APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday January 28, 2015
Quotes of the day:
"Landau was the truest of Zionists, a lover of Israel to his core: not only because of his decision to
come on aliyah but because he adored Israel and prayed for its welfare each day. He thought of it as a
sick patient in dire need of an urgent operation that could save it, but for the shortsighted stubbornness of
its leaders."
--Haaretz's Chemi Shalev writes about the man who gave him his first reporting job.**
--Haaretz's Chemi Shalev writes about the man who gave him his first reporting job.**
"He was an Orthodox editor of a secular newspaper; British to his soul, editor of a Hebrew newspaper;
he was a radical Zionist and a no less radical leftist, some of whose family lived in settlements, settlements
that he regarded as a disaster."
--Haaretz's Gideon Levy writes about his unusual editor-in-chief who passed away yesterday.****
--Haaretz's Gideon Levy writes about his unusual editor-in-chief who passed away yesterday.****
Breaking News:
Four IDF soldiers were either wounded or killed by a Hezbollah attack on an IDF convoy in the dispute Sheba Farms area along the Lebanese border. Israel responded shooting 20-30 shells into Lebanon. Israeli Prime MInister Binyamin Netanyahu cut short his visit to Sderot and headed to the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv for consultations. Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon convened a security briefing in the wake of the attacks. Lebanon's The Daily Star reported that Hezbollah said the convoy attack was in retaliation for the Israeli convoy attack last week. A senior Lebanese political source told the paper: "The ball now is in the Israeli court if the Israelis launch a wide scale response, Hezbollah will respond in kind. At this stage we cannot completely rule out this spiraling out of this incident into a full fledged war." The attack took place in a disputed area known as the Shebaa Farms. Meanwhile, the IDF began drilling along Israel's border with Lebanon amid fears that Hezbollah might be digging under the border.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- IDF convinced: Hezbollah responsible for firing rockets at Golan
- Civil Administration transferred lands worth millions to (settlement) Company for Development of Samaria in violation of rules
- UN stopping rehabilitation of Gaza: “We didn’t receive the donations”
- It’s not an escalation, it’s a signal: We need to assume that Hezbollah and Iran are not going to let the assassination pass – and they are ready for a more ambitious retaliation operation // Amos Harel
- Head of Police Dept. Investigating Police: “We are cleaning out the stables of the Police”
- Former Haaretz editor David Landau died - 1947-2015
- Farewell, Editor // Gideon Levy
- The state to the High Court: Two countries agreed to absorb hundreds of asylum seekers a month
- Netanya opens religious school inside secular school, in opposition to the parents’ position
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Fear: War of attrition in Golan
- President in freeze (of NY)
- Courage test for high school students: “You want to be accepted? Steal clothes from the shopping mall”
- The ‘leech’ at the Knesset // Sima Kadmon on party leaders’ use of power to put outsiders in realistic party spots
- Not giving in – The last battle of the 88-year-old Holocaust survivor: Save her restaurant from the municipality’s bulldozers
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- End to the ambiguity: (Hamas military-wing leader) Mohammed Deif is alive
- Tense routine - Hezbollah fighters launched rockets from a Syrian Army outpost, two fell in open fields in Golan
- Testing borders // Alon Ben-David
- Sign of what’s to come // Yossi Melman
- Japanese man kidnapped by ISIS: If Jordan does not release a female terrorist, the Jordanian pilot and I will be executed
- Elections 2015: Tel-Aviv elects the big parties
- International Holocaust Day – The survivors: “There is still a chance to stop anti-Semitism”
Israel Hayom
- IDF attacked Syrian Army targets – After midnight, IAF jets bombed artillery targets in Syrian Golan Heights
- “Delaying sanctions (on Iran) – proof that the address (to Congress) is more important than ever” – Senior Fox News anchor: “It’s important that the Americans hear Netanyahu”
- Obama is making a mistake, and a bad agreement is expected // Boaz Bismuth
- Elections 2015: Unrest in Habayit Hayehudi following placement of (soccer star) Ohana in realistic spot
- Likely: Deputy Police Commissioner won’t return to his job
- Victory of life: Holocaust survivors participated in 70th anniversary to liberation of Auschwitz
News Summary:
The IDF fears a war of attrition with Hezbollah after an exchange of fire in the Golan Heights and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s planned Iran sanctions address to Congress boomerangs making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers along with the latest on which political party is appointing whom. Sadly, David Landau a great Israeli editor and author passed away yesterday.
