APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday April 10, 2016
Quote of the day:
"The Etzel (Irgun), the Lehi, the Haganah - all of these Jewish organizations went out to the streets
to fight against the British mandate and its soldiers, to make your state - which has become an incredible
state - a reality. Why can't the Palestinians do the same?"
--Zionist Camp MK Zuheir Bahloul said during a cultural event in Acre amid the uproar over his statement that a Palestinian who attacks a soldier is not a terrorist.
--Senior Yedioth political commentator Sima Kadmon writes that last week, Israel showed that it cannot call itself an enlightened country or people.
You Must Be Kidding:
"It's like cockroaches. When you see a cockroach, you put a pot over it, so it won't escape, and then you all the time afraid of more, because you don't see it, you don't know if it escaped or didn't escape. Same with the Arabs. If you see them more, you are scared of them less."
--An Israeli female religious seminary student explained to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin why she supported cooperation with the Arabs. Top Yedioth political commentator Nahum Barnea reported that President Rivlin, who came to speak with Jewish religious and secular students and Arab students about co-existence, was disheartened.
--Zionist Camp MK Zuheir Bahloul said during a cultural event in Acre amid the uproar over his statement that a Palestinian who attacks a soldier is not a terrorist.
Quote of the day #2:
"This week we know that we are there, at that place we didn't believe we'd reach, the enlightened
nation that we are. And we can no longer say that this is just the lunatic fringe, a handful,
weeds."--Senior Yedioth political commentator Sima Kadmon writes that last week, Israel showed that it cannot call itself an enlightened country or people.
You Must Be Kidding:
"It's like cockroaches. When you see a cockroach, you put a pot over it, so it won't escape, and then you all the time afraid of more, because you don't see it, you don't know if it escaped or didn't escape. Same with the Arabs. If you see them more, you are scared of them less."
--An Israeli female religious seminary student explained to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin why she supported cooperation with the Arabs. Top Yedioth political commentator Nahum Barnea reported that President Rivlin, who came to speak with Jewish religious and secular students and Arab students about co-existence, was disheartened.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Palestinian draft to UN: Give one year to reach a permanent arrangement
- Terror is decreasing, but Passover holiday could reignite the violence // Amos Harel
- Israel and the US warn against attacks on tourist sites in Turkey
- In the shadow of the victims of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia submitted sharp protest to UN over supply of Israeli weapons to Azerbaijan
- Fear of collapse: Golan Telecom refuses to submit information to Communications Ministry
- Sanders returned home and was received with mixed feelings
- Shas and Degel Hatorh parties getting closer, but an ultra-Orthodox union is still far away // Yair Ettinger
- On the way to a commercial flight to space: Launched missile landed successfully in sea
- Stop vetoing // Haaretz Editorial
- The racism illness // Abed Agbarieh
- Shin Bet examining incitement against Yaalon
- (Real estate entrepreneur) Inbal Or confirms for the first time: “There was fraud in the millions,” but she is expected to tell investigators: “I didn’t know about any of it”
- Unlimited suspension – Chief of Staff extended suspension of Brig. Gen. Ofek Buchris (accused of rape)
- Clear and immediate danger - Israel’s counter-terror council to Israelis in Turkey: Leave the country
- The sad Passover of the Holocaust survivors – debating between food and medicine
- Storm over the Shooting Soldier - MK Bahloul isn’t apologizing; Yaalon is not giving in
- Leave Turkey immediately – Israel’s Counter-Terrorism Council in exceptional warning
- Reconciliation with Turkey, and what about the Kurds? // Boaz Bismuth
- The MK Bahloul storm: “IDF soldiers – a mark of the occupation”
- Tragedy in Raanana: 4-year-old killed from falling TV
- Netanyahu on the declarations condemning Defense Minister Yaalon: “Crossing a red line”
- The Palestinians: “We detained 3 youth who were on there way to a make a major attack against Israelis”
- Despite the embarrassing interviews: Seventh consecutive win in primaries for Sanders
News Summary:
Israel urged its citizens to leave Turkey immediately amid terror warnings, Jewish MKs slammed Arab MK Zuheir Bahloul, who stood by his statement that Palestinians who attacked Israeli soldiers were not terrorists, and many MKs and the Prime Minister slammed those who attacked Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon for censuring the soldier who shot dead an already wounded Palestinian who had attacked an Israeli soldier making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. And barely mentioned was the all-time Israeli record of destroying Palestinian structures in the West Bank.
