APN's daily news review from Israel

Monday November 30, 2015 
 

Quote of the day:

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Front Page:

Haaretz

• Asylum seekers to be held in Holot (detention facility) 1.5 years, in contradiction to High Court ruling
• The bill ridicules the court ruling, and it should be revoked again as disproportionate // Aeyal Gross
• In response to labeling products: Contacts with EU over the Palestinian issue will be suspended
• 174 arrested in clashes in Paris on eve of UN Climate Summit
• IDF preparing to close the ‘Jewish Awareness’ branch in the Military Rabbinate
• Russia dictating to Israel new rules in airspace // Amos Harel
• Head of Police’s Lahav 433 unit is the commander suspected of sexual harassment
• Testimony of another woman: (MK) Yinon Magal kissed me against my will
• Report: The woman who ran over Gal Beck was under the influence of alcohol
• Bank of Israel recommends limiting the use of cash
• In the spirit of the ‘29th of November’ (date the UN voted for the partition plan of Palestine) // Haaretz Editorial
• Sparta is here // Odeh Bisharat
• Academia for infants – Beginning to prepare for psychometric exams at age two
• The monster that chased the children of Jerusalem is in a new Israeli movie 
• Israel Electricity company asking the public to fund its mistake

• The (accused) police commander presented a polygraph: “Speaks truth” – The commander is the head of Lahav 433 Unit
• From the Police counter-terrorism unit to the top brass – Police Deputy Police Commissioner, Bentzi Sau resigns from police
• Thank you, Bentzi // Eitan Haber
• “Yinon Magal got close to me and suddenly kissed me. I was in shock” – Fourth woman claims MK sexually harassed her; Police raided Walla News website offices, where he worked

• The response to the boycott: Freezing relations with Europe
• The trouble of the commander of the elite police unit
• Channel 2 News: Testimony of fourth woman against MK Yinon Magal; Investigators gathered testimonies from Walla News website employees
• Burning climate – Violent clashes in Europe ahead of Climate Summit planned in Paris

• Police Maj. Gen. Rittman: From interrogator to interrogated
• Prime Minister: “Suspend contacts with the EU”
• FYI ‘Yedioth’ newspaper: Gen. (res.) Nachushtan – is not a candidate to be head of Mossad
• Attorney General Weinstein: Minister Gabai is prohibited from appearing before the Knesset Economy Committee and expressing his opposition to the gas agreement
• Equal parenting: Ministerial Committee approved – ‘nursing hour’ (get off work one hour early) for fathers, too

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News Summary:
The scandals over accusations of sexual harassment by a right-wing MK from a religious party and by a police commander heading an elite unit battling corruption and organized crime continued to take top headlines in the Israeli papers over the latest Palestinian stabbings in the wave of violence. Also high in the news was Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s mainly symbolic decision to suspend contact with the European Union over issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Also in the news, Netanyahu is advancing controversial legislation: the Jewish Nation-State Bill, allowing Israelis abroad to vote and the Governance Bill. Meanwhile, Israeli Border Police killed a Palestinian teen in E. Jerusalem last night and the Palestinians declared a ‘Day of Rage,' but that barely made the news. 

Following the EU decision to label West Bank goods, which Maariv called a ‘boycott,’ Netanyahu began his retaliation: he instructed the Foreign Ministry to reevaluate the EU's involvement in peace efforts with the Palestinians. Israeli officials said it was only symbolic and lacked any significance so that the trade between Israel and the EU, estimated in the billions of euros, would not be hurt. (Maariv)
 
Yesterday morning, a 38-year-old resident of Nablus stabbed a Border Policeman in the neck in E. Jerusalem, wounding him. The assailant was shot dead.  A few hours later, a 17-year-old Palestinian stabbed a foreign worker at a bus station in Jerusalem and was apprehended at a nearby construction site. The wounded Nepali woman said she planned to stay in Israel. 
 