The IDF believes Hezbollah fired the four rockets from a Syrian Army outpost in the Syrian Golan Heights Tuesday, two of which landed in open fields on the Israeli side of the border. Israel responded after midnight by shooting 20 shells on Syrian military artillery positions near Quneitra. Syrian reports say there was also an attack near Damascus International Airport [which would have been the work of Israeli Air Force. - OH] Israeli officials warned that Israel will (continue to) retaliate with heavy fire against any shots fired at Israel [ignoring the fact that Israel ‘started it’ with the attack on the Hezbollah-Iran convoy. – OH] Yesterday, visitors were evacuated from the Mt. Hermon ski slopes. At night more sirens were heard on the Israeli side of the Golan, but it is not known why as no rockets were shot. The IDF fears that Hezbollah is turning this into a war of attrition: instead of making [retaliation – OH] attacks on the border fence, it shoots rockets from Syria. Israeli military analysts of Maariv, Haaretz+ and Ynet think that Israel should not retaliate heavily because it will escalate the situation and give Hezbollah legitimacy to continue. (See Analysis below.) Meanwhile, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported that Iran sent a warning to Israel through the US saying Israel should expect ‘consequences’ to the killing of an Iranian general in the Israeli attack on the convoy last week. The situation is tense and the IAF is on alert.
Yedioth and Maariv reported that Netanyahu’s address has boomeranged: Instead of convincing Congress to harshen sanctions against Iran and not wait for the results of diplomatic efforts, Senate Democrats decided to postpone their support for increasing sanctions. It has also gotten Jewish lawmakers angry because they were not notified of Netanyahu’s intention to visit Washington D.C. and bypass the White House. Former minister (Yesh Atid) Yaakov Peri accused Netanyahu of endangering IDF soldiers lives through his spat with US President Barack Obama, which could weaken US opposition against bringing IDF soldiers before International Criminal Court at The Hague.
The legendary former Haaretz and Jerusalem Post editor, the doyen of English-language news in Israel, David Landau, died yesterday after a long illness. He was just 67. The religious left-wing British-born journalist was seen as a driving force behind English-language news in Israel, and established Haaretz’s English edition before becoming Editor-in-Chief of Haaretz Hebrew. He taught a generation of Israeli journalists [including myself – he took a chance and gave me my first print reporter job. – OH] Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said Landau was “a journalist who could not be directed from above.” Chemi Shalev, whom he also hired despite no experience, and Gideon Levy write beautiful obits of him. Read in Commentary.
The IDF fears a war of attrition with Hezbollah after an exchange of fire in the Golan Heights and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s planned Iran sanctions address to Congress boomerangs making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers along with the latest on which political party is appointing whom. Sadly, David Landau a great Israeli editor and author passed away yesterday.
The IDF believes Hezbollah fired the four rockets from a Syrian Army outpost in the Syrian Golan Heights Tuesday, two of which landed in open fields on the Israeli side of the border. Israel responded after midnight by shooting 20 shells on Syrian military artillery positions near Quneitra. Syrian reports say there was also an attack near Damascus International Airport [which would have been the work of Israeli Air Force. - OH] Israeli officials warned that Israel will (continue to) retaliate with heavy fire against any shots fired at Israel [ignoring the fact that Israel ‘started it’ with the attack on the Hezbollah-Iran convoy. – OH] Yesterday, visitors were evacuated from the Mt. Hermon ski slopes. At night more sirens were heard on the Israeli side of the Golan, but it is not known why as no rockets were shot. The IDF fears that Hezbollah is turning this into a war of attrition: instead of making [retaliation – OH] attacks on the border fence, it shoots rockets from Syria. Israeli military analysts of Maariv, Haaretz+ and Ynet think that Israel should not retaliate heavily because it will escalate the situation and give Hezbollah legitimacy to continue. (See Analysis below.) Meanwhile, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported that Iran sent a warning to Israel through the US saying Israel should expect ‘consequences’ to the killing of an Iranian general in the Israeli attack on the convoy last week. The situation is tense and the IAF is on alert.
