APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday December 22, 2015
Quote of the day:
“You have to accept Israel as a fact, in order to move on and not return to the cycle of losses. The
message to the coming generations, especially the Palestinians, is that you have to include presenting the
suffering of the Jewish people. Without this, it’s impossible to develop any empathy toward
Jews.”
--Samir Kuntar from a fascinating interview with Haaretz from his prison cell in 1995.
--Samir Kuntar from a fascinating interview with Haaretz from his prison cell in 1995.
You Must Be Kidding:
A Palestinian woman was detained at a Hebron checkpoint on Monday after she allegedly "drew" a knife at Israeli soldiers, the Israeli army said.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Full capacity at Holon (detention facility): Plans for another facility for asylum seekers being examined
- The dispute over the cooling-off period: Mandelblitt was about to go on holiday – but didn’t
- Nasrallah: We will respond to the assassination of Samir Kuntar
- Ahead of the ruling on the investigation of Sarah Netanyahu: Attorney General refused to meet with her lawyer
- Education Ministry cutting aid to Ethiopian-Israeli pupils, half of the facilitators for new immigrants will be fired
- National Labor Union (Histadrut) declared general strike beginning tomorrow morning
- Jerusalem planning separation fence – against rabbits
- Rewritten citizenship // Haaretz Editorial
- The monopolies’ alliance // Avi Bar-Eli
Yedioth Ahronoth
- The Shabbat Law storm
- Unfair coercion
- The threat: Schools will be closed (from general strike)
- Nasrallah: Israel to pay for assassination of Kuntar
- World peace? World embarrassment – wrong woman crowned Miss universe
- Pressure on Attorney General to prevent questioning under warning of Sarah Netanyahu
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links)
- Sarah Netanyahu to Attorney General: Stop the investigation against me
- Emergency hour // Ben Caspit asks whether Netanyahu’s advancing of Likud primaries is connected to the investigation of his wife
- Nasrallah: We will retaliate at the appropriate time
- Mechanism to release corpses of terrorists to be established
- “Silvan did the right thing” – PM parted yesterday from Interior Minister, who resigned from political life after sexual harassment claims
- National Labor Union threatens: Tomorrow general strike of economy
Israel Hayom
- Magic dome – Success of new ‘David’s Sling’ missile interception system
- Nasrallah: We will respond to assassination of Kuntar at the time and place that we desire
- Effort to prevent big strike
- (Miss Universe) Queen for 2 minutes
- Good news: The trip to Poland will cost 1,200 shekels less
- I have the right and the obligation to scream over the blood of my sister // Noa Bucharis
- Probe into the Silvan Shalom affair begins; Did a serving MK testify that she was (sexually) harassed?
- Wave of condemnations against the threats to the judge in the Duma (arson-murders) affair
News Summary:
Sarah Netanyahu requested that the Attorney General stop the investigation into her conduct at the Prime Minister’s Residence, Hassan Nasrallah declared Hezbollah would retaliate against Israel for the assassination of Samir Kuntar shortly after Israel announced successful testing of a missile defense system and the National Labor Union threatened a national strike tomorrow making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also, the Attorney General opened a probe into sex crime allegations against Silvan Shalom, whose resignation from the government put the coalition in a bind in the Knesset and a Hamas operative left Turkey at the demand of Israel, but other issues confound the reconciliation between Israel and Turkey.
Hezbollah will retaliate against Israel for the assassination of Samir Kuntar, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed in a speech yesterday in which he named Daesh, Jabhat Al-Nusra and Israel as the main enemies of Hezbollah. Kuntar, considered an arch-terrorist in Israel after he was convicted of bashing a 4-year-old girl’s head against a rock (Kuntar always rejected the assertion), was buried in Beirut in a ceremony with full military honors attended by thousands, including Lebanese politicians and Palestinian leaders in the country. Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam even called the Kuntar family and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's aide, Hussein al-Khalil, to express his condolences.
