APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday December 11, 2016
Quote of the day:
“Censors in academia deserve to be ignored, and when there is an attempt at collective institutional
censorship, like here, they are worthy of being pointedly ignored.”
--Dr. Uri Weiss, a lecturer who is behind a petition signed by over 300 academics saying they will ignore any recommendations in the new ethics code over political statements in academia, which was commissioned last week by Education Minister Naftali Bennett.*
You Must Be Kidding:
"I'd rather the Arabs don't go to the polls in droves, and don't come to the polls at all."
--Coalition Chairman MK David Bitan (Likud) in an anti-democratic statement at a public event Saturday.**
--Dr. Uri Weiss, a lecturer who is behind a petition signed by over 300 academics saying they will ignore any recommendations in the new ethics code over political statements in academia, which was commissioned last week by Education Minister Naftali Bennett.*
You Must Be Kidding:
"I'd rather the Arabs don't go to the polls in droves, and don't come to the polls at all."
--Coalition Chairman MK David Bitan (Likud) in an anti-democratic statement at a public event Saturday.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- US Intel: Russia helped Trump; Obama order investigation
- 13 killed in attack in central Istanbul
- Coalition Chairman Bitan: It’s preferable that Arabs don’t go to the polling stations
- (Police Commissioner) Alsheikh blocked police representative Lavi from going to conference of Association for Civil Rights in Israel
- Netanyahu gave kosher approval for the flourishing anti-Semitism around Trump // Chemi Shalev
- The Treasury was proud of a historic agreement, but the security establishment gets what it wants // Amos Harel
- Introduction to superiority // Rogel Alpher
- We’ll meet as civilians // Amir Oren
- Man, 50, was killed after he jumped to save his son, who fell from a cliff in Tze’elim
- From Moscow to Ethiopia: The places where Israelis will take holiday in 2017
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Hug until death
- Katsav: Fateful morning
- Trump’s secretary of state
- Russian affair // Nadav Eyal
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- The esteemed lecturer was killed when he tried to save his son
- Bitan: “I prefer that Arabs don’t go to the polling stations at all”
- Today: Katsav goes to hearing of prisoner release committee
- US: Spy agency found that Russia acted on behalf of Trump
- Istanbul shook
Israel Hayom
- Dad’s Heroism
- At least 13 killed in attack in Istanbul
- “The candidate for Secretary of State: CEO of ExxonMobil, Rex Tillerson”
- State expected to submit today another petition to High Court to postpone the evacuation of Amona by a month
- Storm of the Coalition Chairman: He said – “I would prefer that Arabs don’t flock to the polling stations”
- Today: Third discussion over Katsav’s request for early release
News Summary:
A heroic father died trying to save his son from a fall, an anti-democratic coalition whip MK David Bitan said he preferred Arabs wouldn’t vote in elections and the prison parole board will discuss today the third early release request of former president, convicted of rape, Moshe Katsav, making top stories in the Hebrew newspapers today, along with the latest news related to US President-elect Donald Trump. Also in the news, Knesset committees will be holding marathon meetings to pass the outpost legalization bill and the state plans to petition the High Court again for a 30-day postponement of the eviction of Amona outpost. And, following in the footsteps of Germany, Norway said the proposed outpost law "cast doubts about Israel's declared support for the two-state solution."
Doubling down on Netanyahu's Election Day race-baiting, coalition whip MK David Bitan said Saturday: "I'd rather the Arabs wouldn't go to the polls in droves, and wouldn't come to the polls at all." He also said that if they did vote, he preferred Arab Israelis didn’t vote for the Joint List, claiming that the party served the interests of 'Gaza, Qatar and other countries.’ His fellow parliamentarian from the Joint List, MK Yousef Jabareen, responded: "Let's think how the political system in France would respond if the coalition chairman would say he doesn't want Jews to go to the polls." [Indeed, imagine if a US politician said he wished Jews did not vote because they vote according to the interests of Israel. – OH]
In US-related news making headlines in Israel, the CIA said Russia intervened to help Trump win the White House. And Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Trump 'feels very warmly' about Israel and Jews.
