APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday July 04, 2016
Quote of the day:
“I am a doctor and I did a human duty regardless of the color or nationality of those who needed
medical treatment…I jeopardized my life and my family’s life, but all I was concerned with was offering
help.”
--Dr. Ali Shroukh, a Palestinian doctor, who pulled over and treated the wounded Israeli family that was shot by a Palestinian gunman in the West Bank.
--Dr. Ali Shroukh, a Palestinian doctor, who pulled over and treated the wounded Israeli family that was shot by a Palestinian gunman in the West Bank.
Breaking News:
IDF attacks two Syrian army targets on northern border in response to cross-border fire (Ynet and Haaretz)
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Netanyahu approved construction for Palestinians in Jerusalem – and hundreds of housing units for Jews
- (MK) Livni summoned for questioning at the British Police unit for war crimes
- [Main photo: Children of Michael Mark grieving at funeral]
- Israel ambassador in London: Labour Party has a problem with anti-Semitism
- String of showy attacks by ISIS: 125 killed in attack in Baghdad
- Netanyahu’s Entebbe test // Haaretz Editorial
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Hamas demands: Shalit Deal II – Security source confirms: secret contacts to return bodies
- Parting from father (Michael Mark, killed in West Bank shooting attack)
- “I loved you like a soulmate” // Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, cousin of Mark
- “I am proud of you, daddy. You are a hero” // Tehila Mark, daughter of Mark
- Protest of Ethiopian-Israelis: Police detained 12 demonstrators
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- “Daddy, you held the wheel and tried to save us till the last moment”
- Parting from a giant of the generation, (Elie Wiesel)”
Israel Hayom
- “Daddy, hero, pray for Mommy from up their”
- Prime Minister and Defense Minister approved: 800 housing units in Maaleh Adumim and [East] Jerusalem
- Back to Entebbe
- A journey of feelings and logic // Boaz Bismuth
- Death of the a moral leader: Elie Wiesel was laid to rest; Obama: “He was the compass of the world”
News Summary:
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu declares Israel will build 800 more housing units for Jews in E. Jerusalem and Maaleh Adumim (and, due to court pressure, 600 homes for Arabs) as thousands grieved at the funeral of Michael Mark, of Otniel settlement, and others eulogized Elie Wiesel, making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, Yedioth reported on secret talks between Israel and Hamas over an exchange of bodies and prisoners. Haaretz+ reported on a secret investigation against Netanyahu and discusses who would fill-in for him if he were indicted, and meanwhile, Netanyahu set off for a ‘historic’ Africa visit.
Thousands attended the funeral of ‘Miki’ Mark, but not his wife, who is still recovering from her wounds from the Friday shooting attack near their settlement and does not know her husband was killed. The funeral began at the settlement’s military (hesder) yeshiva where Mark was director, but Mark was buried in Jerusalem – not in the West Bank – and both President Reuven Rivlin, who discovered only after Mark died that they were second cousins, and Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen, also a cousin, eulogized the man who was a father of ten.
*What got almost no coverage was the fact that a Palestinian doctor and his wife were the first on the scene to treat the wounded family members, removing them from the flipped-over car, after it was shot at by Palestinian gunmen. Dr. Ali Sharkh stopped his car and pulled Mark’s injured wife and daughter out of the car and began treating them along with his wife. Mark was already dead, said Dr. Sharkh, who lives in Dahariya town in the Hebron governate, which is under total siege by the IDF since the Friday attack. Walla News (Hebrew) mentioned the first aid by the Palestinian family in two sentences, but did not bother to follow up on the story, as Maan Palestinian News agency did. Ynet, however, reported that family members of Miki Mark opposed calls for avenging his death. After someone wrote on Facebook about the "murderous, scum-of-the-earth Arabs," Mark's daughter-in-law, Yiska, noted that the Palestinian couple were the first people to assist the victims after the attack: "I really have to tell you that the first to arrive at the scene was a Palestinian vehicle with an Arab couple who exited and took care of my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. They gave them a cell phone to call (the authorities), and stayed with them in those difficult moments," she wrote. "I think you should write ‘terrorists’ and not ‘Arabs,’ because not every Arab is a terrorist, and I say this from experience." Ynet also reported that during the funeral, when several youths began yelling "revenge,” Shlomi Mark called on them to stop and leave. They were also silenced by the crowd. When they continued, one of the people present urged them to "respect the family."
