--Daniel Birnbaum, CEO of SodaStream International Ltd., said in an interview. SodaStream was a target of BDS for operating its factory in the West Bank. The company relocated to inside Israel.
Front Page:
- Foreign Ministers in Paris: Israel and the Palestinians must make steps to show their commitment to two states
- This is only the beginning // Barak Ravid
- Always fought, also outside the ring: Mohammed Ali died at age 74
- (Mohammed Ali) The greatest of them all, who never gave up on his principles
- In his punches and with his tongue, Ali shaped a whole era // Chemi Shalev
- Jerusalem goes against the prophecies (of becoming an ultra-Orthodox city)
- At least 100 refugees drowned near the Libyan coast
- Wave of fires across the country; Today heat wave expected to lighten
- Don’t enter [coalition government] // Haaretz Editorial
- The bill to shorten investigations
- The greatest of them all: Mohammed Ali
- You made the world better // President of the US, Barak Obama
- [Netanyahu is as stressed] as the affairs are deep // Shimon Shiffer
- Heat wave today, but less so
- Special projects in honor of celebrations of 49th anniversary of reunification of Jerusalem
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Country on fire – Extreme heat wave caused fires across the country and masses went to the beaches looking for relief
- Overtures of unity [government]
- City of Gold – Under heavy security, Jerusalem Day events will take place
- Jerusalem that you never knew // Mayor Nir Barkat
- Because of them we are here // Meir Uziel
- Death of a champion – Mohammed Ali
- The greatest of them all // Ram Gilboa
Israel Hayom
- “The intention: regional negotiations – and adding the Zionist Camp [to the gov’t coalition]”
- 49 years since the reunification of Jerusalem
- State at a high heat
- [Mohammed Ali] “The greatest of them all,” always
- Moving: Israelis open their hearts and donated 1.2 million shekels to Yehuda Yisraeli, who was injured in Gaza
- Tel-Aviv celebration: Some 200,000 participated in Gay Pride Parade
News Summary:
Lots of talk of peace initiatives and, again, the possibility of Zionist Camp joining the government was re-opened,
security was increased in the capital ahead of the Jerusalem Day march today through the Muslim Quarter, and an
extreme heat wave sparked fires making the top news along with the mourning by the Israeli newspapers’ over the
death of Mohammed Ali.
Zionist Union chairman MK Isaac Herzog re-opened the door to negotiations to joint the government when he said Saturday that
he might join a government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if Habayit Hayehudi party left the coalition and his own party agreed to the
move. Labor party MK Shelly Yachimovich made a gruesome comparison about the possibility of her party joining
the government, based on Netanyahu’s and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s expressions of support for a
two-state solution and ‘parts’ of the Arab Peace Initiative: "When I see Netanyahu and Lieberman suddenly
floating words of peace, surrounded by the humming of doves, I cannot but imagine them next wringing those
doves' heads and baking them in an oven, stuffed with what's left of the Labor Party if we join them based on
these words, god forbid," Yachimovich said.
Yedioth reported that Israel was pleased and the Palestinians were disappointed with the moderate
announcement by the 28 diplomats that attended the Paris peace summit. The announcement said both the Israelis and
Palestinians must show 'genuine commitment' to peace, but it did not mention a withdrawal to the ’67 borders, only
the need to stop settlement construction, and it did not declare a date for the international peace conference to
be held sometime at the end of the year. The Saudi and French Foreign Ministers said a package of financial
incentives and security guarantees would be presented. Neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians attended the
meeting: Israeli rejected it, while the Palestinians supported the meeting. In an Op-Ed on the day of the
summit, senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said the Paris peace summit would equalize power between Israel and
Palestine. After the summit, France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault briefed Netanyahu, who rejected the proposals on security. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubei rejected Netanyahu's earlier call to 'update' the Arab
Peace Initiative and called on Israel to accept it. Meanwhile, a senior Egyptian official told Haaretz
that Cairo supported the French initiative and that Egypt isn’t proposing a peace bid of its own as the Hebrew papers had earlier
reported.
