APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday February 7, 2016
Quote of the day:
“What hurts the IDF and Israel is what we did, not what is written about what we did.”
--Said Dov Yirmiya in 1983 when he was dismissed from the army after breaking his silence and publishing a scathing account of what he saw in the first Lebanon war. After the war he continued to help Palestinian refugees in south Lebanon privately. He died this week at age 101.**
--Said Dov Yirmiya in 1983 when he was dismissed from the army after breaking his silence and publishing a scathing account of what he saw in the first Lebanon war. After the war he continued to help Palestinian refugees in south Lebanon privately. He died this week at age 101.**
Breaking News:
Soldier Wounded in Stabbing Attack by Foreign National in Southern Israel; Suspect was Chased, Shot and Died. (Haaretz and Ynet)
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Turning point in Syria: Assad close to besieging Aleppo, masses escaped
- The scales are in favor of Assad // Anshel Pfeffer
- Installation of cameras on Temple Mount delayed for months because of dispute between Israel and Jordan
- Suspicion of attack in (Bedouin town) Rahat: Resident of Kibbutz Mishmar Hanegev was stabbed and lightly injured
- Six construction workers killed in work accidents in January, not a single investigation was opened
- Military Police Investigation unit probing: Soldiers shot at asylum seekers and changed their stories
- Was the kibbutz mystery solved: At Shaar Haemekim they don’t remember the volunteer (Bernie) Sanders
- (Not returning Palestinian corpses) Is not deterrence // Haaretz Editorial
- Herzog doesn’t have a chance // Rogel Alpher
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Burning hatred – That’s what’s left of the synagogue in the name of the three youth, which was burned in Gush Etzion; Yesterday, a kibbutznik was stabbed in Rahat; Attorney General to probe whether to put on trial the MKs who met with families of terrorists
- The scream of the recruits – Following the Yedioth article: Dozens of petitions to army hit IDF bureaucratic wall
- And that is how the sadness ended – Singer Gabi Shoshan put an end to his life `950-2016
- Broadcaster Anat Dolev passed away
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Dangerous entertainment – Moshit Fisher went out to a Tel-Aviv nightclub with young man she didn’t know, collapsed and was hospitalized; suspicion she was drugged
- Storm over the visit to the terrorists’ families: Knesset to discuss removal of Balad MKs for half a year;
- Yesterday: Stabbing attack in Rahat
- Death of a rocker – Gabi Shoshan
- Police screwed up, the Maj.-Gen. came to apologize
- Senator Sanders: Not what you thought – The stay at Kibbutz Shaar Haemekim, the talks at Harvard and what he really thinks about Israel
Israel Hayom
- “Remove the three MKs from the Knesset” – Anger against the Balad MKs: They stood in commemoration of the ‘martyrs’
- Obama will go – and Assad will stay? Boaz Bismuth on the dramatic battles in Syria
- Government to decide: Employed someone without a permit? Your business will close
- “Burning of Torah books – hate and anti-Semitic crime”
- Gabi Shoshan 1950-2016
- Anat Dolev 1964-2016
- Suspicion: Mushit Fisher, 23, was hospitalized after being drugged in a nightclub
- Bar Refaeli and Adi Ezra are expecting a daughter
News Summary:
The new Israel Attorney General will examine whether to open a criminal investigation against the three Arab Balad party MKs who held a meeting with parents of Palestinian assailants and a stabbing attack in a Bedouin town in the south of the country that Bedouin say was committed by an outsider and the burning of Jewish religious books in a Jewish prayer tent in the West Bank made top stories in most of today’s Hebrew newspapers.
The Knesset Ethics Committee is preparing to heavily punish the three Arab MKs who meet with parents of Palestinians who killed Israelis as the storm over the meeting continues. Some of the media presented the meeting as a condolence call, and Yedioth only mentioned near the end of the article that the meeting was held with parents whose children’s corpses are being held by Israel and who were seeking help from the MKs to retrieve them. Today’s Haaretz Editorial says holding the bodies does not deter terror, au contraire. The Attorney General will now decide whether the MKs displayed support for terror and if so, a police criminal investigation will be opened. The MKs say that referring to the dead assailants as ‘martyrs’ is part of the culture, as anyone under occupation who is killed is considered a martyr, even if he himself killed. Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid supported opening an investigation, saying that they were “encouraging terrorism and murder,” Maariv reported. Meanwhile, Israel returned the bodies of three Palestinians behind a deadly Jerusalem attack and gave house demolition notices to families of other attackers. Barely mentioned in the Hebrew news: a Palestinian teen was shot dead by Israeli forces in clashes near Hebron Saturday.
