APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday July 12, 2015
Quote of the day:
"I suddenly felt like the film and reality were being mixed.”
--Ad director Rani Carmeli said after his shoot in Kiev of a telephone company ad portraying Iranians kidnapping Israelis, which was received a surprise visit by three real Iranians.
--Ad director Rani Carmeli said after his shoot in Kiev of a telephone company ad portraying Iranians kidnapping Israelis, which was received a surprise visit by three real Iranians.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Israel to separate between negotiations over return of soldiers’ corpses and return of two citizens from Gaza
- Weinstein to oppose advancing (bill for) death sentence for terrorists
- Nuclear talks extended till tomorrow; Khamenei: We will struggle against US (arrogance) even if nuclear deal is signed
- Lebanese army: We have an IDF drone that crashed on the coast of Tripoli
- Police to demand canceling authority of Police Fraud Squad to recommend disciplinary proceedings
- How much do parents pay a year for special (private) schools
- On the seamline, in the French Hill, sprouts of co-existence are revealed
- Unnecessary (death penalty for terrorists) bill // Haaretz Editorial
- A man of values // Gideon Levy
- Parting from Omar Sharif, the Egyptian actor who conquered Hollywood
- ¼ page ad: (Minister) Kahlon: Build, don’t destroy – On Monday the government will transfer its planning authorities to the Treasury. We call on MKs to vote against this dangerous move. Keep the planning system far from the interests of tycoons. Prevent concentration that will be the opening for corruption at our expense. Don’t hide the planning processes from the eyes of the public…Signed: The Forum for Democracy in Planning
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Iran’s duplicity – In Vienna: Secretary of State Kerry and his Iranian counterpart Zarif in effort to reach agreement by tomorrow midnight; In Tehran: Leader Khamenei announces the battle against “America’s arrogance” will continue after a nuclear agreement
- The broker: Tony Blair – Hamas: Former British PM is working to return Abra Mengistu
- A visit to Israel’s backyard
- Lotan (the PM’s representative who threatened Mengistu’s family) is not the state enemy // Tami Arad
- The deficit will rise and cuts are on the way // Sever Plocker
- The victims of the divorce war – 3 Israeli-American children in Michigan
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- The budget battle
- Kahlon’s test // Yehuda Sharoni
- Likely: The gas (monopoly) agreement will likely be decided in Knesset
- Netanyahu: “We won’t stop till we return Abra (Mengistu) home”
- (Ehud) Barak’s comeback
Israel Hayom
- Battle over the budget
- Negotiations for an agreement – and in the streets of Teheran: “Death to America”
- “The attack on the treatment of Mengistu’s (case) – is from political motives”
- Stick the Shamgar conclusions (regarding returning captive Israelis) // Dan Margalit
- The shame of Yedioth // Dror Eydar
- For the first time: Senior officer, Neria Yeshurun, will be interrogated by Military Police over Operation Protective Edge: “The shooting that he approved was necessary”
- Lebanon Army: Israeli drone crashed and fell to our hands in its entirety
- One thousand firefighters won’t stop him: Night chase near Hadera after drunken youth who stole a firetruck and escaped
News Summary:
Iran’s leader promises to battle “US arrogance” as negotiators try to close nuclear a nuclear deal by tomorrow night, the latest on the scandal around the two Israeli citizens who went missing in Gaza and the government coalition crisis over the budget were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Meanwhile, tension and desperation in Gaza bring threats and attempts to get refuge in a very unlikely place. And two controversial bills will be advanced today in the Israeli cabinet: the ‘death penalty for terrorists’ and the Prawer Plan for regularizing unrecognized Bedouin communities in the Negev.
The Israeli newspapers were outraged by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei statement that "the Iranian nation must be ready to continue the struggle against the arrogant world powers," which included the US, and which was said as Iran and the world powers continued nuclear talks in Vienna. While most of the papers perceived Iran as duplicitous, Haaretz+’s Barak Ravid wrote, “Khamenei's statements are possibly an attempt to prepare Iranian public opinion for an impending deal with the West.” The U.S. negotiation team head, Wendy Sherman, updated Israeli Prime Minister’s National Security Adviser, Yossi Cohen, about the progress in the negotiations for the first time since the latest round of talks began. The talks were extended to Monday night, July 13th at midnight. Haaretz+ reported that U.S. Jewish leaders eye the Iran talks warily and are ready to attack a ‘bad deal,’ but a J Street poll found that Jewish grass roots are optimistic about an agreement with Iran.