At a cultural event in Acco/Acre, MK Bahloul defended his remark that the Hebron stabber was not a terrorist, saying that former prime minister Ehud Barak and former foreign minister Tsipi Livni have made similar statements. Indeed, Maariv ran an article with Livni's quote from 2006: “Whoever fights against a soldier is an enemy. Not a terrorist," Livni told ABC Nightline. She said there was a difference between Palestinians who attacked soldiers and those who attacked innocent civilians. When the interviewer asked if that also applies to a suicide bomber, who attacked a bus of soldiers, she answered yes. Eight years earlier, Ehud Barak told journalist Gideon Levy that “If I were a young Palestinian, I would be a terrorist.” When criticized for his statements, Barak, who was then head of the Labor party and running for prime minister, said that he thinks David Ben-Gurion and Yitzhak Shamir made similar statements, Maariv reported. MK Bahloul also made a comparison to the pre-state Jewish paramilitary organizations during the British mandate and asked if the Etzel and Lechi could make attacks to end occupation and make a state, then why can’t the Palestinians. [Note, many consider the Etzel and Lechi terror organizations. – OH] Interestingly, whether by chance or intentionally in the wake of this storm, Yedioth published an article about the grandchildren of the members of the Etzel, who joined IDF combat units because they were inspired by the stories of their grandparents’ daring operations to expel the British from the country. Those operations, wrote Yedioth’s Adva Cohen, included blowing up a British military plane, attacking British police stations and bombing the train tracks. Some of them served in spreading propaganda, including Yechiel, who sat in jail for that. His grandson, Captain N., said: “I remember with great feeling that grandpa said that had known when he was in the Etzel that his grandson would be in an Air Force air crew, he would have thought it was a dream.” At the cultural event, an interesting debate broke out between Bahloul and hardline Likud MK Avi Dichter. Bahloul was condemned by his party colleagues for his remarks. Israel Hayom slammed ‘Ben-Gurion’s party’ for having him among them. But the only left-wing Zionist party, Meretz, came out in his defense, saying that attacking defenseless civilians and attacking armed soldiers is different.
Numerous MKs are coming out in defense of Defense Minister Yaalon after Likud activists posted an image of Ya'alon in a rifle's crosshairs on social media, dubbing him "politically dead.” Yedioth reported that the Shin Bet is opening a probe into the incitement against Yaalon. Yaalon said he “won’t yield to the extremists.” Yesh Atid chairman MK Yair Lapid called Yaalon and told him, “We salute you.” (Maariv) Zionist Camp MK Yoel Hasson called on Yaalon to leave the Likud party and join the Zionist Camp. (Maariv) Sima Kadmon wrote in Yedioth’s Friday supplement that by sticking to his guns and backing IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot for censuring the Shooting Soldier in Hebron, Yaalon is committing political suicide. She quoted a Knesset Channel poll, which found that among 505 people surveyed, of which 287 considered themselves politically in the ‘right-wing’ camp: 46 % opposed Yaalon’s conduct in regards to the Shooting Soldier in Hebron, 51% thought that he is not dealing well with the terror, 67% said that his membership in Likud does not cause them to vote for Likud. And in the question only for Likud voters, 42% of them said they don’t want to see Yaalon in the Likud list for the next Knesset. In another poll of Likud voters, only 6% named Ya’alon as the minister who best represents their views. Controversial Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev was chosen most often by respondents.
Barely mentioned in the Hebrew papers was that a UN envoy urged the European Union to step up pressure on Israel over West Bank demolitions, which have hit a record: 540 structures have been destroyed in the Palestinian Territories so far this year, exceeding any previous records for whole years. UN envoy Robert Piper said that around 140 aid projects by donors were destroyed, including more than 200,000 euros of EU investments, while some 600 people had lost their homes and about 2,000 their livelihoods. Last week, Israel demolished the small village of Khirbet Tana for the fourth time. +972mag wrote about it and noted that the mosque dates back to Ottoman times. Haaretz+ reporter Gideon Levy visited the site and called it the “embodiment of the Israeli occupation's evils.”
