APN's daily news review from Israel

Monday December 21, 2015  
 

Quote of the day:

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Front Page:

Haaretz

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News Summary:
A Likud minister who hoped to be prime minister one day resigns from political life following allegations of sexual misconduct, a missile attack believed to be by Israel crashes an apartment building outside Damascus killing the man Israelis most hate - Samir Kuntar, a Lebanese Druze convicted of murdering three Israelis in a hijacking-terror attack in ’79, a search committee for the next attorney general causes a stir when it recommended one candidate - whom Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu wanted, and the Shin Bet says indictments will likely be made this week against the suspects in the murder-arson of the Dawabsheh family from Duma making top news in today’s Hebrew newspapers. 

The Hebrew papers implied that Israel was indeed behind the killing of Samir Kuntar near Damascus, declaring that the ‘accounts were closed’ and describing how his recent military activities in the Golan Heights were not to Israel’s liking. According to Maariv’s intelligence analyst, Yossi Melman, and others, Kuntar wasn’t killed for his involvement in the infamous ’79 attack in Nahariya, but for his involvement in the joint Hezbollah, Iran and Assad network operating in the Golan Heights that acted as an arm of deterrence and retaliation for attacks attributed to the Israeli Air Force against the transfer of weapons from Syria to Hezbollah. (See Commentary/Analysis below.)
Moreover, some unidentified sources told Ynet that “Kuntar was planning a major terror attack on the Golan Heights.” Ynet’s Ron Ben-Yishai also has an interesting, albeit somewhat different, description of Kuntar’s latest activities in the Golan. [Note: Kuntar was released from Israeli prison in 2008, following a prisoner exchange with Hezbollah. In September this year, the US State Department declared Kuntar as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist due to his alleged work with Hezbollah. – OH]

Declaring Kuntar a ‘ticking time bomb’ may be necessary for Israelis to hear because the operation to kill him comes with a price: Hezbollah is expected to retaliate. Indeed, three rockets hit northern Israel after the assassination. There were no injuries, but the Israeli military analysts are split whether this assassination could turn into another war – which all agree, no side wants.The Lebanese media reported that the PFLP was behind the rocket fire, a symbolic response to the assassination. The IDF responded by shelling southern Lebanon with artillery fire, Maariv and Haaretz reported, and increased Israeli Air Force activity over Lebanese skies. Northern Israeli communities opened up bomb shelters.

Israelis expressed happiness over Kuntar’s death, particularly those who lost their loved ones. Yedioth interviewed retired police commander, Efraim Hiram (Pichutka), who with other forces charged the terrorists. “We didn’t know yet what was the situation of the father (Danny Haran) and the little girl (Einat), so I decided that the soldiers would charge without shooting them," Hiram told Yedioth. "Only when we got control over Kuntar and the other terrorist did we see that the father and the little girl were no longer alive. Kuntar threw his gun aside, grabbed my legs and begged for his life. For years, I was criticized that I didn’t kill the terrorists. But today I would act exactly the same." Kuntar was found guilty by an Israeli court of shooting dead the father and killing the daughter by smashing her head on a rock with his gun. Kuntar always maintained he killed neither of them, that they were behind him during the shootout that ensued between his cell members and the Israeli forces and the father was killed by the crossfire and that he didn’t know what happened to the little girl. [Note: Oddly Hiram said there was no gunfight when the gunfight was a known part of the event. – OH] Kuntar was considered an arch-terrorist by Israelis because of the death of little Einat Haran and because he was seen as responsible for the death also of her baby sister, who was smothered to death by their mother who was trying to keep her quiet so they wouldn’t be found. Maariv published parts of a fascinating interview that Kuntar gave to then-Maariv reporter, Chen Kottas-Bar, in fluent Hebrew while he was in jail, in which he tells her his version of what happened that night on the Nahariya beach and how he sees his own actions and those of others who make attacks on Israelis, as well as expressing support for a two-state solution. "The people who make attacks, like I did, are not bloodthirsty people. You can't say that I just got up like that, in the morning, without knowing what is the Palestinian people, without growing up in the conflict, and I said, 'Let's make an attack.' No, of course not. It wasn't all of a sudden either. It was part of a process which intensified over time. I have always believed...that we cannot enjoy life and let the next generation be consumed by the fire of the conflict. I wanted to fight for the Palestinian people. It was in my eyes, moral, humane, to sacrifice myself for the sake of suffering of the people whom I felt connected to. It's not like I was a mercenary."
 
The Shin Bet says it plans to charge Jewish suspects in the arson murders this week. Meanwhile, it released two of the suspects to house arrest, and seeks to extend the arrest of the others. One told his lawyer he is being tortured, which the Shin Bet said was false. At the same time, the media said that the suspects have been under arrest for 30 days without being allowed to see their lawyers.
 

