APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday February 3, 2016
Quote of the day:
“Welcome. We have hosted many Jews in our home. We await you.”
--Natalie from Bethlehem responded to the Airbnb request of an Israeli journalist who got mixed responses in her probe about whether Palestinians would rent their homes out to Israelis.*
--Natalie from Bethlehem responded to the Airbnb request of an Israeli journalist who got mixed responses in her probe about whether Palestinians would rent their homes out to Israelis.*
You Must Be Kidding:
“If we don’t translate Hebrew books, how will we know what’s being written about us? This book in particular was written about our society. How long will we hide our heads in the sand?”
--Amr Zakaria, the Egyptian translator of the book by Israeli journalist Jacky Hugi, slammed the Egyptian parliamentarian who demanded a government probe into how an Israeli book was allowed into the Cairo International Book Fair.**
Breaking News:
Two Female Israeli Border Police Officers Seriously Wounded in Jerusalem Shooting Attack
Three assailants armed with weapons, explosives attempted to carry out mass attack before being shot dead at scene. (Ynet, Haaretz and Maan)
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Knesset approved expansive police power to ‘stop-and-frisk’
- Cruz beat Trump, Clinton won by a miniscule gap
- Leaving the Kollel: For the first time, most ultra-Orthodox are working
- Olmert convicted of obstruction of justice in a plea bargain, his sentence will be given next week
- State destroyed 23 Bedouin homes in Hebron area
- Zika virus spreading: Health Ministry calls to avoid getting pregnant for one month after visiting infected areas
- 8-year-old collapsed and died: Examining whether inhaling balloon helium caused death
- Tel-Aviv bike rental initiative expanding, but number of users dropped
- Revolving door // Haaretz Editorial
- Did the Tel-Aviv Museum of Art reject an exhibition due to the ‘political climate’?
- Pushing out the weak: The specialization period in law will be extended 1.5 years
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Barely won – Clinton beat her opponent by a miniscule gap; Trump was humiliated
- For Bernie Sanders, despite his age, he won surprising support from the young – but lost
- For Donald Trump, the big money didn’t help: He lost to conservative Ted Cruz
- For Marco Rubio, he placed third, but is considered the hope of the Republican party
- The female who filed a complaint: “A famous actor sexually harassed me”
- 8-year-old Anna inhaled from a birthday balloon – and died
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Haifa is in a fog – whoever thought they would get official answers about whether the pollution from the giant factors is deadly – was disappointed
- 8-year-old from Kiryat Bialik inhaled helium from balloon – and died
- Sour victory for Clinton, painful defeat for Trump
- Drama at its best // Ron Miburg in the US
- Hillary barely passed // Shlomo Shamir
Israel Hayom
- The race began with surprises
- 8-year-old Anna inhaled helium from a birthday balloon – and died
- Judge criticized: “Why the overlapping sentence for Olmert?”