Quick Hits:
- Caving to right-wing pressure, Israel Police backs out of civil rights event - The police's chief legal officer was supposed to represent the police in the event, but canceled in the last minute. He cited 'personal reasons,' but right-wing news website boasted that appearance was canceled after it approached cabinet minister. (Haaretz+)
- **Over 300 Israeli Academics Vow to Ignore New Ethics Rules Over Political Statements - University and college professors sign petition saying they'll boycott Education Minister Naftali Bennett’s new code. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli Lawmakers Approved Funding for German Ship Maker at Center of Controversy - Defense and finance subcommittee votes to buy submarines, missile boats from ThyssenKrupp, despite Israeli police currently looking into deals. (Haaretz+)
- Israel wary of UN plan to blacklist companies beyond Green Line - U.N. budgetary committee to vote on funding database that would list companies operating over 1967 borders. "U.N.'s desire to mark and boycott Jewish businesses ... is reminiscent of dark periods in history," Israeli Ambassador to U.N. Danny Danon says. (Israel Hayom)
- Yesh Atid leader: We need to get Palestinians out of our lives - "What we need to do is build a high wall, and have us on one side and them [the Palestinians] on the other side" Yair Lapid tells Channel 2. Likud: The public knows Lapid represents the Left. Yesh Atid: Isn't Likud tired of calling everyone 'leftists.' (Israel Hayom)
- U.S. reportedly asked Israel to take in and try Guantanamo inmate - Mohammed Abed al-Malik Bajabo, a Kenyan who is suspected of involvement in 2002 Mombasa attack that killed three Israeli tourists. Israel said to have agreed to take Bajabo, but didn't get necessary files from FBI. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Turkish court closes case against Israeli army top brass over Gaza flotilla raid - As part of rapprochement deal between Turkey and Israel, court also cancels international arrest warrants against former top officers who were charged with murder for their involvement in Mavi Marmara raid. (Haaretz)
- 45 youths leap into first haredi Paratroopers Brigade tryouts - IDF holds trials specifically for ultra-Orthodox youths hoping to join elite brigade. Those who pass will begin intense training. "Integrating haredi youth in the IDF is an important step toward social resilience and unity," defense minister says. (Israel Hayom)
- After brouhaha over women in tanks, Israeli army wants women in warships too - Navy looking into putting women on board warships that will protect Israel's offshore natural gas rigs. The main difficulty? cramped living quarters. (Haaretz+)
- Families of 10 killed terrorists request IDF hand over bodies - The bodies of ten terrorists who have been killed have requested that their bodies be turned over by the IDF, so that they may give them a proper burial; After discussing the matter, the High Court of Justice decided to act for the release of seven of the bodies, with the last three still unsure due to the heinousness of their crimes and their links to Hamas terrorist group. (Ynet)
- Israel informs High Court it will return seven of 10 Palestinian assailants' bodies - The compromise to continue holding three bodies of Hamas-affiliated assailants comes after Defense Minister Lieberman clashes with IDF representative. (Haaretz+)
- Israel to ease Palestinian travel over Christmas season - Hundreds of Christians living in the the West Bank and Gaza Strip will be allowed to travel between Palestinian territories and visit Israel, Defense Ministry says. (Haaretz)
- Ministry: Inbound tourism up 38% in November, hits record high - A record 287,900 tourists visited Israel last month, generating revenue of over NIS 1.5 billion ($393 million). Tourism Minister Yariv Levin attributes success to "aggressive campaigns we waged in previously untapped markets," including China and India. (Israel Hayom)
- Number of Israelis traveling abroad in 2016 smashes record - By the end of 2016, 7 million Israelis will have traveled abroad, 15% more than in 2015. Uptick in foreign travel attributed to low dollar, euro exchange rates, more competition in low-cost airfare. 85% of travelers made a single visit abroad in 2016. (Israel Hayom)
- Former porn icon Jenna Jameson crushes on Netanyahu - The one-time adult performer, who has since converted to Judaism, tweets her support of and attraction to one Benjamin Netanyahu, whom she playfully refers to as 'BeBe'; in the past, Jameson has said she plans on moving to Israel and marrying her Israeli fiancé after their baby is born. (Ynet)
- Saudi journalist suggests ties with Israel improve if Israeli Arabs come work in Saudi Arabia - Top Saudi journalist Abdulrahman Al-Rashed is interviewed by Jewish journalist suggested that an initial step could be to allow Israeli Arabs to work in Arab countries, beginning in Saudi Arabia; 'Without resolving the Palestinian-Israeli issue, it’s not possible to address this problem substantively,' warns Al-Rashed. However, when discussing Arab Israeli employment, he adds that 'From a Saudi perspective, the case for doing so can be made openly in terms of the virtue of empowering all Palestinians, on either side of the Green Line.' (Ynet)
