APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday June 5, 2015
Quote of the day:
“There is a point that will determine if we are to exist here over time or not, and that is our
[ability to] stand up for our rights. Running around, and I won’t use the word
‘pandering,' among powers and asking to be saved is not part of standing up for your rights. If we want to
last here over time, we must stand up for our rights.”
--Newly released IDF archive minutes marking the 48th anniversary of the Six Day War today, which reveal how the IDF brass pressured the politicians to authorize an attack.**
--Newly released IDF archive minutes marking the 48th anniversary of the Six Day War today, which reveal how the IDF brass pressured the politicians to authorize an attack.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Kahlon escalates the pressure on Netanyahu: It is impossible to continue in a 61-person coalition
- No way out – The tunnels were destroyed. Rafah crossing is closed for months. And Israel is making a siege from the air, sea and land. Residents of Gaza talk about their lives under siege
- Orange stood behind its CEO, who called for boycott, Israel complained to France
- When Obama speaks in the language of liberal rabbis, Netanyahu smells a plot // Chemi Shalev
- The activists for Israel know: The Iran era is over, the BDS era has begun // Peter Beinart
- Significant development in Ronal Fisher case likely to affect a senior person in the affair
- Erdogan’s nightmare – that the Kurds will run in droves to the polling stations // Zvi Bar’el
- 5.5 years prison for the former Ramat Gan mayor
- 512 affair symbolizes the end of the control of Israeli mobsters on the world Ecstasy drug market // Yaniv Kobovich
Yedioth Ahronoth
- “I love Israel, I am really sorry” – Special, in interview with Yedioth, the CEO of world Orange Co. explains his remarks, which sparked a storm
- Double-edged boycott // Nahum Barnea says boycott attempts are not clean of anti-Semitism, hypocrisy and double standards. But the claim that “It doesn’t matter what we do, the battle against us is about our very existence” is not correct.
- The hypocrites and the racists // Ben-Dror Yemini says US and UK soldiers hurt innocent people in Afghanistan and Iraq much more than Israel (hurt Palestinians)
- Boycotted red peppers // Yoaz Hendel says effect of boycotts is limited
- Speeches won’t help // Eitan Haber says the world is teaching us a lesson: Either we continue to ignore the world or we answer their demands and give up after 48 years on the dream and its fulfillment (of Greater Israel)
- Hatred of Jews // Hanoch Daum says that all the boycotts prove that the world is anti-Semitic
- The man who leads the boycott campaign against Israel
- Dramatic development in the Ronal Fisher affair
- Won’t surrender – Interview with Michel Wolbeck, one of world’s greatest authors, whose life has been threatened by Muslims
Maariv Weekend (Hebrew links only)
- “Orange surrenders to anti-Semitism” - Haim Saban, billionaire and part owner of company that has contract with world Orange
- Creeping erosion // Ben Caspit writes that the situation will only get worse, it’s not yet a significant existential threat, because Israel’s economy is blossoming and exports are rising, but that the (boycott) is eroding Israel’s economic foundations
- Go to the end // Caroline Glick writes that Israel needs to remove the diplomatic gloves and respond with all the diplomatic means against the boycott movements and against the governments from where they come
- Silent Agreement // Udi Segal writes that the boycotters feel that pressure on Israel will cause it to accept “the right decisions” and when Obama signals that it will be hard to defend Israel at the UN, he is validating the assumption that Israel is guilty
- To fight together // MK Yair Lapid writes that there is no place for a boycott of Israel and Israelis can fight together against the boycott despite different views about (Israel’s) future
- The cyanide case: Interview with father of Yoni Alzam, who was poisoned in jail
- The secrets of the Six Day War: General Gavish returns to the wars of the generals
- Bar Refaeli is 30: The full dictionary of the First Lady
Israel Hayom
- Netanyahu in message to France: “Distance yourself form the wretched action of Orange” – World Orange announced: It plans to end its ties with (Israeli company) ‘Partner’
- Technique of hypocrisy, ostracism and defamation // Boaz Bismuth
- Under gag order: Dramatic development in Fisher-Malka affair
- Former Ramat Gan mayor Tzvi Bar sent to 5.5 years in jail
- Defense Minister Yaalon on shooting from Gaza: “We see Hamas as responsible”
- School for terror – The amazing story of three brothers from Chicago who were on their way to join ISIS // Rolling Stone magazine
- On boycotts, on the war of minds – and on preparation for it
News Summary:
The 'Orange Boycott,' the prison sentence of a legendary mayor and new details on the Fisher-Police corruption scandal were the top stories in today's papers. Also, interesting look at the dilemma the IDF faces with jihadist groups trying to sow trouble between Israel and Hamas and a comparison of how differently the Hebrew papers mark the 48th anniversary to the Six Day War.