- Criticism of the State Comptroller: “Circumference of babies in Haifa – identical to rest of the country”
- Specialization for lawyers to be extended to 18 months
- Today: Expanded panel of High Court justices to discuss appeals against gas agreement draft
News Summary:
The surprising results of the Iowa primaries, the fear of the Haifa factory pollution and the death of an 8-year-old child who inhaled helium were the top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
The surprising results of the Iowa primaries, the fear of the Haifa factory pollution and the death of an 8-year-old child who inhaled helium were the top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
Quick Hits:
- East Jerusalem boy, shot in head by Israeli police, still unresponsive - 12-year-old was wounded by new sponge-tipped bullet which was barred from use against minors, but 15 have been wounded by them. (Haaretz+)
- Israel demolishes 23 homes in Hebron area to make way for IDF training zones - Latest development in multiyear battle leaves 60 children, 18 adults without dwellings. (Haaretz+ and +972mag)
- Knesset Passes Controversial 'Stop-and-frisk' Law - The opposition claims discrimination against minorities will rise; among other things, police now authorized to frisk persons based only on 'fear' that they intend to commit an act of terror. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Tunnel collapse kills two Hamas men - Terror group's military branch confirms deaths, vows to continue digging offensive tunnels. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Hamas, Fatah Officials to Meet in Qatar in Another Bid at Palestinian Reconciliation - 'Fatah's strategy with Israel has failed and Hamas has also not been providing answers,' senior Fatah official says ahead of meeting with Khaled Meshal. (Haaretz+)
- Hamas calls for Palestinian elections 10 years on - Hemmed in by Egypt and Israel, Gaza terror group says it seeks reconciliation with rival Fatah. (Times of Israel)
- India arrests suspect planning on attacking Israeli targets - Jeb Afridi, active in the Muslim student organization, suspected of committing attack at a restaurant an Israeli delegation was supposed to dine at in 2014. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Israel okays funding for Arab towns to deal with environmental hazards - Initiative will give priority to areas lacking regular waste collection. (Haaretz)
- Police seek to bolster presence in Arab sector - Israel Police plan to enlist 1,350 new policemen, set up 10 new police stations nationwide as part of its plan to increase presence in Arab towns. Plan to cost some 800 million shekels ($200 million), be supervised by a special ministerial committee. (Israel Hayom)
- New attorney general says nothing stopping him from probing Netanyahu - Former cabinet secretary Avichai Mendelblit sees no conflict of interests. (Haaretz+)
- Conflict of interest between PM, new AG not mentioned in legal documentDespite having served as cabinet secretary, a position of trust with the prime minister, Mandelblit's ties to Netanyahu are not mentioned in conflict of interest disclosure the new attorney general signed. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Ex-PM Olmert admits to obstruction of justice as part of plea bargain - Jerusalem judge partially accepts plea bargain, expresses doubt over the sides' request to let Olmert serve prison sentences concurrently. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- NGO bent on holding anti-Israel event at landmark -Radical left-wing NGO Zochrot says it chose Land of Israel Museum for pro-Palestinian conference because it sits on site of former Arab village. Group says decision shows defiance in era when "cultural institutions and intellectuals feel persecuted." (Israel Hayom)
- Arab MKs not present at planting ceremony at Carmel due to involvement of JNF - MK Nava Boker, whose husband died in the Carmel fire disaster: “I initiated the event to convey a message of unity. Where is the talk about integration into society and equality?...They are doing BDS from inside the Knesset." MK Ayman Odeh: “The terrible disaster touched us all. MK Boker is cynically using the event in order to throw filth and lies. Despite the fact that Boker and I have never discussed the subject, I would never have come to an event organized by the JNF. That is an organization, part of whose goals are to dispossess the Arab population of its lands. (Maariv, p. 10)
- Israel Weighs Separation of Orthodox Jewish Children From Other Gifted Students - Plan would set up gender-segregated, religious-only enrichment centers, separate from program for secular and Arab children; ministry staffers also exploring changing curriculum to emphasize Jewish religious law. (Haaretz+)
- **Controversy Erupts in Egypt Over Inclusion of Israeli Book at Cairo Fair - Charges of 'normalization' greet discovery of non-fiction work about modern Arab society, which was translated from Hebrew to Arabic. (Haaretz+)