Quick Hits:

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Features:

Who Is Fighting Who in Syria? From Assad to ISIS to the Rebels, a Complete Guide to the War
As the conflict enters its fifth year, a breakdown of the different sides in the civil war that has left over a quarter-million people dead and millions displaced. (Connie Cass, Haaretz)
Life without Sean
Sean Carmeli turned into a sad symbol of Operation Protective Edge. Tens of thousands came to his funeral to escort him on his last path. Following that moving gesture, his parents, Alon and Dalia, decided to leave the US and return to Israel. But the pain does not fade. "I didn't even try looking for work in Israel," said the father. "It's hard for us to find solace." (Smadar Shir, Yedioth '24 Hours' supplement, cover)

Commentary/Analysis:

The ball is now in Hezbollah's court (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) Were the rockets fired at Israel on Sunday a symbolic response to Samir Kuntar's assassination or do they mark the start of another violent conflict on the northern border? The fact that both Hezbollah and the Assad regime disagreed with Kuntar's activity in Syria could serve as a restraining factor.
After eliminating Samir Kuntar: northern residents need to get ready for the worst (Noam Amir, Maariv) Hezbollah threatens response, and the last time it threatened after an attack attributed to Israel it ended in a harsh response. If we weren’t just after a difficult operation in the south (Gaza war 2014), we would be concluding now the south third Lebanon (war). If you're like me a northern residents you must take into account Hezbollah's successful response, one that will lead to many casualties and possibly a kidnapping, which will lead to war on the northern border. Do not let clichés like "Wars don't happen in the winter" fool you. If the northern front is opened it will be difficult, horror scenarios may become reality, and we really need to internalize that. It is estimated that the two sides are still not interested in escalation. Israel has always said officially that its first objective is to make wars as far apart as possible. Hezbollah is buried deep in the Syrian mud Syrian, is suffering serious losses and is obligated to Iran - otherwise it would have long ago left the Syrian soil.
Iran, not Hezbollah, to dictate response to Samir Kuntar's assassination (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) If Israel is indeed responsible for Hezbollah leader's death, it is reasonable to assume that it sought to address future threats rather than settle score for past attacks. 
Nasrallah's test: will Hezbollah respond to the elimination of Samir Kuntar? (Yossi Melman, Maariv) In the past, the organization's secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, made clear he would retaliate against any Israeli attempt to harm its people and the assessment is that if the organization responds, Israel will respond with great force. It should be emphasized that despite the terrorist past of Kuntar and his involvement in the murder of Danny Haran and his daughter Einat and two policemen on the beach of Nahariya, the considerations facing the person who committed the act were mainly over his involvement and his presence these days in trying to organize terrorist acts from the Golan Heights. In other words, the reason for his elimination was not because of his past deeds, but rather his danger in the present and his potential to continue to try to carry out attacks against Israel. However, Kuntar is also considered an important symbol of Hezbollah…. Kuntar was a key activist in the joint attempt by Hezbollah, al-Quds force of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and intelligence officials in Bashar al-Assad’s government to set up a terrorist network operating in the Golan Heights that acted and would act in the future against Israel. The purpose of this infrastructure that tried to recruit Druze residents of the area, Palestinians in Syria and Syrians was tp act as an arm of deterrence and retaliation for attacks attributed to the Israeli Air Force against the transfer of weapons from Syria to Hezbollah. In this way, Hezbollah asked Iran to act in a similar manner to that of Israel – on Syrian land and without violating the peace in Lebanon. In addition, this terror infrastructure is designed to serve as an arm that will allow the opening of a second front against Israel in the event of a flare-up on the border with Lebanon….
Avichai Mendelblit Is the Wrong Choice for Israel's Next Attorney General (Haaretz Editorial) With the backdrop of suspicions of foul play in the Prime Minister’s Office and his residence, an attorney general should be selected who is completely detached from the premier.
New Attorney General Mustn't Be a Pushover for the Netanyahus (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) The position of AG is the envy and awe of many a politician: They appoint him or her, and s/he can attack them, strip them of their liberty and foil their maneuvers. 
Hatred within the camp (Eitan Haber, Yedioth/Ynet) As an expert on the history of the movement which brought him to the President's Residence, Reuven Rivlin knows that once a leader deviates from the party line or causes damage to its image - there is no forgiveness. 
The Left has lost its way (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) There is no room for informers and inciters in army barracks or the school system, even under the guise of morality. 
Breaking the Silence Amplifies Israeli Democracy's Weaknesses (Yagil Levy, Haaretz+) Since 2004, Breaking the Silence has been coping with Israeli democracy's weakness with regard to everything related to military oversight, but in doing so illustrates it in an least two areas.
Settlement: Check international law (Zeev Jabotinsky, Israel Hayom) The arguments put forth by the Foreign Ministry are welcome but hardly convincing. The truth is that international law is squarely on Israel's side.
A Plant Named Occupation Has Grown Into a Deep-rooted Tree (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) When someone says something against the occupation, he is attacked as if he is the ultimate enemy of all Jews from the time of Moses to Yair Lapid. 
The Zionist Left needs resuscitation (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) The Zionist Left is ignoring the hostile takeover of the Labor and Meretz parties by fringe extremists. 
The Only Semi-democracy in the Middle East (Avraham Burg, Haaretz+) The time has come to fight for the sake of a secular democracy that belongs to all its citizens. 
Israel's president merits the criticism being thrown at him (Amiel Ungar, Haaretz+) Reuven Rivlin should not have attended Haaretz's New York confab, which smacked of a government-in-exile arrayed against Israel's legitimate government.
A lesson in tolerance: Rivlin was able to act as a representative of the entire Jewish people in Washington (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) Those who criticized the President's presence at the peace conference organized by "Haaretz" newspaper and complained that he gave a speech at the event among whose sponsors were Breaking the Silence, are the ones that simply are not aware of the composition of American Jewry. 
Just Say It, You Want a Palestinian State Free of Jews (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) This kind of ethnic-cleansing policy would be hard for a representative of the United States to support, so Samantha Power prefers not to be explicit on the subject. 
Predictions for 2016 (Elliott Abrams, Israel Hayom) Eight of the 11 things foreign policy specialists say we should watch out for involve troubles in the Middle East. 
When truth is prohibited: Why Western leaders refuse to call jihadist terror by name (Gadi Taub, Haaretz+) Academia has undergone an astounding revolution in the last half century: Whole disciplines have replaced their original vocation, the quest for truth, with the diametric opposite - a prohibition on truth. 
Defame, don't engage: The witch hunt against Breaking the Silence (Don Futterman, Haaretz+) While whistle-blowers are rarely popular, the only malice is coming from those who want to limit Israel’s political discourse. 
The Great Distance Between Signing a Road Map and Ending the War in Syria  (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Anyone who expects the UN resolution to end the Syrian war would do well to seek a bigger helping of patience and optimism.
The sweet smell of Israel's gas (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) Finalizing the natural gas framework was no easy task, nor was mending ties with Turkey. It is very possible that the former expedited the latter. 
The way to Ankara is long: the path to warming relations with the Turks is covered with pitfalls (Yossi Melman, Maariv) Erdogan still needs to be persuaded to compromise on his demand that Israel lift its blockade of Gaza, to reach an understanding on the amount of compensation for victims of the Mavi Marmara and to remove the Hamas headquarters from Turkey that is sending from Turkey acts of terrorism to the West Bank and Israel. 
My Message to Diaspora Jews: Don't Become Accomplices to Israel's Crimes (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) I tell my audiences exactly what they don't want to hear – and to Jews outside Israel I say: Don't make aliyah. 

