APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday September 9, 2015
Quote of the day:
"Ties between Israelis and Arabs don’t have to revolve only around the conflict."
--Israeli neuroscientist Yonatan Lowenstein speaks about his cooperation with an Egyptian neuroscientist, which resulted in joint Israeli-Arab workshops in their field.
--Israeli neuroscientist Yonatan Lowenstein speaks about his cooperation with an Egyptian neuroscientist, which resulted in joint Israeli-Arab workshops in their field.
You Must Be Kidding:
“Vandalizing Palestinian property is a criminal offense - but sometimes Arabs do it to other Arabs," and "there is no solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
--Quotes from the new booklet published by the Yesha settler Council that teaches its dogma to young Jewish settler children.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- The battle over Shabbat – The (Soccer) Association to strike soccer, Regev pressuring change of status quo
- Scientists having difficulty explaining the unusual haze (over the Levant)
- (Justice Minister) Shaked announced that internship in law will be extended two years
- City of Arad turning off lights at sports fields because Bedouin are showing up
- On the way to approval of the nuclear agreement without a veto: Obama achieved a voting block of Senators
- The battle was decided // Chemi Shalev
- The Harpaz affair: Weiner and Benayahu files expected to be closed
- Taxes on alcohol to be lowered today by tens of percent
- Shame on the Shin Bet // Haaretz Editorial
- A haze strikes
- Disconnect between Netanyahu and Rivlin
- Shalom, Shalom and there is no Shalom – After the dispute in the Knesset, Yedioth held a meeting between MKs Stav Shafir and Jamal Zahalka
- Jewish-Arab, I am // Maor Zaguri – New Friday magazine column
- Ahinoam Nini against Eyal Golan: “They forgave him, but not me”
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- The days of yellow (haze)
- Achievement for Obama: Absolute majority for approving the agreement with Iran
- “The case against Weiner and Benayahu (in the Harpaz affair) will be closed”
- 8.412 million Israelis
- The drink is on the Minister of Finance’s bill – Tax on beer to trop by 46% and on araq by 21%
Israel Hayom
- Battle against the dust
- Solution – or Shabbat without soccer games
- On eve of New Year: 8,412,000 Israelis
- Remembering Shira Banki
- The half full glass: Tax on beer to drop by 46%, on other alcohol by 21%
- Former Vice President Cheney: “The nuclear agreement with Iran – madness”
- Students in shock: Internship for lawyers to be extended by two years
News Summary:
A strange yellow haze blankets the Middle East, the US President gains an absolute majority of support for the nuclear deal with Iran, and files against two former senior IDF commanders were closed making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin reveals the disconnect between him and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and two MKs meet following a bitter dispute in the Knesset - but the accusations don’t stop.
After Obama got 41 out of 100 votes of support from senators for the Iran nuclear deal, meaning he does not need to use his veto power, Israeli officials insisted that most Americans oppose the agreement and that Netanyahu was instrumental in changing American public opinion to support his view against the agreement.
Yedioth reported that in the shadow of the tense relations between the Obama administration and Netanyahu, Netanyahu will meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly later this month. The two spoke on the phone Saturday evening.
Yedioth reported in today’s newspaper that the dispute over relations between Israel and the US worsened the already cold relations between Netanyahu and President Rivlin. The two have not met in two months, although customarily they should meet monthly, and they haven’t spoken since Rivlin publicly criticized Netanyahu’s conduct. Rivlin’s comments will be aired today in an interview on Army Radio.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu set out today for a two-day trip to Britain for talks about the Iran nuclear agreement, the frozen peace process, the Syrian civil war and refugee crisis in Europe with his British counterpart David Cameron. Numerous Brits await him to protest his visit. The Palestinians have asked the UN to push Israel into allowing refugees from Syria enter the West Bank.
MK Stav Shafir (Labor party) responded Tuesday to the sharp speech by Arab MK Jamal Zahalka (Joint List) saying it was not her job to be nice and she was just focused on fighting corruption and on looking out for the good of the country. Zahalka has criticized Shafir Monday for accusing the Arabs of planning to make a deal with Netanyahu over the controversial gas agreement and for ignoring him personally in the Knesset halls. “You never say hello…I am invisible to you.” He accused the ‘Ashkenazi left-wing’ of ‘quiet racism,’ and he slammed the Labor Party for the harm it has done to Arab citizens of Israel in a speech that the right-wing are celebrating. Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper had the two MKs meet, but there was no reconciliation, only “raised voices.” Neither of them apologized for anything. Reporter Amichai Atalli asked the questions and wrote that at the end the only thing the two agreed on was not to shake hands.
Atalli: Stav Shafir, you don't say hello?
Shafir: “Of course I say hello. You can do a survey among the Knesset workers, the cleaners and the guards, every one. Politeness is one of my basic traits.”