But two different groups of Israelis did propose new peace plans. Commanders for Israel's Security released a new report advocating a multilayered security
approach that included multi-phased redeployment of Israeli troops. Maj. Gen. Gadi Shamni (ret.) along with
retired war hero Maj. Gen. Amnon Reshef, presented the plan to reporters saying it could create more incentives for peace while addressing Israelis'
fears. And on Thursday, 'Two countries, One homeland,'
a three-year old peace organization, whose members include settlers, ultra-Orthodox Jews and Palestinians, held its first conference, whereby it announced its principals: two independent states based
on the 1967 lines, economic cooperation, and a shared capital in Jerusalem.
While some dream of sharing the capital or dividing it, nationalist right-wing extremist Jews today will be marching through the city and through its Arab quarters to celebrate its
reunification, i.e. Israel’s conquering of the eastern side in 1967. In recent years, the Jerusalem Day
‘Flag Dance’ march has became more nationalist, and more violent, with marchers calling Arabs names and
fist-fights breaking out. Security is high and an Israeli NGO, Ir Amim, petitioned the High Court today to prevent the march from going
through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City, but to no avail. Maariv had an interesting feature
about Jewish Jerusalemites who are using the day to hold debates about the occupation of E. Jerusalem
and to learn about the other parts of the city. (See Features below.)
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins tomorrow or Tuesday night, depending on the moon, and every year the
IDF Chief of Staff recommends that Israel ease travel restrictions on Palestinians from
Gaza and the West Bank. Maariv made note that, newly-appointed Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman approved the
recommendation.
Quick Hits:
- Political changes in Turkey could mark successful end of talks with Israel - Turkish intelligence head Hakan Fidan, considered an 'agent' for Iran and an obstacle to reconciliation talks with Jerusalem, replaced; Foreign Affairs Under Secretary Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu, who led the talks, also removed from post. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Israel 'engaging' with ICC over Gaza war crimes inquiry - The ICC is in touch with Israeli authorities to investigate possible war crimes committed by both Hamas and Israel during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014. (Agencies, Ynet)
- B'Tselem Video Shows Israeli Soldiers Photographing 20 Palestinian Minors in Hebron - According to the human rights NGO, soldiers illegally questioned young children and teens regarding a stone-throwing incident earlier in the day. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli cop injured as stolen car rams through Jerusalem-area checkpoint - Incident isn't believed to be terror-related. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- Arab Citizens Involved in 59% of Murders in Israel - Rate is nearly triple Arabs’ share in population. (Haaretz+)
- Crime Rate for Young Immigrants to Israel Twice as High as for Other Youths - Olim crime costs state hundreds of millions of shekels. New program managed to reduce recidivism by 17 percent. (Haaretz+)
- List of non-profits that would be affected by proposed NGO bill revealed - Twenty-five of the 27 groups that would be impacted by the law, which requires them to disclose that a majority of their funding is from foreign governments, are organizations whose agenda is either left-wing or deals with human rights or social justice. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
- Meretz Leader Galon Lashes Out Against Haaretz Column by Former Netanyahu Aide - Zehava Galon criticizes Natan Eshel, who she claims was 'sent by Netanyahu' to pull the Zionist Union into the coalition, for his Haaretz opinion alleging that the Israeli left prefers getting rid of Netanyahu to peace. (Haaretz+)
- Alleged French Fraudster Received 50 Million Euros in Israel, Prosecution Says - On trial for fraud in Paris, tycoon Arnaud Mimran testifies to contributing one million euros to Benjamin Netanyahu's election campaign. (Haaretz+)
- Weapons stolen in broad daylight - A reservists unit was training at a military base in the south when a bag full of hi-tech equipment was stolen; theft points to a growing trend of southern residents stealing military equipment. (Ynet)
- Palestinian Lawmaker Khalida Jarrar Released From Israeli Jail After 14 Months - Jarrar, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, was detained without trial on suspicion of incitement and membership in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. (Haaretz+)
