APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday April 04, 2016
Quote of the day #1:
"In Israel’s 34th government, the Israeli right was caught shamefully naked. It doesn’t really want a
single state with the Palestinians among us. It doesn’t really want to annex Area C of the West Bank and leave
dangerous Palestinian enclaves. It’s afraid."
--Political analyst Tal Schneider writes in Maariv why the far right-wing sits in government and does not fulfill its campaign promises.
Quote of the day #2:
“A lot of guns were pulled out there, but no one shot. After we got control of her we moved everyone away from the spot so that they wouldn’t lynch her.”
--An unnamed passerby who was one of many civilians who together overpowered an Arab woman, after she stabbed and lightly injured a Jewish woman in Rosh Ha’ayin Sunday.
--Political analyst Tal Schneider writes in Maariv why the far right-wing sits in government and does not fulfill its campaign promises.
Quote of the day #2:
“A lot of guns were pulled out there, but no one shot. After we got control of her we moved everyone away from the spot so that they wouldn’t lynch her.”
--An unnamed passerby who was one of many civilians who together overpowered an Arab woman, after she stabbed and lightly injured a Jewish woman in Rosh Ha’ayin Sunday.
You Must Be Kidding:
"I love falafel, very much. Because I knew that he was about to call me back, I would go to the Mahane Yehuda market (a few minutes from the Prime Minister’s Office - RB), buy myself a falafel, and wait for the phone call, and I wouldn’t start the journey back to Tel Aviv…He always called me back.
--Yedioth reveals parts of previously unpublished interviews of Meir Dagan, who discredited Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as a leader and said he always retracted his decisions.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- High Court gives government red lines regarding demolition of homes of terrorists
- Woman lightly injured in stabbing in Rosh Haayin
- Doctors: Shooting in head caused the death of the terrorist
- Campaign to weaken the police: Head of investigations to be forced to leave, fraud squad to be subjugated to police commissioner and won’t recommend charges
- Enormous leak of offshore holdings in Panama revealed money channel of public and famous people
- Fire renewing, the ceasefire in Syria is collapsing
- Tourism Ministry map of the Old City of Jerusalem: settlements stand out, Islamic and Christian sites not included
- Dispute within Prison release committee over Katsav issue
- Greece to begin expelling refugees to Turkey
- Questions for Deri // Raviv Drucker
- The fan, Obama, tells about Arita (Franklin) // Amos Harel
- The delayers of economic growth // Moti Bassok
- Meir Dagan: “Every prime minister I knew had one common attribute: when their personal interest affected the national interest – the national interest always prevailed. Only about two I cannot say this – Netanyahu and Barak” (Hebrew)
- Crash selfie – Both motors of small plane went off and the pilots managed to make emergency landing in the sea off Tel-Aviv
- The leak that is embarrassing the rich of the world
- Rare documentation: Naval course – a look from inside
- Putin’s treasury – the biggest leak in history: Heads of state, tycoons, celebrities, criminals all across the world and 600 senior Israelis and companies evaded taxes
- After the celebratory declaration it turns out: The teacher who the enormous prize is married to a terrorist // Karni Eldad
- Plane between the waves
- The autopsy ruled: The terrorist from Hebron was wounded, he died from the shooting of the soldier; Military prosecution considering: “Manslaughter”; The prosecution and the defense barricading themselves in their positions
- Facing the terrorist – with a chair
- “Panama Papers”: Money channel of leaders and famous
- Politicians, soccer players and one Putin: The reality exceeds fiction // Boaz Bismuth
- The ruling over Katsav’s early release – on Wednesday
News Summary:
The autopsy of the killed Palestinian assailant revealed the shot from the ‘Shooting Soldier’ killed him and not the shot from another soldier that subdued him, the leaked ‘Panama Papers’ implicated some 600 top Israeli personas and companies and the decision over an early prison release for Moshe Katsav was postponed to Wednesday making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
Also in the news, two incidents involving Arabs and knives ended without a shot, a former IDF prosecutor accused politicians of interfering in and hampering the Shooting Soldier’s case and Yedioth released biting excerpts from interviews with former Mossad chief Meir Dagan.