Zahalka: “That’s not true. The fact is that we don’t say hello to each other.”
...
Zahalka accused: “You don’t know what my generation has gone through. Who committed the massacre at Kafr Qassem? And (the killings on) Land Day? That was the Labor party.”
Shafir: “I understand your pain. But it’s clear that there are two different narratives and different identities. I think the things that you are talking about, those are things that were done many decades ago. I am third generation in Israel. My grandparents come from Iraq and Poland. And from here, our goal is to create a single Israeli identity that lets everyone feel at home here. I will fight for a Jewish democratic state and equality also for you, (and) for Arab youth. You define the very creation of the state as a crime. The discrimination towards Arab Israelis must be corrected, but the Zionist struggle to establish a state is one I’m proud of.”
A strange yellow haze blankets the Middle East, the US President gains an absolute majority of support for the nuclear deal with Iran, and files against two former senior IDF commanders were closed making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin reveals the disconnect between him and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and two MKs meet following a bitter dispute in the Knesset - but the accusations don’t stop.
After Obama got 41 out of 100 votes of support from senators for the Iran nuclear deal, meaning he does not need to use his veto power, Israeli officials insisted that most Americans oppose the agreement and that Netanyahu was instrumental in changing American public opinion to support his view against the agreement.
Yedioth reported that in the shadow of the tense relations between the Obama administration and Netanyahu, Netanyahu will meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly later this month. The two spoke on the phone Saturday evening.
Yedioth reported in today’s newspaper that the dispute over relations between Israel and the US worsened the already cold relations between Netanyahu and President Rivlin. The two have not met in two months, although customarily they should meet monthly, and they haven’t spoken since Rivlin publicly criticized Netanyahu’s conduct. Rivlin’s comments will be aired today in an interview on Army Radio.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu set out today for a two-day trip to Britain for talks about the Iran nuclear agreement, the frozen peace process, the Syrian civil war and refugee crisis in Europe with his British counterpart David Cameron. Numerous Brits await him to protest his visit. The Palestinians have asked the UN to push Israel into allowing refugees from Syria enter the West Bank.
MK Stav Shafir (Labor party) responded Tuesday to the sharp speech by Arab MK Jamal Zahalka (Joint List) saying it was not her job to be nice and she was just focused on fighting corruption and on looking out for the good of the country. Zahalka has criticized Shafir Monday for accusing the Arabs of planning to make a deal with Netanyahu over the controversial gas agreement and for ignoring him personally in the Knesset halls. “You never say hello…I am invisible to you.” He accused the ‘Ashkenazi left-wing’ of ‘quiet racism,’ and he slammed the Labor Party for the harm it has done to Arab citizens of Israel in a speech that the right-wing are celebrating. Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper had the two MKs meet, but there was no reconciliation, only “raised voices.” Neither of them apologized for anything. Reporter Amichai Atalli asked the questions and wrote that at the end the only thing the two agreed on was not to shake hands.
Atalli: Stav Shafir, you don't say hello?
Shafir: “Of course I say hello. You can do a survey among the Knesset workers, the cleaners and the guards, every one. Politeness is one of my basic traits.”
Zahalka: “That’s not true. The fact is that we don’t say hello to each other.”
...
Zahalka accused: “You don’t know what my generation has gone through. Who committed the massacre at Kafr Qassem? And (the killings on) Land Day? That was the Labor party.”
Shafir: “I understand your pain. But it’s clear that there are two different narratives and different identities. I think the things that you are talking about, those are things that were done many decades ago. I am third generation in Israel. My grandparents come from Iraq and Poland. And from here, our goal is to create a single Israeli identity that lets everyone feel at home here. I will fight for a Jewish democratic state and equality also for you, (and) for Arab youth. You define the very creation of the state as a crime. The discrimination towards Arab Israelis must be corrected, but the Zionist struggle to establish a state is one I’m proud of.”