Netanyahu begins his four-country state visit of Africa today, meeting with the leaders of Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Zambia and the foreign minister of Tanzania in a bid to bolster business ties. The trip will cost Israeli taxpayers 28 million shekels for, among other things, four different planes and a traveling hospital. Netanyahu stops first in Uganda to mark the 40th anniversary since the Entebbe Operation there and the Hebrew papers have published numerous features about the Operation ahead of this visit. Worth noting, in the article about the investigation against Netanyahu, Haaretz+ reporter Raviv Drucker wrote that Minister Yuval Steinitz might be chosen to fill-in for Netanyahu, if he were indicted, because Netanyahu trusts that Steinitz would give him back the job “if the legal construct falls apart.” The other candidates were Ministers Gilad Erdan, Tzachi Hanegbi and Yisrael Katz. Interestingly, before Netanyahu departed to Africa, Minister Katz said he would be the temporary replacement while Netanyahu was gone, but then Netanyahu chose Erdan to be acting Prime Minister.
Quick Hits:
- In Unprecedented Move, British Police Summoned Tzipi Livni Over Suspected Gaza War Crimes - MK Tzipi Livni (Zionist Camp) is currently in London to attend the Haaretz Israel Conference; The summons was cancelled after diplomatic contacts between Israel and Britain. (Haaretz)
- Sister of Michael Mark: "We are aware of the dangers on the roads, but want to live here" - Yochi Kalmanzon, sister of Michael Mark who was slain in the shooting attack on Route 60, was interviewed by Army Radio and said: "We know is hidden in the road, we know that it is not easy to live here, and yet we're drive." (Maariv)
- Israel Bars Hebron Governor From Entering Country After He Visits Home of Kiryat Arba Terrorist - 'Israel won't agree to aid supporters of terrorism,' official statement reads, but governor Kamal Hamid claims visit wasn't a political statement. (Haaretz, Maariv and Times of Israel)
- Israel arrests sister of terrorist who killed 13-year-old girl in Kiryat Arba - Six Palestinians arrested in sweeping IDF action near Hebron, including Mohammed Tra'ayra's sister, who allegedly encouraged the perpetration of terrorist attacks. (Haaretz)
- Dinner event honoring terrorists held in East Jerusalem - Families of young people jailed in Israel for terrorist activities attended a special Iftar dinner to break the fast of Ramadan; Relatives received special commemorative plaques and mugs bearing pictures of their sons. (Ynet)
- Israeli forces close checkpoints near Nablus, settlers attack Palestinian cars - Israeli settlers organized a protest on the road leading to the Huwwara checkpoint, one of the main entrances into Nablus, and threw rocks at Palestinian cars. Israeli forces closed the Huwwara, Yitzhar, and Beit Furik checkpoints in response to the settlers’ march. (Maan)
- Teenage Palestinian launches hunger strike in Israeli prison - Jalal Shahir Sharawna, who has been held in Israeli prison since October, where his leg was amputated without his father’s permission, launched a hunger strike in protest of the dire conditions and medical negligence he has experienced while in Israeli custody. (Maan)
- Palestinian lawmaker from Hebron released after latest administrative detention - MP Hatim Qafisha, a 54-year-old Hamas-affiliated member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, was released Sunday after he completed six months of Israeli administrative detention [no charges – OH]. Over the years, has spent 12 years in Israeli prisons without charges. (Maan)
- Israelis to build up Uganda - After over forty years, Israeli experts have been chosen to come back to Uganda to help build the country's infrastructure, including a new int’l airport; The head of the Israeli team of experts calls it a 'return to the glory days.' (Ynet)
- Turkish ship with humanitarian aid for Gaza Strip docks in Israeli port - Families of fallen and missing Israelis vow to block transfer of aid to Gaza in protest at the failure of the Israel-Turkey agreement to deal with the return of their sons. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- US citizens file lawsuit against Israeli ministers over Marmara raid - Plaintiffs, three Americans and a Belgian national, who were on board one of the ships of the Marmara flotilla six years ago, have filed a lawsuit against the State of Israel at a US court and target Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, claiming Justice Ministry provided IDF with legal counsel ahead of the raid; suit also alleges Israeli commandos wounded more than 150 people in incident, tortured and arbitrarily arrested those on board the ships. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Facebook rejects Israeli minister's claim that platform shares responsibility for terror attacks - Social media giant defends its work after Israeli public security minister slammed the website for not clamping down on Palestinian incitement. (Haaretz)