The papers emphasized how in two incidents yesterday, Arab attackers were overpowered without firearms. Using a chair, stones and a car, civilians in Rosh Ha’ayin overpowered a 23-year-old young Arab woman from the adjacent Arab-Israeli city of Kafr Qasem, who was waving a knife after she stabbed and lightly wounded a woman in the hand. (video) A security guard pointed a gun to her head, but the papers pointed out that no one shot her. Haaretz, Yedioth and Ynet did not name the Arab woman as a ‘terrorist.’ Her lawyer got immediate access to her, which he said meant that her motives were not nationalist because otherwise the Shin Bet would not have allowed him to see her and that the attack seemed to have stemmed from a personal dispute. She worked as a cleaner in Rosh Ha’ayin industrial center. Maariv did refer to her as a terrorist, but without an information about her motives.
Kfar Qasem's city council held an emergency meeting following the attack and issued a statement that Kfar Qasem "condemns with the strongest condemnation the violent incident today and called for an end to violence." At Tapuach Junction in the West Bank, Border Police overpowered a young Palestinian who pulled a knife out on them. “No weapons were fired and there were no injured,” Ynet emphasized.
Three weeks after former Mossad chief Meir Dagan passed away, Yedioth is releasing excerpts from recent interviews Dagan gave to Yedioth reporter Ronen Bergman. They are not complimentary to Netanyahu. He called Netanyahu the ‘worst manager,’ who kept changing his mind and who put personal interests above those of the state. He also said no military action could completely stop Iran’s nuclear program.
Quick Hits:
- Israeli High Court rules homes of three Palestinian stone-throwers won't be sealed - A group of four is being tried for throwing rocks that led to the death of an Israeli man in September; the home of a fourth defendant, who allegedly threw the rock that directly caused the man to lose control of his car, will be sealed. (Haaretz+)
- Official Map of Jerusalem’s Old City Omits Key non-Jewish Sites - Map distributed to visitors features one MuSlim site - Dome of the Rock - and dozens of synagogues, yeshivas and Jewish-owned buildings, many of which local tour guides have never heard of. (Haaretz+)
- Police summons Labor activists to testify in Herzog probe - Investigators are gathering documents and testimony about donations and money transfers made to Herzog's campaign during 2013 Labor primary. (Ynet)
- (Member of Jewish terrorist cell) Meir Ettinger will not be released for his son's circumcision - Ettinger is being held under administrative detention. The radical right-wing activist's family is planning to appeal the decision at the High Court of Justice; his wife refuses to hold the ceremony in jail. (Ynet)
- Deputy Israel Air Force chief: Mideast arms race imperils Israel's military superiority - While requesting more military U.S. aid, Israel says it needs to bulk up its armed forces - not just upgrade their technologies - to keep ahead of potential foes, Brigadier-General Tal Kelman told a conference to promote Israel’s purchase of the advanced U.S. fighter jet the F-35. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Despite religious concerns, Israel to legalize soccer games on Shabbat - Inter-ministerial committee recommends upgrading facilities to allow less games on weekends to help maintain status quo. (Haaretz+)
- Judge Rejects Sara Netanyahu’s Recuse Request as 'Utterly Baseless' - In the suit, which doesn't involve Netanyahu directly, a former worker is seeking compensation for alleged wrongful dismissal and abusive treatment at the Prime Minister’s Office. (Haaretz+)
- Africa Israel Chief: I Piss on Banks From Above - In private remarks leaked to Channel 10, Lev Leviev singles out Leumi. (Haaretz+)
- At Netanyahu's office request, Israel Hayom kills interview with new spokesman - Netanyahu has recently unfrozen the appointment of Ran Baratz, who slammed Rivlin, Obama on Facebook. (Haaretz+)
- Israel protests Romanian journalist's appointment to state television board - An unusual move sparked by what the embassy in Bucharest called "public expressions of anti-Semitic sympathies," Romania is currently the chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Transgender IDF refusenik imprisoned in men’s cell, despite identifying as woman - Army places conscientious objector in prison for men, because she has not undergone sexual reassignment procedures. (Haaretz+)