Quick Hits:
- Israeli army says no spike in Palestinian attacks on Jerusalem highway, despite popular impression - Senior officer says incidents still average 10 to 15 in Route 443 a month; last week, PM ordered army to consider relaxing rules of engagement against Palestinians who throw stones or firebombs on road. (Haaretz+)
- Southern Israel city darkens sports fields to keep Bedouin and asylum seekers out - Arad mayor says pilot program that kept lights on in city's soccer fields and other sports facilities ended because 'it wasn’t our young people who came to the fields.' (Haaretz+)
- Israel’s population hits 8.4 million on eve of Jewish New Year - Number of immigrants to Israel grew 35% in 5775. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Top Hezbollah, Hamas operatives placed on U.S. terror blacklist - The listed terrorists include Hezbollah's Samir Kuntar, who took a family in Nahariya hostage in 1979, and Hamas military chief Muhammad Deif. (Haaretz+)
- New hasbara booklet for kids: 'There's no such thing as Palestine' - With illustrated booklet titled 'Occupation Shmuccupation,' Yesha Council teaches its dogma to settler children at young age; 'it's important to us that the younger generation knows the right facts and doesn't rely on stigmas left-wing organizations are trying to disseminate.' (Ynet)
- Senior IDF officer: Nabi Saleh incident was a mistake - Central Command officer faults decision to allow soldier to act alone during the protest 10 days ago, but praises soldier's restraint. (Haaretz+)
- Deputy brigade commander of Samaria: "Rules of Engagement does not restrict us" - "I do not feel today that something impedes my actions," Yishai Carmeli said in a special interview on the occasion of completing his position and in the wake of the new provisions for opening fire (on Palestinians). "The soldiers on the ground also know that when there is a real danger against the force, shooting takes place. (The guidelines) don't stop us." (Maariv)
- Egyptian and Israeli neuroscientists striving for peace - Ahmed El Hady and Yonatan Loewenstein, two neuroscientists from Egypt and Israel respectively, are striving to bypass preconceptions, and create interpersonal and professional connections between Arab and Israeli Neuroscientists. (Ynet)
- Palestinian Detainee Freed After Two Days, Finds Home Razed - After a fruitless search for a suspect hiding in the Jenin home of Majdi Abu Al-Heija, Israeli forces quickly released him – but only after the damage had been done. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli firefighters increasingly under attack in East Jerusalem - Fire and rescue team arriving in Isawiya, Shuafat and Beit Hanina are met with stone throwing, verbal abuse and at times even physical attack. (Ynet)
- Nini (Noa) vs. Golan - At a meeting with residents of Nativ Ha'asarah, who opposed her performing at their community, singer Ahinoam Nini tried to convince them by criticizing the forgiving attitude for her colleague, Eyal Golan, following his troubles in the affair with minors: "It doesn't seem strange to you that he still fills the amphitheater in Caesaria and they forgive him?" Golan: "Jealousy is making her crazy." (Yedioth, p. 1)
- Israel's justice minister, Supreme Court president duel over role of courts - Minister Shaked accuses judges of excessive activism while Justice Naor defends their decisions on behalf of human rights. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli goes missing in Yemen, family fears he was taken by ISIS - 64-year-old goes back to birth country to bring his brother to Israel, but contact with him is lost after he joins three Saudis in Jordan who offered to take him for free; Foreign Ministry tells family it cannot help, as Jerusalem has no diplomatic ties with Sana'a. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Israeli arms makers: Refugee crisis spurs demand for intel systems - Swiss parliament approved deal Monday to buy drones manufactured by Elbit, insists they will be 'unarmed.' (Haaretz+)
- Israel wary of Russian military build-up in Syria - Israeli officials are well aware of the increasing Russian presence in Syria, confirming there are mechanisms in place to avert an accidental engagement. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Syria denies Russian military buildup in the country - 'There are no Russian forces and there is no Russian military action on Syrian territory,' information minister says, despite contrary claims by U.S. intel analysts. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Beverly Hills to sign strategic agreement with Israel - Israel to provide know-how in water conservation and cybersecurity; millions of dollars could be added to Israeli coffers if big transactions are signed. (Ynet)
Features:
A lone island
What is behind the offer of Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris to buy an island to house hundreds of thousands of refugees, and why does the man, who is called 'Napoleon' in his country, agree to act when the rich Persian Gulf states almost won't pick up a finger? (Sara Leibovitz-Dar, Maariv's magazine supplement, p. 6 and Forbes)
New Movie on 1972 Skyjacking Dims Aura of Elite IDF Unit
By showing Palestinian perspective, 'Sabena Hijacking – My Version' tempers the heroism of the elite Sayeret Matkal commandos who were involved in the rescue operation. (Itay Stern, Haaretz+)
A lone island
What is behind the offer of Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris to buy an island to house hundreds of thousands of refugees, and why does the man, who is called 'Napoleon' in his country, agree to act when the rich Persian Gulf states almost won't pick up a finger? (Sara Leibovitz-Dar, Maariv's magazine supplement, p. 6 and Forbes)
New Movie on 1972 Skyjacking Dims Aura of Elite IDF Unit
By showing Palestinian perspective, 'Sabena Hijacking – My Version' tempers the heroism of the elite Sayeret Matkal commandos who were involved in the rescue operation. (Itay Stern, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Shame on Shin Bet: Almost 6 weeks pass and baby killers still walking free (Haaretz Editorial) The more time passes, the greater the suspicion grows that Shin Bet
isn't doing enough to capture murderers of the three members of the Dawabsheh family.
And little Ahmad remains all alone (Oded Shalom, Yedioth/Ynet) Five weeks have passed since the Duma arson attack, which claimed its third victim Sunday, and the perpetrators have yet to be arrested. How much do Israel's security organizations really know about the activities of young radicals operating in wild outposts in the territories?