The new Israel Attorney General will examine whether to open a criminal investigation against the three Arab Balad party MKs who held a meeting with parents of Palestinian assailants and a stabbing attack in a Bedouin town in the south of the country that Bedouin say was committed by an outsider and the burning of Jewish religious books in a Jewish prayer tent in the West Bank made top stories in most of today’s Hebrew newspapers.
The Knesset Ethics Committee is preparing to heavily punish the three Arab MKs who meet with parents of Palestinians who killed Israelis as the storm over the meeting continues. Some of the media presented the meeting as a condolence call, and Yedioth only mentioned near the end of the article that the meeting was held with parents whose children’s corpses are being held by Israel and who were seeking help from the MKs to retrieve them. Today’s Haaretz Editorial says holding the bodies does not deter terror, au contraire. The Attorney General will now decide whether the MKs displayed support for terror and if so, a police criminal investigation will be opened. The MKs say that referring to the dead assailants as ‘martyrs’ is part of the culture, as anyone under occupation who is killed is considered a martyr, even if he himself killed. Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid supported opening an investigation, saying that they were “encouraging terrorism and murder,” Maariv reported. Meanwhile, Israel returned the bodies of three Palestinians behind a deadly Jerusalem attack and gave house demolition notices to families of other attackers. Barely mentioned in the Hebrew news: a Palestinian teen was shot dead by Israeli forces in clashes near Hebron Saturday.
Quick Hits:
- Israeli government seeking way to seize funds from terror suspects without trial - Knesset legal panel calls proposed clause an unjustified and ‘grave violation of right to property.’ (Haaretz+)
- Steinitz: "Egypt flooded Hamas tunnels at request of Israel' - Infrastructure Minister revealed that al-Sisi made the move "to a certain extent at the request of Israel." He added that "security cooperation between the two countries is better than ever." The Egyptian army blew up 10 tunnels between Rafah and the Gaza Strip. (Maariv)
- Israel's New Attorney General Approves Home Demolitions in First Official Decision - Avichai Mandelblit, previously cautious about policy, gives green light to demolish houses belonging to terrorists who murdered Jews. (Haaretz+)
- European lawmakers urge Netanyahu to rethink 'transparency bill' - German members of pro-Israel EU group warn of blow to bilateral ties as a result of any 'impediment for the freedom of expression in Israel.' (Haaretz+)
- Israel may revoke press cards over 'negligent' reporting of terror attacks - 'We cannot be silent when it comes to the all-too-common phenomenon of foreign media getting it wrong,' says Tzipi Livni. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli Artists Decry 'Self-censorship' at Tel Aviv Museum After Weiwei Show Nixed - Museum reportedly called off an exhibit by Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei and Israeli photographer Miki Kratsman because of political pressures. (Haaretz+)
- IDF clamps down on web journalists - About 30 bloggers and webmasters receive order to submit articles to the military censor for approval before publication. (Ynet)
- Ban 'ashamed' over Israel-Palestinian peace process - UN Secretary General says he feels guilty, is 'not working for a particular country or a particular policy' and wants negotiations, after beating off claims last month that he had justified terrorism. (Agencies, Ynet)
- For the second time: Russian plane crossed the border into Israel - The pilot discovered the mistake and returned to Syria. The IDF has already made it clear in the past: "We won't down Russian aircraft because of infiltration into Israel." (Maariv)
- Israeli Military Police Probing Shooting of Asylum Seekers on Sinai Border - Military Advocate General orders investigation into months-old incident in which IDF changed its story twice. (Haaretz+)
- Asylum seekers threaten Israel’s identity, says Foreign Ministry spokesman - In an interview with the BBC, Emmanuel Nahshon also defends Israel's refusal to grant migrants asylum because it would bring in more asylum seekers. (Haaretz+)
- Attorney General Mandelblitt: the home of the family that turned in their son won’t be demolished - The home of the killer of Rabbi Yaakov Litman and his son Nathaniel was the center of the decision of the incoming attorney general, Avihai Mandelblit, who announced that he does not approve the demolition order. (Maariv)
- Palestinian sources: Israel holding talks on arrest conditions of hunger-striker - Palestinian journalist Al-Qiq still on hunger strike after 74 days in detention, despite deterioration in medical condition. (Haaretz+)