- Husband of Palestinian who won ‘world’s best teacher’ served time for terror - Omar al-Hroub provided chemicals used for bombs that killed six Israelis in 1980; wife Hanan recently got $1m. award for teaching non-violence. (Times of Israel)
- Erdogan meets with U.S. Jewish leaders on sidelines of Washington nuclear summit - Jewish groups in attendance included the ADL, AIPAC, B'nai B'rith International, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. (JTA, Haaretz)
- UN disqualifies parts of Israeli exhibit, Israeli envoy says - Calling the decision 'outrageous' the Israeli ambassador to the world body, Danny Danon, accuses the organization of undermining country's existence as a Jewish homeland. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- Haifa scraps memorial for Palmach WWII mission amid row over British officer's inclusion - Families of 23 pre-state Jewish soldiers who died in Operation Boatswain objected to municipality’s inclusion of their British ‘chaperone’ on proposed plaque. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Israel Allows Gaza Fishermen More Maritime Space - Fishing zone extended from six nautical miles to nine along Gaza's central and southern shores. (Agencies, Haaretz and Ynet)
- Spanish authorities angered by Israeli-made satirical video that incites against Palestinians - Court recommend prosecution for individual who shared video by Israeli group 'Gaza girls' which makes videos satirizing Palestinian propaganda. (JTA, Haaretz)
- In Paris, BDS Activists Tear Down Ad for Israel Exhibit at Louvre - The ‘Open a Door to Israel’ exhibit has already been on display in Warsaw and Rome and will continue to tour around Russia, Asia and the United States. (JTA, Haaretz and Maariv)
- Britain reportedly cuts funding for charity behind 'Israeli Apartheid Week' - The Telegraph newspaper also reports it has obtained recordings of anti-Semitic comments at events held at prestigious universities, in addition to calls for Israel's destruction. (Haaretz)
- Swastika at Brandeis Frat Is Latest Incident to Rattle Boston Jewish Community - The incident – uncharacteristic at this predominantly Jewish university – joins a series of anti-Semitic incidents in the Boston area and on campuses. (Haaretz+)
- Bernie Sanders Denies Comparing Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler - Democratic presidential candidate on Saturday invoked the Holocaust to condemn Republican frontrunner remarks about Muslims. (Haaretz)
- Brazil's president compares impeachment attempts to Nazi persecution of Jews - Dilma Rousseff has been criticized heavily since her comments on impeachment attempts, fueled by social unrest, deep recession and Brazil's greatest political crisis since the 1980s. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Syria cease-fire unravels after at least 41 killed in clashes - At least 25 government forces and 16 opposition fighters, including members of the Nusra front, have been killed in clashes south of Aleppo. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
Fog of war: the moral dilemmas and concerns of the soldiers fighting terrorism
The shooting incident in Hebron that led to the arrest of the soldier and to the condemnation of the act (him shooting an injured assailant who was lying on the ground) by the heads of the defense establishment, caused confusion among many fighters, who deal with terrorist incidents and fear they will find themselves in the same situation. (Noam Amir, Maariv Magazine supplement)
Givati commanders discuss the Hebron shooting
Givati's battalion commanders relate the difficulties they face out in the field dealing with disturbances from both sides as well as methods developed by brigade to successfully conclude terrorist incidents without anyone being killed. (Ynet)
The Six-Month Intifada: Israel's Casualties
Since October 1, 2015, 34 people – Israeli soldiers and civilians, as well as foreign nationals and Palestinians – have been killed in stabbing, car-ramming and shooting attacks. (Haaretz)
IN PHOTOS: Palestine Marathon in Bethlehem
More than four thousand Palestinian and international runners participated in the Palestine Marathon that started from the Manger Square, the Church of the Nativity, through the streets of Bethlehem. (Haaretz)
Question of Identity: How can to prevent innocent people from paying the price of a mistake?