Quick Hits:
- Report: Netanyahu Promised Jordan to Bar Politicians From Temple Mount, Limit Religious Jews' Visits - Prime minister also vowed to stop placing age and gender restrictions on Muslim visitors to the site, International Crisis Group reports. (Haaretz+)
- Jordanian preacher questioned over Temple Mount incitement - Jordanian government outraged over detention of Sheikh Muhammad Salim, who was released from police custody after questioning Friday. Waqf officials say they will not allow security cameras inside mosques at the site, as agreed to by Jordan and Israel. (Israel Hayom)
- Palestinian forces arrest three youths suspected of planning attack on Israelis - Three youths are suspected of planning West Bank attack against Israelis. They were found Saturday night walking hills in the Binyamin area, near the village of Arura (south of Salfit and north of Ramallah) carrying backpacks with M-16s, handguns and hand grenades. Their parents had reported them missing late Thursday night. (Israel Hayom, i24news and Maariv)
- Armenia Protests Azerbaijan’s Use of Israeli-made Suicide Drone - Senior Israeli official says Armenians protested Israel's supply of arms to Azerbaijan, after attack on convoy in latest round of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh. (Haaretz+)
- Bomb targets IDF bulldozer near Gaza; no one hurt - Bomb explodes Friday along northern Gaza border close to IDF bulldozers performing routine operations in the area. No injuries or damage was reported. Residents of nearby towns were asked to remain alert. (Ynet and Israel Hayom)
- Netanyahu appoints Sam Grundwerg as Israel's consul general in L.A. - Grundwerg, who serves as the director general of the World Jewish Congress in Israel, is a close friend of Ambassador Ron Dermer, the prime minister's confidant. (Haaretz+)
- Court allowed broadcast of testimonies of women claiming (former far-right-wing minister) Rehavam Ze'evi sexually assaulted them - The court rejected an injunction of relatives of the deceased minister, and the TV program "Fact" will broadcast comprehensive research evidence on sexual assault allegedly committed by him. Among women testifying is actress Rivka Michaeli. (Maariv)
- Churches reach historic accord on renovation of Holy Sepulchre - The Jerusalem church, considered one of the holiest to Christians, has not undergone renovations since 1947 due to disagreements between the bodies that control it. (Haaretz+)
- Parents immigrated from Syria, the children were drafted to IDF Intelligence - Five cousins finished special Intel course. They are all from a family that immigrated less than a decade ago. Private G.: “When they said I would be with my family, I felt relieved.” (Israel Hayom, p. 13)
- Our man in Damascus reaches the classrooms - The legacy of the legendary Israeli spy, Eli Cohen, and his incredible contribution to Israel’s security and the the terrible price he and his family paid with his execution will be part of the school study program. (Yedioth, p. 22)
- Israel mulls rewarding schools that excel in Jewish studies - Schools excelling in Jewish history and Zionist heritage would boost their rankings according to new criteria, while the system would also be adapted to accommodate Arab schools. (Haaretz+)
- Record number of businesses collapsed - 44,500 businesses closed down last year in Israel. 75,000 others are considered at high risk of closing down. (Yedioth, ‘Mamun’ economic supplement, cover)
- Tax law amendment requires some Israelis working abroad to file back home - Amended law will require people working overseas and visiting often to file a report, even if they don’t regard themselves as Israeli residents. (Haaretz+)
- El Al ranked next to last on landing punctuality - Report by Flystats says that in March 2016, 45% of El Al flights landed more than 15 minutes late, with an average delay of 44 minutes. Only Pakistan Airlines less punctual. El Al: Passenger safety is paramount and safer routes are sometimes longer. (Israel Hayom)
- 900-year-old Haggadah fragments go on display in Jerusalem - A 12th-century page from one of the oldest Passover Haggadahs in the world is discovered in ancient Cairo synagogue. Text, handwritten on parchment, is virtually identical to text used today. Exhibit includes antique Haggadahs from all over the world. (Israel Hayom)
- Chinese conglomerate buys Ahava consmetics for $76 million amid BDS concerns - Deal with Fosun International, to be signed Sunday, comes after BDS movement targeted Ahava factory, located on Dead Sea shore within West Bank. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli Orthodox Rabbis Draft Document Aimed at Homosexual 'Containment' - Beit Hillel document 'sets forth guidelines,' based on halachah, 'to contain people with a homosexual orientation within faith communities.' (JTA, Haaretz)
- ISIS Kills Four Druze Before Releasing Most of 300 Workers Held Captive Near Damascus - The fate of thirty captives remains unknown after the cement workers were questioned over their religion, political alliances. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- U.S. Deploys B-52 Bombers to Qatar for Operations Against ISIS - Long-serving war plane based in Middle East for the first time since 1991 in demonstration of 'continued resolve' in fight against ISIS says U.S. commander. (Agencies, Haaretz and Israel Hayom)