MK Yaakov Perry: "Only a political process will stop the wave of terror"
Former Shin Bet chief, MK Yaakov Peri, spoke to with interviewer Nissim Mishal following the stabbing attack by a 20-year-old Palestinian in Ra'anana. (Maariv/103FM)
 
Mash'al: As the former head of the Shin Bet, the Shin Bet has no answers. And you, tell me that you can not stop acts of individuals.
Peri: “…the terror of individual terrorists, there is no intelligence organization or any method or doctrine that can prevent it. We need to deal with the situation as a whole, with the whole situation, the atmosphere, the desperation, the frustration, the feelings of revenge, and that is a complete diplomatic treatment that in the end does not touch the lone attacker."

Mash'al: "What you are suggesting is let's change the atmosphere through the political process?"
Peri: "I’m saying this aloud for years. These things will not be solved. Even if we will prevail and again there will be relative quiet, as we were accustomed to in recent years, these terrorist waves return, for these or other reasons. Therefore, what needs to change is the comprehensive approach of the Israeli government or the Israeli governments, to change the atmosphere. Of course there is a bitter debate about how to change the atmosphere, whether through annexation and unilateral steps or through an inclusive regional diplomatic initiative or otherwise. We have long since given up on the slogans of ‘peace’ or 'contract', but a series of agreements, concessions, disengagement, separation, from the Palestinian people - these are things that are  possible gradually, and only those things can influence and change the atmosphere that produces waves of terrorism like the one we are in the midst of.” 


 

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