News Summary:
The beginning of the Trump era, the removal of a cancerous tumor from the IDF Chief of Staff and the latest on the Netanyahu investigations were today’s top stories in the Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, Channel 2 revealed that in the deadly incident in the Bedouin village of Um al-Hiran this week, police officers testified that they did shoot first at the car of the Bedouin man before it rammed into a police officer, in contrast to police statements otherwise; his family is demanding an investigation. And the military prosecution wants convicted soldier Sgt. Elor Azariya to serve 3-5 years in prison.
 
Yedioth’s Orly Azoulay on the Trump era:
“Today a President who made history will leave the White House and in his stead will enter a President who made a completely different kind of history. The intellectual charisma of Barack Obama will be replaced by the confidence and aggressiveness of Donald Trump, the light and effortless style will be replaced by a short fuse and a big mouth.”

On the Netanyahu investigations:
Haaretz+’s Yossi Verter writes that “The political arena is in the meantime gearing up for elections next September-October. The prevailing view is that a decision about whether to indict the premier will be made in May-June, the Knesset will be dissolved and elections held about 100 days later. That’s the working assumption of three coalition party leaders who regularly exchange views.” Also, the State Attorney will decide whether to launch a probe against Mossad director Yossi Cohen for receiving illicit gifts from Australian billionaire James Packer. Haaretz+’s Amir Oren writes that as “Yossi Cohen's ties to Netanyahu's rich friends come to light, shadows lengthen over the night he was tapped to lead Israel's spy agency. If a link could be established, Israel may see both its prime minister and its Mossad chief gone in one fell swoop.”
 
And on Netanyahu’s son, Yair, Yedioth’s Nahum Barnea writes that the claim by Netanyahu’s PR people that the gifts that Netanyahu and his family received “were between friends” and were reciprocated is ridiculous. “(Arnon) Milchan and (Australian tycoon James) Packer don’t make visits (to the PM). And when the supply of cigars and champagne empties, whoever needs to make a call to whoever needs to be called, a new monthly order is made, the driver of the giver or the receiver makes the transfer, and the bill is written accordingly.” Barnea writes that Israelis are not so stupid to believe Netanyahu’s son, Yair, who testified before police this week that his father has no connection to his own friendship with Packer and that his father had no idea that the Australian tycoon is funding Yair with first class flights, yacht trips, living in his luxury apartment, and enormous plates of sushi delivered to the office of the IDF Spokesman’s Unit, while Yair served there, among other things. “The claim that the gifts were given without getting in return is ridiculous,” writes Barnea. “Even billionaires don’t give presents in those amounts. And the absurd is that statement that Netanyahu did not know about the gifts to his son. Who is the idiot who would shower on Yair all that good without his father – and more importantly his mother – knowing.”
 
A Maariv survey found that 57% of the public believe there is a basis to the suspicions against Netanyahu. Only 28% believe Netanyahu that there is nothing behind them. Yesh Atid party is leading with 26 mandates if elections were held now and Likud trails with 23. The Labor party would get only 9, but if it were led by former IDF chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi it would get 15 seats. 
 
 

 

"I'd run over a cop, too, if they were forcing me out of my home to build a community for people better off than me." 
--Army Radio reporter Khen Elmaleh wrote on her personal Facebook page - and was fired.*

You Must Be Kidding: 
The number of children living below the poverty line in Israel has quadrupled over the past three decades, reaching 30.3 percent in 2015 – the highest rate among developed countries.**

"Our elected officials do nothing to stop the reality of a Palestinian prime minister. Israel has no plan today. We blame the political and government leadership that is busy with itself."
--Former Mossad director Shabtai Shavit said at a press conference at the start of a new campaign to convince Israelis to support a two-state solution.** 

“Israel Hayom helps him brainwash millions of Israelis, who are convinced they have to support him and his settlements-and-apartheid policy in order to protect themselves. They learn daily from Israel Hayom that if Netanyahu falls and a Palestinian state is established, missiles will rain down and kill them. Israel Hayom teaches them to be Jewish-nationalist extremists and racist toward Arabs.”
--Haaretz columnist Rogel Alpher writes that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu needs the Sheldon Adelson-funded 'Israel Hayom' newspaper to defend his government “and protect the apartheid state he has established.”*

---

You Must Be Kidding: 
"The two wanted men were aged 11 and 13. Tariq’s voice hasn’t broken yet, and Maliq has a bashful smile. Since that night, they will sleep only in their parents’ bed." 
--Haaretz journalist Gideon Levy reported on a IDF operation this month, in which soldiers broke into a home in the Palestinian village of Kfar Qaddum during the dead of night to get to two children, whose arms they grabbed before locking them into two separate rooms for 40 minutes and warning them not to participate in the demonstrations to reopen the village's access road, and threatening Maliq that he will be either shot or arrested if he does.**

"As you know, the bill has yet to pass and it will never pass. This was apparently the straw that broke the camel's back for [US] President [Barack] Obama, and we took a hit in the Security Council, so we must be serious and responsible."
--Speaking at a Yisrael Beiteinu meeting earlier this week, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman revealed that international diplomacy against Israel caused Israel to shelve the controversial 'outpost legalization' bill.*