- US admiral's message still on point: Islam is a political movement - Address by retired U.S. Navy Admiral James Lyons at a conference on terrorism goes viral. "Until we recognize that Islam is a political movement masquerading as a religion, we are never going to come to grips with it," Lyons tells conference. (Israel Hayom)
- Italy Recalls Ambassador Over Student's Murder in Egypt - The ambassador is called to Rome for urgent consultations of what steps to take to solve the mystery of the January murder of Giulio Regeni. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- WATCH: Bernie Sanders Takes on Heckler Who Accuses Jews of 'Running' Wall Street - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders responds to heckler at the historic Apollo theater in New York's Harlem, 'I am proud to be Jewish.' (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Sanders says no opinion on 1967 borders - Democratic candidate tries to dodge question on whether Israeli withdrawal to borders before Six-Day War is the only way to reach peace in the Middle East, and backtracks on comments that 10,000 Gazans were killed during 2014 war. (Ynet)
- 'Sanders must apologize for the lie that he spread about Israel' - Israeli minister Ofir Akunis (Likud) demands apology from US presidential candidate for saying Israel killed 10,000 in Gaza Strip during Operation Protective Edge. And, he said, we won’t go back to the ’67 borders. (Maariv and JPost)
- In Rare Remark, Sanders Invokes Judaism at Harlem Campaign Event - At a forum on race and social justice issues, Vermont senator recalls moment he learned as a child of fate of relatives who died in the Holocaust. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Ted Cruz Stresses Support for Israel at Annual Republican Jewish Coalition Meet - Republican presidential candidate acknowledges differences with his Jewish constituency on social issues and immigration, but notes Trump's potential neutrality on Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Pro-Palestinian activists heckle Jerusalem mayor in San Francisco - Protesters carrying Palestinian flags disrupt Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat's lecture at San Francisco State University. Barkat: Anyone who thinks incitement and calls for violence will succeed in silencing us or changing our stance is seriously mistaken. (Israel Hayom)
- Kevin Costner Premiers New Film With Gal Gadot in Israel, Rejects BDS Pressure - 'I don't ask anyone's permission to travel,' says Costner of Roger Waters and BDS. (JTA, Haaretz)
Features:
The view from the other side of Mount Scopus
A new Hebrew University building offers a revealing look at both the hardscrabble nature of an adjacent East Jerusalem village and the striking contrast between the two sites. (Nir Hasson, Haaretz+)
174,000 foreign workers in Israel: Hebrew labor? Not in nursing and agriculture
A comprehensive report of the Population and Immigration Authority for the first time reveals the level of employment of foreign workers in Israel. 16,200 of them are illegal and 81,600 are Palestinians and Jordanians. (Moshe Cohen, Maariv)
What Happened at This Once-idyllic West Bank Spot Embodies the Israeli Occupation's Evils
As of this week, Israeli authorities have demolished structures in a Palestinian hamlet near the Jordan Rift Valley four times this year. An improvised school and a small swimming pool also fell victim to the bulldozers. (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+)
The Deir Yassin affair: A massacre that didn’t happen and a fabricated report that was meant to blacken the name of the Etzel and the Lehi
The affair from 1948 is seminal event for the Palestinian people. The whole Nakba narrative was based on it, and the demands for the return of the refugees are the result of the flight of Arabs from Israel following the incident. Special investigation: there was no massacre of civilians in the quarry near the village. Every Arab child was taught that on April 9, 1948, 254 children, old people, women and men, were massacred at the end of the battle at the village of Deir Yassin, west of Jerusalem, at the adjacent quarry. Today there is an insane asylum named "Kfar Shaul" there, surrounded by the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Har Nof. (Dr. Uri Milstein, Maariv Friday supplement) [Note: Dr. Uri Milstein, a historian of Bar Ilan University, has been publishing these conclusions for a decade. However, it appears his claim has been refuted by reporters. – OH]
Field Trips, Workshops and Ceremonies: How Settlers' Agenda Found Its Way Into Israeli Schools
Analysis of four programs operated by the Education Ministry shows a common method and goals – omitting or distorting historical facts, blurring disputes and continuous emphasis on one identity, closed off to others. (Or Kashti, Haaretz+)
The former left-wing activist who’s now racist and proud
Lesbian mother, middle-class Ashkenazi elitist, atheist and quasi-fascist – these are just some of the characteristics of Sheffi Paz, one of the leaders of the protest to deport African asylum seekers from south Tel Aviv and Israel. (Hilo Glazer, Haaretz+)
In Israeli choir, Arab and Jewish women put aside politics to sing with one voice
The newly independent all-female Rana Choir of Jaffa, a rare example of a successful coexistence project, sings in Arabic and Hebrew, as well as in Ladino and Yiddish. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Obama, Support Abbas' UN Resolution, No Matter What Netanyahu Says (Haaretz Editorial) Security Council members, especially the United States, must adopt this peace-advancing move and ignore the denunciations of the prime minister.