In an era in which visual evidence in criminal trials receives great weight, why have mistakes in identifying the suspects become so common? Attorney Yigal Balfour: "The issue of eyewitnesses has Kafkaesque potential.” (More Shimoni, Maariv Magazine supplement, cover)
Commentary/Analysis:
Remembrance of Pre-state Jewish Fighters Shouldn't Come at the Expense of the Truth (Haaretz Editorial) It could be understood why, in 1941, when Palestine's Jews were gearing up to fight the British Mandate, no one found fit to memorialize the British officer who was sent with Palmach commandos on a dangerous mission. Much has changed since.
The non-existent dragon's lair (Sever Plocker, Yedioth/Ynet) Political movements and ruling parties continually invent enemies from within that threaten the populace so that they can be seen to slay the dragon.
The truth about the Israel Defense Forces, 'the world's most moral army' (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot is the latest in a long line of commanders to place the Israeli military on a pedestal it can’t justify.
Netanyahu's Biggest Enemy: The State of Israel (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) The government and state are supposedly the same thing, but in the Israeli reality, the state's protective bodies have become enemies of the government.
Is BDS such a bad thing? (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) The boycott movement is greatly feared and hated in Israel, but what does it really look like, and what would its victory really mean for Israel?
Guilty until proven otherwise: the shooting soldier lost his presumption of innocence (Udi Segal, Maariv) Israel must understand that things have turned over and the world has changed. When Israel deals with charges of using extrajudicial killings as a procedure, it needs to severely punish the soldier in order to restore Israel’s innocence.
The End to Israel's Army as We Know It? (Yagil Levy, Haaretz+) Alongside the official army is another force that is committed first and foremost to providing security to the settlers.
The Israeli political Ferris wheel (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) The interior minister and leader of the opposition, previously suspected of illegal activity, are back in politics and suspected yet again; are they being targeted or actually trying to get away with it again?
Why aren’t the right-wing ministers taking advantage of the historic days of such a right-wing, religious, nationalist government now? (Tal Schneider, Maariv) Almost a year has passed and no political plan of the members or Habayit Hayehudi party or the right-wing Likud ministers has been achieved. (Habayit Hayehudi) Ministers Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked presented and annexation plan to the public and promised Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount and more settlements, but they don’t make it happen. In Israel’s 34th government, the Israeli right was caught shamefully naked. It doesn’t really want a single state with the Palestinians among us. It doesn’t really want to annex Area C of the West Bank and leave dangerous Palestinian enclaves. It’s afraid. The Israeli right-wing fears the reactions of the masses. What will happen if they tell their millions of voters that there is no feasibility to their plans, they do not have the smallest idea for a solution, that they are clueless? The Israeli public must engrave these days deeply into its public memory. Empty promises, unclear goals, a lost country. A thousand declarations and zero actions. Right-wing ministers, just like the left, are feared the reactions of the world, are concerned about how the Israeli street is becoming impassioned, and they do not know where to lead. They did not promise a dove with an olive branch. They promised annexation, construction, takeover, appropriation, a view of the land of our forefathers, prayers and more land. The promises of the right-wing are empty and hollow.
How Israel's High Court Implicitly Aids the Soldier Accused of Hebron Manslaughter (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Why be shocked at the public's support for arrested IDF soldier when the country's justices have already provided him with a line of defense?
Leahey's dangerous letter (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) US Democratic Senator Patrick Leahey released a letter demanding Israel be investigated for war crimes. While this letter is worrying in and of itself, what is even more worrying is the degree to which Israel's name is being sullied in the international media.
The public decided to break its silence and stop presenting our combat soldiers as killers (Likud MK Nava Boker, Maariv) I decided to break the silence around the twisted moral discourse taking place here for several years. According to this morality, an IDF soldier must risk his life for the enemy and terrorists make it out alive from attacks.
How the decline of Al Jazeera influences Arab media (Yasir Ukbi, Maariv) The television network's announcement on the dismissal of 500 employees is more proof of the fading popularity of the Qatari channel, formerly considered one of the strongest in the world.
