APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday January 22, 2016
Quote of the day:
“The message I want to spread and which I have repeated to all those who have come to pay their
condolences is to stop sharpening swords, and look for what unites us."
--Natan Meir, widower of the mother of six, who was murdered by a Palestinian teen inside her settlement.
--Natan Meir, widower of the mother of six, who was murdered by a Palestinian teen inside her settlement.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Education Ministry to formulate blacklist of works that it will prohibit showing to students
- Settlers took over homes near the Cave of the Patriarchs (in Hebron)
- (Jerusalem Mayor) Barkat will enforce closure of mini-markets on Shabbat
- Netanyahu demanded and the advisor to the State Comptroller was kicked out of hearing on ‘Bibi tours’ because “He is (journalist Raviv) Drucker’s friend”
- Who is more Israeli: the cypress tree or the eucalyptus?
- Moshe Sharett revealed the destruction of the churches (by Jews) in the Independence War, but was stopped by censorship
- Many new immigrants who came from Russia are forced to choose between Israel and their parents
- Haifa – the capital of Israel after the death of Zionism
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Abu Mazen: Netanyahu doesn’t want to meet me
- Moment before his appointment as Mossad chief: Netanyahu offered Yossi Cohen to be ambassador to US
- “Daddy called. I told him Mom is wounded. But she’s okay. Breathing. She really did breathe. Three deep breaths, with her whole body, Mom’s last breaths,” – Ranena, 17, the eldest daughter of Dafna Meir, who was murdered by a terrorist, retells the horror
- The Tu Bishvat holiday storm – Today will be clear and comfortable- but from Shabbat till Monday rain is expected across the country, thunder storms and snow in mountainous areas
- Expose: The shocking agreement – This is how a ‘Contract to sell a baby’ looks – Father tried to sell daughter with dolls and toys for 100,000 shekels
- Following criticism: Avigdor Kaplan, Chairman of Mega, gave up on his bonus; Advertising agent, Ruti Sheetrit, who earned millions: “If I were less beautiful they wouldn’t say a word against me”
Maariv Weekend (Hebrew links only)
- Abu Mazen: Waiting two months for meeting with Netanyahu
- Between friendship and animosity – Many of Otniel residents in Mt. Hebron are positive their settlement is an example of real co-existence. On the other hand, there are those for whom the murder of Dafna Meir on her doorstep proved to them again that Palestinians from the village across from them were and remain enemies
- [Photo: Pregnant Michal Fruman, who was stabbed in Tekoa settlement, leaves hospital smiling. Caption: “We won.”]
- Not having any effect, in the meantime – Right after Gabi Ashkenazi’s name was cleared in the Harpaz affair, the opposition parties courted him. But a Maariv Weekend poll found that his joining either of them does not undercut the right-wing rule. And that’s despite Likud’s weakening
- First let him decide // Ben Caspit
- Prosecution: Gal Beck file not to be reopened – Hit and run from a decade ago will not be reinvestigated
- Britain accuses: Putin is a murderer
- They went to Gaza: What the Rimon Sayeret really did to the terror in Gaza // Dr. Uri Milstein
- Special: (Policeman) Herzl helps tell the moment they caught Samir Kuntar
- Not apologizing –Transparency Bill, legal system, left-wing NGOs, Sara and Bibi (and the sexual harassment in the army). Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked in a personal interview
- Because of the protest: Avigdor Kaplan returns the bonus (he got from collapsing supermarket chain, Mega)
Israel Hayom
- Kerry: “Money that Iran will receive will go to terror” – Prime Minister: Many in the Arab world understand that the big threats are Iran and Daesh
- “If Ashkenazi were still in the military – he would have stood on military trial”
- Chairman of Mega transferred to employees the bonus he received
- “Putin is behind the assassination in Britain”
- Gal Beck file won’t be (re-)opened
- Winter returns
- First incident of the ‘Zika’ virus in Israel – infected a two-year-old
- Wives of the submarine sailors tell about their loneliness and pride
- “The perfect mother who was the light for others” – Parting from Dafna Meir, who was murdered this week in Otniel
News Summary:
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he has waited two months for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to respond to a request to meet, settlers took over homes in Hebron, the chairman of a collapsing supermarket returns his controversial bonus and papers share conflicting polls about whether Gabi Ashkenazi could bring down the Netanyahu government if he joined one of the opposition parties, making top news in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
The paper’s also covered different angles of the murder of Dafna Meir: Yedioth interviewed her eldest daughter who was with her dying mother after the killer ran away, Maariv interviewed the settlers of Otniel and heard about their divided views on their Arab neighbors, while Haaretz focused on Dafna’s widower’s enlightened views about relations between Jews and Arabs and Israel Hayom shared a long feature revealing what a special person Dafna was.