On racism and criticism in Israel (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) For Bezalel Smotrich's information - there's a higher chance the Arab baby born on the same day as your son will be a life-saving doctor than a life-taking terrorist.
Israel Doesn't Exist in Its Own Right. It’s a Bluff. (Nissan Shor, Haaretz+) The categorical imperative of Israeliness is always striving to export; hello ma’am, hello sir, we have an interesting story. A small country. Occupation. Jewishness. Holocaust. Care to buy?
The rule of fear (Arik Karmon, Yedioth/Ynet) Fear and the manner in which it is leveraged by leaders in the US, Europe and Israel threatens democracy. The common denominator of what is developing within the US presidential election campaign (the Trump phenomenon), Europe, in which the echoes of the extreme right wing parties are growing, and PM Netanyahu’s rhetoric of intimidation in Israel is a creeping threat to the foundations of democracy.
All Indications Are That the Intifada Is Waning (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The last fatality was the American tourist who was stabbed to death in Jaffa more than a month ago.
So that's it, we're there (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth) In the affair of the soldier from Hebron, who shot a bullet in the head of a dying terrorist and is getting support from every direction. In regards to the statements of the Justice Minister and the Prime Minister to the High Court. In the chilling racism that comes from within the house of legislators. This week we know that we are there, at that place we didn't believe we'd reach, an enlightened nation that we are. And we can no longer say that this is just the lunatic fringe, a handful, weeds.
The multiple voices of Israeli society: An opportunity or recipe for disaster? (Aliza Gershon, Yedioth/Ynet) The fabric of Israeli society is weaved from multiple voices, cultures, world views and cultural forces. Each group is convinced that giving up one of its values will compromise its identity, opening the door for major disputes.
What Do 'Jewish Arabs' Mean When They Shout 'Death to Arabs'? (Alon Idan, Haaretz+) The statement from Beitar Jerusalem's spokesperson claiming that Beitar has many Arabs (but of the Jewish variety) is an evasion of charges of racism. However, it is also indicative of great changes in Israeli society.
Telling the truth about Israel (Judith Bergman, Israel Hayom) Appreciating that Israel values life above all else would make the anti-Jewish tropes and howls of "apartheid" melt away.
The Israeli Right’s Monstrous Naiveté on the Occupation (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) Dani Dayan, who was recently appointed Israel's consul general in New York, believes the Palestinians have accepted the presence of settlers throughout the West Bank.
Betraying his party's history (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) Zionist Union MK Zouheir Bahloul may be a stranger to political correctness, or he may be a cunning political tactician.
Nothing Justifies Palestinian Stabbings, Nothing Justifies Israeli Executions (Rita Khoury, Haaretz+) As a Palestinian Israeli, I know that neither Palestinian nor Israeli mothers urge their children to die. But with no political horizon, many Palestinians are losing hope.
There's No Place in Israel for an Honest Arab (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Zionist Union's Zouheir Bahloul dared to say the truth - that anyone who tries to stab a soldier at a damned
The IDF's ethical code moves further away from Israeli public opinion (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Overall, the General Staff is satisfied with its handling of the Hebron shooting; its main concern is whether its policies are actually being enforced in the field.