- Palestinian school staff questioned for suspected incitement - Following a school visit by the families of terrorists, an investigation revealed that what occured at the East Jerusalem elementary school isn't incitement. Right-wing organization, 'Lech Yerushalayim,' which reported on the event to police, said: 'Justice will be meted out.' (Ynet)
- Palestinian from Bethlehem sentenced to year in prison for 'Facebook incitement’ - Also, Israeli Arab journalist who works for Iranian channel arrested on suspicion of 'supporting terrorist organization.' (Haaretz+)
- Jerusalem is young, poor and happy, statistics show - Statistics released ahead of Jerusalem Day show that 89% of Jerusalemites aged 20 and up are happy with their lives, despite the capital being among the poorest big cities in Israel. Government approves five-year development plan for Jerusalem. (Israel Hayom)
- Jerusalem Is Not Becoming an ultra-Orthodox City, Expert Says - Dr. Maya Choshen predicts that the birth rate among the ultra-Orthodox will drop and that many Haredi families will leave the capital. (Haaretz+)
- Promenading with the president - A new app being released for Jerusalem Day offers guided walking tours throughout the capital; one of those assembled has been curated by the president and stops at stations meaningful to him. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Tens of thousands attend Pride Parade in Tel Aviv - 2016 Pride events highlight women in the LGBT community; after event in Gan Meir, parade made its way through Tel Aviv's major streets towards Charles Clore Park for a beach party. (Ynet)
- 200,000 Israelis, tourists take part in Tel Aviv Gay Pride Parade - The annual march took off following a minute of silence in memory of victims of violence perpetrated against the LGBTQ community. (Haaretz+)
- Israel won't extradite suspected sex offender to Australia - Malka Leifer, former principal of ultra-Orthodox Jewish girls' school in Melbourne, is wanted in Australia on charges of indecent assault and rape involving students; court finds her unfit to face extradition. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Netanyahu is exploiting BDS to stay in power, SodaStream CEO says - 'The Israeli government cultivates the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and grasps onto BDS movement because perpetuating the conflict and the boycott movement strengthens its hold on power,' says Daniel Birnbaum. (Haaretz+ and Globes English)
- Rafah Crossing to open for fourth day this week - In an apparent gesture preceding the holiday of Ramadan, Egypt allows a couple thousand travelers to pass through the Rafah Crossing; Egypt also allows cement and building materials to pass into Gaza; nonetheless, thousands of Gazans are still stranded and have not been able to travel. (Ynet)
-
Photo of Hezbollah's rising star uncovered - - Talal Hamia, head of Unit 910, Hezbollah's foreign operations unit, was published for first time; he is expected to be promoted as a result of the killing of Mustafa Badr al-Din. (Ynet)
- Syrian Army Pushes Into ISIS' De-facto Capital Raqqa - Backed by Russian airstrikes, regime forces take new ground inside Islamic State territory in one of three simultaneous offensives against the group. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Israeli Counter-terrorism expert: Israel has homegrown ISIS threat in hand - 'The situation is reasonable. It is not like any European country, nor even America, or places like China or Russia which have had a great number of homegrown ISIS fighters,' says Eitan Ben-David, head of the Counter-Terrorism Bureau. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- US State Dept: Iran world's top state sponsor of terrorism - ISIS listed as greatest global threat in annual report; 13% decrease in amount of terrorist attacks compared to last year, first drop since 2012. (Ynet)
Features:
49 years since it was reunified and the capital of Israel remains divided and torn, sometimes between the left and the right, between the religious and secular, between Jews and Arabs. This year Jerusalem Day has become an opportunity for many to celebrate it differently. Ahead of Jerusalem Day new social initiatives grew in the city, such as "A Different Day in Jerusalem – Reclaiming Jerusalem Day," a series of events and activities in partnership with the Inter-Cultural Center of Jerusalem, the Jewish Federation of New York, the "This is Jerusalem" organization, the Coalition of Tolerance of "Young People in the Center" and the Jerusalem Foundation. Among the events: a comparison of the headlines of newspapers of East, west and ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem by "Project 0202 - different perspectives from Jerusalem" at the Jerusalem Cinematheque; a tour of the city’s secular – ultra-Orthodox seams with Shmuel Pappenheim, a public debate of "Talking at the Square" at Jerusalem's Zion Square on the subject of Jerusalem; a conversation between MK Yehuda Glick and Yariv Oppenheimer, former Peace Now Secretary General on the subject of the Temple Mount. (Carmit Sapir-Weitz, Maariv)