Yedioth and Maariv reported that Netanyahu’s address has boomeranged: Instead of convincing Congress to harshen sanctions against Iran and not wait for the results of diplomatic efforts, Senate Democrats decided to postpone their support for increasing sanctions. It has also gotten Jewish lawmakers angry because they were not notified of Netanyahu’s intention to visit Washington D.C. and bypass the White House. Former minister (Yesh Atid) Yaakov Peri accused Netanyahu of endangering IDF soldiers lives through his spat with US President Barack Obama, which could weaken US opposition against bringing IDF soldiers before International Criminal Court at The Hague.
The legendary former Haaretz and Jerusalem Post editor, the doyen of English-language news in Israel, David Landau, died yesterday after a long illness. He was just 67. The religious left-wing British-born journalist was seen as a driving force behind English-language news in Israel, and established Haaretz’s English edition before becoming Editor-in-Chief of Haaretz Hebrew. He taught a generation of Israeli journalists [including myself – he took a chance and gave me my first print reporter job. – OH] Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said Landau was “a journalist who could not be directed from above.” Chemi Shalev, whom he also hired despite no experience, and Gideon Levy write beautiful obits of him. Read in Commentary.
Quick Hits:
- UNRWA forced to suspend Gaza reconstruction due to lack of funds - 'The agency has exhausted all funding to support repairs and rental subsidies,' UNRWA says in statements, adding it's 'distressing and unacceptable' donors who pledged money for Strip failed to pay. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Hamas says UNRWA decision to cut programs 'shocking' - Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said that the decision would add to the suffering of thousands of Gaza families displaced by Israel's military offensive and urged the UN agency to reconsider its decision and exert pressure on donor countries to fulfill pledges made last year at a conference in Cairo. (Maan)
- IDF to probe illegal transfer of pricey West Bank land to settler body - Handover to Samaria Council made against explicit order from head of army Central Command. The 2,400 dunams slated to become industrial park next to Green Line. Head of Samaria settler body, Gershon Mesika, is currently under arrest and being interrogated on suspicion of bribing Yisrael Beiteinu MK. The land allocation was cancelled. (Haaretz)
- Israel confiscates hundreds of dunams in Hebron - An Israeli court issued a confiscation order earlier in January to confiscate hundreds of dunams of land in parts of Beit Ula town in northwestern Hebron in order to "Judaize" Area C and empty it from its original residents, the coordinator of a local popular committee said. (Maan)
- Rivlin urges Ban to take a stand against Palestinian ICC bid - 'To come and say that our brothers, children and grandchildren who serve in the IDF are war criminals - who says that? Hamas and Hezbollah? The terror organizations who slaughter their own people?' president tells UN chief. (Ynet)
- Israel's call to cut ICC funding will be ignored, officials say - Jerusalem has urged countries to withhold funds to the court in response to an inquiry into possible war crimes in the Palestinian territories. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- President Rivlin stresses 'strong bond' between Israel, U.S. in visit to West Point - Event in UN commemorating liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau with Rivlin's attendance pushed back due to storm. (Haaretz)
- Israeli troops open fire at Gaza farmers near border, no injuries - Witnesses told Ma'an that several Israeli military vehicles stationed near a gate on the border fence east of Khan Younis opened fire several times toward Palestinian fields on the other side of the border. No injuries have been reported. (Maan)
- Israeli forces shoot, injure Palestinian teen near Joseph's Tomb - At around 2:30 AM, several buses loaded with ultra-orthodox Jews and settlers arrived at Joseph's Tomb near the Balata and Askar refugee camps in Nablus escorted by more than 15 military vehicles to perform religious rites sparking young men from the camps to clash with Israeli soldiers. (Maan)
- Israeli forces injure 3 Palestinians during clashes in al-Ram - Dozens of Palestinians were protesting the closure with cement blocks of the main entrance of the village, an E. Jerusalem neighborhood, when Israeli forces fired stun grenades, tear gas, and rubber-coated bullets at them. Several Palestinians in the area suffered excessive tear gas inhalation. (Maan)
