APN's daily news review from Israel

Wednesday September 04, 2013

Note: News Nosh will be off Thursday and Friday for the Rosh Hashana holiday.

Quote of the day:

"After Assad goes, we'll talk on Facebook."
--Captain Shirin Sheli tells what one of the wounded Syrians she treated said to her upon being released from the secret IDF medical facility.**

Front Page News:

Haaretz

• Haaretz New Year: The events, the people and the forecast for 5774:
• Netanyahu to determine which direction to navigate Israel: peace or war // Ari Shavit
• Avigdor Lieberman will hold the keys to the future of the coalition // Yossi Verter
• Yair Golan likely to become the busiest commander in the IDF // Amos Harel
• Hassan Rowhani will try to prevent an attack on Iran // Zvi Bar'el
• Yael Andorn will try to keep Yair Lapid's promises // Sami Peretz
• 'Power to the Workers' presents an opposition to the Histadrut labor unions // Or Kashti
• State Prosecutor dilemma: Who will stand beside Weinstein // Ido Baum
• Kerry in the Senate: Iran waits to see how we will act towards Syria
• The (military) action is getting closer, but Obama still did not win the political battle
• Israel carried out missile test in the Mediterranean Sea - and raised the tension
• Dozens injured in air attack by Egyptian army
• After two years, French man indicted in deadly hit-and-run of Lee Zeitouni

Yedioth Ahronoth

• The Champion: Yarden Gerby (who won Judo world championships)
• The Critic: Anat Kamm (writes from jail)
• The Millionaires: Talia and Kobi (from a reality show)
• The Mature One: (Actor) Oz Zahavi
• The Lovers: (Singer) Keren Palas and (model) Noam Tor
• Disengagement - Naftali Bennett on his disputes with (ally) Yair Lapid
• Author's summit - Meir Shalev interviews Haim Guri
• The soul's basement - Shlomo Artzi writes on his moving journey to Berlin
• From the IDF with love - Revealing the IDF's hospital for injured Syrians
• "Why did Bibi reject me?" Dr. Karnit Flug, the first female candidate for Governor of Bank of Israel, talks
• It's all honey - May it be a sweet year
• Congress expected to pass attack on Syria
• Nahum Barnea writes about Obama and the attack on Syria
• Ariel Sharon had a stomach operation

Maariv

• 63% of Israelis: Lapid is the most disappointing politician of the year (Hebrew)
• In Israel it is believed that Congress will allow Obama to attack in Syria
• Poll: Barkat will easily defeat Moshe Leon in election for mayor of Jerusalem (Hebrew)
• POW card - Unbelievable story of three fighters sent on a rubber boat to provoke the Egyptian army
• State of the nation - Moti Kirschenbaum does not see the end of the conflict: We need to gain time to avoid a big explosion (Hebrew)
• Money and power - Interview with Minister Yaakov Peri (wealthiest politician in Israel) - "I won't apologize that I became a successful manager after my service in the Shin Bet"
• Family connection - Gavri Banai speaks about the Banai family members who became religious: "Not good material, missionaries"

Israel Hayom

• Kerry: Israel expects us to stand by our word
• The missile that shook up the world - Israel carries out missile test
• 'Der Speigel': A guard from Auschwitz lives in Israel
• Level of optimism - After numerous dry years, the Kinneret water level rose 1.26 meters in the last year
• Drama at Ben-Gurion Airport: Shooting and stopping planes
• After its use was temporarily frozen: Taser guns return to the hands of police
• Pride: Police Commissioner Danino: "We brought back the sparkle to the eyes of the police"
• The Queen: Singer Rita reveals in interview: "Finally I am ready for a new partner"
• The Critic: State Comptroller Shapira on Harpaz affair: "Similar to Lavon Affair"
• The Rebel: Tahatia Robel, winner of 'Big Brother' reality show, getting accustomed to new life with numerous fans
• The Commander: Commander of South: "Global Jihad is a worrying threat"
• The Fighter: Anat Yahalom was injured while serving in the army during the Yom Kippur War
• The son of Golda: Menachem Meir tells about his mother at fateful moments during the Yom Kippur War and afterward
• The Coach: Eli Gotman, national soccer team coach
• The Ambassador: Michael Oren, outgoing ambassador to the US: "Israel - an island of stability"