The uproar and claims of racism continue over Netanyahu hiding the fact that two Israeli citizens went missing in Gaza and prompted Netanyahu to finally visit the family of the missing Ethiopian-Israeli, Abra Mengistu, and for his advisor, Lior Lotan, to apologize for threatening the family. Lotan also offered to resign after the public outcry.
But the backlash has not ended. MK Yaakov Peri (Yesh Atid) is filing a motion today for an urgent Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee discussion to clarify why the government cabinet and the Committee were not informed that the two Israeli citizens went missing and were apparently being held by Hamas in Gaza, Maariv reported. Perry called it "a serious and continuing organizational failure.” Meretz chief MK Zehava Gal-On attacked Netanyahu saying, "We have a reckless Prime Minister who neutralizes the governing system regularly…He makes a joke of the system of checks and balances that is supposed to act opposite him, just as he did in Operation Protective Edge.” Likud responded saying the attacks out of political motives.
Former British prime minister and Mideast Quartet envoy Tony Blair will mediate the negotiations between Hamas and Israel over the missing citizens and the corpses of two Israeli soldiers, Yedioth reported Hamas told a Russian news agency. But according to Haaretz+, Israeli officials said the fate of the missing citizens is unconnected to the return of IDF soldiers’ bodies. Moreover, Israel is waiting for some response, official or unofficial, from Hamas on the reports that two Israeli civilians are being held in the Gaza Strip. According to previous reports, Hamas released Mengistu. Gershon Baskin, the person who previously held a secret negotiating channel with Hamas for the return of Gilad Shalit, told Channel 1 that a source in Hamas told him that Mengistu and another Israeli are alive, Maariv reported. Moreover, the father of captive Bedouin young man, who disappeared in April and who for ‘security reasons’ cannot be named,’ told Maariv that "distinguished people in Gaza are working to bring back my son” and that he and his wife no longer fear for his life. Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails now have hope again. The Hossam prisoners’ association said that the “Israeli MIAs are a strong card in the hands of the Palestinian resistance" and it gave Palestinians hope, Maariv reported. Ynet took a look at the four prisoner exchange deals Israel has held over the last 30 years, releasing some 7,500 Palestinian and Arab prisoners in return for 14 living Israelis and six Israeli corpses.
Hamas has been trying to keep the military wings of the various factions from attacking Israel, but tension is arising among them. On Friday, the military wings declared in a joint press conference in Gaza that they are 'preparing for the next battle' due to Israel not fulfilling its side of the ceasefire agreement that ended last summer’s Gaza war. However, later that day, deputy head of Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh repeated what others in Hamas have already said: "We don't want to go into a new war with the Israeli occupation.” He stressed that the blockade on Gaza will be lifted soon, without the Palestinians paying a political price due to “the big Palestinian efforts being made on several levels and sides.” (Maariv and JPost) But the situation in Gaza is terrible, with the highest unemployment in the world and more and more desperate Palestinians in Gaza are risking the dangerous journey across the fence into Israel for a better life - in Israeli prison.
In the Knesset, Netanyahu’s coalition is facing its first internal crisis as Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and ultra-Orthodox ministers went head to head over the budget.
And in the cabinet today, the ministerial legislative committee will vote on a the ‘death penalty for terrorists’ bill, proposed by Yisrael Beiteinu’s Sharon Gal. Both the Attorney General and Netanyahu oppose the bill, but many in the coalition from the Likud and Habayit Hayehudi support it. (Haaretz+ has more.)
The cabinet is also expected to begin advancing today a bill to regularize unrecognized Bedouin communities in the Negev – and relocate tens of thousands of them, which got stalled in the last Knesset due to a heated rift between the right and left. Joint List MKs wrote a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu demanding him to stop the bill, Maariv reported. "It would be a declaration of war on Arab society,” they wrote warning that it would spark popular resistance (i.e. a civil uprising). Israel’s Negev Bedouin are gearing up, Maan reported.
Iran’s leader promises to battle “US arrogance” as negotiators try to close nuclear a nuclear deal by tomorrow night, the latest on the scandal around the two Israeli citizens who went missing in Gaza and the government coalition crisis over the budget were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Meanwhile, tension and desperation in Gaza bring threats and attempts to get refuge in a very unlikely place. And two controversial bills will be advanced today in the Israeli cabinet: the ‘death penalty for terrorists’ and the Prawer Plan for regularizing unrecognized Bedouin communities in the Negev.
