APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday March 1, 2016
Quote of the day:
"My peers and I don’t need any more multi-million dollar ventures to save us. What we need is for the
community to wake up. What we need is for the community to stop willfully blinding itself to the
disastrous reality of holding millions of Palestinians under military occupation."
--Simone Zimmerman, a young Jewish American, rejects the idea that to save the Jewish future and Israel’s public image, Jewish young people need to be engaged in “universal do-gooding," as Haaretz+ commentator Ari Shavit suggested.*
You Must Be Kidding:
A campaign organized by a new settler group of comprising so-called moderate settlements adjacent to the road between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea has released a video on Facebook comparing EU Ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen to Hannibal Lecter, the serial killer from the film "Silence of the Lambs" because of the EU's aid in giving temporary housing to Palestinian Bedouin living in that corridor.**
--Simone Zimmerman, a young Jewish American, rejects the idea that to save the Jewish future and Israel’s public image, Jewish young people need to be engaged in “universal do-gooding," as Haaretz+ commentator Ari Shavit suggested.*
You Must Be Kidding:
A campaign organized by a new settler group of comprising so-called moderate settlements adjacent to the road between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea has released a video on Facebook comparing EU Ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen to Hannibal Lecter, the serial killer from the film "Silence of the Lambs" because of the EU's aid in giving temporary housing to Palestinian Bedouin living in that corridor.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Achievement for the reformists in Iran: They greatly increased their power in parliament
- The reformists won, the reforms will have to wait // Zvi Bar’el
- Knesset Legislative Committee approved the ‘MK Suspension Bill’; Attorney General: An opening for the harassment of the minority by the majority
- Close to midnight: Two soldiers were rescued from Qalandia during heavy clashes, after they mistakenly entered the refugee camp and contact with them was severed
- Super Tuesday: 12 states to vote today in primaries in US
- Coalition and opposition advancing bill: Sexual relations between religious leader and worshippers – criminal act
- Deri rejected again the decision over the biometric database
- Where is the protest (over firing an Arab teacher who screened a film) // Haaretz Editorial
- Now they’re coming? // Zehava Gal-On
- The five candidates for the Sapir prize: Original and anti-institution
- The success method: Heirs to one of Israel's biggest fortunes to pay just $27,400 in taxes
- Storm of the Suspension – A controversial bill
- Two who know // Sima Kadmon
- Night rescue (of 2 soldiers) from Qalandia refugee camp
- Judgment day – US primaries in 12 states
- Soldiers, take note: As of today, you cannot grow a beard without a special permit
- MK Suspension Bill reaches plenum for debate
- “Israel is the eighth world power” – Netanyahu said in response to criticism from Lieberman and Lapid, who held an emergency session “to save Israel’s international status”
- The beard protest (of IDF soldiers)
- Big noise about nothing // Kalman Libskind
- Super Tuesday
- Profits of the banking establishment jumped by 31% to record of 8.25 billion shekels
- Super Trump? – Super Tuesday
- 2 soldiers entered Qalandiya, were attacked – and safely rescued; Reports of Palestinian casualties
- Netanyahu attacks Lieberman and Lapid: “There are those who speak nonsense, and those who assure our future”
- After the bedlam in the debate: Knesset Legislative Committee approved the ‘MK Suspension Bill’; It will go for a first reading
- Storm over the IDF beard order: calming sound (from Defense Minister) over enforcement
News Summary:
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's controversial MK ‘Suspension Bill’ passed its first hurdle, Netanyahu was on the defense after two right-wing members of opposition held an emergency session on Israel’s increasing international isolation, and Israeli forces stormed Qalandiya refugee camp looking for two Israeli soldiers – and killing one Palestinian making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, the last 74 Palestinian workers of the relocated SodaStream factory were laid off and the Hebrew press was divided over whether BDS or Israel were to blame.
At a stormy debate in the Knesset Legislative Committee the head of the Joint (Arab) List, MK Ayman Odeh, and MK Ahmad Tibi threatened to resign from Knesset if the ‘Suspension Bill’ is passed. The bill, aimed at suspending Arab MKs for issues the majority Jewish MKs find unpalatable, got approval in the Knesset Legislative Committee yesterday. The Attorney General said it was problematic. The bill is “the parliamentary translation of the phrase 'Death to Arabs. They want only Jews in the Knesset,” said MK Tibi. (Also Maariv) In an interview after the stormy debate, Channel 2 News asked MK Odeh about the allegation that members of Joint Arab List supported terrorism. “They sent the people to murder the leadership of the Palestinian people … Take Dichter, for instance,” Odeh said. “He sent the people who murdered Arafat and Sheikh Ahmad Yassin and Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi."