Jerusalem has stayed mum about whether it was responsible, but Israeli commentators assume that Israel was behind it. However, a faction in the Free Syrian Army claimed responsibility for the assassination on Monday in a YouTube video, which Maariv’s military correspondent, Noam Amir, called ‘questionable.’ Meanwhile, the Lebanese As-Safir newspaper reported that IDF smart bombs of the ‘spice 2000’ type were found in the ruins of the building which was destroyed, killing Kuntar and civilians, Maariv wrote. According to the report, the bombing was carried out by two F-15 jets from over the Kinneret, a distance of about 90 km. Russian radars identified the jets, but the jets did not cross the border into Syria. [NOTE: Interesting that the jets reportedly made the attack from inside Israel proper and not from the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, which would have been closer. – OH]
Some of the Hebrew media reported more details about Kuntar. Haaretz+ published a fascinating interview with Kuntar from 1995, where Kuntar repudiated harming civilians, said Palestinians needed to do some soul-searching, and expressed hope he would be released as part of an Israeli-Palestinian peace process and not a prisoner exchange. Yaman Zeidan, who was first Kuntar’s prison guard and then became his attorney, called Kuntar a martyr. Interviewer Gabi Gazit of 103FM/Maariv online challenged Zeidan for defending that “horrendous murderer, that monster.” Zeidan said “the historiography was wrong,” that Kuntar did not kill little Einat Haran or her father, Danny.
Zeidan: “I ask you now, what is the reason that Israel keeps the forensic report of the little girl who was killed in that incident, on 22 April 1979 under secrecy until today? Why is the reason that the case remains under confidentiality?”
Gazit: "I do not know." (Read more in ‘Interviews’ below.)
Nasrallah’s speech came shortly after Israel successfully tested its ‘David’s Sling’ anti-missile system. Commentators, such as Maariv's Yossi Melman and Yedioth's Yossi Yehoshua, wrote that while the timing of the test was by chance, the message to Hezbollah, against whose mid-range missiles the anti-missile system was developed jointly with the US, was clear.
After the Attorney General announced an investigation into the sex crime allegations against Silvan Shalom,
including from a serving MK, the coalition has had to drop the votes on various bills in Knesset because Shalom resigned from government and the MK who replaced him has not been sworn in yet and Likud MK Oren Hazan is playing ‘angry’ – leaving the coalition with 59 votes out of 120, Maariv reported.
Salah Al-Arouri, a Hamas operative who was expelled to Turkey, left that country yesterday as part of the reconciliation agreement between Turkey and Israel, but two main issues remain unresolved, Yedioth and Haaretz+ reported. Turkey refuses to close the Hamas bureau there and Israel refuses to lift its siege over the Gaza Strip.
Sarah Netanyahu requested that the Attorney General stop the investigation into her conduct at the Prime Minister’s Residence, Hassan Nasrallah declared Hezbollah would retaliate against Israel for the assassination of Samir Kuntar shortly after Israel announced successful testing of a missile defense system and the National Labor Union threatened a national strike tomorrow making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also, the Attorney General opened a probe into sex crime allegations against Silvan Shalom, whose resignation from the government put the coalition in a bind in the Knesset and a Hamas operative left Turkey at the demand of Israel, but other issues confound the reconciliation between Israel and Turkey.
Hezbollah will retaliate against Israel for the assassination of Samir Kuntar, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed in a speech yesterday in which he named Daesh, Jabhat Al-Nusra and Israel as the main enemies of Hezbollah. Kuntar, considered an arch-terrorist in Israel after he was convicted of bashing a 4-year-old girl’s head against a rock (Kuntar always rejected the assertion), was buried in Beirut in a ceremony with full military honors attended by thousands, including Lebanese politicians and Palestinian leaders in the country. Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam even called the Kuntar family and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's aide, Hussein al-Khalil, to express his condolences.