At night, Border Police killed Ayman Samih al-Abbasi, 17, from Ras al-Amoud in E. Jerusalem. There were differing reports about what happened. Police said they had been carrying out patrols in the area when Palestinians threw "10 petrol bombs" at them. Palestinians said it had been "quiet" before Abbasi's death, but that fierce clashes broke out afterward. After Abbasi’s death, Palestinian groups called for a "day of rage" on Monday. (Also Maariv)
 
Also of interest, the Paratroopers Brigade Commander told Army Radio that Israel is "playing defense," trying to prevent the next terrorist attack, but that the solution is political, not military.
  
And following the briefing by an unnamed IDF commander that made headlines last week, Israel Hayom reported that the settlers were upset that the commander had suggested giving Palestinian security forces weapons and had a meeting with him at which he reportedly assured the settler leaders that he had been misquoted and that his suggestions for easing the life of Palestinians were meant for times of calm. The commander was GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Roni Numa.
 

Quick Hits:

• Joint List MKs: "Prosecute the murderers of the Dawabsheh family" - MKs Basel Ghattas, Jamal Zahalka and Haneen Zoabi petitioned the High Court after two months of altercations with the attorney general following the statement by Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon that it is impossible to put the family’s murderers on trial because doing so would disclose intelligence information. The petition further stated that preference should not be given to intelligence information over the interests of justice nor should preference be given to the procedure of administrative detention over a procedure visible to the public. (Maariv)
• (Jewish) Youths Acquitted in Murder Trial (of Arab teen) Due to a Technicality - Court throws out confessions of (Jewish) minors who shot at bus of Arab school children in 2009, killing one and injuring another, because police investigation did 'not conform to law.' Judge Menachem Finkelstein said that large portions of the investigation were not filmed as required by law, hence “we cannot know whether pressure was brought to bear or threats made.” (Haaretz+) 
• IDF Makes Plans to Limit Religious Influence on Troops - The army intends to close the Jewish Identity branch of the Military Rabbinate, a move supported by senior army officers; the Military Rabbinate will fight the decision. (Haaretz+)
• Swede convicted of spying for Hezbollah, but gets light sentence - As part of the plea bargain, Hassan Hizran gets only 18 months in prison after court found he was reluctant to cooperate with Hezbollah handlers and did not provide all the information they sought. (Ynet)
• Netanyahu advances (controversial) Jewish nation-state bill - Team headed by coalition chairman is attempting to dismantle obstacles that may block the proposal, which would enshrine as a Basic Law the definition of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. Fears that law will provoke civil and political clashes, primarily due to the reactions of Arab Israelis and the fear of being depicted globally as a nationalist state that advances nationalist laws. (Ynet)
• IDF closes third Hebron radio station for broadcasting 'incitement to violence' - Station manager says Israeli army ordered him to close for six months, confiscated equipment and damaged studios; this is the third such closure in a month. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
• Israeli Police Criticized by Courts for Misuse of Video Evidence - Judges criticize police for failing to show the footage to the court or for providing inaccurate descriptions of films. (Haaretz+)
• Former soldiers from IDF’s intel cyber ‘Unit 8200’ to be recruited to the battle: Foreign Ministry set up a headquarters for battling incitement on the Internet - In the wake of the wave of terror, the headquarters will operate under the Ministry’s Department of Information and will be composed mostly of former members of intelligence units, with a background in programming. (Maariv)
• In bid to stop brain drain, IDF declares war on Startup Nation - Over 30 percent of young officers in technological roles quit the army in the first half of 2015, causing alarm among defense chiefs. (Haaretz+) 
• Minister Regev a probe into the ‘Nakba Film Festival’ - Culture and Sports Miri Regev instructed the head the cultural authority to examine whether the films shown at the festival (whose name means ‘the Catastrophe’ referring to the creation of the State of Israel on Palestine) comply with Article 3b, which states that art encouraging racism will not be financed. (Maariv)
• Public diplomacy director controversy drags on - Nearly a month has passed since the prime minister announced the controversial appointment to the position of head of public diplomacy, but Netanyahu has yet to submit it for confirmation; commission will also have to examine political affiliations between Netanyahu and Baratz. (Yedioth/Ynet)
• Defense Ministry may appoint temporary security head - Prime minister reportedly withholding government approval for permanent nominee for one of Israel's most sensitive positions: director of the Ministry of Defense Security Authority. (Haaretz+)
• Jews of Arab Lands: Israel commemorates flight of 850,000 Jews from Arab, Muslim countries - Mizrahi Jews were not able to tell their personal stories of expulsion from the Middle East and North Africa as it was always eclipsed by the Holocaust; This is only the second year in over half a century Israel is commemorating the tragedy. (Haaretz+) 
• Israel, UN to discuss Jewish expulsion from Arab countries -  Likud minister Gila Gamliel is spearheading campaign to raise international awareness of Jews who fled or were expelled from Arab countries and Iran around time of Israel's founding • Most of these Jews were forced to leave without money or belongings. (Israel Hayom)   