Yisrael Beiteinu chairman MK Avigdor Lieberman and Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid held an emergency meeting in the Knesset to ‘save Israel’s deteriorating international standing.’ MK Lieberman accused Netanyahu of having no foreign policy and said he was “attempting to destroy foreign service by force." Netanyahu rejected the criticism saying it was nonsense and that Israel was ranked the 8th most powerful country in the world. But Yedioth pointed out in large print that Israel’s army got a 9.7 and its leader got a 2.7. In quality of life, Israel was ranked 34. Yedioth concluded: “We’re good at force.” Netanyahu also said that Israel has never been so sought after. On Monday Netanyahu met with Egypt's new ambassador to Israel, Hazem Khairat. Also, in speech given during a trip to Japan on Monday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi reiterated Egypt's commitment to its 1979 peace agreement with Israel. Here are Israel’s other scores.
Two lost Israeli soldiers made the Israeli military jump and led to the death of a Palestinian. The two armed soldiers in a military jeep got lost using Waze and entered a Palestinian refugee camp where their vehicle was hit with a firebomb. Large forces of IDF, Shin Bet and Special Forces raided the camp in search of the two setting off clashes. Iyad Omar Sajadiyya, 22, a journalism student at al-Quds University in Abu Dis was shot in the head and died. Another 12 Palestinians were injured. Interestingly, Maan reported that, according to locals, Palestinian gunmen held the soldiers for three hours before they were evacuated by an Israeli military helicopter.
Yedioth, Israel Hayom and even Haaretz, blamed BDS for SodaStream having to lay off its last 74 Palestinian employees yesterday. BDS pressure led the company to relocate from the West Bank to Israel. Only Maariv online and Ynet reported that, actually, the Palestinians were laid off because Israel would not give them permits to work in Israel. Maariv shared a photo of the company’s employees – Jews and Arabs - forming the ‘peace sign’ in the parking lot as a symbol of solidarity with those that were laid off. The company originally threatened to close the factory if Israel did not supply the permits, but later withdrew its threat.
Quick Hits:
- Turkey's foreign minister: Reconciliation efforts with Israel close to completion - President Erdogan convened cabinet meeting last week to discuss reconciliation with Israel, Turkish daily reports. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- Jerusalem downplays Turkish claim of impending normalization - Israeli officials say negotiations are presently at a standstill because of Turkey's refusal to terminate Hamas activities on its soil. Last week, Turkish FM reportedly told ministers the countries could make a joint statement "in the coming days. (Israel Hayom)
- 'Israel does not want Palestinian Authority to collapse' - After Likud minister Zeev Elkin calls current wave of Palestinian terrorism a "preview of the collapse of the Palestinian Authority," source close to PM Benjamin Netanyahu clarifies, "We have an interest in the Palestinian Authority not collapsing." (Israel Hayom)
- Exclusive Interview: Senior official in Palestinian Authority: "Israel and Hamas hope for chaos in the West Bank" - Spokesman of the Palestinian security forces, General Adnan Damiri, referred to comments by Israeli Minister Ze'ev Elkin, who claimed that the PA was on the way to collapse. "Elkin talked about his hopes and desires and not about the reality on the ground,” Damiri said. (Maariv)
- Palestinian from E. Jerusalem buried after body withheld by Israeli authorities for 65 days - Family asked that the body of Musab Mahmoud al-Ghazali, 26, be removed from the morgue in advance so that the ice would melt, but they received the body with the ice and Israel forced them to bury him frozen, prevented any video recording of the body and prevented his sister from attending the funeral. (Maan)
- Parents of soldier killed in Gaza (whose body is held by Hamas) empathize with border residents - Parents of Lt. Hadar Goldin, whose body has been held by Hamas since 2014, visit Gaza border area for first time since his death • Before we talk about humanitarian solutions for Gaza, we have to discuss returning bodies of soldiers, says father. (Israel Hayom)
- Palestinian Locals: Israeli forces assault entire family during al-Issawiya raid - Israeli forces stormed the Darwish family home in E. Jerusalem to detain the couple's sons Yousef, 18, and Laith, 17, and when they resisted with their father, forces beat them, after which the wife and little sister tried to stop them and were also harmed, including the two-year-old son. (Maan+PHOTOS)
- Israeli forces detain 11 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip - The head of Gaza's Fishermens' Union Nizar Abu Ayyash said Israeli naval forces detained nine Palestinian fishermen, seizing two fishing vessels near the al-Sudaniya coast on Monday. (Maan)