- Israel 'systematically mistreats' Palestinian children in custody - Some 700 Palestinian children per year are arrested and face "ill-treatment" by Israeli forces, according to a new report by Child Rights International Network. According to report "Children questioned about their experience frequently report verbal and physical abuse during the arrest." (Maan)
- Group: 3 arrested en route to welcome released prisoners in Jenin - Israeli forces on Tuesday arrested three Palestinians in their 20’s, who were going to welcome two released prisoners at a checkpoint in Jenin. (Maan)
- Rumors of his death were premature: Hamas chief of staff, Mohammed Deif, is still alive - There is no longer a question whether the head of Hamas' military wing survived the Israeli Air Force attack on his house during Operation Protective Edge [that killed his wife and toddler - OH]. Deif, responsible for the murder of hundreds of Israelis, is alive. (Maariv)
- 10,000 Palestinian teens graduate Hamas terror camp - Haniyeh attends graduation ceremony for Gazan group's youngest members, who have been trained to use sniper rifles and simulated tunnel infiltrations to Israel. (Ynet)
- Israeli Jew smuggled three illegal aliens in his car trunk: "They promised (me) 250 shekels" - For the second time this week, a security guard noticed unusual behavior in a private car at the Trans-Samaria Hwy crossing. When he opened the trunk he was surprised to find illegal aliens [i.e. 3 Palestinian men], lying side by side. (Maariv)
- Bus driver in Tel Aviv stabbing attack says drivers on 'front line' - Herzl Biton, the bus driver seriously wounded in a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, says government should set up budget to provide security guards for all buses after incident. (Ynet)
- Special panel to oversee divorce of JNF and Israel’s land authority - Starting in July, the Jewish National Fund will manage its own land — more efficiently, it says. (Haaretz+)
- ‘Saturday Night Live’-like show in Israel eases election tension - When Israelis discuss upcoming elections, odds are the conversation will turn to TV satire 'Eretz Nehederet,’ which even reached President Obama's radar in the past. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Bennett moves Habayit Hayehudi ticket slightly to the left - The right-winger chooses Anat, Roth, a former Labor Party and Peace Now activist who later embraced both religion and right-wing politics, to replace a candidate close to the rabbis, soon after tapping a former soccer star. (Haaretz+)
- TGI report: Israel Hayom still No. 1, increases lead over Yedioth - New TGI report: 39.3% of Israelis read Israel Hayom on a regular basis in 2014, a more than 4% increase from 2013 • Israel Hayom management: "We want to thank our loyal readers for their continued support, even as competitors tried to shut us down." (Israel Hayom)
- Ex-CIA officer convicted of leaking intel about failed U.S. effort against Iran - Jeffrey Sterling found guilty of leaking classified information to New York Times about failed U.S. attempt to undermine Islamic Republic's nuclear program. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- BBC Arabic: Avoid calling Paris attackers 'terrorists' - Chief of BBC Arabic says the phrase 'terrorist' is too loaded; 'We try to avoid describing anyone as a terrorist, or an act as being terrorist'. (Ynet)
- Middle East Updates / Secret talks in Jordan try to secure release of ISIS hostages - Afghans arrest commander of group that claimed killing Swedish journalist. (Haaretz)
- British politician: Will UK Jewish leaders condemn Israeli policy? - Baroness Tonge, known for her long-held anti-Israel stance, asks if government will pressure Jewish community over Israeli settlements. (Ynet)
- Argentine Jews boycott local Holocaust Day ceremony - Argentine Jewish groups gather for ceremony at Jewish community center that was bombed in 1994, in protest of mysterious death of Jewish prosecutor investigating alleged Iranian-linked cover up. (Agencies, Ynet)
Features:
The House of Saud: A brief history of the family that owns Saudi Arabia
The history of Saudi Arabia is the tale of its ruling house, going back some 600 years. (Elon Gilad, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
The history of Saudi Arabia is the tale of its ruling house, going back some 600 years. (Elon Gilad, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
**David Landau: Journalist, gentleman and the enemy of your ego (Chemi
Shalev, Haaretz+) He fought a relentless war for his beliefs and cried with increasing anguish and
anger, as his beloved country looked the other way...No matter how brilliant you believed you were, there was
always Landau. If you saw yourself as the sharpest of journalists, you could never pass Landau.