- Former defense minister Ya'alon joins INSS - Ya'alon to serve as senior research associate at Institute for National Security Studies during his time away from politics; 'The institute and its researchers have given us, the decision-makers, important viewpoints and significant tools as we were leading security or diplomatic moves,' he says. (Ynet)
- Following Haaretz Report, Israel Gives 30 Million Shekels to Needy Holocaust Survivors - Stipends for 11,000 survivors have been held for nearly a year because of a legal dispute. 'The good of Holocaust survivors is the priority,' Finance Minister Kahlon says. (Haaretz)
- Pro-Palestinian Activists March Through London to Mark al-Quds Day - Jewish News website reports seeing a Hezbollah flag among the many banners carried by the marchers. (Haaretz)
- 120 People Killed in Two Bombings in Baghdad; ISIS Claims Responsibility - Two separate blasts came after sundown in a crowded commercial area as the city celebrated the end of Ramadan, just a week after the liberation of Fallujah. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Trump Twitter blunder could compromise Jewish support - Republican presidential candidate levels charges of corruption against his political opponent Hillary Clinton, evoking the Star of David to indicate her involvement in financial scandals. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Israel's U.K. Ambassador: Labour Has an anti-Semitism Problem - Speaking at Haaretz's Israel Conference in London, Ambassador Mark Regev says 'just because you are on the left, you aren’t immune to anti-Semitism.' (Haaretz+)
- Corbyn claims set meeting with Israeli envoy - that's news to us, says embassy - The embattled British Labour leader says he's set to meet Ambassador Regev on Monday. But the embassy, which asked for a meeting over two months ago, is unaware of anything scheduled. (Haaretz+)
Features:
Israelis reenact Crusader-era Battle of Hattin
Clad in 12th century-style clothing, members of knights clubs reenacted the battle, also known as the Horns of Hattin, fought on the same day in 1187 when Sultan Salaheddin's army crashed Crusaders on the road to Tiberias. (Haaretz)
Entebbe's seriously wounded soldier meets with doctor who saved his life
For 40 years now that Prof. Joel Sayfan has been keeping a note stained with the blood of Surin Hershko, who became paralyzed from the neck down after suffering a bullet wound to his spine during Operation Entebbe. To this day, they haven't spoken to each other about what happened in Uganda that night. (Chen Kotas-Bar, Yedioth/Ynet)
40 years since Entebbe: Remembering the forgotten casualties of the rescue 0peration
Ida Boruchovich, Pasco Cohen and Jean-Jacques Mimuni were killed during the rescue of the hostages. Memory fades with time in the shadow of the national euphoria. Now, their relatives pour out their hearts and tell their stories. (Sara Leibovich-Dar, Maariv)
Why Elie Wiesel Never Caught on in Israel
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel may have been the most famous Holocaust survivor in the world. But, ironically, that never gained him a huge following in Israel. Wiesel often drew fire from Israeli leftist activists and intellectuals for not speaking out against their government. “He always took Israel’s side, no matter what,” said Yad Vashem’s chief historian Dina Porat. “For him, withholding criticism was a matter of principle.” By contrast, Zeev Degani, the principal of Tel Aviv’s Gymnasia Herzliya, believes it was Wiesel very universal message that was difficult for many Israelis, particularly those on the right, to stomach. “He was an intellectual who took the Holocaust out of the ghetto and used it to teach the world about racism. He didn’t talk about revenge or hate, and he wasn’t a fear-mongerer. That didn’t suit the isolationist agenda of many Israelis…” The ultra-Orthodox and the very secular may not have liked him because in his book Night, he put G-d on trial and they either saw that as sacrosanct or meaningless. Other possible reasons were because he didn’t live in Israel, there were many Holocaust survivors living in Israel who possibly wrote better than he did. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
The Righteous Yet Unrecognized: The Muslims Who Saved Jewish Children During WWII
With his usual capacity for describing horrors of genocide and acts of compassion, historian Yair Auron presents the unknown story of Circassians who in 1942 saved Jewish youngsters from slaughter. (Avraham Burg, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Netanyahu Is Being Investigated by the Police, So What Happens if He's Indicted? (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) If the latest police probe into the prime minister leads to an indictment and resignation, who will replace him – and, no less important, who will examine his case?