The Israeli newspapers were outraged by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei statement that "the Iranian nation must be ready to continue the struggle against the arrogant world powers," which included the US, and which was said as Iran and the world powers continued nuclear talks in Vienna. While most of the papers perceived Iran as duplicitous, Haaretz+’s Barak Ravid wrote, “Khamenei's statements are possibly an attempt to prepare Iranian public opinion for an impending deal with the West.” The U.S. negotiation team head, Wendy Sherman, updated Israeli Prime Minister’s National Security Adviser, Yossi Cohen, about the progress in the negotiations for the first time since the latest round of talks began. The talks were extended to Monday night, July 13th at midnight. Haaretz+ reported that U.S. Jewish leaders eye the Iran talks warily and are ready to attack a ‘bad deal,’ but a J Street poll found that Jewish grass roots are optimistic about an agreement with Iran.
The uproar and claims of racism continue over Netanyahu hiding the fact that two Israeli citizens went missing in Gaza and prompted Netanyahu to finally visit the family of the missing Ethiopian-Israeli, Abra Mengistu, and for his advisor, Lior Lotan, to apologize for threatening the family. Lotan also offered to resign after the public outcry.
But the backlash has not ended. MK Yaakov Peri (Yesh Atid) is filing a motion today for an urgent Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee discussion to clarify why the government cabinet and the Committee were not informed that the two Israeli citizens went missing and were apparently being held by Hamas in Gaza, Maariv reported. Perry called it "a serious and continuing organizational failure.” Meretz chief MK Zehava Gal-On attacked Netanyahu saying, "We have a reckless Prime Minister who neutralizes the governing system regularly…He makes a joke of the system of checks and balances that is supposed to act opposite him, just as he did in Operation Protective Edge.” Likud responded saying the attacks out of political motives.
Former British prime minister and Mideast Quartet envoy Tony Blair will mediate the negotiations between Hamas and Israel over the missing citizens and the corpses of two Israeli soldiers, Yedioth reported Hamas told a Russian news agency. But according to Haaretz+, Israeli officials said the fate of the missing citizens is unconnected to the return of IDF soldiers’ bodies. Moreover, Israel is waiting for some response, official or unofficial, from Hamas on the reports that two Israeli civilians are being held in the Gaza Strip. According to previous reports, Hamas released Mengistu. Gershon Baskin, the person who previously held a secret negotiating channel with Hamas for the return of Gilad Shalit, told Channel 1 that a source in Hamas told him that Mengistu and another Israeli are alive, Maariv reported. Moreover, the father of captive Bedouin young man, who disappeared in April and who for ‘security reasons’ cannot be named,’ told Maariv that "distinguished people in Gaza are working to bring back my son” and that he and his wife no longer fear for his life. Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails now have hope again. The Hossam prisoners’ association said that the “Israeli MIAs are a strong card in the hands of the Palestinian resistance" and it gave Palestinians hope, Maariv reported. Ynet took a look at the four prisoner exchange deals Israel has held over the last 30 years, releasing some 7,500 Palestinian and Arab prisoners in return for 14 living Israelis and six Israeli corpses.
Hamas has been trying to keep the military wings of the various factions from attacking Israel, but tension is arising among them. On Friday, the military wings declared in a joint press conference in Gaza that they are 'preparing for the next battle' due to Israel not fulfilling its side of the ceasefire agreement that ended last summer’s Gaza war. However, later that day, deputy head of Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh repeated what others in Hamas have already said: "We don't want to go into a new war with the Israeli occupation.” He stressed that the blockade on Gaza will be lifted soon, without the Palestinians paying a political price due to “the big Palestinian efforts being made on several levels and sides.” (Maariv and JPost) But the situation in Gaza is terrible, with the highest unemployment in the world and more and more desperate Palestinians in Gaza are risking the dangerous journey across the fence into Israel for a better life - in Israeli prison.
In the Knesset, Netanyahu’s coalition is facing its first internal crisis as Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and ultra-Orthodox ministers went head to head over the budget.
And in the cabinet today, the ministerial legislative committee will vote on a the ‘death penalty for terrorists’ bill, proposed by Yisrael Beiteinu’s Sharon Gal. Both the Attorney General and Netanyahu oppose the bill, but many in the coalition from the Likud and Habayit Hayehudi support it. (Haaretz+ has more.)
The cabinet is also expected to begin advancing today a bill to regularize unrecognized Bedouin communities in the Negev – and relocate tens of thousands of them, which got stalled in the last Knesset due to a heated rift between the right and left. Joint List MKs wrote a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu demanding him to stop the bill, Maariv reported. "It would be a declaration of war on Arab society,” they wrote warning that it would spark popular resistance (i.e. a civil uprising). Israel’s Negev Bedouin are gearing up, Maan reported.