****David Landau was in a class of his own – farewell, Editor (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) He was an Orthodox editor of a secular newspaper; British to his soul, editor of a Hebrew newspaper; he was a radical Zionist and a no less radical leftist, some of whose family lived in settlements, settlements that he regarded as a disaster.
Unity among Israeli Arab parties helps everybody (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) It proves the country's liberalism; let's hope the center-left parties follow suit.
The next war with Hezbollah will be different from what we knew in the Second Lebanon War (Yossi Melman, Maariv) If a general conflagration breaks out in the north that brings the firing of hundreds of rockets a day, it will be necessary not only to close the road, but also to evacuate communities.
'Zionist,' now an empty brand (Avi Shilon, Haaretz+) The farther politicians get from an understanding of the historical motivations for Zionism, the harder they fight over the label of who is a 'true' Zionist.
Zionist Camp vs. the right: a beauty contest for Mr. Defense (Yitzhak Laor, Haaretz+) Will Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni's big-name general save us from Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon? The answer is no because they don't differ in any significant way.
More cynicism than Zionism (Dr. Limor Samimian-Darash, Israel Hayom) It is quickly becoming clear that the "Zionist Camp" includes many anti-Zionists.
Israel and Hezbollah's new battle ground: The Golan Heights (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The four rockets fired from Syria into Israeli territory is not the end of the story. Iran and its proxies are determined to keep the strategic plateau unstable.
Israel is raising the stakes with IAF strikes (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) Hezbollah achieved its goal by driving Israelis away from Hermon ski resort and northern guesthouses with a few rockets. IDF's response on Tuesday night is aimed at making it clear to the Iran-Hezbollah-Syria axis that Israel will not accept a front in the Golan.
Why counter Iran if you can attack the Right? (Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) The pyrotechnics employed by Yedioth Ahronoth in its coverage of Netanyahu serve only one purpose -- helping the Zionist Camp and its leaders, Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni.
Anti-austerity party’s Greek election win is a worry for EU, and maybe Israel (Arye Mekel, Haaretz+) The change of government in Greece is expected to affect its relations with Israel, which had improved beyond recognition in recent years.
Testing borders: An expansive (military) response gives legitimacy to Hezbollah (Alon Ben-David, Maariv) Broader response by Israel's puts the sides on the path to escalation. The shooting yesterday was Hezbollah's declaration of intent.
Best Foes Forever: What really divides Obama and Netanyahu (Yonit Levi and Udi Segal, Haaretz+) The two leaders have a great deal in common, but one key difference suggests their six years of bickering is liable to get worse.
About that Netanyahu address to Congress (Elliott Abrams, Israel Hayom) The White House's whining about Boehner's invitation to Netanyahu is amateurish, and it will persuade few Americans beyond the Beltway.
UK will not let bigots and terrorists win (UK Amb. Matthew Gould, Yedioth/Ynet) Britain's Jewish community is healthy, vibrant and proud; we are not going to let anti-Semitism destroy it.