- 'Israel's AG vetoed my plan to banish Palestinian terrorists' kin to Gaza' - Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan told a conference in Herzliya that Israel cannot legally deport Palestinians from the West Bank to Gaza. (Maariv/JPost)
- Israel and Jordan at impasse over Temple Mount cameras - Three points of dissent, including whether Israel will be able to control the broadcast and where the cameras will be situated, could lead to new tensions over flashpoint site. (Haaretz+)
- After clashes, Israeli army lifts closure on West Bank town - Palestinian convoy attempted to break the closure on Qabatiyah, on lock down for three days since residents killed an Israeli police officer in a Jerusalem terror attack. (Haaretz+)
- Dozens protested in front of the Police chief's house: "We demand to go up to the Temple Mount freely" - The demonstration was organized by activists of the "Returning to the Mount", "Students for the Temple Mount" and by Israelis who have a restraining order not to go to the Temple Mount: "We demand Jews be allowed to ascend the Temple Mount at all times and at the end, with God's help, the restoration of the Holy Temple." (Maariv)
- Israeli company pricing cleaners by ethnicity sparks online furor - 'Don't want to hire an Arab for security reasons? There's a solution!' reads leaflet, which offers African cleaner for 49 shekels and eastern European one for 52. (Haaretz+)
- Turkey looking to welcome back Israeli tourists - After the Mavi Marmara incident drastically reduced the number of Israeli tourists visiting Turkey, Turkish hoteliers and tourism companies are now looking to push the figures back up, with their first stand at an international tourism fair in three years. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Israel planning deep cutback in unit fighting human trafficking - Sources, human rights groups assert reducing staff, relieving it of certain duties, would have dire consequences; ministry denies it has any such plans. (Haaretz+)
- Startup nation in Gaza? That’s the goal of a high-tech ‘incubator’ in the Strip - The program, supported by Google, helps Gazan geeks turn their ideas into companies that attract Arab investors. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Hamas arrests 'Israeli spy' who allegedly tried to get info on Gaza tunnels - Woman, 35, visited mourning relatives of recently deceased militants in attempt to deliver intel to Israel, Hamas-affiliated website reports. (Haaretz+)
- Freebies for the Famous: Oscar Gift Basket Includes $55,000 Trip to Israel - Who needs the little gold statue? Nominees in the main categories will receive an extravagant gift basket valued at $200,000. (Haaretz)
- After Sanders' kibbutz past revealed, right-wing critics blast his 'Stalinist past' - 'Bernie Sanders wasn’t there because he liked Israel,' Frontpage Magazine accuses after Democratic candidate's stay at Kibbutz Sha'ar Ha'amakim revealed by Haaretz. (Haaretz)
- Sanders in 1990: Wish U.S. would pressure Israel harder on Palestinian issue - In recently resurfaced interview with Haaretz, Democratic candidate also said that as a Jew, he feels embarrassed by Israel's arms trade with Latin American dictators. (Haaretz+)
- Tens of Thousands Flee Joint Russian-Iranian-Syrian Offensive on Rebel-held Aleppo - 'It feels like a siege of Aleppo is about to begin,' U.S. aid worker says, as regime forces fully encircle countryside north of major city and Russian airstrikes mount to 250 a day, according to rebels. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- More Than 30,000 Syrians Fleeing Aleppo Held Back at Turkish Border - Displaced Syrians are being helped on the Syrian side of border, senior Turkish official says, adds that 70,000 more could arrive if Russian and Syrian strikes continue. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Israel and Iran could share a border if Syria beats ISIS, Israeli minister warns - 'No one wants to see Iran wading in the Mediterranean,' Steinitz warns, as Assad launches major offensive in northern Syria with Iranian, Russian aid. (Haaretz+)
- Twitter pulls plug on thousands of accounts promoting terrorism - Social media giant suspends over 125,000 accounts found to feature content supporting Islamic State. Move part of efforts by U.S.-based online platforms to curtail terrorist groups' attempts to radicalize, recruit users. White House: Move welcome. (Israel Hayom)
Features:
Israel’s oldest silence breaker, Dov Yirmiya, dies at 101
After publishing a scathing account of what he saw in the first Lebanon war, Dov Yirmiya was dismissed from the army. (Haaretz+)
A trip along the Gaza border, where Hamas is rebuilding its tunnels