- Haifa University Rebuffs Critics as Research Team Stands by Pollution Study -Experts sharply criticize study that found, based on preliminary evidence, that babies living in polluted areas are born with smaller than average head size. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Israeli hiker finds 3,500-year-old Egyptian seal in Galilee - Scarab seal represents Pharaoh Thutmose III, who ruled in the 15th century B.C.E. Relic thought to have been brought to surface after recent rains. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
- Gay porn star comes out against anti-Israel LGBTQ protest - After BDS activists disrupt Jewish event at Chicago LGBTQ conference, gay porn actor-director Michael Lucas says protest was 'pure anti-Semitism' and likens participants to Nazi mob. (Haaretz+)
- Coldplay and Beyonce's New Hit Music Video Visuals Are Made in Israel - The clip 'Hymn for the Weekend,' which attracted 18 million views in two days, features visual design by Yaron Yeshinski Studio of Tel Aviv. (Haaretz+)
- U.S. Reform rabbis blast Israeli tourism minister over assimilation remarks - Levin showed his bias against a million and a half people, Central Conference of American Rabbis says in statement, after minister said Reform Jews in the U.S. are a 'waning world.' (Haaretz)
- Majority of French Muslims OK With Daughter Marrying a Jew, Poll Shows - Ipsos survey also reveals that anti-Semitic sentiment was more prevalent among French-Muslim respondents than respondents from the general population. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Will Trudeau's Canada still support Israel? - After an election that saw Israel become a wedge issue, Jewish voters are waiting to see if the new Liberal government will cool Canada's support for the Jewish state. (Haaretz)
- More than 50 headstones toppled at Indiana Jewish cemetery - Many of the granite stones were so large that it would have taken at least three people to knock them over, says Fort Wayne Jewish Cemetery Association's president. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Britain: Russia Trying to Carve Out Mini-state forAssad in Syria - 'Is Russia really committed to a peace process or is it using the peace process as a fig leaf to try to deliver some kind of military victory for Assad?' Foreign Minister Philip Hammond tells reporters. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Manual for Iranian Political Dissidents Includes How to Survive Torture - The booklet was created following increased repression by authorities, the Tehran Bureau media organization reports. (Haaretz+)
- Iraqis reportedly running out of food in besieged Falluja - The long-time bastion of Sunni jihadists was the first Iraqi city to fall to Islamic State, six months before fighters swept through large parts of northern and western Iraq and neighboring Syria. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Jordan's king warns of 'dam burst' if refugee crisis continues - Abdullah tells BBC that Jordan needs international help to cope with a growing number of Syrian refugees burdening the nation. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Australian retailer halts sale of globes which omits Israel for Palestine - The stationery chain, which ironically is named Typo, said Israel was labeled with a number tied to a key on the globe's base due to space limitations. (Haaretz)
Features:
Remembering the Muslim 'Schindlers' who saved Jews from the Nazis
From an Iranian diplomat who helped Jews in France to a Muslim-Indian spy, a campaign by the I Am Your Protector group hopes to inspire coexistence by commemorating unlikely saviors. (Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, Haaretz+)
*Apartment to boycott
Settlers who offer their apartments for rent on the Airbnb.com website received in recent weeks numerous surprising fictitious messages from Palestinians requesting to be hosted. The goal: To cause the settlers to reject the requests and to get them removed from the website according to the stipulations that prohibit rejecting someone for racist reasons. The settlers, from their point of view, are furious and claim that left-wing Israeli activists are behind the initiative. Yifat Ehrlich went out to the virtual front and examined what happens when Israelis want to rent an apartment in Ramallah. In Christian Bethlehem we were received with a hug. “Welcome,” wrote Natalie. “We have hosted many Jews in our home. We await you.” In Ramallah the responses were less excited. Out of 13 requests, six were ignored, two were absolutely rejected, two were rejected because they said the rooms were taken, and three requests were accepted. Mohammed, for example, offered a double room 15 minute walk from downtown Ramallah, on the first floor of a secured villa on a quiet street for 86 shekels a night. Mohammed not only approved our request, but also expressed how moved he was the Jews are interested in Palestine. Bisan advertises a nice room in a large apartment with a spacious kitchen, five minutes walk from central Ramallah for 122 shekels a night. In response to the question of whether it would be possible to host a Jewish woman with Israeli and American citizenship, he answered: “No, it’s not possible.” Will peace activists condemn him, too? (Yifat Ehrlich, Yedioth’s ’24 Hours’ supplement, cover)
What Do Settler Women and Female Suicide Attackers Have in Common?