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Commentary/Analysis:

On November 29, It's Time to Revisit Partition (Haaretz Editorial) Only Benjamin Netanyahu can truly fly the flag of November 29, a day that will live in the consciousness of Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Before helping Germany fight terror, Israel has some questions to answer (Shimon Shiffer, Yedioth/Ynet) While Israeli security experts are offering their goods to their German colleagues, government officials in Berlin are wondering why Israel is failing to deal with the roots of its conflict with the Palestinians in order to restore Israelis' personal security. Shiffer writes about the talks he took part in recently between Israelis from the intelligence community and their colleagues in Germany.
Despite Netanyahu's Cries of anti-Semitism, Israel No Longer a Victim (Yechiam Weitz, Haaretz+) Connecting the European boycott of settlement products to the Holocaust ignores two dramatic transformations the Jewish people underwent in 1948 and 1967. 
Palestinians Should Welcome Europe's First Steps Towards Full Boycott of Israeli Settlements (Ziad Abu Zayyad, Haaretz+) If the EU’s labeling guidelines, a tool to pressure Israel towards a two-state solution, aren’t sufficient, then a full boycott of Israel may be the only solution, despite the inevitable pushback and accusations of anti-Semitism by Israel’s right-wing government. 
Like Sheep to the Separation (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) The separation fence in the West Bank cuts off villages from towns, and towns from cities. Now, it is also separating nursing ewes from their lambs.
No Way to Help the Palestinians (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) The industrial zones in Judea and Samaria, whose products are to be labelled in Europe, do more good for the Palestinian economy than the EU does. 
Netanyahu must talk directly to the Palestinians (A. B. Yehoshua, Yedioth/Ynet) After all the condemnations and threats he has issued since the start of the 'knife intifada,' it's time for the prime minister to turn to young Palestinians in a human, direct manner in a bid to stop the violence and offer hope for a better future for them and for us.
Ticket to Ride Roughshod Over Democracy (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) Benjamin Netanyahu is trampling on all the elements that ensure democratic rule, assisted by his supine cabinet ministers.  
Adolescent terrorism hurts Palestinians (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom) Palestinians are beginning to wonder about the long-term damage of cultivating a culture based on murder and death.
Israeli Army Avoids Poking Russian Bear With a Stick (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) IDF’s response when a Russian jet entered Israeli airspace recently sharply contrasts Turkey downing a Russian bomber last week.
Syria and Iran: Frenemies (Zalman Shoval, Israel Hayom) Tehran supports Russia's operations in Syria now, but we can assume that in the future it will prefer to wave them goodbye.
Meet the New Spartans - They're Israeli (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) In the normal world, the generals demand a more aggressive approach and the civilian leadership restrains them. In Israel, though, things are topsy-turvy.
Jewish Nakba can no longer be ignored (Edy Cohen, Ynet) In our Nakba, we are alone. We have not only lost our property, which was left behind in Arab countries and is worth hundreds of billions of dollars today, but our rich culture and heritage as well.
A heavyweight battle of egos (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) This isn't just a gravely serious confrontation between Russia and Turkey, but a clash between Putin and Erdogan. 
Despite Bold Declarations, Russia and Turkey Have Too Much to Lose (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) While Erdogan's behavior after the downing of the Russian jet echoes Netanyahu's response to the Gaza Flotilla incident, Moscow and Ankara can't afford to break off economic and military cooperation.
 
 

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