APN's daily news review from Israel

Monday September 26, 2016  
 

Quote of the day:

"A mortal blow to the foundations of the rule of law (and in effect, an) end to Israeli democracy."
--Israel's Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit said about attempts by ministers and right-wing MKs to make an amendment to the Absentee Property law in order to confiscate privately-owned Palestinian land, Channel 10 reported.*

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Front Page:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

News Summary:
The first US Presidential debate is to be held tonight and the Israeli columnists considered it a ‘circus,’ Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu retracted his controversial statement about the Shooting Soldier, Elor Azariya, a witness at Azariya’s trial changed his version - in defense of Azariya, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblitt warned that the outpost legalization bill would harm democracy, and the Israeli army makes new guidelines allowing religious male soldiers to stay away from female soldiers and be exempted from doing duties on the Sabbath, just as a show ahead of Yom Kippur that excluded women was cancelled – making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy turned in court and apologized to the Jewish boy his age, whom he stabbed at the beginning of the ‘knife intifada.'
 
Netanyahu apologized and retracted his comparison of the ‘Shooting Soldier from Hebron,’ Elor Azariya, to fallen soldiers. Netanyahu’s clarification came a day after he told Channel 2 in an interview that he had no regrets over a supportive phone call he made earlier this year to the father of Elor Azariya, who is on trial for shooting in the head and killing a wounded and prone Palestinian assailant in Hebron. On the same day, a recording of that phone conversation, in which Netanyahu consoled Azariya’s father, was released. 
 
Also yesterday, a key witness spoke at Azariya’s trial and contradicted what he had said during his initial questioning following the incident of the killing. Now he said that he did feel there was a threat that the prone wounded Palestinian, Abdelfattah al-Sharif, had an explosives belt on him. In his cross-examination, the prosecutor pointed out that at no stage in the original testimony did he mention he was concerned that one of the assailants was carrying an explosive device. President Reuven Rivlin spoke about the growing chasm between Israelis who support Azariya’s actions and those who think he should be tried for the killing. Rivlin also noted the questions that have arisen as a result of the trial over whether soldiers should listen to their commanders “or to the voice of the masses,” which support killing prone Palestinians. Rivlin said the commanders. 
 
*Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit warned that attempts to legalize the confiscation of privately-owned Palestinian lands for outposts would mark the “end of Israeli democracy”, according to a report by Channel 10, and on the probe into Netanyahu on suspicions of fraud, he said: “If there is a reasonable suspicion there will be a criminal investigation and I don’t care who we are talking about.” Channel 10 learned that Mandelblit warned in a closed meeting that the bill meant to legalize Amona outpost and others “would irreparably harm the rule of law.” On the idea of some right-wing MKs and ministers to amend the Absentee Property law in order to allow Israel to confiscate the privately-owned Palestinian land on which the outposts sit, Mandeblit said it would constitute "a mortal blow to the foundations of the rule of law," adding that it would mark, in effect, an "end to democracy" in Israel.  (Also Maariv)
 

Quick Hits:

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Features:

Under close watch: Jonathan Pollard's life out of prison
Since his release from prison, the former Israeli spy has been spending his time in court fighting the restrictive probation conditions that prevent him from finding employment or attending morning and evening prayers at the synagogue. Close friends say Jonathan and his wife Esther are dreaming of making aliyah and living in a moshav in southern Israel, but he is barred from leaving the US for another four years.
(Tzipi Shmilovitz, Yedioth/Ynet) 
Watching your son's killers walk free
This is the story of a Palestinian father whose son was shot in the back by two Israeli soldiers. In the bizarre reality of occupation, he is the one who must ask permission from the wardens while his son’s killers walk free. (Haggai Matar, +972mag)