Like in the Good Old Days in Jerusalem, I'm Back to Lying About Where I'm From (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz+) I called a taxi that would get me out of a bad neighborhood, but the situation didn't get less scary inside the cab.
The same old libel (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) Israel has no intention of altering the status quo on the Temple Mount, but Palestinian extremists continue to spread lies about the holy site. This time, a "documentary" film alleges that archaeological work is intended to undermine Al-Aqsa mosque.
Netanyahu Is Arranging a Historic 'Exit' for Members of His Generation (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz) No wonder the world does not recognize Israel: Israel tried so hard to prevent change that it changed beyond all recognition.
A full-court press (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) The Supreme Court took a stance this week on an issue that is clearly not a legal one, trying to stand in for the executive and legislative branches rather than act as the judicial. My mother's final days could teach us all a lesson on coexistence.
Smotrich and Segregated Maternity Wards Are a Sign of Madness With No Cure (Tal Niv, Haaretz+) MK Bezalel Smotrich is interested in a nationality-based segregation, from crib to grave.
A new Hebrew University building offers a revealing look at both the hardscrabble nature of an adjacent East Jerusalem village and the striking contrast between the two sites. (Nir Hasson, Haaretz+)
174,000 foreign workers in Israel: Hebrew labor? Not in nursing and agriculture
A comprehensive report of the Population and Immigration Authority for the first time reveals the level of employment of foreign workers in Israel. 16,200 of them are illegal and 81,600 are Palestinians and Jordanians. (Moshe Cohen, Maariv)
What Happened at This Once-idyllic West Bank Spot Embodies the Israeli Occupation's Evils
As of this week, Israeli authorities have demolished structures in a Palestinian hamlet near the Jordan Rift Valley four times this year. An improvised school and a small swimming pool also fell victim to the bulldozers. (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+)
The Deir Yassin affair: A massacre that didn’t happen and a fabricated report that was meant to blacken the name of the Etzel and the Lehi
The affair from 1948 is seminal event for the Palestinian people. The whole Nakba narrative was based on it, and the demands for the return of the refugees are the result of the flight of Arabs from Israel following the incident. Special investigation: there was no massacre of civilians in the quarry near the village. Every Arab child was taught that on April 9, 1948, 254 children, old people, women and men, were massacred at the end of the battle at the village of Deir Yassin, west of Jerusalem, at the adjacent quarry. Today there is an insane asylum named "Kfar Shaul" there, surrounded by the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Har Nof. (Dr. Uri Milstein, Maariv Friday supplement) [Note: Dr. Uri Milstein, a historian of Bar Ilan University, has been publishing these conclusions for a decade. However, it appears his claim has been refuted by reporters. – OH]
Field Trips, Workshops and Ceremonies: How Settlers' Agenda Found Its Way Into Israeli Schools
Analysis of four programs operated by the Education Ministry shows a common method and goals – omitting or distorting historical facts, blurring disputes and continuous emphasis on one identity, closed off to others. (Or Kashti, Haaretz+)
The former left-wing activist who’s now racist and proud
Lesbian mother, middle-class Ashkenazi elitist, atheist and quasi-fascist – these are just some of the characteristics of Sheffi Paz, one of the leaders of the protest to deport African asylum seekers from south Tel Aviv and Israel. (Hilo Glazer, Haaretz+)
In Israeli choir, Arab and Jewish women put aside politics to sing with one voice
The newly independent all-female Rana Choir of Jaffa, a rare example of a successful coexistence project, sings in Arabic and Hebrew, as well as in Ladino and Yiddish. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Obama, Support Abbas' UN Resolution, No Matter What Netanyahu Says (Haaretz Editorial) Security Council members, especially the United States, must adopt this peace-advancing move and ignore the denunciations of the prime minister.
On racism and criticism in Israel (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) For Bezalel Smotrich's information - there's a higher chance the Arab baby born on the same day as your son will be a life-saving doctor than a life-taking terrorist.
Israel Doesn't Exist in Its Own Right. It’s a Bluff. (Nissan Shor, Haaretz+) The categorical imperative of Israeliness is always striving to export; hello ma’am, hello sir, we have an interesting story. A small country. Occupation. Jewishness. Holocaust. Care to buy?