Tunnel entrances dozens of meters from the fence, fortified Hamas military positions and a cement factory - all is out in the open, right across the Gaza border; MK Yellin: 'We're in a race with Hamas, and we must not lose.' (Matan Tzuri, Ynet)
In search of kibbutzniks who remember Bernard Sanders
Haaretz heads to Sha’ar Ha’amakim where the Democratic presidential candidate spent several months as a volunteer in 1963. (Noa Shpigel, Haaretz+)
Druze and Jews forge special bond in memory of brave policeman
After visiting the family of Zidan Seif, the brave Druze policeman who stopped the massacre at the Har Nof synagogue, giving his life for Jewish worshipers, Rabbi Yaakov Kermaier saw an opportunity to bring Jews and Druze together for Jethro’s Shabbat, when the story of Moses’ father-in-law, and the founder of the Druze religion, is told. (Yifat Erlich, Yedioth/Ynet)
The Facebook squad: How Israel Police tracks activists on social media
It follows their Facebook pages, uses fake profiles to 'befriend' them and presents screenshots of posts in court – this is how Israel Police is adding social activists to its virtual surveillance list. 'They know what I write and do,' Ethiopian protest leader says. (Yaniv Kubovich, Haaretz+)
Surprise awaits lone paratrooper from Australia at end of training
Parents of Paratroopers Brigade Pvt. Ari Toch travel all the way from Sydney to see him graduate from the unit's arduous training course, pledge allegiance to the State of Israel and the IDF. "I want to serve, to keep the country safe," Toch declares. (Israel Hayom)
Friends, family of Israeli-Arab 'model schoolgirls' baffled by Ramle stabbing attack
After Thursday morning's attack, school source says two suspects, both 13, were 'good girls'; family member blames inflammatory videos on social media as potential influence. (Lee Yaron, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
After publishing a scathing account of what he saw in the first Lebanon war, Dov Yirmiya was dismissed from the army. (Haaretz+)
A trip along the Gaza border, where Hamas is rebuilding its tunnels
Tunnel entrances dozens of meters from the fence, fortified Hamas military positions and a cement factory - all is out in the open, right across the Gaza border; MK Yellin: 'We're in a race with Hamas, and we must not lose.' (Matan Tzuri, Ynet)
In search of kibbutzniks who remember Bernard Sanders
Haaretz heads to Sha’ar Ha’amakim where the Democratic presidential candidate spent several months as a volunteer in 1963. (Noa Shpigel, Haaretz+)
Druze and Jews forge special bond in memory of brave policeman
After visiting the family of Zidan Seif, the brave Druze policeman who stopped the massacre at the Har Nof synagogue, giving his life for Jewish worshipers, Rabbi Yaakov Kermaier saw an opportunity to bring Jews and Druze together for Jethro’s Shabbat, when the story of Moses’ father-in-law, and the founder of the Druze religion, is told. (Yifat Erlich, Yedioth/Ynet)
The Facebook squad: How Israel Police tracks activists on social media
It follows their Facebook pages, uses fake profiles to 'befriend' them and presents screenshots of posts in court – this is how Israel Police is adding social activists to its virtual surveillance list. 'They know what I write and do,' Ethiopian protest leader says. (Yaniv Kubovich, Haaretz+)
Surprise awaits lone paratrooper from Australia at end of training
Parents of Paratroopers Brigade Pvt. Ari Toch travel all the way from Sydney to see him graduate from the unit's arduous training course, pledge allegiance to the State of Israel and the IDF. "I want to serve, to keep the country safe," Toch declares. (Israel Hayom)
Friends, family of Israeli-Arab 'model schoolgirls' baffled by Ramle stabbing attack
After Thursday morning's attack, school source says two suspects, both 13, were 'good girls'; family member blames inflammatory videos on social media as potential influence. (Lee Yaron, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Two ministers' draconian plot to sabotage overdue Arab development plan (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Conditions for funding proposed by Zeev Elkin and Yariv Levin are described as
'off the wall' by fellow cabinet ministers.
The real threat (Shimon Shiffer, Yedioth/Ynet) Israel's political leadership, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is refusing to deal properly with the most urgent threat in front of it – the current Palestinian terror wave. After the death of another brave hero, it's time to stop avoiding the task.
Holding the Bodies of Terrorists Is Political Populism, Not Deterrence (Haaretz Editorial) Senior defense officials believe that holding attackers' bodies exacerbates violent trends. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan is trying to earn political points by acting otherwise.