And in their hearts there is no wall
Jerusalem Day arrives at the internally divided and conflicted city. But what about the future? We had six Jerusalemite social activists meet, each one of them comes from a different world – ultra-Orthodox, secular, Arab, lesbian, traditional religious, nationalist-religious – and we tried to understand if this city has a joint future. (Yael Fridson, Yedioth’s ’24 Hours’ supplement, cover)
'Israeli police help Palestinian girls commit suicide'
An 18-year-old Palestinian who may have wanted to put an end to her life approached a checkpoint with a knife. The Border Police fulfilled her wish quickly, although it's clear she could have been stopped by other means. Her family is shattered. (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+)
The power couple of American literature wants to save Israel from itself
The dissonance generated by a visit to Hebron and a dinner in Tel Aviv jolted Israeli-born writer Ayelet Waldman. It also sparked the genesis of a project with her husband, writer Michael Chabon, and Breaking the Silence: enlisting world-famous writers to document life under occupation. (Gili Izikovich, Haaretz+)
Lone soldiers on the home front: The Paratrooper from Sydney
Around 3,300 lone soldiers from abroad currently serve in the IDF. Most haven't seen their families in months. Shortly ahead of Independence Day, Yedioth Ahronoth and the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) came up with an idea: Send four of them a trip home, and surprise their loved ones. Part 2 of 4. (Nevo Ziv, Yedioth/Ynet)
40 years after Entebbe, Israeli hostages reflect back on a saga of survival
Not all lived to tell the tale of Entebbe, but the ones who did - from the youngest passenger aboard the Air France flight to newlywed kibbutzniks - still remember the harrowing experience and dramatic return home, also captured in rare footage. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
Lone soldiers on the home front: The Golani soldier from Casablanca
Around 3,300 lone soldiers from abroad currently serve in the IDF. Most haven't seen their families in months. Shortly ahead of Independence Day, Yedioth Ahronoth and the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) came up with an idea: Send four of them a trip home, and surprise their loved ones. Part 3 of 4. (Ronen Tal, Yedioth/Ynet)
The secret of the disappearing Wall
The Western Wall plaza was cleared after the liberation of Jerusalem almost 50 years ago, allowing us to view the sacred site freely. But even now much of the Wall is hidden under houses in the Muslim Quarter. Things could have been done differently. (Israel Hayom)
Muhammad Ali's Complicated Relationship With the Jews
Adopting Arab causes after his retirement from the ring, 'The Greatest' frequently clashed with the Jewish people, accusing 'Zionists' of world domination, even as some notable members of the U.S. Jewish community were his fervent admirers. (Haaretz)
Reality TV Shines Light on Palestinians' Democracy Woes
In real life, Palestinians haven't had a chance to cast an actual ballot for president in over a decade. (Mohammed Daraghmeh, AP, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Reason for concern – The Americans don’t like us anymore (Sever Plocker, Yedioth) I often remember the conversation with the important journalist, Tom Friedman of the New York Times. He said the processes taking place in the halls of universities are very dangerous for Israel. The rising generation of students is looking for a new protest. In the past it was apartheid in South Africa, the Iraq War. Now comes the Israeli occupation to the head of the agenda of the students and the American intelligentsia. It has, in their eyes, the elements needed to be used as a focus of protest: Oppression of the weak by the strong, official US support of the strong side, violation of human rights, post-colonialism, economic exploitation, racism – the list is long and known…..In my view, it is very good that Jewish Americans criticize and will criticize the governments of Israel for the continued sins of the occupation. But recently…I identify in that criticism another tone, infuriating: the desire (unconscious, conscious) to be accepted by the academic and intellectual environment that completely rejects Israel. …Tom Friedman’s warnings are actualizing, and for the worse.
Israel's new defense minister eases up on the belligerence (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Avigdor Lieberman knows that his actions will be examined meticulously, so he will be cautious for a change. He has even broached hopes for peace with the Palestinians.
