
Some of the Israeli newspaper websites ran videos where people could watch Palestinian militants' homes being bombed.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had no problem passing the ceasefire draft in the security-cabinet Tuesday morning. Israeli pundits agreed it was good for Israel and Egypt and bad for Hamas and the Palestinians. Haaretz+ writes that while the Netanyahu hammered out the deal with the Egyptians, Hamas and most of the Israeli cabinet were kept out of the loop.
Only Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett opposed it. Lieberman held a press conference afterward and called to take 'full control of the Gaza Strip." Likud hawk Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon and MK Miri Regev both slammed Netanyahu's agreement for a ceasefire. Danon said, "A ceasefire is a slap in the face for the Israeli people." It cost him his job. Netanyahu could not dismiss Lieberman because it would cost the premier his coalition, the papers wrote.
Most of the Hebrew Israeli newspapers did not discuss why Hamas and Islamic Jihad rejected the Egyptian ceasefire draft. Indeed, political sources in Jerusalem told Yedioth that the rejection gave Israel unprecedented legitimacy to harshen the attacks on Gaza.
Haaretz+ and Ynet reported that Egypt did not consult either of the two organizations in preparing the draft, nor did it answer any of Hamas' demands. Those demands include lifting the siege on Gaza, ending the military activity in the West Bank, releasing all of those rearrested after being released in the Shalit prisoner exchange and the Hamas MPs, and improving the conditions of the Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, Haaretz+ reported. Nonetheless, the Islamic parties said they were mulling over the draft, but analysts said that what they hoped for was mediation from Qatar and Turkey.
Even non-Hamas Palestinian officials slammed Egypt's efforts to negotiate a cease-fire with Israel, claiming that the mediators' proposal ignored Hamas entirely. "The Egyptians coordinated the initiative with Abbas and ignored Gaza," a senior PLO told Haaretz. "Hamas leaders felt humiliated by the fact that the proposal was released without them being consulted about its contents ahead of time."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas praised the ceasefire and will travel to Cairo today to meet with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi and discuss the implementation of the Egyptian cease-fire proposal. On Friday he will discuss the subject in Turkey with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Erdogan reportedly said Israel's policies regarding the Palestinians were no different from the mentality of Hitler. Mideast Quartet envoy Tony Blair also praised the truce bid and called for a long-term peace push.
Meanwhile, the shooting from Gaza continued and Israel restarted its attacks on Gaza, which it had ceased at 9AM Tuesday. The IDF dropped leaflets at 11:30 PM last night telling 100,000 Gaza residents living along the Israeli border to evacuate their homes. A senior army official told Ynet that a ground offensive was necessary to combat terror tunnels and that it could take between a week and two weeks. US Secretary of State John Kerry condemned the 'brazen' Hamas rockets and urged a cease-fire and Israeli President Shimon Peres defended Israeli air strikes on Gaza, despite the 'moral problem.'
Operation Protective Edge, Day 8 roundup from Haaretz:
Since the operation began, Israel has launched more than 1,300 air strikes in Gaza which killed 202 Palestinians and wounded more than 1,100 people. Gaza hospitals are reporting a dire shortage of medicine and equipment, particularly for trauma injuries. More than 900 rockets and mortars have landed within Israel. Only a fraction landed in urban regions. The Iron Dome, which is only meant to intercept rockets that are headed for such areas, has an 87 percent success rate and has shot down 180 rockets over the course of the operation. Haaretz has an excellent update of Day 8, with no paywall.
Some of the Israeli newspaper websites ran videos where people could watch Palestinian militants' homes being bombed.
