APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday March 6, 2019
Numbers of the day:
61:59
--Number of Knesset seats to center-center-left bloc vs. number of seats to right-wing bloc,
according to recent poll.*
Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Elections 2019
- The female clash - Special: Prominent female candidates from all the parties at a tense meeting (Hebrew)
- “He thinks he
has a chance, that donkey” - What (Gabi) Ashkenazi said about (Benny) Gantz when Gantz was his deputy in the army
- Expose -
(Habayit Hayehudi leader MK) Smotrich supports Netanyahu
-
Attorney General bars (Otzma Yehudit leader Michael) Ben-Ari
- Expose -
Brigade Commander against the soldiers who did not charge: “Scared little girls”
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
Israel Hayom
- Kahol-Lavan:
Platform and talk are different - Remarks prove: Senior members of Kahol-Lavan party support Palestinian state
- (Gabi)
Ashkenazi: “(Yedioth publisher) Noni (Mozes) will do what I tell him”
- Selfie from
space: First photo from the Genesis spacecraft
- New situation
at Temple Mount could become permanent - and Israel needs to worry // Nadav Shragai
- 70 years after
they parted in the Holocaust: Naomi and Ruthie met in Israel
- For the second
time in history: Man was healed from AIDS
-
Latest Israeli Election Poll Predicts Victory for Center-left Bloc - Channel 12 survey shows bloc
with 61 seats against right-wing bloc's 59, but respondents still prefer Netanyahu as PM over Gantz and Lapid.
(Haaretz
and
Maariv)
-
High school once seen as election bellwether gives Blue and White huge win - Students at Ramat
Gan’s Blich give 47% of vote to Gantz and Lapid, while Likud is far behind with 21%; but school has in recent
years lost its luster as an accurate forecaster. (Maariv
and
Times of Israel)
-
"Bibi or Tibi: incitement against Arabs has become a way of life for Netanyahu" - The chairman
of the Ta'al party, MK Ahmed Tibi, attacked the prime minister following the campaign, which warns of an
Arab-backed government: "An attempt to delegitimize by the one who brought Kahanists into his circle.“
(Maariv/103FM)
-
Israeli Arab Party Sues Journalist for Calling It a 'Terrorist Organization' - Balad is
demanding [right-wing religious journalist - OH] Amit Segal take down his article, issue an apology and pay a
$77,000 compensation for violating libel laws. (Haaretz+)
-
Smotrich will protect Netanyahu - Ichud Leumi MK Bezalel Smotrich, who is #2 on the United
Right-Wing Parties List, formulated a plan to halt the criminal proceedings against the prime minister:
changing the law so that a majority in the Knesset would be required to lift Netanyahu's immunity. (Yedioth/Ynet
Hebrew)
-
Deri: Lieberman unhappy that Shas wants to keep out non-Jews - Following statement by
Lieberman that Yisrael Beytenu will seek to wrest control of Interior Ministry from Shas, Deri defended the
ministry’s scrutiny of FSU immigrants, adding that Shas will seek Aliyah ministry as well. (Ynet)
Other Top News Summary:
Police are expected to
recommend indicting Likud MK David Bitan, a confidante of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, on bribery
and the
Egyptians met with senior officials in Gaza in order to try to ease border tensions, while the I
sraeli
air force struck a Hamas military compound after a fifth consecutive night of launches of incendiary
balloons into Israel. No casualties were reported on either side. A
senior Gaza official
downplayed the winds of war between Hamas and Israel, saying,
"I think the Israeli side is also not interested in war on the eve of elections.” Israel believes that Hamas is
making night protests on the border fence and launching the balloons towards Israel to put pressure on the Egyptian
delegation. But balloon launchers have said they are trying to pressure Israel to end the siege. (Also
Maariv) And meanwhile,
Maariv reported that the
crisis at Bab al-Rahma worsens: The Muslim Endowments Ministry, which
manages the Temple Mount compound, announced that it would not accede to the High Court regarding the police's
request to close the new prayer compound, stating, it does not need to answer the "occupation authority.”