The wind of terror emanating from the Palestinians does not have a clear political goal (Udi Segal, Maariv) Their operations have no coherent ideology, and does not carry the message ‘It is good to die for your country,’ but rather "It is better to die than to live in the country."
I Was a Teenage Kahanist: A Naturalized Leftist's Guide to Israel's Right (Nissan Shor, Haaretz+) If you don’t conduct some sort of discussion with the most fanatic people on the other side, you won’t understand them – or yourself.
Israel, Hamas signal desire to avoid war (Ron Ben-Yishai, Yedioth/Ynet) As renewed focus on terror group's tunnel digging causes anxieties to skyrocket, both sides send public and clandestine messages stating desire to prevent conflict sparked by misunderstanding.
How election scare tactics kept both Netanyahu and David Cameron in power (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) It is not known to what extent the Likud's former campaign manager helped the Tories, but the right-wing swings of both parties were eerily similar.
Time for change: World leaders are changing, and Israel may pay the price (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) Changes in personnel at the centers of power in the UN, the US and Paris may soon lead to measures that Israel does not like: "We anticipate political disaster.”
The worst best friend: Why Hillary Clinton will not be good for Israel in the long term (Asher Schechter, Haaretz+) Hillary Clinton is seen as “better” for Israel because she never challenges it. But Israel desperately needs to be challenged.
A turning point in the wave of terrorism (Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth/Ynet) It appears there is a shift in the modus operandi of terror attacks, the lone wolf terrorists make way to organized cells - like the attack at the Damascus Gate that claimed the life of Border Policewoman Hadar Cohen.
Israel's leaders are in denial: The occupation is already a global, not a local, issue (Mitchell Plitnick, Haaretz+) For Natan Sharansky, the question of the occupation (and its human rights abuses) is an internal Israeli matter. The Palestinians? They're invisible, and play no part in deciding their own fate.
The chart of despair in Netanyahu's land (Yoel Esteron, Yedioth/Ynet) If there are any happy Israelis, they must be the ones who inherited an apartment or won the lottery. All the rest submissively accept their fate as if it were a force majeure.
Israel and the Palestinians are marching together backwards in time (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The headlines this week reeked of déjà vu, reminiscent of previous confrontations and intifadas, as conditions on the ground in Gaza are becoming more and more similar to those that preceded the 2014 war.
Terror keeps striking, but solution distant (Yoaz Zitun, Ynet) 31 have been murdered in the current round of violence - and the efforts to change this trend haven't been enough so far. The government decided not to return bodies of terrorists - and some were returned. Closures were imposed over cities and towns - but most were only partial. What other measures were implemented, and which turned out to be a farce?
Want to Be a Left-wing PM in Israel? Run the Army First (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) There is only one type of left-winger the Israeli public will vote into office, and Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog definitely doesn’t have the right stuff.
One provocation too many (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom) Israeli Arabs are well aware of the damage the Arab MKs' constant intifada-mongering inflicts, yet they choose to remain silent.
In the Current Climate, Herzog's Proposal of Interim Measures Is Right (Shlomo Avineri, Haaretz+) Staying stuck in the old leftist rhetoric will advance neither the solution of the conflict nor the chance of replacing the current government.
Forget peace, Netanyahu, what about our security? (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) Instead of castigating him because there is no peace, something that he never promised, we should be asking the prime minister: Where the hell is the security you promised?
Netanyahu's policy of conflict management has failed Israel (Friday Haaretz Editorial) Barring empty talk of heavy handed responses, Israel's right wing government seems to have no real solution to violence. After four bloody months, the time has come return to peace talks.
Terrorists and the power of words (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) Qabatiya, which sent out an organized terror cell for the first time in this intifada, has produced an amount of terrorists that any serious terror organization could be proud of. Perhaps in daylight this place looks normal. But in my memory, it will always be dark and dangerous.
The Fall of Aleppo Could Mark a Crucial Turning Point in Syrian War (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) The Syrian army is rapidly closing in on the rebels who are in control of the city, leaving a narrow corridor through which civilians are escaping on foot; Russian and Iranian support are tipping the balance in Assad's favor.
The real threat (Shimon Shiffer, Yedioth/Ynet) Israel's political leadership, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is refusing to deal properly with the most urgent threat in front of it – the current Palestinian terror wave. After the death of another brave hero, it's time to stop avoiding the task.