The Changing Face of Palestinian Terror (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) We have witnessed 96 years of terror attacks against the Jewish presence in Israel, but the latest wave differs from all others.
Introducing: the neo-Palestinians and the neo-Israelis are moving to the front stage (Alon Ben-David, Maariv) The last six months has taught us that on both sides of the Green Line completely new generations of people have emerged. What is common to both is the absolute contempt for all sources of authority and the fear they generate.
Why a British Exit From the EU Should Worry Israel (Jacques Lafitte and Denis MacShane, Haaretz+) A Britain outside the EU means Israel will lose an important insider voice and critical traction in the shifting and sometimes hostile EU debates about what policies to adopt toward Israel.
We will keep supporting the IDF (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) We must not turn the trial of an individual soldier who shot an immobilized Palestinian terrorist into a trial of the IDF as a whole.
How to Fight ISIS - but Not With Guns (HRH Prince El-Hassan Bin Talal, Haaretz+) There's little point in relying on international law to solve the conflicts and crimes of the Middle East when its institutions are so ineffective and its enforcement so political.
The shooting incident in Hebron that led to the arrest of the soldier and to the condemnation of the act (him shooting an injured assailant who was lying on the ground) by the heads of the defense establishment, caused confusion among many fighters, who deal with terrorist incidents and fear they will find themselves in the same situation. (Noam Amir, Maariv Magazine supplement)
Givati commanders discuss the Hebron shooting
Givati's battalion commanders relate the difficulties they face out in the field dealing with disturbances from both sides as well as methods developed by brigade to successfully conclude terrorist incidents without anyone being killed. (Ynet)
The Six-Month Intifada: Israel's Casualties
Since October 1, 2015, 34 people – Israeli soldiers and civilians, as well as foreign nationals and Palestinians – have been killed in stabbing, car-ramming and shooting attacks. (Haaretz)
IN PHOTOS: Palestine Marathon in Bethlehem
More than four thousand Palestinian and international runners participated in the Palestine Marathon that started from the Manger Square, the Church of the Nativity, through the streets of Bethlehem. (Haaretz)
Question of Identity: How can to prevent innocent people from paying the price of a mistake?
In an era in which visual evidence in criminal trials receives great weight, why have mistakes in identifying the suspects become so common? Attorney Yigal Balfour: "The issue of eyewitnesses has Kafkaesque potential.” (More Shimoni, Maariv Magazine supplement, cover)
Commentary/Analysis:
Remembrance of Pre-state Jewish Fighters Shouldn't Come at the Expense of the Truth (Haaretz Editorial) It could be understood why, in 1941, when Palestine's Jews were gearing up to fight the British Mandate, no one found fit to memorialize the British officer who was sent with Palmach commandos on a dangerous mission. Much has changed since.
The non-existent dragon's lair (Sever Plocker, Yedioth/Ynet) Political movements and ruling parties continually invent enemies from within that threaten the populace so that they can be seen to slay the dragon.
The truth about the Israel Defense Forces, 'the world's most moral army' (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot is the latest in a long line of commanders to place the Israeli military on a pedestal it can’t justify.
Netanyahu's Biggest Enemy: The State of Israel (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) The government and state are supposedly the same thing, but in the Israeli reality, the state's protective bodies have become enemies of the government.
Is BDS such a bad thing? (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) The boycott movement is greatly feared and hated in Israel, but what does it really look like, and what would its victory really mean for Israel?
Guilty until proven otherwise: the shooting soldier lost his presumption of innocence (Udi Segal, Maariv) Israel must understand that things have turned over and the world has changed. When Israel deals with charges of using extrajudicial killings as a procedure, it needs to severely punish the soldier in order to restore Israel’s innocence.
The End to Israel's Army as We Know It? (Yagil Levy, Haaretz+) Alongside the official army is another force that is committed first and foremost to providing security to the settlers.