Peace Talks Highlights:
Besides the people of the year that each newspaper chose, the top stories in today's papers were about US Secretary of State John Kerry's attempt to convince the Senate to vote in favor of an attack on Syria and the joint US-Israel missile test that caused much tension yesterday, because it was mistakenly thought it might be an attack on Syria. But in regards to the peace process, statements by senior Israeli officials made that chance of success seem slight. Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said a future agreement with the Palestinians was unlikely to include the eviction of settlers, while Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said Jerusalem can't be split.

Maariv/NRG Hebrew took a poll for the New Year. Below are the results.
 
The most disappointing politician of the year:
Yair Lapid - 63%
Binyamin Netanyahu - 15%
Naftali Bennett - 8%
Shelly Yachimovich - 6%
The most surprising politician of the year:
(Education Minister) Shai Piron - 24%
Yair Lapid - 14%
Binyamin Netanyahu - 10%
Moshe Yaalon - 8%
Level of trust in major Israeli institutions: (1-5, 5 is highest - average score)
IDF:                                     4.29
Judicial system:             3.12
Police:                          2.94
Knesset:                        2.90
Rating of the work of top Israeli politicians: (1-5, 5 is highest - average score)
Moshe Yaalon            3.56
Shai Piron                        3.32
Binyamin Netanyahu 3.13
Tzipi Livni                    2.64
Naftali Bennett            2.61
Yair Lapid                    2.30
Was Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu right when he decided to release terrorists in exchange for renewing the talks with the Palestinians?
No                    57%
Yes                 31%
Don't know  12%
How do you define yourself in terms of nationalist and religious?
1. Secular Jew                                         43%
2. Traditional Jew                                    22%
3. Nationalist-religious Jew                    11%
4. Ultra-Orthodox Jew, Ultra-Orthodox nationalist Jew - 10%
5. Christian, Muslim or other Arab            13%
6. Refuse to answer or other answers       1%
 
Maariv's Asaf Gabor interviewed Zachariah Zbeidi, who accused the Palestinian Authority of "running a military regime." Zbeidi, who was the head of the Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades military wing in Jenin and was once on Israel's wanted list, was recently jailed by the Palestinian Authority over accusations that he was involved in the shooting at the home of the Governor of Jenin, Musa Qadureh, who had a heart attack and died. (NRG Hebrew)
 
**Yedioth's Yossi Yehoshua and Anat Meidan visited the secret medical facility located in an IDF outpost in the Golan Heights where hundreds of Syrians have been secretly treated: a young man who was injured in the head from a shooting, an eight-year-old girl with severe burns, a mother who crawled with her daughters to the border. Yedioth met the doctors and the patients and saw how a special contact has developed between those who were, until yesterday, the enemy.  Before they return to Syria, they receive a letter in Arabic describing in detail the treatment they received. The identity of the doctor or the country where they were treated is not revealed. The bullets they receive in a cup. Nurse Captain Shirin Sheli: "One of the wounded who was released said to me: 'After Assad goes, we'll talk on Facebook.'"

Another interesting article in Yedioth's holiday supplement was about a Jewish community that lived on the edge of the Amazons in Peru and now lives in a housing project in the poor city of Ramleh. The Ikitus Community.