Quick Hits:
-
Police Detain Wife of Arrested Palestinian Lawyer - Palestinian and Israeli attorneys say
arrest intended to put pressure on investigation of her husband, Tareq Barghout, who was arrested in Ramallah
last week alongside Zekariya Zubeidi. Lawyers have gone on strike in protest of the move. (Haaretz+)
-
Israel to release mother of al-Barghouthi brothers - Ofer Israeli military court decided to
release on bail, Suheir Al-Barghouthi, whose husband and three sons are currently in Israeli prisons while her
fourth son was shot and killed by Israeli forces in October. Suheir was held under harsh conditions: in
solitary confinement and wasn’t allowed to change clothes for one month. (Maan)
-
High Court: Demolition of home (of Barghouti), shooter of soldiers at Givat Asaf, can proceed
- Family of Assam Barghouti, who killed two soldiers in a shooting at Givat Asaf outpost and wounded seven at
another shooting near Ofra – petitions against court-ordered demolition of his home. High court justice: The
deterrent effect is still viable. (Israel
Hayom)
-
In photos - Israeli settlers seize Palestinian home in East Jerusalem - Israeli settlers
seized al-Halabi family home Tuesday, in Jerusalem's Old City. Palestinian youths attempted to defend the home
from seizure, were assaulted by Israeli police forces who also fired tear-gas bombs at them. The settlers
pepper-sprayed Palestinian residents and students, resulting in a number of severe suffocation cases. (Maan)
-
For 11th time: Israeli settlers attack Urif school - 50 Israelis from Yitzhar settlement
raided eastern area of Urif, forcing school to dismiss classes for 11th time this school year. Settlers threw
rocks, injuring one student, and damaged three vehicles belonging to teachers. (Maan)
-
In video - Israeli forces tear-gas Palestinian students in Shufat (in E. Jerusalem) - Israeli
soldiers raided Shuafat refugee camp as students were heading to their schools, and employees to their
workplaces. The forces heavily fired tear-gas bombs causing dozens to suffer tear-gas suffocation, while
several students suffered from panic attacks. (Maan)
-
Israel bans call to prayer in Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque 44 times in February - Islamic
Endowment Department in Hebron said restrictions are attempt by Israeli occupation to give impression that the
mosque is Jewish property. Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of the Patriarchs) is believed to be burial place of prophet
Abraham and is site of frequent tensions due to presence of 500 Israeli settlers in Hebron's Old City.
(Maan)
-
Israeli authorities demand ownership of Palestinian land in Silwan, E. Jerusalem - Ateret
Cohanim (Israeli Jewish organization trying to settle Jews in E. Jerusalem) delivered notices to members of
Maragha family demanding ownership of apartment building that houses 15 people. Local Palestinian committee
said it is part of Ateret Cohanim’s plan to seize control over 5 dunams and 200 square meters of the
neighborhood, under claims that they belong to Yemeni Jews since 1881. (Maan)
-
UN report on firms linked to Israeli settlements stalls anew:’Blacklist' to Be Completed Within
Months - Announcement seen in Jerusalem as postponing creation of list of firms working in
settlements, while supporters of the list view it as confirmation that work will be completed. (Haaretz+,
Maariv and
Ynet)
-
Israeli Bedouin convicted of soldier's murder in 2017 stabbing attack - Khaled Abu Judeh's
original plan was to kidnap a soldier and negotiate the release of Palestinian security prisoners. (Haaretz+)
-
Jerusalem deputy mayor boycotts event held at 'heretical' Conservative venue - Eliezer
Rauchberger of the ultra-Orthodox Degel Hatorah party says he declined to attend because the Reform and
Conservative movements are bent on 'destroying Judaism.’ (Haaretz+)
-
Senior security official: The recommendations to worsen (Palestinian) prisoners' conditions were not
implemented in practice - A security source said that although Public Security Minister Erdan accepted
the recommendations in full and announced them with happiness before the Likud primaries, no actual change was
made in the prisons. (Maariv)
-
(Teachers at) schools in Be'er Sheva will be on strike tomorrow in protest against the mother who
choked a principal - Studies in all schools in the city will be suspended for an hour in protest of an
event in which a mother physically and verbally attacked the principal. Secretary General of the Teachers'
Union: "Violence in schools continues to rage and the Education Ministry is silent.” (Maariv)
-
Former Sanders aide Simone Zimmerman given key role in anti-occupation group - The Jewish
American activist will direct B'Tselem's efforts to influence U.S. officials and the general public. (Haaretz+)
-
Abbas slams US administration during visit to Baghdad - After meeting with Iraqi PM Adel
Abdul-Mahdi, PA President Mahmoud Abbas says Trump administration is "encouraging Israel to be a state above
the law." Abdul-Mahdi and Iraqi President Barham Saleh stress Jerusalem's importance to the Palestinian people.