Commentary/Analysis:
Prime minister ruled by public opinion (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) Netanyahu sees himself as a global statesman, a leader, an ideologist and a guru as well. This is a problematic combination in every democratic regime, but when it meets a politician who bases his decisions and comments on the latest poll, it becomes dangerous.
Kerry's Binational State Warning: A Wakeup Call for Israel (Haaretz Editorial) Netanyahu is dreaming of a Jewish state in the territories, while at the same time lying to and endangering Israel’s citizens by not clarifying the threat they face; will Israelis follow this pied piper into the abyss? 
Alliance? Shared Values? For Trump, Israel's Security Is All Business (Barak Ravid, Haaretz+) Netanyahu should not bask in Trump's declarations on the recognition of an undivided Jerusalem, which in any case will disappear if he's elected president. What should concern him is Trump's attitude toward aid to Israel in terms of 'investment.'
Slap in the face: American Jews are boiling over Netanyahu's meeting with Trump (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) Jewish community leaders called the meeting a “slap in the face" from the Prime Minister and say that only one who comes out gaining from it was Trump, for whom the thought that he will be President puts a chill down his spine. 
After Series of Scandals, New Israeli Military Rules on Gender Segregation Strikes Fine Balance (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The army’s demographic makeup is becoming more religious and gender inclusive; it should be commended for trying to consider everyone. 
Where death reigns (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) The young Palestinians heading to IDF roadblocks are not doing it for the sake of Palestine, for the sake of Islam or for the sake of killing Jews. Their goal is to die, and the soldiers are their tool.
Israel's Culture Minister Was Right to Walk Out of the Movie Awards Ceremony (Doron Koren, Haaretz+) The Palestinian narrative should be recognized, but they aren’t entitled to go onstage and read a poem calling for ‘eating the flesh of the [Israeli] occupier.’
Israel's Culture Minister Misrepresents the Film Industry (Shany Littman, Haaretz+) At the industry awards ceremony, Miri Regev repeated her hollow claim that Israeli film doesn’t represent the public at large; the award nominees and winners proved the opposite. 
Why I'll be on the Gaza flotilla this Jewish New Year (Orly Noy, +972mag) In the days before Rosh Hashana, days of introspection and forgiveness, I am reminded that by virtue of my identity as an Israeli citizen I am responsible for the disaster and tragedy befalling the people of Gaza. Introspection begins with opening one’s eyes and recognizing one’s sins, and only then trying to repair them. There is no more Jewish act than that. 
The cancellation of the [all-male] “Raising Kippur" performance: Extreme liberals have fallen on their heads (Kalman Libskind, Maariv) The decision not to put on a performance in Tel Aviv because only men will be singing was a victory of darkness - and not of enlightenment.  The "liberals" de la rags should start accepting lifestyles that are different than theirs.
Elor Azaria Is Going Through a Modern Day Dreyfus Trial (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Why doesn’t former Deputy Chief of Staff Uzi Dayan just bravely declare that anyone who harms Palestinians is innocent? 
Why Netanyahu’s offer to visit the Palestinian parliament is pure BS (Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, +972mag) The Israeli prime minister tells the UN that he will ‘gladly come to speak’ to the Palestinian legislative body, which he conveniently forgets hasn’t convened in nearly a decade. Outstretched hand for peace or PR ploy?
Israelis Can't Recognize Terrorism Staring Back at Them From the Mirror (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) While experts are again explaining why the ‘calm’ has ended, what really needs explanation is the Palestinian restraint in light of Israel’s violence. 
Syria Is a Stain on Obama's Legacy (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) U.S. President Barack Obama repeatedly changed positions and avoided getting involved in the Syrian bloodbath. Even he now admits that it haunts him. 
Rogel Alpher, American Jews Don’t Occupy Israel - or You (Vivian Eden, Haaretz+) Advising AIPAC to 'get a life and stay out of mine,' Alpher accused U.S. Jews of an 'illegitimate takeover.' But non-Orthodox Jews in America often confront the thesis that the Israeli government can do no wrong.
 
 

Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.