Jerusalem has stayed mum about whether it was responsible, but Israeli commentators assume that Israel was behind it. However, a faction in the Free Syrian Army claimed responsibility for the assassination on Monday in a YouTube video, which Maariv’s military correspondent, Noam Amir, called ‘questionable.’ Meanwhile, the Lebanese As-Safir newspaper reported that IDF smart bombs of the ‘spice 2000’ type were found in the ruins of the building which was destroyed, killing Kuntar and civilians, Maariv wrote. According to the report, the bombing was carried out by two F-15 jets from over the Kinneret, a distance of about 90 km. Russian radars identified the jets, but the jets did not cross the border into Syria. [NOTE: Interesting that the jets reportedly made the attack from inside Israel proper and not from the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, which would have been closer. – OH]
Some of the Hebrew media reported more details about Kuntar. Haaretz+ published a fascinating interview with Kuntar from 1995, where Kuntar repudiated harming civilians, said Palestinians needed to do some soul-searching, and expressed hope he would be released as part of an Israeli-Palestinian peace process and not a prisoner exchange. Yaman Zeidan, who was first Kuntar’s prison guard and then became his attorney, called Kuntar a martyr. Interviewer Gabi Gazit of 103FM/Maariv online challenged Zeidan for defending that “horrendous murderer, that monster.” Zeidan said “the historiography was wrong,” that Kuntar did not kill little Einat Haran or her father, Danny.
Zeidan: “I ask you now, what is the reason that Israel keeps the forensic report of the little girl who was killed in that incident, on 22 April 1979 under secrecy until today? Why is the reason that the case remains under confidentiality?”
Gazit: "I do not know." (Read more in ‘Interviews’ below.)
Nasrallah’s speech came shortly after Israel successfully tested its ‘David’s Sling’ anti-missile system. Commentators, such as Maariv's Yossi Melman and Yedioth's Yossi Yehoshua, wrote that while the timing of the test was by chance, the message to Hezbollah, against whose mid-range missiles the anti-missile system was developed jointly with the US, was clear.
After the Attorney General announced an investigation into the sex crime allegations against Silvan Shalom,
including from a serving MK, the coalition has had to drop the votes on various bills in Knesset because Shalom resigned from government and the MK who replaced him has not been sworn in yet and Likud MK Oren Hazan is playing ‘angry’ – leaving the coalition with 59 votes out of 120, Maariv reported.
Salah Al-Arouri, a Hamas operative who was expelled to Turkey, left that country yesterday as part of the reconciliation agreement between Turkey and Israel, but two main issues remain unresolved, Yedioth and Haaretz+ reported. Turkey refuses to close the Hamas bureau there and Israel refuses to lift its siege over the Gaza Strip.
Quick Hits:
- Israeli professor says university seeks to fire him for sympathizing with Palestinian victims of Gaza war - Students at Bar Ilan University filed a complaint after Prof. Hanoch Sheinman sent them a letter saying he hoped they were well and 'not among the hundreds of people that were killed, the thousands wounded, or the tens of thousands whose homes were destroyed.' (Haaretz+)
- Jewish extremists' leader: Christians are 'blood sucking vampires' who should be expelled from Israel - Benzi Gopstein, head of Lehava, calls to ban Christmas in the Holy Land: 'Let us remove the vampires before they once again drink our blood.' (Haaretz+)
- Unrest puts damper on Bethlehem Christmas festivities - The West Bank town that tradtion considers Jesus Christ's birthplace is seeing fewer Christmas pilgrims this year following months of violence and riots. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Israel eases West Bank travel restrictions ahead of Christmas - Four hundred West Bank Palestinians will be allowed to fly out of Ben-Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv, instead of having to use the airport in Amman, Jordan. (Haaretz and Maan)
- Abbas says PA to start issuing 'State of Palestine' passports in 2016 - Abbas says he will "no longer accept from anybody to use the name Palestinian Authority." (Agencies, JPost and Ynet)
- Rabbis stand alongside the (Jewish) detainees: "Stop the torture and humiliation of them" - In a letter signed by leading rabbis of religious Zionism, they protested and demanded that the detainees in the Duma (arson-murders) affair not be tortured: "There is no comparison between civilians suspected of a criminal offense and between enemy soldiers.” This is the first letter of support by religious Zionist leaders for the detainees, whom until now they repudiated. (Maariv)
- Duma (arson-murders) affair: Security beefed up for judge – This follows threats against Judge Erez Nurieli on social media networks; Prime Minister to Likud faction: “Law is law, for Jews and Arabs”; Opposition chief, MK Isaac Herzog said that "Those who dare to threaten Israel's judges - raises his hand against the State of Israel itself." Outside the judge's house dozens of protesters gathered and yelled at his neighbors: "He is torturing children.” (Israel Hayom, p. 19 and Walla Hebrew and Haaretz+)