Quick Hits:
- First senior officer to be investigated by military police over Protective Edge conduct - Lt. Col. Neria Yeshurun, who led the battalion that lost Captain Dima Levitas, under scrutiny for allegedly approving shelling of clinic -- supposedly in retaliation for soldier's death. Another officer from the battalion referred to the incident as "closing of a circle and not vindictiveness." (Ynet)
- Palestinian teen shot, injured by Israeli forces - Israeli forces reportedly fired live and rubber-coated-steel bullets injuring Amjad Farouq Abu Khalid,17, with a live bullet to the leg, during the weekly protest in Kafr Qaddum village near Qalqiliya in the occupied West Bank. (Maan)
- Exclusive: Israel decides to open dialogue with ICC over Gaza preliminary examination - Senior official tells Haaretz that purpose of contact with ICC prosecutor is only to make its position clear to the court that the ICC does not have any authority to hear Palestinian complaints on the matter. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
- Report: IDF clears refugee camp inside Syria - Accompanied by tanks and bulldozers, IDF task force crosses 500 yards into Syrian territory and dismantled a refugee camp in an area controlled by the Nusra Front, according to Arab media reports. IDF declines to comment. (Israel Hayom)
- Lebanese army claims Israeli drone crashes in sea - Israeli military refuses to confirm reports unmanned aircraft fell into sea off northern city of Tripoli. (Haaretz and Ynet+VIDEO)
- Israeli forces detain Gazan traveling to West Bank for treatment - Ibrahim al-Shaer, 20, was attempting to travel to the West Bank for medical treatment when Israeli forces stopped him and took him into custody. (Maan)
- National Academy of Sciences criticizes politicization of Israeli archaeology - State’s links with right-wing Elad NGO come under fire in report; Elad: Report is biased against us. (Haaretz+)
- Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike, others boycott Israeli courts - Two Palestinian prisoners have been on a hunger strike for over 20 days protesting administrative detention without trial in Israeli jails, and 60 Palestinian prisoners decided to boycott Israeli courts in protest of administrative detention, said the Palestinian committee of prisoners’ affairs. (Maan)
- Israeli forces close major northern West Bank checkpoint - Officials from the Palestinian liaison office told Ma’an that they were notified by their Israeli counterpart that the Huwwara checkpoint south of Nablus would be closed to traffic in both directions until further notice. (Maan)
- Hundreds prevented from crossing to Jerusalem for Friday prayers - Israeli forces prevented women between the ages of 16 and 30 from crossing to Jerusalem without permits, as well as men from 30 to 50 years old. (Maan)
- Returning to politics? Ehud Barak met with Labor MKs - Former prime minister has been making contact recently with other political sources. MK Staf Shafir, who met with him several times: The meetings were mainly ‘security-oriented.’ (Maariv)
- Israeli army mulls new units as ultra-Orthodox enlistment rises - 45 ultra-Orthodox soldiers already placed in company under Rotem Battalion; figures show that 2,226 ultra-Orthodox men enlisted last year, only 70 less than target set by government. (Haaretz+)
- Firebrand MK Zoabi to pay fine for calling Israeli Arab policemen traitors - As part of plea bargain, Israeli Arab lawmaker to pay 500 shekel fine and send letter of apology. (Haaretz+)
- BBC documentary translates Gaza children saying 'Jews' as saying 'Israelis' - In one such case a Gazan child says that the ‘yahud’ (Arabic for Jews) are massacring Palestinians, but the subtitles read 'Israel is massacring us.' [Note: It is common for Palestinians to refer to Israelis as ‘Jews,’ also because 20% of Israelis and the conflict has been between the Jews and the Arabs on the land and not any other religion. – OH] (Haaretz)
- Israel to shut Palestinian TV station broadcasting from Nazareth - Public Security Ministry says activity of Palestinian Authority backed-station breaches Israeli 'sovereignty.' (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
- Yedioth title, “Israeli pride”; Maariv title: “Berlin divided again” – Two opposing demonstrations, for and against Israel, were held yesterday in Berlin in the framework of Al-Quds Day, the annual day since the 1979 revolution that Iran shows solidarity with the Palestinians. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators (2,500 acc. to Maariv and 1000 acc to Yedioth) waved Palestinian flags and protested against the “Israeli occupation of Jerusalem.” Some 1000 (Maariv) or few hundred (Yedioth) other demonstrators proudly waved Israeli and gay pride flags. There were some clashes and one pro-Israeli demonstrator was arrested. (Yedioth/Ynet and Maariv)