The Israeli political Ferris wheel (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) The interior minister and leader of the opposition, previously suspected of illegal activity, are back in politics and suspected yet again; are they being targeted or actually trying to get away with it again?
Why aren’t the right-wing ministers taking advantage of the historic days of such a right-wing, religious, nationalist government now? (Tal Schneider, Maariv) Almost a year has passed and no political plan of the members or Habayit Hayehudi party or the right-wing Likud ministers has been achieved. (Habayit Hayehudi) Ministers Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked presented and annexation plan to the public and promised Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount and more settlements, but they don’t make it happen. In Israel’s 34th government, the Israeli right was caught shamefully naked. It doesn’t really want a single state with the Palestinians among us. It doesn’t really want to annex Area C of the West Bank and leave dangerous Palestinian enclaves. It’s afraid. The Israeli right-wing fears the reactions of the masses. What will happen if they tell their millions of voters that there is no feasibility to their plans, they do not have the smallest idea for a solution, that they are clueless? The Israeli public must engrave these days deeply into its public memory. Empty promises, unclear goals, a lost country. A thousand declarations and zero actions. Right-wing ministers, just like the left, are feared the reactions of the world, are concerned about how the Israeli street is becoming impassioned, and they do not know where to lead. They did not promise a dove with an olive branch. They promised annexation, construction, takeover, appropriation, a view of the land of our forefathers, prayers and more land. The promises of the right-wing are empty and hollow.
How Israel's High Court Implicitly Aids the Soldier Accused of Hebron Manslaughter (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Why be shocked at the public's support for arrested IDF soldier when the country's justices have already provided him with a line of defense?
Leahey's dangerous letter (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) US Democratic Senator Patrick Leahey released a letter demanding Israel be investigated for war crimes. While this letter is worrying in and of itself, what is even more worrying is the degree to which Israel's name is being sullied in the international media.
The public decided to break its silence and stop presenting our combat soldiers as killers (Likud MK Nava Boker, Maariv) I decided to break the silence around the twisted moral discourse taking place here for several years. According to this morality, an IDF soldier must risk his life for the enemy and terrorists make it out alive from attacks.
How the decline of Al Jazeera influences Arab media (Yasir Ukbi, Maariv) The television network's announcement on the dismissal of 500 employees is more proof of the fading popularity of the Qatari channel, formerly considered one of the strongest in the world.
The Changing Face of Palestinian Terror (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) We have witnessed 96 years of terror attacks against the Jewish presence in Israel, but the latest wave differs from all others.
Introducing: the neo-Palestinians and the neo-Israelis are moving to the front stage (Alon Ben-David, Maariv) The last six months has taught us that on both sides of the Green Line completely new generations of people have emerged. What is common to both is the absolute contempt for all sources of authority and the fear they generate.
Why a British Exit From the EU Should Worry Israel (Jacques Lafitte and Denis MacShane, Haaretz+) A Britain outside the EU means Israel will lose an important insider voice and critical traction in the shifting and sometimes hostile EU debates about what policies to adopt toward Israel.
We will keep supporting the IDF (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) We must not turn the trial of an individual soldier who shot an immobilized Palestinian terrorist into a trial of the IDF as a whole.
How to Fight ISIS - but Not With Guns (HRH Prince El-Hassan Bin Talal, Haaretz+) There's little point in relying on international law to solve the conflicts and crimes of the Middle East when its institutions are so ineffective and its enforcement so political.
Interviews:
Ethiopian brigade commander makes IDF history
Lt. Col. Avi Yitzhak, head of the Combat Medical Branch, is the first Ethiopian Israeli to graduate the army's prestigious course for brigade commanders • "The sky is the limit. In my community, people need to understand this," Yitzhak tells Israel Hayom. (Israel Hayom)
Ethiopian brigade commander makes IDF history
Lt. Col. Avi Yitzhak, head of the Combat Medical Branch, is the first Ethiopian Israeli to graduate the army's prestigious course for brigade commanders • "The sky is the limit. In my community, people need to understand this," Yitzhak tells Israel Hayom. (Israel Hayom)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.