All the responsibility is ours: the reconciliation agreement will not save the Netanyahu in the international arena (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) The Mideast Quartet, even as the toothless body it is, strengthens the negative image of Israel, whose policy on settlements is responsible for the absence of all hope and chance for an agreement with the Palestinians.
Why MK Haneen Zoabi Is a True Palestinian Hero (Zuheir Andreus, Haaretz+) The recent scenes in the Knesset, when Joint List MK Haneen Zoabi was assailed on all sides, forces me to put aside previous differences her struggle against racism and fascism.
Zionism is still here (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) Ongoing settlement freezes and Israeli capitulations to U.S. and European pressures are invariably interpreted by the Palestinians as weakness.
Improper censorship: Don’t let legislators hide their shame (Dr. Revital Amiran, Maariv) If the recommendations of committee to regulate the Knesset channel are accepted, it will prevent us from viewing MKs who are not giving speeches and prevent our ability to judge whether they are debasing themselves or us.
People Are Being Killed, and an Israeli Minister Blames Facebook (Oded Yaron, Haaretz+) The accusation by Israel’s public security minister is little more than spin.
Two-state solution slipping away! Do not miss the opportunity to reverse negative trends (UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, Maan) The Mideast Quartet report published last week sends two very clear messages. First, to those who hope that the international community would somehow abandon this conflict and let it descend in a deteriorating status quo to perpetual chaos, we say: no, you are wrong. The report reflects the determination of the Russian Federation, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations not to look away, but to expose and draw attention to the problems in a more detailed and uncompromising manner than ever before and to hold the leaderships to account on their actions and inactions.
Otherwise Occupied Let’s Learn From Israel's Yemenites (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) The accumulation of stories about Yemenite children abducted in Israel sketches a pattern of thought and action in a racist and ignorant society.
Britain will remain a friend and partner of Israel (David Quarrey, Yedioth/Ynet) Despite decision to leave the EU, the British ambassador to Israel says not only will his country's cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology with Israel is not going to change, those ties should be developed further.
Living a Lie in Netanyahu's Israel (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Two-thirds of Israelis don’t believe the prime minister wants a two-state solution, so why aren’t they interested in doing something about it?
Clad in 12th century-style clothing, members of knights clubs reenacted the battle, also known as the Horns of Hattin, fought on the same day in 1187 when Sultan Salaheddin's army crashed Crusaders on the road to Tiberias. (Haaretz)
Entebbe's seriously wounded soldier meets with doctor who saved his life
For 40 years now that Prof. Joel Sayfan has been keeping a note stained with the blood of Surin Hershko, who became paralyzed from the neck down after suffering a bullet wound to his spine during Operation Entebbe. To this day, they haven't spoken to each other about what happened in Uganda that night. (Chen Kotas-Bar, Yedioth/Ynet)
40 years since Entebbe: Remembering the forgotten casualties of the rescue 0peration
Ida Boruchovich, Pasco Cohen and Jean-Jacques Mimuni were killed during the rescue of the hostages. Memory fades with time in the shadow of the national euphoria. Now, their relatives pour out their hearts and tell their stories. (Sara Leibovich-Dar, Maariv)
Why Elie Wiesel Never Caught on in Israel
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel may have been the most famous Holocaust survivor in the world. But, ironically, that never gained him a huge following in Israel. Wiesel often drew fire from Israeli leftist activists and intellectuals for not speaking out against their government. “He always took Israel’s side, no matter what,” said Yad Vashem’s chief historian Dina Porat. “For him, withholding criticism was a matter of principle.” By contrast, Zeev Degani, the principal of Tel Aviv’s Gymnasia Herzliya, believes it was Wiesel very universal message that was difficult for many Israelis, particularly those on the right, to stomach. “He was an intellectual who took the Holocaust out of the ghetto and used it to teach the world about racism. He didn’t talk about revenge or hate, and he wasn’t a fear-mongerer. That didn’t suit the isolationist agenda of many Israelis…” The ultra-Orthodox and the very secular may not have liked him because in his book Night, he put G-d on trial and they either saw that as sacrosanct or meaningless. Other possible reasons were because he didn’t live in Israel, there were many Holocaust survivors living in Israel who possibly wrote better than he did. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
The Righteous Yet Unrecognized: The Muslims Who Saved Jewish Children During WWII
With his usual capacity for describing horrors of genocide and acts of compassion, historian Yair Auron presents the unknown story of Circassians who in 1942 saved Jewish youngsters from slaughter. (Avraham Burg, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Netanyahu Is Being Investigated by the Police, So What Happens if He's Indicted? (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) If the latest police probe into the prime minister leads to an indictment and resignation, who will replace him – and, no less important, who will examine his case?