- Jewish youth beaten and robbed in Paris anti-Semitic attack - The 13-year-old boy, who was not named, was followed by six men of African descent on July 7th as he exited the school while wearing a kippah, local report said. (Haaretz)
- Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's crackdown in Sinai risks more instability in Egypt - The Egyptian president's new military crackdown is likely to lead to an escalation of ISIS-linked militant attacks in Sinai, and on major tourism centers, challenging Egypt's economic recovery. (Reuters, Ynet)
- ISIS claims responsibility for bomb attack on Italian consulate in Cairo - Islamic State says its 'soldiers' detonated a parked car bomb carrying half a ton of explosives; at least one person was killed in attack. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- 20 Egyptian policemen wounded in Sinai bombing - The bombing in the provincial capital of el-Arish came just a week after one of the most vicious attacks on Egyptian troops in the region. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- IN PHOTOS: Iranians mark 'Al-Quds Day' with massive pro-Palestinian rally - Chanting 'Down with America' and 'Death to Israel' tens of thousands of Iranian express support for Palestinians and Jerusalem. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Gidi Gov ad nearly causes diplomatic incident with Iran - Israeli actor and singer films Bezeq commercial in Kiev depicting Iranians kidnapping civilians when Iranian embassy officials arrive, necessitating some creative thinking. (Ynet)
- Hundreds attend memorials for lone soldiers killed in Gaza war - One year after they were killed in Operation Protective Edge, Staff Sgt. Sean Carmeli and Sgt. Max Steinberg, lone soldiers from the United States, are commemorated by large crowds in Haifa cemetery. Tens of thousands attended their funerals last year. (Israel Hayom)
- Hezbollah's Nasrallah: Iran is final hope for liberation of Palestine, Jerusalem - Speaking to mark annual pro-Palestinian Al-Quds Day, Hezbollah chief says Assad regime is regaining momentum in Syria after several setbacks. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- More than 4 million Syrians fled abroad since civil war broke out, UN says - The agency said 7.6 million additional people have been displaced from their homes within Syria by the fighting. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Saud Al-Faisal, world's longest-serving foreign minister, dies - A fixture of Middle East diplomacy, Prince Saud represented the oil-rich Gulf kingdom in crisis after crisis rocking the region — including through multiple rounds of Arab-Israeli peace efforts. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
Sami Kosba adds the picture of a third son killed by the IDF to his wall
Bullets fired at close range by an IDF brigade commander killed 17-year-old Mohammad Kosba – the third son in the family to be shot dead for stone throwing. A fourth son was also shot and seriously wounded. (Gideon Levy and Alex Levac, Haaretz+)
The spirit of Entebbe is coming to Tel Aviv
Visitors to a new exhibit on Operation Entebbe, at the Yitzhak Rabin Center in Tel Aviv, will be able to view photographs, documents and items from the daring hostage rescue that until now were shut away in the halls of Mossad headquarters. (Shlomo Cesana, Israel Hayom)
Island of coexistence in unlikely Jerusalem ‘seam’ neighborhood
A year ago French Hill gas station was firebombed by Palestinians; today Jewish merchant in local commercial center says, 'The only problem I have with my Arab customers is that there aren’t more of them.' (Nir Hasson, Haaretz+)
How do we remodel the face of the country?
What the missiles did not do in Operation Protective Edge, the boycott movement is doing: Israel may be the Start-Up Nation, but for a long time it has not been an attractive place for students from abroad to get expertise in hitech. It's true, an internship at Checkpoint is tempting, but what do you do if there's a real siren? Yaniv Halili escorted representatives of the 'Masa' (Journey) organization to a conference in Dublin. The goal: To examine from closeup if it is at all possible to convince the next generation of global hitech that, despite everything, we have a wonderful country. (Yaniv Halili, Yedioth's '24 Hours' supplement, pp. 12-13)
A Palestinian hunger strike that showed the power of weakness
Last week Khader Adnan, who has been detained without trial for the ninth time, stopped his hunger strike after 55 days, when Israel promised to release him. On the painful saga of a local hero. (Gideon Levy and Alex Levac, Haaretz+)
How does it feel when Iron Dome fails?