- Israel sentences Palestinian journalist to 11 months for 'incitement' - The military court statement said Ahmad Hamed al-Betawi, 35, was also charged with advocating Palestinian nationalistic causes, such as Palestinian prisoners' rights. He was also fined 2,000 shekels ($510). (Maan)
- Hebron brothers in custody for sniper attacks against Israelis - According to the Shin Bet, Nasser and Akram Badwi were responsible for at least five shootings in the Hebron area which two IDF soldiers and two youths were wounded late last year. (Haaretz+, Maan and Ynet)
- **EU strongly protests Israeli settlers' 'smear campaign' against ambassador - Facebook video from new settler organization portrays EU ambassador Lars Faaborg-Andersen as serial killer Hannibal Lecter from 'Silence of the Lambs.' (Haaretz+, Ynet and Times of Israel)
- Jordan Valley settlers took 150 acres from Palestinians in 2015 - Israeli army, civil administration were apparently unaware of new land grabs. (Haaretz+)
- Netanyahu slams Gaza disengagement during Sharon memorial - While the prime minister slams the late leader's unilateral move, saying it only served to bolster the terror groups in the Strip, Herzog praises the move and calls to continue on Sharon's path. (Ynet)
- IDF facial-hair furor cuts across religious, nonreligious lines - Nonreligious and moderately observant soldiers claim ultra-Orthodox will benefit most from new policy limiting those who can grow beards. Leading Zionist religious rabbi: Religious soldiers should refuse order to shave. (Haaretz+ and Times of Israel)
- ADL joins fight against Israel boycott, partnering with hawkish think tank - Calling BDS efforts an 'attack on Israel and the Jewish people,' ADL said it would work with the Reut Institute to study the movement. (Haaretz)
- Israeli envoy slams German city for granting award to anti-Israel organization - Beyreuth City Council decides to grant tolerance and humanity prize to Code Pink, an organization supporting BDS and cooperating with Holocaust deniers. (Ynet)
- Jews and Arabs running for peace in Jerusalem - Running Without Borders brings people from the western and eastern parts of the capital together to exercise; a similar initiative launched in Haifa and another one is coming to Tel Aviv-Jaffa. (Ynet)
- From Birthright to HP, Israel Gave Billions to Private Contractors Without Tenders - Study for TheMarker shows phenomenon growing as state contracts out more and more services to the private sector. (Haaretz+)
- Five Hamas terrorists trapped in Gaza tunnel collapse - After tunnel collapses east of Zeitoun in the Gaza Strip, Hamas search and rescue teams trying to find five members of its military wing who were underground. Other Hamas members have been killed in several similar collapses since January. (Israel Hayom)
- For First Time in 20 Years, Gazans Can Enjoy a Night at the Movies - New cinema opens but Hollywood blockbusters have yet to return as Hamas Islamists look out for anything they consider immodest. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Too big to pay: Heirs to one of Israel's biggest fortunes to pay just $27,400 in taxes - Sides reach settlement after government sought as much as 930 million shekels from estate. (Haaretz+)
- Herzog in NYT op-ed: Separation plan is necessary first step to two-state solution - Leader of the opposition sets out his four-step plan for separating Israelis and Palestinians and re-establishing trust. (Haaretz)
- Syrian Army Takes Land East of Damascus During Fragile Truce - Abu Ghiath al-Shami, spokesman for a rebel alliance in the south, called the move 'a clear violation of the ceasefire." (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Syrian opposition official: Truce faces 'nullification' over government attacks - Head of the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee's delegation to peace talks says the cease-fire collapsed had collapsed before it started. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Iran reformists cheer election gains, conservatives play down shift - Many hardline lawmakers who strongly opposed the nuclear deal fail to win re-election; in Tehran, centrists and moderates win big both in Assembly of Experts and parliament; conservatives keep most of their spots outside the capital. (Agencies, Ynet)
- At Least 38 Dead in ISIS Suicide Bombing at Iraqi Funeral - Powerful local Shi'ite militia leader killed, 58 people wounded. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
One Palestinian family's living nightmare
The Suleiman family in Beit Ur al-Tahta no longer bothers to lock the door because soldiers looking for their son break in almost every night, to the deafening blasts of stun grenades. (Amira Hass, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Israel Moves Closer to an Arab-free Knesset Thanks to New 'Suspension Bill' (Jack Khoury, Haaretz+) Israel's Arabs are seeing their representatives pushed to the margins due to recent government moves. Soon they will surely ask themselves what they're doing in legislature.