Quick Hits:
- Hamas 'not the worst option' says former Mossad head - Efraim Halevy says that Islamic militants ISIS are already involved in Gaza; Israel and Hamas have been negotiating for years and should do so again, he told CNN. (Haaretz)
- Gaza’s water system collapsing due to IDF strikes, says Red Cross - Delegation head warns of desperate water shortage within days. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- For the second time since the beginning of the operation: Parts of Gaza without electricity - Following the rocket attacks of Hamas, high voltage was hit again in the Gaza Strip and put 100 thousand people without power. Minister Silvan Shalom ordered not to fix the problem until the rocket barrages at Israel end. (Maariv)
- 550 (Israeli) trauma victims so far in Operation Protective Edge - In a debate in the Knesset, the Health Ministry reported on a large number of citizens who were traumatized by rocket fire and sirens. Expert at the committee said that 5-10% of the victims will be affected from it in the future. (Maariv)
- Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy accosted over criticism of IAF - Levy comes under proverbial fire for slamming IAF pilots participating in Operation Protective Edge. Publicist Ran Rahav criticized Levy, says "IAF pilots are salt of the earth." Channel 2's received numerous complaints over Levy interview. (Israel Hayom)
- Right-wing demonstrators in Tel Aviv wore neo-Nazi shirts - Not only did the demonstrators beat leftists, they wore 'Good night left side' T-shirts, photographs show. (Haaretz+)
- Ashdod Rabbinical Court: Separates between women and men in the bomb shelter room - Sign says safe space for men only. Safe space for women is behind a locked door with a coded entry. MK Stav Shafir applied to the Minister of Religious Affairs and Deputy Attorney General demanding that it deal with the subject: "It is inconceivable that the traditions of religious modesty supersede the duty to save lives." (Maariv)
- Code White: Helping couples escape fire in south to get married - As long as rockets rain on south, no large public gatherings are allowed, and weddings are no exception, but a group of volunteers is working to fix that, help southern couples have their special night. (Ynet)
- **Hamas hacks Channel 10: 'Prepare for drawn-out stay in bomb shelters' - Gaza organization hacked Channel 10 Hebrew text that read, "Your government chose to begin this campaign. If your government won't agree to our terms then prepare yourselves for a drawn-out stay in bomb shelters." Additional hacking attack against Domino's Israel Facebook page. (Ynet)
- Bedouin in south unprotected from rocket fire - Girl, 11, clings to life after rocket hits her home; IDF says isolated villages are given lower priority when it comes to missile defense. (Haaretz+)
- Rocket-battered Ashdod wants Israel to go 'all the way’ in Gaza - Anger and shock in southern city as rockets slam into town two hours after 'cease-fire.’ (Haaretz+)
- For former Gaza settlers, latest flare-up adds insult to injury - News of an impending Israel-Hamas cease-fire brought little joy to residents of Nitzan, a community on the Gaza border set up to house former Gush Katif settlers. (Haaretz+)
- Israel deploys 9th Iron Dome battery - In a move lauded by the Defense Ministry as a technological achievement, Israel deploys the seventh, eighth and ninth Iron Dome batteries in only a week. (Israel Hayom)
- U.S. Senate committee approves doubling funds for Iron Dome - Bill would provide $621.6 million for Israeli missile defense, including $351 million for the Iron Dome anti-missile system. (Haaretz)
- Turkey's Erdogan compares Ayelet Shaked to Hitler - Speaking to his parliamentary group, Turkish PM says ties between the two states wouldn't normalize if Israel continues 'to kill innocent children,' and strike Gaza. (Haaretz and Israel Hayom)
- Anti-Israel protests go viral - and violent - in U.S. and Europe - Social media have spawned a leaderless generation of Muslim extremists across Europe and the U.S. (Haaretz+)
- Attacks in Israel weigh heavily on lacrosse team - 'Every time we step on that field, we represent something bigger than just the lacrosse team,' says forward Noach Miller. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Israel strikes Syrian Golan, killing four, NGO says - The warplanes struck administrative and military sites, killing two security guards and two women, AFP reports citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (Haaretz)
Other News:
- Over 40% of Israeli teens feel alienated from school - Study also shows growing rate of absenteeism among Arab students. (Haaretz+)
- Iran could accept deal to halt nuclear program for seven years, FM says - John Kerry dismisses the idea that Iran could maintain its current number of nuclear enrichment centrifuges as part of a long-term deal with six world powers that would lead to a gradual end of sanctions. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Every state needs a Hamas (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Hamas is the perfect enemy: Weak enough to be hammered yet easy to vilify, thus
serving as the main glue of Israel's national solidarity.
Paying the price for disengagement (MK Yariv Levin, Israel Hayom) The writing was on the wall about the dangers of the disengagement from Gaza, but most refused to see it.
Hamas' rejection of the cease-fire deal was a foregone conclusion (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Hamas and the PLO agree that Israel is working to thwart the reconciliation government, which hasn't brought them closer.
From protective edge to hopeless situation (Shimon Shiffer, Yedioth/Ynet) Nothing bad will happen if the prime minister suggests that the international community helps rebuild the Gaza Strip, investing billions in the construction of a naval port, and airport and power stations, after which Israel would stop supplying the Strip with electricity. Without such a plan, we should better keep entrenching ourselves, because next time it will be much worse.
Peace talks? Not at the operation's expense (Dr. Limor Samimian-Darash, Israel Hayom) If we don't have a viable solution now, further political moves will remain impossible.
The political situation may push Netanyahu to wrong decisions (Ben Caspit, Maariv) As opposition leader, he was passionately attacking the government. But now he is prime minister. He's scared and sweating, and now rightly so. Entry into Gaza now would cost a lot of blood, and it is not clear what accomplishments would be. On the other hand, Hamas hopes for an IDF ground incursion with dead and wounded.
