'I’m Not Sure It’s Possible Have Democracy in a Jewish State'
Democracy is waning globally, and China might be to blame, a Belgian researcher visiting Israel says; an Israeli
doula misses four births to surf in Sri Lanka. (Liat Elkayam,
Haaretz+)
Meet Ezra Cohen-Watnick, the 30-year-old Jewish Trump Aide at the Heart of the Wiretapping
Scandal
Close to Bannon and Kushner, Ezra Cohen-Watnick is known for holding hawkish views on Iran and is said to be one of
the White House sources who leaked information to Nunes. (Nathan Guttman,
Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Passover: The Irony of Celebrating Liberty While the Israeli Occupation Persists (Tomer Persico,
Haaretz+) It's tragic that the people who gave humanity the ultimate story of liberation
control a population without allowing it equal rights.
This Is How Israel's Right-wing Incitement Machine Really Works (Alon Idan,
Haaretz+) Far-right rapper The Shadow says in street language what the suits like Minister
Gilad Erdan and party leader Yair Lapid say in sanitized terms
Alongside ultimate deal, Trump administration eyes preventing Gaza's next crisis (Barak Ravid,
Haaretz+) Jason Greenblatt has made it clear to all sides that addressing economic
conditions is not a substitute for diplomatic negotiations, but a supporting element - and he wants Israel's
help.
Trump settles in on settlements (Elliott Abrams,
Israel Hayom) U.S. President Donald Trump's settlement policy appears to be designed to
prevent disputes from souring relations between Israel and the U.S.
The emperor of the media (Journalist Dan Shilon,
Yedioth/Ynet) Netanyahu, who is up to his neck in criminal investigations, will be the
first prime minister in Israel who will get—at his explicit and shameless demand—the appointment of an
editor-in-chief in a broadcast media organization. It’s sickening, it’s distorted, it’s corrupt.
Netanyahu’s New Trump-Appeasing Bluff (Hagit Ofran,
Haaretz) Netanyahu promised the White House 'restrained construction' that wouldn't stray
outside the ‘built-up area’ of settlements. That's an endlessly elastic term.
Hold on to history (Nadav Shragai,
Israel Hayom) The Temple Mount Sifting Project allows a rare glimpse into the history of
the holy site and it is far too important to grind to a halt over funding issues.
Bannon’s Removal Is Reassuring, Until You Remember Trump Is Still in Charge (Chemi Shalev,
Haaretz+) The president ad-libs on Syria’s chemicals and North Korea’s missiles, but at
least he’s eased concerns about politicization of his national security apparatus.
Israel must intervene in Syria (Minister Ayub Qara,
Maariv) The Israeli government should do all it can to provide humanitarian aid to Syria's
suffering citizens. The intervention should be expressed through medical assistance to areas where minorities
live.
With Chemical Attack, Syria's Assad Forces Rebels Out of Hiding and Into Urban 'Prison' (Zvi
Bar'el,
Haaretz+) Reluctant to name Assad, Russia or Iran, Arab states have also turned a cold
shoulder to the rebels, leaving world to wonders how it can respond to chemical attack without really
responding to it
Israelis may be gloomy, but it’s not the media’s fault (Sima Kadmon,
Yedioth/Ynet) It takes a lot of nerve, not to mention lack of self-awareness, to call the
media an ‘industry of gloom,’ when the person running this industry is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
himself.
Israel Shows No Mercy, No Compassion (
Haaretz Editorial) Soon, Jewish Israelis will be reading the Passover Haggadah, which
deals with the brutal treatment Israelites were subjected to in Egypt. Those responsible for the Israeli
bureaucratic apparatus would do well to internalize the
A new age of diplomacy (Prof. Abraham Ben-Zvi,
Israel Hayom) Trump's White House has been working toward a dramatic shift away from the
Obama administration's approach to diplomacy, especially in the Middle East.
Israel's Historic Duty to Act on Syria (Emilie Moatti,
Haaretz+) The same world that ignored the Holocaust and the slaughter in Rwanda has
abandoned the murdered victims in Syria. Israel cannot stand idly by
The harsh events in Syria teach us that we have no one to rely on (Shmuel Rosner,
Maariv) It is necessary to internalize something about Israel's relations with its great
friend from the horrors of our neighbor. Even if the Americans promise us full backing - we do not want to
depend on them at the moment of truth.
All Israelis Are Collaborators With Assad (Rogel Alpher,
Haaretz+) On Holocaust Remembrance Day, when Israelis ask why the world did nothing to
stop the Shoah, they should consider what they have done to prevent the atrocities on their doorstep in
Syria.
The taboo was broken: after decades as an outcast, chemical weapons returned to the picture (Dr.
Ofer Israeli,
Maariv) Since World War I, the use of gas in the battlefield is considered inconceivable.
After Obama's red line and Assad's response, it is very likely that more and more countries and terrorist
organizations will no longer be deterred.
The Yearning Israeli Jewish Soul Looks Toward Syria (Gideon Levy,
Haaretz+) Israel’s victims in Gaza 2014, like Assad’s now, included babies and children;
they, too, were cruelly massacred and their numbers were also high enough to shock.