- Shin Bet arrests 5 Israeli Arab youth (E. Jerusalem residents) suspected of rioting - Five East Jerusalem residents indicted for numerous incidents of stone and Molotov cocktail throwing; two minors accused of setting fire to bus, luring police forces by blocking streets, cutting off power. (Ynet, Maan and Israel Hayom)
- Attorney General announced the indictment against MK Hanin Zoabi as part of plea bargain - Yehuda Weinstein told the Knesset speaker that Zoabi will be convicted of insulting a public servant. The incitement clause was deleted from the indictment as part of the plea bargain, as was the letter she published in which she wrote: "My remarks were made only from a storm of emotions. They do not represent my stye or my path and I did not intend to harm any one. I apologize for saying the remarks and before anyone I hurt." (Maariv, p. 14)
- Jerusalem bus stops get security upgrade - Around 300 stops are receiving steel pillars to prevent cars from ramming into waiting crowds, following vehicular attack last week that wounded 11. (Ynet)
- Palestinian police order Israeli forces out of Ramallah - Israeli Border Police forces had been chasing Palestinian schoolchildren in the Area A (full Palestinian civil and security control), when a number of Palestinian police officers led by Lieutenant Akef al-Shalan arrived and ordered the forces out of the Beituniya area and threatened to use their weapons if they refused, local security sources said. (Maan+VIDEO)
- Israeli forces detain Palestinian woman for 'drawing' knife - An Israeli army spokesperson said the woman "drew" the knife "during a routine security check in Hebron,” after which soldiers called on her to hand it over and she "complied," and then was detained for questioning. (Maan)
- World Bank to provide $5 million toward job creation in Palestine - The international finance institution said in a statement that the money would go toward the 'Development Impact Bonds' project, aimed at providing private sector skills in Palestinian youth aged 18 to 29 years old. (Maan)
- Israel to establish a mechanism to return the bodies of terrorists - The goal: to prevent mass funerals, which have wild incitement against Israel. Until the establishment of the mechanism, no Palestinian corpses will be returned to their families. Only a few families have agreed to the terms set. (Maariv)
- Netanyahu says Minister Shalom was right to resign after sexual harassment claims - Incoming Likud MK Amir Ohana praised by prime minister during weekly faction meeting, as Silvan Shalom prepares to leave office. (Haaretz+)
- Two cops in southern Israeli city suspended for alleged sexual harassment - Woman was allegedly harassed while filing a complaint over traffic accident. (Haaretz+)
- Israel Police arrest top council officials for alleged corruption, sex offenses - Arrest of 12 suspects comes in wake of undercover investigation of body that runs communities near Jerusalem. (Haaretz+)
- Iran Behind Jewish Center Bombing, Former Argentine FM Says in Secret Recordings - In secretly recorded telephone conversations, Timerman justifies the negotiations with Iran to jointly investigate the attack, saying: 'Eighteen years ago they planted the bomb.' (JTA, Haaretz)
Features:
Take a look at some of the 8,000 historic buildings in Jerusalem set to be protected
Municipality to approve list Monday, although activist says another 8,000 buildings still need safeguarding from developers. (Nir Hasson, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
When Nasrallah promises revenge, Israel better take him at his word (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Hezbollah's retaliation for Samir Kuntar's death will likely not be of a scope that could spark a new war, but past experience shows group takes questions of honor and image quite seriously in its balance of terror with Israel.
Bracing for Hezbollah's next move (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) The elimination of terrorist Samir Kuntar revives the familiar dilemma of how to avoid a rapid escalation of violence on the northern border.
When John Kerry was the soldier 'breaking the silence' (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) The storm over the veterans who expose misconduct by the Israeli army is reminiscent of Kerry's controversial testimony on the Vietnam War nearly 50 years ago.
Security establishment operates in conditions that don’t allow the eradication of Jewish terrorism (Lior Akerman, Maariv) The professionalism the Shin Bet is not the question regarding dealing with Jewish terror, but rather Israel's future and the stability of democratic rule.
Israel, on the Road to a Theocracy (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) We are facing a major assault on Israel’s democratic-secular identity, with an unholy alliance between nationalism and religion at its core.