*American Jewish Millennials Aren't Disengaged From Israel, We're Angry (Simone Zimmerman, Haaretz+) We don’t need any more multi-million dollar ventures, like the 'Jewish Peace Corps' Ari Shavit suggests, to save us. We need the Jewish community to wake up to the disastrous reality of the occupation.
The battle to manage Israel's foreign relations (Nechama Duek, Yedioth/Ynet) Lapid and Lieberman are growing closer and holding a conference to save the Foreign Ministry, while Opposition chairman Herzog was left out.
Israel Must Stand by Arab Teacher Fired After Pressure by Local Salafists (Haaretz Editorial) The government as much as Jewish intellectuals must protect Ali Muasi, a teacher who was fired for screening a Palestinian movie that local Islamists deemed immodest and inappropriate.
Break the isolation: Turkey is weak and therefore interested in relations with Israel (Yossi Melman, Maariv) Turkey also hopes that with Israel’s help it can improve its standing in Washington, and it also needs gas from us to diversify its energy sources and reduce its dependence on Russian gas.
Warning: Israel's Government Has a Democracy Problem (Michael Melchior, Haaretz+) Why invest millions in hasbara when the Israeli government itself, advancing laws such as that seeking to oust Arab lawmakers, is doing its utmost to destroy our democracy?
Evil and brutality as a way of life (Dr. Gabi Avital, Israel Hayom) There is not, and cannot be, any agreement or negotiation with anyone whose only intention, clearly declared, is to kill Jews.
Israelis Are Just Dying to Teach Us Arabs About Love of Life (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Yet I fail to fathom how a country who claims to sanctify life lets so many of its citizens die in neighboring lands.
Since the establishment of the fourth Netanyahu government, we are experiencing an unprecedented deterioration (Uri Savir, Maariv) There has always been racism among the nationalist right-wing. But since election day, when Netanyahu announced that "Arabs are flocking to vote" there is a hidden competition and those in the finals are: Netanyahu, Lieberman, Bennett and Regev.
The Arab world: Who will help Gaza? (Zalman Shoval, Israel Hayom) There can be no cure for Gaza's problems without moving a large portion of its population to the PA territories or another Arab country.
Progressive Except for Jew-Hate? Pure anti-Semitism on the Purely anti-Israel Left (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) What happens when a leftist critic of Israel actually does veer into vile, high-octane, Klan-grade anti-Semitism?
We are not alone (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) It is trendy to say that the situation in Israel is bad and we are isolated, as if things are great in the rest of the world and only we live in the Stone Age. But this is not true. We have much to be proud of and we have many friends around the globe.
Must Israelis and Palestinians Recognize Each Other’s Narratives to Achieve Peace? (Calev Ben-Dor, Haaretz+) In Northern Ireland, political peace was achieved without social reconciliation and integration. Is the latter necessarily a prerequisite for the former in the Israeli-Palestinian case? A Torah portion offers some wisdom.
A sad turning point (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) The attempted murder of unarmed security guard Tzvika Cohen in Maaleh Adumim may suggest that the "lone-wolf" intifada is escalating.
Interpreting Iran's Election Results as a Win for Reformists Is Misleading (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Terms like 'moderate,' 'conservative,' or 'extremist' are ideological perspectives that can be flexible under appropriate political conditions.
Saudi Siege of Lebanon Could Boomerang Right Into Iran's Hands (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Saudi Arabia is leveling strong sanctions against Lebanon, meaning to harm Hezbollah. But move may very well backfire and tighten Iran's hold in the country.
With Eye on EU and Oil, ISIS Has Begun Devouring Libya (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Libyan oil resources, its proximity to Europe, and the anarchy caused by internal power struggles make it an ideal target for the Islamic State.
In 31 Years I've Never Voted in a U.S. Election - but I Will Against Drumpf (Larry Derfner, Haaretz+) It's not enough to beat Drumpf – his candidacy and what it stands for has to be utterly destroyed. America must violently cast him out. It must write in the sky, 'this is not us.'