Something's in the wind in Israel: A change for the better (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) When Netanyahu's running scared, he doesn't run smart. Even Israel Hayom's lead columnist calls his planned trip to address Congress 'grievous,' motivated not by concern for Israel, but for electoral gain.
The US commitment: Never Again (Dan Shapiro, Yedioth/Ynet) Today, the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the United States renews its commitment to remember; to seek justice; to aid survivors; to prevent future atrocities; and to combat the growing scourge of anti-Semitism.
****David Landau was in a class of his own – farewell, Editor (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) He was an Orthodox editor of a secular newspaper; British to his soul, editor of a Hebrew newspaper; he was a radical Zionist and a no less radical leftist, some of whose family lived in settlements, settlements that he regarded as a disaster.
Unity among Israeli Arab parties helps everybody (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) It proves the country's liberalism; let's hope the center-left parties follow suit.
The next war with Hezbollah will be different from what we knew in the Second Lebanon War (Yossi Melman, Maariv) If a general conflagration breaks out in the north that brings the firing of hundreds of rockets a day, it will be necessary not only to close the road, but also to evacuate communities.
'Zionist,' now an empty brand (Avi Shilon, Haaretz+) The farther politicians get from an understanding of the historical motivations for Zionism, the harder they fight over the label of who is a 'true' Zionist.
Zionist Camp vs. the right: a beauty contest for Mr. Defense (Yitzhak Laor, Haaretz+) Will Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni's big-name general save us from Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon? The answer is no because they don't differ in any significant way.
More cynicism than Zionism (Dr. Limor Samimian-Darash, Israel Hayom) It is quickly becoming clear that the "Zionist Camp" includes many anti-Zionists.
Israel and Hezbollah's new battle ground: The Golan Heights (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The four rockets fired from Syria into Israeli territory is not the end of the story. Iran and its proxies are determined to keep the strategic plateau unstable.
Israel is raising the stakes with IAF strikes (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) Hezbollah achieved its goal by driving Israelis away from Hermon ski resort and northern guesthouses with a few rockets. IDF's response on Tuesday night is aimed at making it clear to the Iran-Hezbollah-Syria axis that Israel will not accept a front in the Golan.
Why counter Iran if you can attack the Right? (Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) The pyrotechnics employed by Yedioth Ahronoth in its coverage of Netanyahu serve only one purpose -- helping the Zionist Camp and its leaders, Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni.
Anti-austerity party’s Greek election win is a worry for EU, and maybe Israel (Arye Mekel, Haaretz+) The change of government in Greece is expected to affect its relations with Israel, which had improved beyond recognition in recent years.
Testing borders: An expansive (military) response gives legitimacy to Hezbollah (Alon Ben-David, Maariv) Broader response by Israel's puts the sides on the path to escalation. The shooting yesterday was Hezbollah's declaration of intent.
Best Foes Forever: What really divides Obama and Netanyahu (Yonit Levi and Udi Segal, Haaretz+) The two leaders have a great deal in common, but one key difference suggests their six years of bickering is liable to get worse.
About that Netanyahu address to Congress (Elliott Abrams, Israel Hayom) The White House's whining about Boehner's invitation to Netanyahu is amateurish, and it will persuade few Americans beyond the Beltway.
UK will not let bigots and terrorists win (UK Amb. Matthew Gould, Yedioth/Ynet) Britain's Jewish community is healthy, vibrant and proud; we are not going to let anti-Semitism destroy it.
Something's in the wind in Israel: A change for the better (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) When Netanyahu's running scared, he doesn't run smart. Even Israel Hayom's lead columnist calls his planned trip to address Congress 'grievous,' motivated not by concern for Israel, but for electoral gain.
The US commitment: Never Again (Dan Shapiro, Yedioth/Ynet) Today, the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the United States renews its commitment to remember; to seek justice; to aid survivors; to prevent future atrocities; and to combat the growing scourge of anti-Semitism.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.