Failed truce seen as opportunity to thwart tunnel threat (Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth/Ynet) IDF echelon is pushing for a limited ground operation in Gaza in a bid to locate dozens of tunnels Hamas is planning to use for major terror attacks inside Israel.
Israeli pilots and blind obedience? That’s nonsense (Nehemia Dagan, Haaretz+) Gideon Levy should be careful about the way he criticizes our pilots and other troops. After all, we’re fighting for our lives here.
Mr. Levy, we defend Israel (Captain Y., Israel Hayom) We entrust our journalists with the most powerful weapons -- words. But Gideon Levy betrayed that trust and went after IAF pilots.
Talking and shooting in Gaza (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) Hamas and Islamic Jihad are still aiming rockets at Israel's population centers, claiming they are considering the Egyptian truce proposal that ambushed them on Tuesday; meanwhile, Israel has an ally in Cairo.
The left’s intolerable voice (Sagi Barmak, Haaretz+) Liberals who attack the most liberal government in the Middle East, while remaining embarrassingly quiet in the face of the barbarism that surrounds it, have betrayed liberalism itself.
Achievement in Gaza? What exactly? (Ron Kaufman, Maariv) Even the Iron Dome system will not be able to stop a limp leadership, a Knesset that runs itself like a scandal, and leaders who think about themselves like Lieberman does.
Dear Mr. Netanyahu: Be a man. End this war (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) From war to war, Israel is gradually turning into Gaza - isolated, clergy-cursed, trapped and furious and writhing. A place with no tomorrow.
Achievements, expectation and concern (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) Despite the achievements noted so far in Operation Protective Edge, Israel knows that toppling Hamas would plunge Gaza into anarchy.
A strategic miss (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom) It's hard to call this a military victory. A mediocre draw with Hamas is strategically unsatisfactory.
With the Oslo dream shattered, Israel must do the creative thinking (Shlomo Avineri, Haaretz+) The Palestinians do not recognize the Jews’ right to a state, so Israel must take steps on its own to improve the atmosphere.
Best to avoid a ground operation (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) While it is good Israel has been able to avoid a ground incursion in Gaza Strip, it should not rush into a cease-fire with Hamas until its demands are met.
Restore Abbas' rule in Gaza (Yaron Friedman, Yedioth/Ynet) Complete demilitarization of Strip is not enough; solution should include termination of Hamas rule.
Jerusalem, a city ripping apart (Gershom Gorenberg, Haaretz+) Jerusalem’s Jews and Palestinians often zigzag across the city’s political faultline. But with Netanyahu’s rabble-rousing and Jewish rioters targeting Palestinians, the divisions have become starker.
American Jews do not care about the escalation (on Israel) (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) A solidarity and support event organized by the Israeli consulate in New York highlighted the indifference prevailing in the large (Jewish) community in the face of the horrors.
Delusional living in Israel (Michal Yudelman O'Dwyer, Haaretz+) We’re winning, say Israel’s leaders, trumpeting the country’s unity under fire; thanks to the equalizing sirens, even Tel Aviv felt less alienated. But we’re living in a bubble that can’t see Gaza’s victims.
Hamas, too, stands to win from a cease-fire with Israel (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Hamas has gotten prisoners released, forced a cease-fire on Israel and leads the armed struggle, while Mahmoud Abbas isn’t even picking up any crumbs.
What happened to the Gaza 'cease-fire' and what happens next? (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Whether or not there is any truth to Hamas claims that they learned the terms of cease-fire from the media, it is clear there was little chance of them coming round at this point.
Netanyahu, the tragic hero of this Gaza war (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) By going against his rightist political partners and accepting the Egyptian cease-fire proposal, the prime minister bade farewell to his image as a leader who handles terror with an iron fist.
Protective Edge exposes our economic weaknesses (Eytan Avriel, Haaretz+) In normal times, we can take pride in data showing that Israelis are happy or have relatively high life expectancy. But in wartime, we come to realize that mediocrity is not an option.
Seven takeaways from seven days of Operation Protective Edge (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) As Israel's operation in Gaza enters its second week, we have an Egyptian cease-fire proposal on the table and a number of preliminary conclusions.
Paying the price for disengagement (MK Yariv Levin, Israel Hayom) The writing was on the wall about the dangers of the disengagement from Gaza, but most refused to see it.
Hamas' rejection of the cease-fire deal was a foregone conclusion (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Hamas and the PLO agree that Israel is working to thwart the reconciliation government, which hasn't brought them closer.
From protective edge to hopeless situation (Shimon Shiffer, Yedioth/Ynet) Nothing bad will happen if the prime minister suggests that the international community helps rebuild the Gaza Strip, investing billions in the construction of a naval port, and airport and power stations, after which Israel would stop supplying the Strip with electricity. Without such a plan, we should better keep entrenching ourselves, because next time it will be much worse.