The rule of fear (Arik Karmon, Yedioth/Ynet) Fear and the manner in which it is leveraged by leaders in the US, Europe and Israel threatens democracy. The common denominator of what is developing within the US presidential election campaign (the Trump phenomenon), Europe, in which the echoes of the extreme right wing parties are growing, and PM Netanyahu’s rhetoric of intimidation in Israel is a creeping threat to the foundations of democracy.
All Indications Are That the Intifada Is Waning (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The last fatality was the American tourist who was stabbed to death in Jaffa more than a month ago.
So that's it, we're there (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth) In the affair of the soldier from Hebron, who shot a bullet in the head of a dying terrorist and is getting support from every direction. In regards to the statements of the Justice Minister and the Prime Minister to the High Court. In the chilling racism that comes from within the house of legislators. This week we know that we are there, at that place we didn't believe we'd reach, an enlightened nation that we are. And we can no longer say that this is just the lunatic fringe, a handful, weeds.
The multiple voices of Israeli society: An opportunity or recipe for disaster? (Aliza Gershon, Yedioth/Ynet) The fabric of Israeli society is weaved from multiple voices, cultures, world views and cultural forces. Each group is convinced that giving up one of its values will compromise its identity, opening the door for major disputes.
What Do 'Jewish Arabs' Mean When They Shout 'Death to Arabs'? (Alon Idan, Haaretz+) The statement from Beitar Jerusalem's spokesperson claiming that Beitar has many Arabs (but of the Jewish variety) is an evasion of charges of racism. However, it is also indicative of great changes in Israeli society.
Telling the truth about Israel (Judith Bergman, Israel Hayom) Appreciating that Israel values life above all else would make the anti-Jewish tropes and howls of "apartheid" melt away.
The Israeli Right’s Monstrous Naiveté on the Occupation (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) Dani Dayan, who was recently appointed Israel's consul general in New York, believes the Palestinians have accepted the presence of settlers throughout the West Bank.
Betraying his party's history (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) Zionist Union MK Zouheir Bahloul may be a stranger to political correctness, or he may be a cunning political tactician.
Nothing Justifies Palestinian Stabbings, Nothing Justifies Israeli Executions (Rita Khoury, Haaretz+) As a Palestinian Israeli, I know that neither Palestinian nor Israeli mothers urge their children to die. But with no political horizon, many Palestinians are losing hope.
There's No Place in Israel for an Honest Arab (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Zionist Union's Zouheir Bahloul dared to say the truth - that anyone who tries to stab a soldier at a damned
The IDF's ethical code moves further away from Israeli public opinion (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Overall, the General Staff is satisfied with its handling of the Hebron shooting; its main concern is whether its policies are actually being enforced in the field.
Like in the Good Old Days in Jerusalem, I'm Back to Lying About Where I'm From (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz+) I called a taxi that would get me out of a bad neighborhood, but the situation didn't get less scary inside the cab.
The same old libel (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) Israel has no intention of altering the status quo on the Temple Mount, but Palestinian extremists continue to spread lies about the holy site. This time, a "documentary" film alleges that archaeological work is intended to undermine Al-Aqsa mosque.
Netanyahu Is Arranging a Historic 'Exit' for Members of His Generation (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz) No wonder the world does not recognize Israel: Israel tried so hard to prevent change that it changed beyond all recognition.
A full-court press (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) The Supreme Court took a stance this week on an issue that is clearly not a legal one, trying to stand in for the executive and legislative branches rather than act as the judicial. My mother's final days could teach us all a lesson on coexistence.
Smotrich and Segregated Maternity Wards Are a Sign of Madness With No Cure (Tal Niv, Haaretz+) MK Bezalel Smotrich is interested in a nationality-based segregation, from crib to grave.
Interviews:
'Israel is the wall between the free world and radical Islam'
Zalman Shoval, 85, is the only Israeli diplomat to serve twice as Israel's ambassador to Washington • In an interview with Israel Hayom, the veteran politician and diplomat recalls his fascinating career at critical junctions in Israel's history. (Interviewed by Shlomo Cesana, Israel Hayom)
'Israel is the wall between the free world and radical Islam'
Zalman Shoval, 85, is the only Israeli diplomat to serve twice as Israel's ambassador to Washington • In an interview with Israel Hayom, the veteran politician and diplomat recalls his fascinating career at critical junctions in Israel's history. (Interviewed by Shlomo Cesana, Israel Hayom)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.