Israeli and Palestinian women will ‘transgress’ by suspending religious beliefs if it serves a political cause, discovers political scientist Lihi Ben Shitrit, who wrote, “Righteous Transgressions: Women’s Activism on the Israeli and Palestinian Religious Right."(Dahlia Scheindlin, Haaretz)
“In the world, they prefer deals with Iran and not with Israel”
So say Israeli business people. According to them, the companies in Europe and the US who are interested in entering the hot Iranian market are pulling their hands away from Israel, “out of fear that it will upset the Iranians.” (Itamar Eichner, Yedioth’s Mamun economic supplement, cover)
Commentary/Analysis:
From an Iranian diplomat who helped Jews in France to a Muslim-Indian spy, a campaign by the I Am Your Protector group hopes to inspire coexistence by commemorating unlikely saviors. (Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, Haaretz+)
*Apartment to boycott
Settlers who offer their apartments for rent on the Airbnb.com website received in recent weeks numerous surprising fictitious messages from Palestinians requesting to be hosted. The goal: To cause the settlers to reject the requests and to get them removed from the website according to the stipulations that prohibit rejecting someone for racist reasons. The settlers, from their point of view, are furious and claim that left-wing Israeli activists are behind the initiative. Yifat Ehrlich went out to the virtual front and examined what happens when Israelis want to rent an apartment in Ramallah. In Christian Bethlehem we were received with a hug. “Welcome,” wrote Natalie. “We have hosted many Jews in our home. We await you.” In Ramallah the responses were less excited. Out of 13 requests, six were ignored, two were absolutely rejected, two were rejected because they said the rooms were taken, and three requests were accepted. Mohammed, for example, offered a double room 15 minute walk from downtown Ramallah, on the first floor of a secured villa on a quiet street for 86 shekels a night. Mohammed not only approved our request, but also expressed how moved he was the Jews are interested in Palestine. Bisan advertises a nice room in a large apartment with a spacious kitchen, five minutes walk from central Ramallah for 122 shekels a night. In response to the question of whether it would be possible to host a Jewish woman with Israeli and American citizenship, he answered: “No, it’s not possible.” Will peace activists condemn him, too? (Yifat Ehrlich, Yedioth’s ’24 Hours’ supplement, cover)
What Do Settler Women and Female Suicide Attackers Have in Common?
Israeli and Palestinian women will ‘transgress’ by suspending religious beliefs if it serves a political cause, discovers political scientist Lihi Ben Shitrit, who wrote, “Righteous Transgressions: Women’s Activism on the Israeli and Palestinian Religious Right."(Dahlia Scheindlin, Haaretz)
“In the world, they prefer deals with Iran and not with Israel”
So say Israeli business people. According to them, the companies in Europe and the US who are interested in entering the hot Iranian market are pulling their hands away from Israel, “out of fear that it will upset the Iranians.” (Itamar Eichner, Yedioth’s Mamun economic supplement, cover)
Commentary/Analysis:
How the New Israel Fund made me the leftist I am today (Avraham Burg, Haaretz+) This is a thank you to Im Tirtzu, which branded me this week, and also a
warning: When your world is as narrow as the world of the ant, you will also end up being crushed like
it.
Israel's McCarthys (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) As Im Tirtzu's supporters saw last week, the fervent quest to implicate others as traitors can quickly go too far. Israel's witch hunters need to stop now, before it's too late.
In Iowa, a Setback for Trump and the GOP Establishment That He Opposes (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The polls got it wrong, the pundits followed, and the only sure thing, thankfully, is that surprises have just begun.
If Clinton wins, it will be victory of the head and not the heart (Shmuel Rosner, Maariv) Hillary failed the test in Iowa, but if she wins in the end, it will be in spite of her and not because of who she is. Nevertheless, she is close to achieving the goal.
Cruz or Rubio? After Close Iowa Vote, Battle for Jewish Support Will Intensify (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) The stage is also set for an in-house match between Republican kingmaker Sheldon Adelson, who reportedly prefers Rubio, and his wife Miriam, who backs Cruz.
News, but not big news (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) A win in Iowa doesn't mean a win in the election, but a loss there can be catastrophic.
The myth that Jews are always victims of persecution, occupiers or not (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) People should not be judged at a time of grief, but the bereaved families calling for expulsion of terrorists' relatives exhibit the same blindness of most Israeli Jews.