All the responsibility is ours: the reconciliation agreement will not save the Netanyahu in the international arena (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) The Mideast Quartet, even as the toothless body it is, strengthens the negative image of Israel, whose policy on settlements is responsible for the absence of all hope and chance for an agreement with the Palestinians.
Why MK Haneen Zoabi Is a True Palestinian Hero (Zuheir Andreus, Haaretz+) The recent scenes in the Knesset, when Joint List MK Haneen Zoabi was assailed on all sides, forces me to put aside previous differences her struggle against racism and fascism.
Zionism is still here (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) Ongoing settlement freezes and Israeli capitulations to U.S. and European pressures are invariably interpreted by the Palestinians as weakness.
Improper censorship: Don’t let legislators hide their shame (Dr. Revital Amiran, Maariv) If the recommendations of committee to regulate the Knesset channel are accepted, it will prevent us from viewing MKs who are not giving speeches and prevent our ability to judge whether they are debasing themselves or us.
People Are Being Killed, and an Israeli Minister Blames Facebook (Oded Yaron, Haaretz+) The accusation by Israel’s public security minister is little more than spin.
Two-state solution slipping away! Do not miss the opportunity to reverse negative trends (UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, Maan) The Mideast Quartet report published last week sends two very clear messages. First, to those who hope that the international community would somehow abandon this conflict and let it descend in a deteriorating status quo to perpetual chaos, we say: no, you are wrong. The report reflects the determination of the Russian Federation, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations not to look away, but to expose and draw attention to the problems in a more detailed and uncompromising manner than ever before and to hold the leaderships to account on their actions and inactions.
Otherwise Occupied Let’s Learn From Israel's Yemenites (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) The accumulation of stories about Yemenite children abducted in Israel sketches a pattern of thought and action in a racist and ignorant society.
Britain will remain a friend and partner of Israel (David Quarrey, Yedioth/Ynet) Despite decision to leave the EU, the British ambassador to Israel says not only will his country's cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology with Israel is not going to change, those ties should be developed further.
Living a Lie in Netanyahu's Israel (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Two-thirds of Israelis don’t believe the prime minister wants a two-state solution, so why aren’t they interested in doing something about it?
Interviews:
New Arab League head attributes terror in Europe to Palestinian issue
In first interview as Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit discusses issues facing Arab world; Aboul Gheit: 'All of these problems stem from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over the land of Palestine, a conflict which began 100 years ago…the threats which the Europeans are subject to, which is damaging world security and causing all this terror is a direct result of the failure of the international community to solve the Palestinian issue." (Ynet)
The Interview - The Mubarak Years: Arab League new chief Aboul-Gheit's testimony
The Mubarak-era foreign minister and new Arab League chief sheds light on the final years of Mubarak's rule, discussing the political ambitions of Mubarak's son, Egypt-US relations, and the negative impact of an ailing president. (Interviewed by Dina Ezzat in Egyptian Al-Ahram newspaper English)
New Arab League head attributes terror in Europe to Palestinian issue
In first interview as Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit discusses issues facing Arab world; Aboul Gheit: 'All of these problems stem from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over the land of Palestine, a conflict which began 100 years ago…the threats which the Europeans are subject to, which is damaging world security and causing all this terror is a direct result of the failure of the international community to solve the Palestinian issue." (Ynet)
The Interview - The Mubarak Years: Arab League new chief Aboul-Gheit's testimony
The Mubarak-era foreign minister and new Arab League chief sheds light on the final years of Mubarak's rule, discussing the political ambitions of Mubarak's son, Egypt-US relations, and the negative impact of an ailing president. (Interviewed by Dina Ezzat in Egyptian Al-Ahram newspaper English)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.