APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday August 12, 2016
While News Nosh's Israel editor is on vacation, we are publishing an abbreviated version produced in Washington and therefore it may be sent later in the day.
While News Nosh's Israel editor is on vacation, we are publishing an abbreviated version produced in Washington and therefore it may be sent later in the day.
Quote of the day:
"I ask you: Who cares more about Palestinians? Israel, that facilitates the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, every single day? Or Hamas, which robs Palestinian children of that very same aid?... I'm going to say something now that some of you will not believe. But I'm going to say it anyway because it's true. I, the prime minister of Israel, care more about Palestinians than their own leaders do."
"I ask you: Who cares more about Palestinians? Israel, that facilitates the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, every single day? Or Hamas, which robs Palestinian children of that very same aid?... I'm going to say something now that some of you will not believe. But I'm going to say it anyway because it's true. I, the prime minister of Israel, care more about Palestinians than their own leaders do."
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Israeli government approves state budget for next two years
- Dutch probe death threats against Palestinian rights activist aiding ICC's 2014 Gaza War inquiry
- Stabbing in East Jerusalem leaves Israeli teen wounded
- Four killed in bomb attacks on popular tourist spots across Thailand
Israel Hayom
- Is Hamas getting ready to devour the West Bank?
- PM: I care more about the Palestinians than their leaders do
- Millions injected into new welfare, culture, and science budgets
- Pentagon: Iran improved cyber warfare, missile capabilities
Times of Israel
- NGO: Government started process to relocate Amona outpost
- Eisenkot's 'revolution': A GI bill of rights for the Israel Defense Forces
- Olympic women's all-around champions: A Christian, a Jew, and a Muslim
- Trump: Obama is 'founder of IS' comment was 'sarcasm'
Ynet News
- Israel's watchdog center fighting BDS
- Beyoncé cancels Israel performances
- Judge refuses to ease freed Jonathan Pollard's parole conditions
- Trump acknowledges he could come up short in election
News Summary:
The Israeli government unanimously passed the 2017-2018 state budget and the Economic Arrangements Law after a 21 hour meeting - the 2017 budget will be 454.1 billion shekels, and the 2018 budget 463.6 billion shekels. Both laws have been transferred to the Justice Ministry and will be brought to the Knesset for a vote in late October. The budget includes "incentives to promote growth, increase competition, amd reduce high cost of living with steps to cut taxes, reduce regulation, boost foreign investment, and improve public transportation," says PM Netanyahu. The welfare, culture, and science budgets have increased, and one controversial clause will introduce a multiple properties tax.
Israel has begun the process of relocating the Amona outpost to a new location, also on Palestinian owned land. Israel's Civil Administration placed an ad in the Palestinian newspaper, al-Quds, listing the land in question as belonging to unknown absentee Palestinian owners and liable for seizure - they invite legal objections to be made within the next 30 days. Peace Now says that "it can be assumed that the purpose of the takeover is to allow the relocation of settlers."
Quick Hits:
- Israel's binary options executives fear regulators could shut down their industry, but they're enjoying the party while it lasts. France has banned the firm 24Option, also operating in Israel, which may cost the company up to $2 million a month. While privately the mood darkens for these executives, publically the elaborate parties continue. (Times of Israel)
- Bus driver Roey Levy took an unconscious passenger to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa after being told the ambulance was 20 minutes away, saving the woman's life. (Israel Hayom)
- France is fuming over the razing of Paris-funded Palestinian buildings. The French government says Israel’s demolitions of European projects in the West Bank is a violation of international law. (Times of Israel)
- Israeli supermodel, Bar Rafaeli, gave birth to her first child on Thursday in Tel-Aviv. She is married to businessman Adi Ezra. They named their girl Liv. (Israel Hayom)
- Archaeologists have uncovered a 3,000-year-old skeleton of a teenager amid a mound of ashes built up over a millennium from sacrificed animals on Mount Lykaion, once worshipped as the birthplace of the god Zeus. Mount Lykaion has been associated with Greek cults linked with human sacrifice to Zeus, which has until now been unconfirmed by archaeological evidence. "According to legend, a boy was sacrificed with the animals and all the meat was cooked and eaten together. Whoever ate the human part would become a wolf for nine years." (Times of Israel)
- A recent special poll ordered for Radio station 103FM found that Yesh Atid is rising and the Zionist Union
is collapsing. Here are the poll numbers (numbers in parentheses indicate current numbers). (Maariv)
- Likud- 27 (30)
- Yesh Atid- 21 (11)
- Jewish Home- 13 (8)
- Arab Joint List- 13 (13)
- Zionist Union- 10 (24)
- Yisrael Beiteinu- 9 (6)
- Shas- 8 (7)
- UTJ- 7 (6)
- Kulanu- 6 (10)
- Meretz- 6 (5)