Holding the Bodies of Terrorists Is Political Populism, Not Deterrence (Haaretz Editorial) Senior defense officials believe that holding attackers' bodies exacerbates violent trends. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan is trying to earn political points by acting otherwise.
The wind of terror emanating from the Palestinians does not have a clear political goal (Udi Segal, Maariv) Their operations have no coherent ideology, and does not carry the message ‘It is good to die for your country,’ but rather "It is better to die than to live in the country."
I Was a Teenage Kahanist: A Naturalized Leftist's Guide to Israel's Right (Nissan Shor, Haaretz+) If you don’t conduct some sort of discussion with the most fanatic people on the other side, you won’t understand them – or yourself.
Israel, Hamas signal desire to avoid war (Ron Ben-Yishai, Yedioth/Ynet) As renewed focus on terror group's tunnel digging causes anxieties to skyrocket, both sides send public and clandestine messages stating desire to prevent conflict sparked by misunderstanding.
How election scare tactics kept both Netanyahu and David Cameron in power (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) It is not known to what extent the Likud's former campaign manager helped the Tories, but the right-wing swings of both parties were eerily similar.
Time for change: World leaders are changing, and Israel may pay the price (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) Changes in personnel at the centers of power in the UN, the US and Paris may soon lead to measures that Israel does not like: "We anticipate political disaster.”
The worst best friend: Why Hillary Clinton will not be good for Israel in the long term (Asher Schechter, Haaretz+) Hillary Clinton is seen as “better” for Israel because she never challenges it. But Israel desperately needs to be challenged.
A turning point in the wave of terrorism (Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth/Ynet) It appears there is a shift in the modus operandi of terror attacks, the lone wolf terrorists make way to organized cells - like the attack at the Damascus Gate that claimed the life of Border Policewoman Hadar Cohen.
Israel's leaders are in denial: The occupation is already a global, not a local, issue (Mitchell Plitnick, Haaretz+) For Natan Sharansky, the question of the occupation (and its human rights abuses) is an internal Israeli matter. The Palestinians? They're invisible, and play no part in deciding their own fate.
The chart of despair in Netanyahu's land (Yoel Esteron, Yedioth/Ynet) If there are any happy Israelis, they must be the ones who inherited an apartment or won the lottery. All the rest submissively accept their fate as if it were a force majeure.
Israel and the Palestinians are marching together backwards in time (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The headlines this week reeked of déjà vu, reminiscent of previous confrontations and intifadas, as conditions on the ground in Gaza are becoming more and more similar to those that preceded the 2014 war.
Terror keeps striking, but solution distant (Yoaz Zitun, Ynet) 31 have been murdered in the current round of violence - and the efforts to change this trend haven't been enough so far. The government decided not to return bodies of terrorists - and some were returned. Closures were imposed over cities and towns - but most were only partial. What other measures were implemented, and which turned out to be a farce?
Want to Be a Left-wing PM in Israel? Run the Army First (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) There is only one type of left-winger the Israeli public will vote into office, and Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog definitely doesn’t have the right stuff.
One provocation too many (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom) Israeli Arabs are well aware of the damage the Arab MKs' constant intifada-mongering inflicts, yet they choose to remain silent.
In the Current Climate, Herzog's Proposal of Interim Measures Is Right (Shlomo Avineri, Haaretz+) Staying stuck in the old leftist rhetoric will advance neither the solution of the conflict nor the chance of replacing the current government.
Forget peace, Netanyahu, what about our security? (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) Instead of castigating him because there is no peace, something that he never promised, we should be asking the prime minister: Where the hell is the security you promised?
Netanyahu's policy of conflict management has failed Israel (Friday Haaretz Editorial) Barring empty talk of heavy handed responses, Israel's right wing government seems to have no real solution to violence. After four bloody months, the time has come return to peace talks.
Terrorists and the power of words (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) Qabatiya, which sent out an organized terror cell for the first time in this intifada, has produced an amount of terrorists that any serious terror organization could be proud of. Perhaps in daylight this place looks normal. But in my memory, it will always be dark and dangerous.
The Fall of Aleppo Could Mark a Crucial Turning Point in Syrian War (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) The Syrian army is rapidly closing in on the rebels who are in control of the city, leaving a narrow corridor through which civilians are escaping on foot; Russian and Iranian support are tipping the balance in Assad's favor.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.