Peace talks? Not at the operation's expense (Dr. Limor Samimian-Darash, Israel Hayom) If we don't have a viable solution now, further political moves will remain impossible.
The political situation may push Netanyahu to wrong decisions (Ben Caspit, Maariv) As opposition leader, he was passionately attacking the government. But now he is prime minister. He's scared and sweating, and now rightly so. Entry into Gaza now would cost a lot of blood, and it is not clear what accomplishments would be. On the other hand, Hamas hopes for an IDF ground incursion with dead and wounded.
Failed truce seen as opportunity to thwart tunnel threat (Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth/Ynet) IDF echelon is pushing for a limited ground operation in Gaza in a bid to locate dozens of tunnels Hamas is planning to use for major terror attacks inside Israel.
Israeli pilots and blind obedience? That’s nonsense (Nehemia Dagan, Haaretz+) Gideon Levy should be careful about the way he criticizes our pilots and other troops. After all, we’re fighting for our lives here.
Mr. Levy, we defend Israel (Captain Y., Israel Hayom) We entrust our journalists with the most powerful weapons -- words. But Gideon Levy betrayed that trust and went after IAF pilots.
Talking and shooting in Gaza (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) Hamas and Islamic Jihad are still aiming rockets at Israel's population centers, claiming they are considering the Egyptian truce proposal that ambushed them on Tuesday; meanwhile, Israel has an ally in Cairo.
The left’s intolerable voice (Sagi Barmak, Haaretz+) Liberals who attack the most liberal government in the Middle East, while remaining embarrassingly quiet in the face of the barbarism that surrounds it, have betrayed liberalism itself.
Achievement in Gaza? What exactly? (Ron Kaufman, Maariv) Even the Iron Dome system will not be able to stop a limp leadership, a Knesset that runs itself like a scandal, and leaders who think about themselves like Lieberman does.
Dear Mr. Netanyahu: Be a man. End this war (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) From war to war, Israel is gradually turning into Gaza - isolated, clergy-cursed, trapped and furious and writhing. A place with no tomorrow.
Achievements, expectation and concern (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) Despite the achievements noted so far in Operation Protective Edge, Israel knows that toppling Hamas would plunge Gaza into anarchy.
A strategic miss (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom) It's hard to call this a military victory. A mediocre draw with Hamas is strategically unsatisfactory.
With the Oslo dream shattered, Israel must do the creative thinking (Shlomo Avineri, Haaretz+) The Palestinians do not recognize the Jews’ right to a state, so Israel must take steps on its own to improve the atmosphere.
Best to avoid a ground operation (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) While it is good Israel has been able to avoid a ground incursion in Gaza Strip, it should not rush into a cease-fire with Hamas until its demands are met.
Restore Abbas' rule in Gaza (Yaron Friedman, Yedioth/Ynet) Complete demilitarization of Strip is not enough; solution should include termination of Hamas rule.
Jerusalem, a city ripping apart (Gershom Gorenberg, Haaretz+) Jerusalem’s Jews and Palestinians often zigzag across the city’s political faultline. But with Netanyahu’s rabble-rousing and Jewish rioters targeting Palestinians, the divisions have become starker.
American Jews do not care about the escalation (on Israel) (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) A solidarity and support event organized by the Israeli consulate in New York highlighted the indifference prevailing in the large (Jewish) community in the face of the horrors.
Delusional living in Israel (Michal Yudelman O'Dwyer, Haaretz+) We’re winning, say Israel’s leaders, trumpeting the country’s unity under fire; thanks to the equalizing sirens, even Tel Aviv felt less alienated. But we’re living in a bubble that can’t see Gaza’s victims.
Hamas, too, stands to win from a cease-fire with Israel (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Hamas has gotten prisoners released, forced a cease-fire on Israel and leads the armed struggle, while Mahmoud Abbas isn’t even picking up any crumbs.
What happened to the Gaza 'cease-fire' and what happens next? (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Whether or not there is any truth to Hamas claims that they learned the terms of cease-fire from the media, it is clear there was little chance of them coming round at this point.
Netanyahu, the tragic hero of this Gaza war (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) By going against his rightist political partners and accepting the Egyptian cease-fire proposal, the prime minister bade farewell to his image as a leader who handles terror with an iron fist.
Protective Edge exposes our economic weaknesses (Eytan Avriel, Haaretz+) In normal times, we can take pride in data showing that Israelis are happy or have relatively high life expectancy. But in wartime, we come to realize that mediocrity is not an option.
Seven takeaways from seven days of Operation Protective Edge (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) As Israel's operation in Gaza enters its second week, we have an Egyptian cease-fire proposal on the table and a number of preliminary conclusions.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.