The right thing to do (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) The reported Israeli killing of Samir Kuntar sends a clear message: Those who resume terrorist activities will be targeted.
How Hezbollah may take revenge (Yoav Zitun, Ynet) Following the assassination of Samir Kuntar attributed to Israel, the IDF has increased its alert level along the Lebanese border; it is now confronting a more battle-hardened and capable Hezbollah.
5 Takes on the Banning of Islamic Movement, by a Concerned Palestinian Citizen of Israel (Raef Zreik, Haaretz+) Israel's criminalizing of the group, which is deeply embedded in domestic Palestinian society, will have a dangerous ripple effect.
Education Ministry Must Heed Criticism of New Civics Textbook Over Israeli Arab Marginalization (Haaretz Editorial) Recent drafts of new civics textbook for high schools reinforce fears that Naftali Bennett isn't seeking to strengthen civics, but to undermine and weaken it.
Israel and Turkey: The risks and rewards (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) Israel and Turkey have a series of shared interests, chief among them curbing Iranian expansion in the region.
Can Jews Support #BlackLivesMatter and Be Pro-Israel? (The Forward, Haaretz) The link between the oppression experience of black Americans to that of the Palestinians leaves pro-Israel activists having to defend their support for the movement.
Interviews:
Yaman Zeidan, who was first Kuntar’s prison guard and then became his attorney, called Kuntar a
martyr
Interviewer Gabi Gazit of 103FM challenged Zeidan for defending that “horrendous murderer, that monster.” Zeidan said “the historiography was wrong,” that Kuntar did not kill little Einat Haran or her father, Danny. (103FM and Maariv online)
Zeidan: “I ask you now, what is the reason that Israel keeps the forensic report of the little girl who was killed in that incident, on 22 April 1979 under secrecy until today? Why is the reason that the case remains under confidentiality?”
Gazit: "I do not know."
Zeidan: "As a lawyer, I'll tell you what I make of it. There is historiography here. She says that Samir Kuntar smashed the girl's skull with his rifle butt. This forensic report, if it weren’t kept secret, it would shed light on how the girl was actually killed, how she was murdered. If you go back in the headlines of April 23, ‘79, you'll find that the father and child were likely killed by friendly fire, and then a gag order was put on the affair. With all due respect to historiography and the Israeli agenda, I, as a citizen, am not stupid, I do not have to believe anything the government says, that the state says."
Gazit: "Why did Kuntar go to Israel, if not to kill Jews?"
Zeidan: "Why to kill Jews? In all my conversations with Kuntar, it came out that the whole mission was to come and make a deal for a prisoner exchange, there were many prisoners. All the murder and the killing was random, not intentional."
Gazit: "You're adopting his defense line."
Zeidan: "Why should I adopt the line of the State of Israel? They say even a 12 year old is a terrorist."
Gazit: "And what did Kuntar do after his release? He planned a major attack. He joined the most prominent Israel-haters."
Zeidan: "How do you know he was planning an attack? He was murdered in Jermana in Syria. What is Israel doing in Syria? This is proof that Israel intervenes there. In the cases I am dealing with it has been clearly proven that Israel supports Jabhat Al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda affiliates. What do you say to that?”
Gazit: "You write it that he left hope for the liberation of every centimeter of the occupied land of Palestine. In other words, the holy goal is to get rid of the Jews from the Arab homeland."
Zeidan: "Before the establishment of the State of Israel, prior to '48, there were Jews in this area and they lived, they lived in every place. Who said that Palestine should be instead of the Jews? I have no problem with the Jews, I have a problem with Zionism, which wants to rob me of everything, even my language, my history, everything."
…
Municipality to approve list Monday, although activist says another 8,000 buildings still need safeguarding from developers. (Nir Hasson, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
When Nasrallah promises revenge, Israel better take him at his word (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Hezbollah's retaliation for Samir Kuntar's death will likely not be of a scope that could spark a new war, but past experience shows group takes questions of honor and image quite seriously in its balance of terror with Israel.
Bracing for Hezbollah's next move (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) The elimination of terrorist Samir Kuntar revives the familiar dilemma of how to avoid a rapid escalation of violence on the northern border.