(Israel
Hayom)
-
Ex-Pakistani leader calls for diplomatic relations with Israe - Pervez Musharraf, who in 2005
established contacts via Turkey, told journalist in Dubai that there is no harm in establishing relations with
Israel, ‘it will help Pakistan counter India.’ (Ynet)
-
U.S. Opioid Lawsuits May Cost Teva Up to $3 Billion - Sackler family’s Purdue Pharma said to
be exploring bankruptcy filing as litigation pressures mount. (Haaretz+)
-
Omar the flashpoint as Democrats confront divide over Israel - Democratic party is split over
a series of anti-Israel remarks made by the Muslim congresswoman, with some insisting she is a victim of racism
herself and others suggesting she is perpetuating anti-Semitic stereotypes. (Agencies,
Ynet)
-
Ocasio-Cortez Defends Ilhan Omar as anti-Semitism Storm Roils Democratic Party - Several
Jewish lawmakers and groups denounce the freshman Minnesota congresswoman, but Rep. Ocasio-Cortez notes that
'no one seeks this level of reprimand when members make statements about other communities.’ (Haaretz+)
-
White Supremacist Propaganda Efforts in U.S. Rose by 182 Percent in 2018 - The Anti-Defamation
League reported 1,187 incidents in 2018, up from 421 in 2017. Efforts included flyering, with campus incidents
on the rise. (JTA,
Haaretz)
-
Revolutionary Guards' Soleimani flexes political muscle = The general's success in operations
beyond Iran's borders, in particular in shoring up Assad's rule in Syria, have made him instrumental in the
steady spreading of Iranian influence in the Middle East. (Agencies,
Ynet)
-
WATCH Dramatic Footage of Firefight Between Syrian Kurds and ISIS Caught on Tape - The footage
shows fighters firing machine guns at ISIS-controlled territory as a large explosion took place and fires were
burning in distance. (Agencies,
Haaretz)
Elections 2019
Commentary/Analysis:
Will Israel Be Worse Off Without Netanyahu at the Helm? (David Rosenberg,
Haaretz+) The premier himself hints that we'd be worse off without him, but Israel owes its recent success to
factors beyond his control.
Israelis’ obsession with generals (Yaron London,
Yedioth/Ynet) The Blue and White Party includes a disproportionate amount of ex security officials and although
Israel is not Latin America, the military still wields too much power in local politics. The electorate ought to be
more wary of the enchantment of the uniform.
We Are All Victims of Netanyahu’s Abuse (Zvi Bar'el,
Haaretz+) 'The state wants to throw out the master of the house and take over his property,' the abuser claims.
'It has no proof that she was abused.’
A change to Oslo-inspired diplomacy (Ariel Bolstein,
Israel Hayom) The Netanyahu doctrine – according to which it is a strong Israel standing up for itself, not one
that makes unnecessary concessions to its enemies, that wins the respect of the world – is working.
Blue and White platform is making elections interesting again (Limor Livnat,
Yedioth/Ynet) The party founded by Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid strives to be neither left nor right but rather a
mixture of everything so as to sway voters from both sides; but its agenda must be realistic in order not to sell
lies to the public.
Why the outrage? 'Jewish Power' (Otzma Yehudit) party is the new norm in Israeli politics (Ramzy
Baroud,
Maan) IAcareful reading of the (Kahanist) party’s constitution and the text of the Nation-State law reveals
astounding similarities. This suggests that since the days of Meir Kahane, it is Israeli society that has drawn
closer to the views of Jewish extremists, not the other way around.
Netanyahu Wants to Bring Trump Good News About Chinese Investments (Hagai Amit,
Haaretz+) The U.S. has been pressing Israel to vet Chinese investments and Netanyahu is likely to comply before
his D.C. visit.
A Pavlovian rush to condemn Netanyahu (Prof. Oz Almog,
Israel Hayom) The champions of rule of law who are rushing to convict the prime minister even before he is
officially indicted fail to see that, like everyone else, their judgment is subjective.
Commentary/Analysis:
Caution on the Temple Mount (
Haaretz
Editorial) Israel would suffer no loss of respect, sovereignty or security if the Bab al-Rahma
building remained open
Arab support for Al-Aqsa and the Palestinians (Hillel Frisch,
Israel Hayom) Palestinians like to claim that their problem lies at the heart of Arab concerns. But Google
search trends from Arab internet users show that it's Al-Aqsa, not the Palestinians, that is of interest.
Hamas Seeks Concessions From Israel Before Escalating Conflict (Amos Harel,
Haaretz+) Egyptian delegation tries to mediate between Israel and Hamas amid threat of violence on the
one-year anniversary of the start of Gazans' weekly protests.
The four fronts of potential Palestinian escalation (Elior Levy,
Yedioth/Ynet) The West Bank, The Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and the security prisoners might drag Israel
into the next round of fighting; all four are extremely volatile for different reasons, but an eruption in one
could trigger a domino effect.
With Key Protest Dates Looming, Egyptian Delegation Tries Defusing Tension in Gaza (Amos
Harel,
Haaretz+) Threat of violence on Land Day on March 30 or on the one-year anniversary of the start of Gazans’
weekly border protests set background of Egyptian delegation's attempt to mediate between Israel, Hamas.
Can Netflix Star Marie Kondo Fix the Israeli-Palestinian Mess? (Adrian Hennigan,
Haaretz+) With her unfailing ability to help people get their own houses in order, it’s time for the star
of Netflix's ‘Tidying Up with Marie Kondo’ to attempt the world’s biggest challenge.
Could Netanyahu’s Case 1000 Woes Also Include a Big Tax Bill? (Efrat Neuman,
Haaretz) A recent court ruling confirms that gifts like the ones he got from Milchan and Packer are liable
for taxes.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.