Migrant, refugee or infiltrator? How our language affects legislation (Michael Brodsky, Haaretz+) As long as public discourse remains laden with negative terminology, the common-sense immigration reforms that we'd like to enact – in Israel and Europe – will remain troublingly elusive.
Failure: this is how the United States defeated Israel in the nuclear agreement crisis (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) Political lepers, lack of understanding of the system in the United States and betting on the institutions that are perceived as less relevant. A summary of the resounding Israeli failure over the nuclear deal.
Where did the West go wrong? (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) Bush wanted to impose a democracy in the Middle East; Obama wanted justice. The refugees who are running for their lives to Europe only want to live. If the West is incapable of giving them that, what are democracy and justice worth?
Release and liberate: (Nuke whistleblower) Vanunu stuck in Jerusalem under stupid and useless surveillance (Ran Adelist, Maariv) Why the government needed to release Vanunu long ago, and how the Shin Bet’s slogan ‘zero attacks’ turns the potential into terror and causes one million casualties for nothing.
Arab anti-Zionist is the Israeli right's new hero (Uzi Baram, Haaretz+) But it must be understood that Balad party leader Jamal Zahalka's equation of pre-1967 Israel with the post-1967 settlements is rejected by most Arab citizens.
It's the beginning of the end of Europe (Noah Klieger, Yedioth/Ynet) The Europeans are failing to realize that Muslim refugees will lead to the complete disappearance of their countries' tradition, culture and progress and to the establishment of an Islamic rule across the entire continent.
The media attacks, the public supports (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) The more the left-wing broadcasters and pundits slander elected officials, the more the voters admire them.
Democratic Support for Iran Deal Is Obama’s Victory and AIPAC’s Debacle (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Tehran's behavior in coming months will determine whether GOP ploy of using Iran as electoral issue pays off – or boomerangs.
Iran deal is not a done deal (Clifford D. May, Israel Hayom) A deal that even supporters see as "dangerous" and "deeply flawed" could still be derailed.
Fodder for the next Shin Bet 'shooting and crying' documentary (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Israeli forces spent eight hours blowing up a Palestinian family's house piece by piece, all to arrest a wanted man - who turned out to be so dangerous that they released him two days later.
And little Ahmad remains all alone (Oded Shalom, Yedioth/Ynet) Five weeks have passed since the Duma arson attack, which claimed its third victim Sunday, and the perpetrators have yet to be arrested. How much do Israel's security organizations really know about the activities of young radicals operating in wild outposts in the territories?
Migrant, refugee or infiltrator? How our language affects legislation (Michael Brodsky, Haaretz+) As long as public discourse remains laden with negative terminology, the common-sense immigration reforms that we'd like to enact – in Israel and Europe – will remain troublingly elusive.
Failure: this is how the United States defeated Israel in the nuclear agreement crisis (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) Political lepers, lack of understanding of the system in the United States and betting on the institutions that are perceived as less relevant. A summary of the resounding Israeli failure over the nuclear deal.
Where did the West go wrong? (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) Bush wanted to impose a democracy in the Middle East; Obama wanted justice. The refugees who are running for their lives to Europe only want to live. If the West is incapable of giving them that, what are democracy and justice worth?
Release and liberate: (Nuke whistleblower) Vanunu stuck in Jerusalem under stupid and useless surveillance (Ran Adelist, Maariv) Why the government needed to release Vanunu long ago, and how the Shin Bet’s slogan ‘zero attacks’ turns the potential into terror and causes one million casualties for nothing.
Arab anti-Zionist is the Israeli right's new hero (Uzi Baram, Haaretz+) But it must be understood that Balad party leader Jamal Zahalka's equation of pre-1967 Israel with the post-1967 settlements is rejected by most Arab citizens.
It's the beginning of the end of Europe (Noah Klieger, Yedioth/Ynet) The Europeans are failing to realize that Muslim refugees will lead to the complete disappearance of their countries' tradition, culture and progress and to the establishment of an Islamic rule across the entire continent.
The media attacks, the public supports (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) The more the left-wing broadcasters and pundits slander elected officials, the more the voters admire them.
Democratic Support for Iran Deal Is Obama’s Victory and AIPAC’s Debacle (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Tehran's behavior in coming months will determine whether GOP ploy of using Iran as electoral issue pays off – or boomerangs.
Iran deal is not a done deal (Clifford D. May, Israel Hayom) A deal that even supporters see as "dangerous" and "deeply flawed" could still be derailed.
Fodder for the next Shin Bet 'shooting and crying' documentary (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Israeli forces spent eight hours blowing up a Palestinian family's house piece by piece, all to arrest a wanted man - who turned out to be so dangerous that they released him two days later.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.