Israel and Hamas both in a race against time (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) An injection of US cash into Israel's anti-tunnel technology will speed up its development. But the increased activity on the Israeli side is liable to provoke Hamas into jumping the gun and launching an early surprise attack.
Israel's housing policy for Arabs is designed to fail (Amjad Iraqi, +972mag) Israel’s housing system is not ‘failing’ its Palestinian citizens. It is working exactly as it was intended: to minimize Arab lands in order to maximize Jewish communities.
Israel's Right Lashes Out Because It Doesn’t Really Feel in Power (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Im Tirtzu's latest campaign showcases its deep underlying frustration that despite the right's electoral successes, the left continues to exert control.
Welcome to the state of walls and barricades (Tami Arad, Yedioth/Ynet) Netanyahu is a sober leader who believes there's no solution to the conflict unless an app is found that could make the Palestinians disappear. Until then, he says no to a diplomatic process, separation, or annexation - and yes to entrenchment.
The end of normalcy for Israeli settlements? (Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, +972mag) Stricter trade guidelines, harsher rhetoric and corporate responsibility campaigns all send a clear message: Israel’s closest allies are no longer willing to passively accept the occupation, and the only consensus on settlements is that they are illegal.
With asylum seekers, Israel is staging a theater of the absurd (Haaretz Editorial) Instead of aspiring to humane solutions, the Knesset is once again passing a law whose essence is the detention without trial of people whose only crime is seeking asylum.By
Israel's McCarthys (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) As Im Tirtzu's supporters saw last week, the fervent quest to implicate others as traitors can quickly go too far. Israel's witch hunters need to stop now, before it's too late.
In Iowa, a Setback for Trump and the GOP Establishment That He Opposes (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The polls got it wrong, the pundits followed, and the only sure thing, thankfully, is that surprises have just begun.
If Clinton wins, it will be victory of the head and not the heart (Shmuel Rosner, Maariv) Hillary failed the test in Iowa, but if she wins in the end, it will be in spite of her and not because of who she is. Nevertheless, she is close to achieving the goal.
Cruz or Rubio? After Close Iowa Vote, Battle for Jewish Support Will Intensify (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) The stage is also set for an in-house match between Republican kingmaker Sheldon Adelson, who reportedly prefers Rubio, and his wife Miriam, who backs Cruz.
News, but not big news (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) A win in Iowa doesn't mean a win in the election, but a loss there can be catastrophic.
The myth that Jews are always victims of persecution, occupiers or not (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) People should not be judged at a time of grief, but the bereaved families calling for expulsion of terrorists' relatives exhibit the same blindness of most Israeli Jews.
Israel and Hamas both in a race against time (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) An injection of US cash into Israel's anti-tunnel technology will speed up its development. But the increased activity on the Israeli side is liable to provoke Hamas into jumping the gun and launching an early surprise attack.
Israel's housing policy for Arabs is designed to fail (Amjad Iraqi, +972mag) Israel’s housing system is not ‘failing’ its Palestinian citizens. It is working exactly as it was intended: to minimize Arab lands in order to maximize Jewish communities.
Israel's Right Lashes Out Because It Doesn’t Really Feel in Power (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Im Tirtzu's latest campaign showcases its deep underlying frustration that despite the right's electoral successes, the left continues to exert control.
Welcome to the state of walls and barricades (Tami Arad, Yedioth/Ynet) Netanyahu is a sober leader who believes there's no solution to the conflict unless an app is found that could make the Palestinians disappear. Until then, he says no to a diplomatic process, separation, or annexation - and yes to entrenchment.
The end of normalcy for Israeli settlements? (Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, +972mag) Stricter trade guidelines, harsher rhetoric and corporate responsibility campaigns all send a clear message: Israel’s closest allies are no longer willing to passively accept the occupation, and the only consensus on settlements is that they are illegal.
With asylum seekers, Israel is staging a theater of the absurd (Haaretz Editorial) Instead of aspiring to humane solutions, the Knesset is once again passing a law whose essence is the detention without trial of people whose only crime is seeking asylum.By
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.