Syria Quickees:

• Obama faces uphill battle for Congress' support on Syria strike - Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor voice support for military action in Syria, but many rank-and-file House members might not follow their leaders. Kerry: Israel is anxiously awaiting "our assurance that our word means something." (Israel Hayom)
• Ahead of Congress vote: U.S. unprepared for mission in Syria, warns air force commander - The grounding of key squadrons due to budgetary cutbacks has weakened the U.S. Air Force’s interception and electronic capabilities, says General Mark Welsh. (Haaretz)
• Palestinian Authority: Israel responsible for Palestinian security - Israel should take responsibility for Palestinians who are under-prepared for the possible upcoming war in the region, said a Palestinian security official. (Maan)
• Ahead of G20 meeting, Putin warns Obama not to attack Syria without UN approval - Comparing evidence of Syrian chemical weapons use to intel on Iraq in 2003, in an interview with AP the Russian president threatens to supply advanced air-defense systems to Assad and elsewhere if America strikes. (Agencies, Haaretz)
• Hezbollah vows to launch rockets at Israel from Homs - Terrorist group says if Syria is attacked by American forces, it will launch surface-to-surface rockets at Israel from Homs, in Syrian territory, to "keep Lebanon out of the war." Homs sits some 322 kilometers (200 miles) from Haifa in northern Israel. (Israel Hayom)
• UN chief warns U.S. strike on Syria could unleash more turmoil - Ban Ki-moon adds that Strike on Syria is illegal unless done in self-defense or with Security Council approval. (Agencies, Haaretz)
• Syrian teen gets prosthetic leg in Israeli hospital - After girl's right leg is amputated in Syria, Israeli doctors succeed in saving her left leg and find a donor to cover the costs of getting a prosthetic leg for her. Girl's mother: "I wish the Israeli people a happy new year." (Israel Hayom)

Quick Hits:

• Israel pledges to raze settler structures built on Palestinian land with forged deeds - The buildings, to be torn down by March, are part of a stone enclosure on the slopes of the Givat Ze'ev settlements, on the lands of the village of Jib. (Haaretz)
• Israel, U.S. carry out joint missile test in the Mediterranean - Russia had detected the launch of two ballistic 'objects' toward the sea, Russian media reported earlier; U.S. Navy earlier denied having any involvement in the launch. (Haaretz)
• Italy donates 60 million euros to Palestinian Authority - The Italian government announced Wednesday that it will donate 60 million euros to the Palestinian Authority over a three year period. (Maan)
• Joyriding Palestinian car thieves alarm Ben-Gurion Airport - Stolen truck broke through perimeter barrier and only stopped when its tires were shot out by a guard. Police suspect Palestinians lost their way. (Haaretz and Ynet)
• Officer who hit Danish protester to leave IDF - Lt. Col. Shalom Eisner, the deputy commander of the Jordan Valley Brigade who was caught on tape hitting a left-wing Danish protester with his rifle in April 2012, strikes a plea bargain involving two months of community service and his resignation. (Israel Hayom)
• Police to resume using tasers gradually, under tighter restrictions - Order caps two-week suspension of officers’ use of controversial stun guns, which came after cops used them repeatedly on man who did not resist arrest. (Haaretz and Ynet)
• WATCH: Israel Hayom editors review the Top 5 political flops of 5773 - The Israel Hayom English editors' panel discusses the top political blunders of the last Jewish year, including the muddy Chief Rabbinate race, Finance Minister Yair Lapid's repeated flubs, the Israeli Embassy in Ireland playing foul twice, and more. (Israel Hayom)
• Israel issues order to close road near Bethlehem - Israeli authorities on Tuesday issued notification to close an agricultural road south of Bethlehem. The road was created a year ago to help local farmers reach their land. (Maan)
• FIFA chief hosts Israeli-Palestinian soccer talks with clear goals in mind - Head of worldwide soccer body, Sepp Blatter, suggests Israel and Palestine should play a game together one day. (Agencies, Haaretz)
• Foreign Ministry director-general named ambassador to Canada - Rafael Barak tapped to serve in one of diplomatic corps' most prestigious positions; appointment pending cabinet's approval. PM Netanyahu, who serves as foreign minister, to name his successor. Avigdor Lieberman's former bureau chief eyeing post. (Israel Hayom)
• Egyptian army strike kills 15 in Sinai, state TV reports - Earlier, an anonymous official said two helicopter gunships fired 13 rockets after surprising militant gatherings in two locations near Gaza border. (Agencies, Haaretz)

Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.