The power of responsibility (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) New Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has a lot to learn, but he seems to be willing to do so. As a man who has built up an image of power and has now received it, we must hope that Lieberman will also learn the limitations of power.
Will Lieberman Go Where No Israeli Defense Minister Has Gone Before? (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) All the defense ministers who dreamed of succeeding prime ministers were disappointed, so far. They were not aggressive enough.
Alternative Jerusalem Day march – marching, out of love (Alon Mor, Yedioth) The agenda of the traditional march was hijacked by extremists, who turned it into a defiant and violent demonstration of nationalism, and who turned those who came to participated in a peaceful march into their partners against their will.
Herzog, Don't Fall for Netanyahu's 'Peace' Manipulation (Haaretz Editorial) The prime minister has an uncanny talent for bending the public and media agendas to his changing political needs.
The state of Netanyahu: The Prime Minister continues to privatize what is left of Israeli statehood (Ben Caspit, Maariv) The document prepared by Tzachi Hanegbi to cover-up the Gaza tunnels oversight. The attempt to appoint the [extremist - OH] MK Anat Berko to head of one of the most sensitive Knesset committees in Israel, the Subcommittee for Intelligence and Secret Services of the Knesset Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee and the takeover of government ministries [by Netanyahu] and the destruction of the Foreign Ministry [by Netanyahu].
Lieberman takes a dovish tone, but for how long? (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) While Benjamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman coo at each other, Isaac Herzog is weighing how he might join them, and Naftali Bennett could only anticipate his next
Out of the question: Bennett is training our children to be war machines who have no values (Haim Etgar, Maariv) A round of applause to the Ministry of Education for its decision to produce an exact strain of people. It is training our children to be narrow-minded capitalist fighting machines, which get their values form a one-sided civics book. Forget humanism, the main thing is to perform repetitive drills to solve equation. It wants to create a generation of robots that excel at high levels of math. But what about those who excel in other areas that do not include numbers?
Who is behind Netanyahu's scandalous Facebook post on the rape that never was? (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) The rash, base post seems more likely to come from a group of impetuous young people than from a 67-year-old burgher in his fourth term of office.
Rebuff the EU's threats (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom)
The European Union's brawling on behalf of the Palestinians has reached the height of chutzpah.
Ahead of Paris peace summit, Israel was isolated and irrelevant just like during Iran talks (Barak Ravid, Haaretz+) Through lack of preparation and a ludicrous stance, Israel ended up completely out of the picture, as if Paris were talking about the Syrian civil war instead of about issues that affect the lives of every Israeli.
Change for Peace Will Only Come From Outside Israeli Society (Zeev Sternhell, Haaretz+) The center is closer to Likud than the left, so the Paris conference is an important step if the United States and European Union treat it with the necessary gravitas.
Iran Doesn’t Hesitate to Cooperate Militarily With the Sunnis (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) Tehran’s alliance with the Taliban to create a buffer against ISIS helps show that the Iranian leadership is anything but monolithic.
Louis C.K. Is Condoning Israeli Policy With Jerusalem Show (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz+) Unless his show causes a major political scandal, I'm through with Louis C.K., writes Sayed Kahsua.
Like manna from heaven (Martin Sherman, Israel Hayom) A recent rash of dumb remarks by Israeli figures gives Israel bashers more ammunition than they could have ever wished for.
Israel Is a Powder Keg Waiting for a Match (Yossi Klein, Haaretz+) On what sort of democracy does the army need to guard the citizenry from the minister that oversees it?
Why B’Tselem is disengaging from the Israeli military (David Zonsheine, Haaretz+) The army has used the organization as part of its whitewashing of injustices in the occupied territories.
The Israeli Left Prefers Getting Rid of Netanyahu to Peace (former Netanyahu aide, Nathan Eshel, Haaretz+) The tragedy is that, when there is someone who is prepared to go to extremes to bring the dream of the left to reality, it is the left itself that prevents it.
Israeli Lawmakers Lead Smear Campaign Under Guise of 'Transparency' (Friday Haaretz Editorial) Bill that seeks to 'out' foreign-funded NGOs is a stellar example of falsehood and disingenuousness.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.