"When we found out someone had been wounded, my soldier felt she failed, despite trying her best and doing everything necessary," recalls Maj. Tomer Ezra, who commanded an Iron Dome battery deployed near Beersheba last summer. (Lilach Shoval, Israel Hayom)
The years of the pig: The rise and fall of Israel’s anti-pork laws
Supreme Court Justice Daphne Barak-Erez has written a fascinating book about the history of the pork laws, serving as a fascinating case study into how Israeli society has changed. In the early 1990s, new Basic Laws on the freedom of occupation and human dignity were enacted, leading to an additional erosion of the bans. The public debate shifted to considerations of religious coercion and communal rights, rather than the importance of symbols and national identity. Israel became less unified and more tribal, Barak-Erez writes – marked on the one hand by a rise in liberalism, individual freedoms and multiculturalism; and, on the other, by a decline in traditional national identity. (Ishay Rosen-Zvi, Haaretz+)
For German volunteers in Israel, less guilt, more curiosity
More than half of all non-Jewish volunteers in Israel come from Germany; the Holocaust remains a sensitive topic for them even if it wasn't the catalyst for volunteering. (Mareike Enghusen, Haaretz+)
Are love and politics mutually exclusive in Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
Documentary on Palestinian national poet Mahmoud Darwish's life - and romance with Israeli Tamar Ben Ami - shows how matters of the heart can be thrust into forefront ahead of borders and territory. (Mira Sucharov, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Bullets fired at close range by an IDF brigade commander killed 17-year-old Mohammad Kosba – the third son in the family to be shot dead for stone throwing. A fourth son was also shot and seriously wounded. (Gideon Levy and Alex Levac, Haaretz+)
The spirit of Entebbe is coming to Tel Aviv
Visitors to a new exhibit on Operation Entebbe, at the Yitzhak Rabin Center in Tel Aviv, will be able to view photographs, documents and items from the daring hostage rescue that until now were shut away in the halls of Mossad headquarters. (Shlomo Cesana, Israel Hayom)
Island of coexistence in unlikely Jerusalem ‘seam’ neighborhood
A year ago French Hill gas station was firebombed by Palestinians; today Jewish merchant in local commercial center says, 'The only problem I have with my Arab customers is that there aren’t more of them.' (Nir Hasson, Haaretz+)
How do we remodel the face of the country?
What the missiles did not do in Operation Protective Edge, the boycott movement is doing: Israel may be the Start-Up Nation, but for a long time it has not been an attractive place for students from abroad to get expertise in hitech. It's true, an internship at Checkpoint is tempting, but what do you do if there's a real siren? Yaniv Halili escorted representatives of the 'Masa' (Journey) organization to a conference in Dublin. The goal: To examine from closeup if it is at all possible to convince the next generation of global hitech that, despite everything, we have a wonderful country. (Yaniv Halili, Yedioth's '24 Hours' supplement, pp. 12-13)
A Palestinian hunger strike that showed the power of weakness
Last week Khader Adnan, who has been detained without trial for the ninth time, stopped his hunger strike after 55 days, when Israel promised to release him. On the painful saga of a local hero. (Gideon Levy and Alex Levac, Haaretz+)
How does it feel when Iron Dome fails?
"When we found out someone had been wounded, my soldier felt she failed, despite trying her best and doing everything necessary," recalls Maj. Tomer Ezra, who commanded an Iron Dome battery deployed near Beersheba last summer. (Lilach Shoval, Israel Hayom)
The years of the pig: The rise and fall of Israel’s anti-pork laws
Supreme Court Justice Daphne Barak-Erez has written a fascinating book about the history of the pork laws, serving as a fascinating case study into how Israeli society has changed. In the early 1990s, new Basic Laws on the freedom of occupation and human dignity were enacted, leading to an additional erosion of the bans. The public debate shifted to considerations of religious coercion and communal rights, rather than the importance of symbols and national identity. Israel became less unified and more tribal, Barak-Erez writes – marked on the one hand by a rise in liberalism, individual freedoms and multiculturalism; and, on the other, by a decline in traditional national identity. (Ishay Rosen-Zvi, Haaretz+)
For German volunteers in Israel, less guilt, more curiosity
More than half of all non-Jewish volunteers in Israel come from Germany; the Holocaust remains a sensitive topic for them even if it wasn't the catalyst for volunteering. (Mareike Enghusen, Haaretz+)
Are love and politics mutually exclusive in Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
Documentary on Palestinian national poet Mahmoud Darwish's life - and romance with Israeli Tamar Ben Ami - shows how matters of the heart can be thrust into forefront ahead of borders and territory. (Mira Sucharov, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Approving death penalty for terrorists would be a stain on Israeli
law (Haaretz Editorial) The Ministerial Committee For Legislation must reject this
unnecessary bill, which cheapens human life and dignity.
What prompted Israeli warning about pending cyber attack? (Oded Yaron and Yaniv Kubovich, Haaretz+) Israeli cyber systems are under attack every day of the year, so what was so special on Thursday?