The Suleiman family in Beit Ur al-Tahta no longer bothers to lock the door because soldiers looking for their son break in almost every night, to the deafening blasts of stun grenades. (Amira Hass, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Israel Moves Closer to an Arab-free Knesset Thanks to New 'Suspension Bill' (Jack Khoury, Haaretz+) Israel's Arabs are seeing their representatives pushed to the margins due to recent government moves. Soon they will surely ask themselves what they're doing in legislature.
*American Jewish Millennials Aren't Disengaged From Israel, We're Angry (Simone Zimmerman, Haaretz+) We don’t need any more multi-million dollar ventures, like the 'Jewish Peace Corps' Ari Shavit suggests, to save us. We need the Jewish community to wake up to the disastrous reality of the occupation.
The battle to manage Israel's foreign relations (Nechama Duek, Yedioth/Ynet) Lapid and Lieberman are growing closer and holding a conference to save the Foreign Ministry, while Opposition chairman Herzog was left out.
Israel Must Stand by Arab Teacher Fired After Pressure by Local Salafists (Haaretz Editorial) The government as much as Jewish intellectuals must protect Ali Muasi, a teacher who was fired for screening a Palestinian movie that local Islamists deemed immodest and inappropriate.
Break the isolation: Turkey is weak and therefore interested in relations with Israel (Yossi Melman, Maariv) Turkey also hopes that with Israel’s help it can improve its standing in Washington, and it also needs gas from us to diversify its energy sources and reduce its dependence on Russian gas.
Warning: Israel's Government Has a Democracy Problem (Michael Melchior, Haaretz+) Why invest millions in hasbara when the Israeli government itself, advancing laws such as that seeking to oust Arab lawmakers, is doing its utmost to destroy our democracy?
Evil and brutality as a way of life (Dr. Gabi Avital, Israel Hayom) There is not, and cannot be, any agreement or negotiation with anyone whose only intention, clearly declared, is to kill Jews.
Israelis Are Just Dying to Teach Us Arabs About Love of Life (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Yet I fail to fathom how a country who claims to sanctify life lets so many of its citizens die in neighboring lands.
Since the establishment of the fourth Netanyahu government, we are experiencing an unprecedented deterioration (Uri Savir, Maariv) There has always been racism among the nationalist right-wing. But since election day, when Netanyahu announced that "Arabs are flocking to vote" there is a hidden competition and those in the finals are: Netanyahu, Lieberman, Bennett and Regev.
The Arab world: Who will help Gaza? (Zalman Shoval, Israel Hayom) There can be no cure for Gaza's problems without moving a large portion of its population to the PA territories or another Arab country.
Progressive Except for Jew-Hate? Pure anti-Semitism on the Purely anti-Israel Left (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) What happens when a leftist critic of Israel actually does veer into vile, high-octane, Klan-grade anti-Semitism?
We are not alone (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) It is trendy to say that the situation in Israel is bad and we are isolated, as if things are great in the rest of the world and only we live in the Stone Age. But this is not true. We have much to be proud of and we have many friends around the globe.
Must Israelis and Palestinians Recognize Each Other’s Narratives to Achieve Peace? (Calev Ben-Dor, Haaretz+) In Northern Ireland, political peace was achieved without social reconciliation and integration. Is the latter necessarily a prerequisite for the former in the Israeli-Palestinian case? A Torah portion offers some wisdom.
A sad turning point (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) The attempted murder of unarmed security guard Tzvika Cohen in Maaleh Adumim may suggest that the "lone-wolf" intifada is escalating.
Interpreting Iran's Election Results as a Win for Reformists Is Misleading (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Terms like 'moderate,' 'conservative,' or 'extremist' are ideological perspectives that can be flexible under appropriate political conditions.
Saudi Siege of Lebanon Could Boomerang Right Into Iran's Hands (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Saudi Arabia is leveling strong sanctions against Lebanon, meaning to harm Hezbollah. But move may very well backfire and tighten Iran's hold in the country.
With Eye on EU and Oil, ISIS Has Begun Devouring Libya (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Libyan oil resources, its proximity to Europe, and the anarchy caused by internal power struggles make it an ideal target for the Islamic State.
In 31 Years I've Never Voted in a U.S. Election - but I Will Against Drumpf (Larry Derfner, Haaretz+) It's not enough to beat Drumpf – his candidacy and what it stands for has to be utterly destroyed. America must violently cast him out. It must write in the sky, 'this is not us.'
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.