After Israel demanded that France condemn Orange Co. for its CEO’s boycott remarks (although Orange said it was pulling out of Israel for business reasons, not political ones), France declared it opposed boycotts of Israel, but said French companies can define their own policy - making the top story in Hebrew newspapers today. Ynet had an exclusive interview with Orange CEO, who on VIDEO insisted that “I love Israel” and that he was very sorry.
After three rockets from the Gaza Strip fell in Israel in the last week, Maariv’s military affairs reporter Noam Amir reported on how the Israeli security establishment is facing a complex situation: how to deal with jihadist groups in Gaza, who are trying to drag Hamas and Israel into another escalation. [It appears from this statement that the IDF admits that it does not consider Hamas a jihadist group. – OH] Amir writes that after the two rockets were fired into Israel from Gaza Wednesday, a senior Hamas member transferred messages to Israel via Egypt, saying that a Salafi organization, which is associated with ISIS and is in conflict with Hamas, fired the rockets to take advantage of the fact that Israel holds Hamas responsible in order to drag the two sides into an escalation. Israel’s response to the rockets was the IAF hitting at least three Hamas targets in Gaza, it said. And Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon made the usual threat that Israel will not tolerate sporadic rocket fire from Gaza and that Israel views Hamas as responsible. But in reality, Israel understands the complex situation and is unlikely to hit back hard against Gaza, wrote Haaretz+’s military affairs commentator Amos Harel: “Netanyahu can tolerate a 'drizzle' of rocket fire from marginal groups, despite his grandstanding.” Ynet's Ron Ben-Yishai also wrote that Israel and Hamas are 'hostage to Gaza's rogue elements.' A senior IDF source told Maariv that the situation in Gaza as “very, very difficult" and that every day hundreds of trucks enter the Strip with construction equipment in order to rebuild the Strip.
It appears that Israel also decided to deal with another devastating problem of Gazans: Israel has decided to DOUBLE the amount of water it supplies the Strip. [Note: much of the water is taken from aquifers under the West Bank – OH]. Israel will also increase the amount supplied to the Palestinians in the West Bank [who are sorely lacking in water – OH] and to Jordan [with whom Israel has a supply agreement, which it hasn’t fulfilled for years, that is part of the peace agreement with Jordan – OH]. [Note: This is very significant. Israel rarely ever increased the amounts since the Oslo Accords. - OH]
The newspapers have been running features this week to mark the 48th anniversary of the Six Day War. Noteworthy, the articles in Yedioth and Maariv focus on the experiences of the soldiers and the ‘secrets’ of the generals while Haaretz+ has been running chapters to a beautiful photo-print online feature by Nir Baram, who spent a year on the Green Line finding out how the Palestinians - and the Israeli settlers - feel about 48 years of occupation. Haaretz also ran a front-page feature today on how Gazans feel about living under siege. (Not yet online in English.) Israel Hayom ran no feature today about the Six Day War. [Which makes sense according to right-wing MKs who said this week that it wasn't important to have a discussion about it in the Knesset. - OH]
**The IDF archives released fascinating minutes from a meeting of IDF brass and top political leaders held the day before Israel attacked its neighbors in what was called the Six-Day War as well as minutes and diaries from during the war. All the papers reported on the minutes that show that the "IDF feared Israel would its lose upper hand and be imperiled" and the extent to which Defense Minister Moshe Dayan and the IDF brass pressured the government to greenlight an Israeli attack. Yitzhak Rabin and Ariel Sharon warned that if Israel does not act it will be destroyed. “The Arabs are no longer afraid of us." But Prime Minister Levi Eshkol worried premature action would hurt Israel. (Maariv and Israel Hayom and Times of Israel.) Haaretz+ had the most fascinating details, including that Dayan proposed that Arabs rule in parts of the West Bank and that capturing the West Bank was thought preferable to breaking a corridor through to Mount Scopus. One quote read: "The connection to Mount Scopus is completed this morning, the West Bank should be conquered up to the peak mountain ridges, while enabling escape routes for civilians.”