Signing of Iran deal could help fix strained Israeli-American ties (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) As nuclear talks face another crisis, Israel is quietly preparing for day a deal is finally signed between Iran and world powers; but several concerning issues arise: Funds Iran will now have to support terror, and crazy arms race in region.
At Iran nuclear talks, a diplomatic circus (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) As far as the diplomats busy meeting in rooms with chandeliers and heavy red curtains are concerned, they are busy making history. If they succeed, they will save the world. If they fail, it will be no less than a 'disaster.'
Why Israel should help Hamas achieve its political interest (Giora Eiland, Yedioth/Ynet) There is no doubt that Operation Protective Edge created effective deterrence, but Israel must also create a positive incentive for Hamas to maintain a long-term calm.
Another victory in the right's war on the Supreme Court (Friday Haaretz Editorial) A new deal struck between Likud and Yisrael Beitanu to change the composition of the committee that appoints Supreme Court justices is yet another manifestation of a governing ideology that prefers the tyranny of the majority over real democracy.
Missing Israeli in Hamas capitivity may not be worst-case scenario (Ron Ben-YIshai, Ynet) If Avraham Mangisto were alive and well in Hamas's hands, the organization would have no reason to deny it was holding him. It is possible that he is held captive by the Islamic State or Islamic Jihad, and there are even worse possibilities, but Hamas may be holding him as a bargaining chip.
If only all Israelis could be like the 'salt of the earth' elite (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) For several decades, Israel has been taking orders from the likes of Lior Lotan and MK Ofer Shelah. What a country this would be if only all Israelis were like them.
The essence of the State of Israel (Zeev B. Begin, Israel Hayom) Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people, based on the fundamental principles of liberty, justice and peace, and it upholds equal rights for all citizens. Both parts of this statement are vital and both are absent from our law books.
It's time to put an end to the IDF's emotional terrorism (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) Most of Israel's career officers aren't devoting their lives to Israel’s security. They aren’t worthy of glory and praise. Like most creatures, their existence is a dull affair.
Nuclear deal or not, Israel faces a dangerous future (Ephraim Sneh, Yedioth/Ynet) If Iran signs an agreement with the world powers, the billions of dollars it stands to receive will boost its strategic strength and support of terror; if an agreement isn't signed, Iran will speed up its attempts to reach a nuclear weapon and regional hegemony.
The big unanswered question about pending Iran deal (Israel Harel, Haaretz+) We need to work out why the Americans are capitulating to the Iranians in the nuclear talks; Israel's future may depend on it.
The joke is on us (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) An important part of negotiating is knowing when to walk away. Iran appears to think that Kerry is unfamiliar with this concept.
Dumpster diving for reasons to deny the Palestinians a state (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) The Education Ministry’s new civics chief espouses the fuzzy philosophy of the political right.
Israel must use UN as an offensive tool (Guy Bechor, Yedioth/Ynet) Instead of constantly defending ourselves, we should flood the United Nations' institutions with complaints, reports and information about the destruction taking place in our region.
Despite mistakes, Mengistu affair needs professionals (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The tone with which Netanyahu's envoy spoke to the family of the 28-year-old Israeli missing in Gaza was inexcusable. But his experience is still required.
Racial discrimination? Nonsense! (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) Those who accuse the government of neglecting a missing Israeli because of his Ethiopian descent are spreading lies that are borderline incitement.
A Turkish buffer zone in Syria? Neither the generals nor the U.S. want it (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) ISIS is the problem, but of course Ankara and Erdogan are obsessed with the Kurds.
For you, Palestinian kid killed by IDF was just a statistic (Dan Goldberg, Haaretz+) Abu Yasser has buried three of his brothers. His tragedy is heartbreaking; ours is that we are slowly losing our humanity.
The other side of the drachma (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) The Israeli Left doesn't trust Israelis to make moral economic decisions, but when it comes to our enemies, it trusts blindly.
Could Bernie Sanders bring a radical new approach to the Middle East? (Seth Lipsky, Haaretz+) The Democrats' most startling new contender for the nomination once had ties to a philosopher who changed the Kurds' strategy.
Suffering from blindness (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Serious leaders like al-Sisi, Jimmy Carter and John Kerry foolishly think there is a connection between jihadist attack worldwide and the Palestinian problem. It used to be 'look at the Jews for blame,' now it's 'look at Israel for blame'.
Paradise? The Gaza settlers were banished from hell (Yossi Sarid, Haaretz+) The idyl was fertilized by the sweat of the neighbors and their small children, and irrigated with the water we stole from them.
What prompted Israeli warning about pending cyber attack? (Oded Yaron and Yaniv Kubovich, Haaretz+) Israeli cyber systems are under attack every day of the year, so what was so special on Thursday?