When John Kerry was the soldier 'breaking the silence' (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) The storm over the veterans who expose misconduct by the Israeli army is reminiscent of Kerry's controversial testimony on the Vietnam War nearly 50 years ago.
Security establishment operates in conditions that don’t allow the eradication of Jewish terrorism (Lior Akerman, Maariv) The professionalism the Shin Bet is not the question regarding dealing with Jewish terror, but rather Israel's future and the stability of democratic rule.
Israel, on the Road to a Theocracy (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) We are facing a major assault on Israel’s democratic-secular identity, with an unholy alliance between nationalism and religion at its core.
The right thing to do (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) The reported Israeli killing of Samir Kuntar sends a clear message: Those who resume terrorist activities will be targeted.
How Hezbollah may take revenge (Yoav Zitun, Ynet) Following the assassination of Samir Kuntar attributed to Israel, the IDF has increased its alert level along the Lebanese border; it is now confronting a more battle-hardened and capable Hezbollah.
5 Takes on the Banning of Islamic Movement, by a Concerned Palestinian Citizen of Israel (Raef Zreik, Haaretz+) Israel's criminalizing of the group, which is deeply embedded in domestic Palestinian society, will have a dangerous ripple effect.
Education Ministry Must Heed Criticism of New Civics Textbook Over Israeli Arab Marginalization (Haaretz Editorial) Recent drafts of new civics textbook for high schools reinforce fears that Naftali Bennett isn't seeking to strengthen civics, but to undermine and weaken it.
Israel and Turkey: The risks and rewards (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) Israel and Turkey have a series of shared interests, chief among them curbing Iranian expansion in the region.
Can Jews Support #BlackLivesMatter and Be Pro-Israel? (The Forward, Haaretz) The link between the oppression experience of black Americans to that of the Palestinians leaves pro-Israel activists having to defend their support for the movement.
Interviews:
Interviewer Gabi Gazit of 103FM challenged Zeidan for defending that “horrendous murderer, that monster.” Zeidan said “the historiography was wrong,” that Kuntar did not kill little Einat Haran or her father, Danny. (103FM and Maariv online)
Zeidan: “I ask you now, what is the reason that Israel keeps the forensic report of the little girl who was killed in that incident, on 22 April 1979 under secrecy until today? Why is the reason that the case remains under confidentiality?”
Gazit: "I do not know."
Zeidan: "As a lawyer, I'll tell you what I make of it. There is historiography here. She says that Samir Kuntar smashed the girl's skull with his rifle butt. This forensic report, if it weren’t kept secret, it would shed light on how the girl was actually killed, how she was murdered. If you go back in the headlines of April 23, ‘79, you'll find that the father and child were likely killed by friendly fire, and then a gag order was put on the affair. With all due respect to historiography and the Israeli agenda, I, as a citizen, am not stupid, I do not have to believe anything the government says, that the state says."
Gazit: "Why did Kuntar go to Israel, if not to kill Jews?"
Zeidan: "Why to kill Jews? In all my conversations with Kuntar, it came out that the whole mission was to come and make a deal for a prisoner exchange, there were many prisoners. All the murder and the killing was random, not intentional."
Gazit: "You're adopting his defense line."
Zeidan: "Why should I adopt the line of the State of Israel? They say even a 12 year old is a terrorist."
Gazit: "And what did Kuntar do after his release? He planned a major attack. He joined the most prominent Israel-haters."
Zeidan: "How do you know he was planning an attack? He was murdered in Jermana in Syria. What is Israel doing in Syria? This is proof that Israel intervenes there. In the cases I am dealing with it has been clearly proven that Israel supports Jabhat Al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda affiliates. What do you say to that?”
Gazit: "You write it that he left hope for the liberation of every centimeter of the occupied land of Palestine. In other words, the holy goal is to get rid of the Jews from the Arab homeland."
Zeidan: "Before the establishment of the State of Israel, prior to '48, there were Jews in this area and they lived, they lived in every place. Who said that Palestine should be instead of the Jews? I have no problem with the Jews, I have a problem with Zionism, which wants to rob me of everything, even my language, my history, everything."
…
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.