In Ramallah, President Abbas told Israeli journalists about his direct contacts with Israel and how he agreed to meet Prime Minister Netanyahu, but Netanyahu apparently doesn’t want to meet him Netanyahu’s office rejected the claims. Interestingly, Netanyahu, who is in Davos at the World Economic Forum, met with EU foreign policy chief Frederica Mogherini, to try to end the ‘double standard’ on Israel. Netanyahu also told the Forum that Israel needs more aid after Iran nuclear deal.
In Hebron, dozens of settlers broke into Palestinian homes that have been under Palestinian ownership for decades, sparking clashes between the settlers and Palestinians. The settlers claimed they purchased the homes. (This morning they were forcibly removed by the army.)
And while the state has a new initiative seeking to apply benefits for businesses in West Bank settlements, a court has extended the detentions of three anti-occupation activists who work with human rights organizations. The details of the investigation have been hidden under gag order. +972mag and Haaretz+ have the details.
And in Jerusalem, the home of the Jewish-Israeli head of an atheist organization was vandalized in an apparent Jewish hate crime.
Polls looked out what effect the entrance of former IDF chief Gabi Ashkenazi into politics would have. Some polls found that if Ashkenazi joined a united ‘centrist’ [center-right – OH] party made up of Yair Lapid, Moshe Kahlon and Ashkenazi, they could beat Likud. A Maariv poll found that if Ashkenazi ran with Kahlon and Gideon Saar, or if he ran as Lapid’s #2, or if he ran as the leader of the Labor party, Likud would still win. “It is unfortunate that voters are waiting for a military man,” Arab MK Ahmad Tibi (Joint List), who is a physician, told JPost. “I would prefer that they wait for a philosopher, an educator or a doctor, of course.” However, a Knesset Channel poll found that most Israelis don’t want him to enter politics and they prefer Netanyahu over him.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he has waited two months for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to respond to a request to meet, settlers took over homes in Hebron, the chairman of a collapsing supermarket returns his controversial bonus and papers share conflicting polls about whether Gabi Ashkenazi could bring down the Netanyahu government if he joined one of the opposition parties, making top news in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
The paper’s also covered different angles of the murder of Dafna Meir: Yedioth interviewed her eldest daughter who was with her dying mother after the killer ran away, Maariv interviewed the settlers of Otniel and heard about their divided views on their Arab neighbors, while Haaretz focused on Dafna’s widower’s enlightened views about relations between Jews and Arabs and Israel Hayom shared a long feature revealing what a special person Dafna was.
In Ramallah, President Abbas told Israeli journalists about his direct contacts with Israel and how he agreed to meet Prime Minister Netanyahu, but Netanyahu apparently doesn’t want to meet him Netanyahu’s office rejected the claims. Interestingly, Netanyahu, who is in Davos at the World Economic Forum, met with EU foreign policy chief Frederica Mogherini, to try to end the ‘double standard’ on Israel. Netanyahu also told the Forum that Israel needs more aid after Iran nuclear deal.
In Hebron, dozens of settlers broke into Palestinian homes that have been under Palestinian ownership for decades, sparking clashes between the settlers and Palestinians. The settlers claimed they purchased the homes. (This morning they were forcibly removed by the army.)
And while the state has a new initiative seeking to apply benefits for businesses in West Bank settlements, a court has extended the detentions of three anti-occupation activists who work with human rights organizations. The details of the investigation have been hidden under gag order. +972mag and Haaretz+ have the details.
And in Jerusalem, the home of the Jewish-Israeli head of an atheist organization was vandalized in an apparent Jewish hate crime.
Polls looked out what effect the entrance of former IDF chief Gabi Ashkenazi into politics would have. Some polls found that if Ashkenazi joined a united ‘centrist’ [center-right – OH] party made up of Yair Lapid, Moshe Kahlon and Ashkenazi, they could beat Likud. A Maariv poll found that if Ashkenazi ran with Kahlon and Gideon Saar, or if he ran as Lapid’s #2, or if he ran as the leader of the Labor party, Likud would still win. “It is unfortunate that voters are waiting for a military man,” Arab MK Ahmad Tibi (Joint List), who is a physician, told JPost. “I would prefer that they wait for a philosopher, an educator or a doctor, of course.” However, a Knesset Channel poll found that most Israelis don’t want him to enter politics and they prefer Netanyahu over him.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.