Signing of Iran deal could help fix strained Israeli-American ties (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) As nuclear talks face another crisis, Israel is quietly preparing for day a deal is finally signed between Iran and world powers; but several concerning issues arise: Funds Iran will now have to support terror, and crazy arms race in region.
At Iran nuclear talks, a diplomatic circus (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) As far as the diplomats busy meeting in rooms with chandeliers and heavy red curtains are concerned, they are busy making history. If they succeed, they will save the world. If they fail, it will be no less than a 'disaster.'
Why Israel should help Hamas achieve its political interest (Giora Eiland, Yedioth/Ynet) There is no doubt that Operation Protective Edge created effective deterrence, but Israel must also create a positive incentive for Hamas to maintain a long-term calm.
Another victory in the right's war on the Supreme Court (Friday Haaretz Editorial) A new deal struck between Likud and Yisrael Beitanu to change the composition of the committee that appoints Supreme Court justices is yet another manifestation of a governing ideology that prefers the tyranny of the majority over real democracy.
Missing Israeli in Hamas capitivity may not be worst-case scenario (Ron Ben-YIshai, Ynet) If Avraham Mangisto were alive and well in Hamas's hands, the organization would have no reason to deny it was holding him. It is possible that he is held captive by the Islamic State or Islamic Jihad, and there are even worse possibilities, but Hamas may be holding him as a bargaining chip.
If only all Israelis could be like the 'salt of the earth' elite (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) For several decades, Israel has been taking orders from the likes of Lior Lotan and MK Ofer Shelah. What a country this would be if only all Israelis were like them.
The essence of the State of Israel (Zeev B. Begin, Israel Hayom) Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people, based on the fundamental principles of liberty, justice and peace, and it upholds equal rights for all citizens. Both parts of this statement are vital and both are absent from our law books.
It's time to put an end to the IDF's emotional terrorism (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) Most of Israel's career officers aren't devoting their lives to Israel’s security. They aren’t worthy of glory and praise. Like most creatures, their existence is a dull affair.
Nuclear deal or not, Israel faces a dangerous future (Ephraim Sneh, Yedioth/Ynet) If Iran signs an agreement with the world powers, the billions of dollars it stands to receive will boost its strategic strength and support of terror; if an agreement isn't signed, Iran will speed up its attempts to reach a nuclear weapon and regional hegemony.
The big unanswered question about pending Iran deal (Israel Harel, Haaretz+) We need to work out why the Americans are capitulating to the Iranians in the nuclear talks; Israel's future may depend on it.
The joke is on us (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) An important part of negotiating is knowing when to walk away. Iran appears to think that Kerry is unfamiliar with this concept.
Dumpster diving for reasons to deny the Palestinians a state (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) The Education Ministry’s new civics chief espouses the fuzzy philosophy of the political right.
Israel must use UN as an offensive tool (Guy Bechor, Yedioth/Ynet) Instead of constantly defending ourselves, we should flood the United Nations' institutions with complaints, reports and information about the destruction taking place in our region.
Despite mistakes, Mengistu affair needs professionals (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The tone with which Netanyahu's envoy spoke to the family of the 28-year-old Israeli missing in Gaza was inexcusable. But his experience is still required.
Racial discrimination? Nonsense! (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) Those who accuse the government of neglecting a missing Israeli because of his Ethiopian descent are spreading lies that are borderline incitement.
A Turkish buffer zone in Syria? Neither the generals nor the U.S. want it (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) ISIS is the problem, but of course Ankara and Erdogan are obsessed with the Kurds.
For you, Palestinian kid killed by IDF was just a statistic (Dan Goldberg, Haaretz+) Abu Yasser has buried three of his brothers. His tragedy is heartbreaking; ours is that we are slowly losing our humanity.
The other side of the drachma (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) The Israeli Left doesn't trust Israelis to make moral economic decisions, but when it comes to our enemies, it trusts blindly.
Could Bernie Sanders bring a radical new approach to the Middle East? (Seth Lipsky, Haaretz+) The Democrats' most startling new contender for the nomination once had ties to a philosopher who changed the Kurds' strategy.
Suffering from blindness (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Serious leaders like al-Sisi, Jimmy Carter and John Kerry foolishly think there is a connection between jihadist attack worldwide and the Palestinian problem. It used to be 'look at the Jews for blame,' now it's 'look at Israel for blame'.
Paradise? The Gaza settlers were banished from hell (Yossi Sarid, Haaretz+) The idyl was fertilized by the sweat of the neighbors and their small children, and irrigated with the water we stole from them.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.