The 'Orange Boycott,' the prison sentence of a legendary mayor and new details on the Fisher-Police corruption scandal were the top stories in today's papers. Also, interesting look at the dilemma the IDF faces with jihadist groups trying to sow trouble between Israel and Hamas and a comparison of how differently the Hebrew papers mark the 48th anniversary to the Six Day War.
After Israel demanded that France condemn Orange Co. for its CEO’s boycott remarks (although Orange said it was pulling out of Israel for business reasons, not political ones), France declared it opposed boycotts of Israel, but said French companies can define their own policy - making the top story in Hebrew newspapers today. Ynet had an exclusive interview with Orange CEO, who on VIDEO insisted that “I love Israel” and that he was very sorry.
After three rockets from the Gaza Strip fell in Israel in the last week, Maariv’s military affairs reporter Noam Amir reported on how the Israeli security establishment is facing a complex situation: how to deal with jihadist groups in Gaza, who are trying to drag Hamas and Israel into another escalation. [It appears from this statement that the IDF admits that it does not consider Hamas a jihadist group. – OH] Amir writes that after the two rockets were fired into Israel from Gaza Wednesday, a senior Hamas member transferred messages to Israel via Egypt, saying that a Salafi organization, which is associated with ISIS and is in conflict with Hamas, fired the rockets to take advantage of the fact that Israel holds Hamas responsible in order to drag the two sides into an escalation. Israel’s response to the rockets was the IAF hitting at least three Hamas targets in Gaza, it said. And Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon made the usual threat that Israel will not tolerate sporadic rocket fire from Gaza and that Israel views Hamas as responsible. But in reality, Israel understands the complex situation and is unlikely to hit back hard against Gaza, wrote Haaretz+’s military affairs commentator Amos Harel: “Netanyahu can tolerate a 'drizzle' of rocket fire from marginal groups, despite his grandstanding.” Ynet's Ron Ben-Yishai also wrote that Israel and Hamas are 'hostage to Gaza's rogue elements.' A senior IDF source told Maariv that the situation in Gaza as “very, very difficult" and that every day hundreds of trucks enter the Strip with construction equipment in order to rebuild the Strip.
It appears that Israel also decided to deal with another devastating problem of Gazans: Israel has decided to DOUBLE the amount of water it supplies the Strip. [Note: much of the water is taken from aquifers under the West Bank – OH]. Israel will also increase the amount supplied to the Palestinians in the West Bank [who are sorely lacking in water – OH] and to Jordan [with whom Israel has a supply agreement, which it hasn’t fulfilled for years, that is part of the peace agreement with Jordan – OH]. [Note: This is very significant. Israel rarely ever increased the amounts since the Oslo Accords. - OH]
The newspapers have been running features this week to mark the 48th anniversary of the Six Day War. Noteworthy, the articles in Yedioth and Maariv focus on the experiences of the soldiers and the ‘secrets’ of the generals while Haaretz+ has been running chapters to a beautiful photo-print online feature by Nir Baram, who spent a year on the Green Line finding out how the Palestinians - and the Israeli settlers - feel about 48 years of occupation. Haaretz also ran a front-page feature today on how Gazans feel about living under siege. (Not yet online in English.) Israel Hayom ran no feature today about the Six Day War. [Which makes sense according to right-wing MKs who said this week that it wasn't important to have a discussion about it in the Knesset. - OH]
**The IDF archives released fascinating minutes from a meeting of IDF brass and top political leaders held the day before Israel attacked its neighbors in what was called the Six-Day War as well as minutes and diaries from during the war. All the papers reported on the minutes that show that the "IDF feared Israel would its lose upper hand and be imperiled" and the extent to which Defense Minister Moshe Dayan and the IDF brass pressured the government to greenlight an Israeli attack. Yitzhak Rabin and Ariel Sharon warned that if Israel does not act it will be destroyed. “The Arabs are no longer afraid of us." But Prime Minister Levi Eshkol worried premature action would hurt Israel. (Maariv and Israel Hayom and Times of Israel.) Haaretz+ had the most fascinating details, including that Dayan proposed that Arabs rule in parts of the West Bank and that capturing the West Bank was thought preferable to breaking a corridor through to Mount Scopus. One quote read: "The connection to Mount Scopus is completed this morning, the West Bank should be conquered up to the peak mountain ridges, while enabling escape routes for civilians.”
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.