- As Assad Near Victory in Aleppo, U.S. Allies Worry Over Trump Alliance With Russia - President-elect's pledge to work with Russia to defeat ISIS, while keeping Assad in place, will backfire, western diplomats say. Allying with Assad would 'would drastically increase' terrorist threat to West, diplomat from U.S. ally says. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- US Sec. of Defense says US to add 200 military personnel to Syria anti-ISIS campaign - In addition to the 300 US troops currently in Syria, US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announces that 200 military personnel will be sent to Syria in an attempt to drive ISIS out of the city of Raqqa; 'the sooner we crush both the fact and the idea of an Islamic state based on ISIL's barbaric ideology, the safer we'll all be,' says Carter while referring to ISIS. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Syrian Civil War Has at Least One Ecological Bright Side - Quantities of water flowing in the Yarmouk River and reaching Jordan have increased as refugees flee Syrian fighting. (Haaretz+)
- Austrian Film Foretelling Nazism Discovered in Paris Flea Market 90 Years After Disappearance - After it premiered in 1924, the Jewish author of the novel the inspired 'The City Without Jews' was murdered by a Nazi. Now, the film will be digitally restored and aired with a new live score thanks to an unprecedented crowdfunding campaign. (Haaretz)
- EU can fight hatred of Jews without explicitly defining it, anti-Semitism envoy says - Katharina von Schnurbein defends EU's ability to counter anti-Semitism regardless of the removal of a 'working definition' from anti-racism agency's website. (JTA, Haaretz)
Features:
How Fire at an Israeli Settlement Sparked Closure of a Palestinian Village
After several houses in Halamish went up in flames two weeks ago, the Israeli army closed off Deir Nizam and turned one home into a military outpost. And then the problem really flared up. (Amira Hass, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
The Reading List for Learning Fascism in Second Grade (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) There is a direct line between extreme, religious and racist nationalism and the reading anthology for learning Hebrew in second grade | Opinion.
Dissing Claims of anti-Semitism, Netanyahu Stamps Trump as Kosher for Jews (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The prime minister endorses Trump on '60 Minutes' as pressure on Electoral College mounts and allegations of Russian intervention erupt.
The IDF's flamboyant attacks in Syria don’t advance the country’s security (Ran Adelist, Maariv) The bombing of weapons in Syria, which Israel was accused of, is part of the policy of protracted conflict with no political horizon. Instead of reducing the threat from the north, they are bringing us closer to the next war.
When Israelis Can No Longer Go to Macy’s (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) The policy of deporting anyone who disagrees with government policy is wreaking havoc on what little remains of Israel’s positive image.
The submarine affair might prove to be one of the most serious corruption scandals ever in Israel (Alon Ben-David, Maariv) Serious suspicions rise from the little that was published about the involvement of the deputy national security adviser and the Prime Minister’s personal attorney in two large security transactions. It is strange that the affair did not bother the many legal experts who commented in the Buchris affair…I wish that the chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot would have showed the same determination he showed in the Buchris affair to the case of the chief military rabbi Eyal Karim. Eisenkot barely managed to get clarification from Karim about the things he wrote (against women and LGBTs) in the past. And only because of the High Court, did Karim agree to admit his mistake and to apologize. Even after the apology, the IDF of today is a military in which the influence of the rabbis is starting to threaten the authority of commanders.
Censoring Israel's Professors (Haaretz Editorial) Israel's education minister wants to establish a code of silence - a new system of political commissars whose goal will be to censor universities and colleges.
The Israeli Army Got the Budget It Wanted - but With Strings Attached (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) It’s not certain that any of the proposed belt-tightening measures, such as shortening compulsory service and lowering IDF pensions, will actually happen.
Like a tumbleweed blowing in the wind (Amnon Abramovich, Yedioth/Ynet) Netanyahu himself has warned that the Regulation Bill could bring senior state officials to The Hague. But who cares about The Hague? The most important thing is to keep living in the prime minister’s residence on Balfour Street.
A Weapon That Destroys Democracy (Adam Raz, Haaretz+) Even if the criminal aspects of the current 'submarine affair' are eventually resolved, the parts concerning nuclear policy and the decision-making processes that shape it will continue to be hidden from the Israeli public.
Assad and Putin are to blame for the atrocities happening in Aleppo, but neither Obama or Israel are clean (Yossi Melman, Maariv) Based on the pictures coming out of Aleppo, the Syrian dictator and the President of Russia are war criminals. But just like Chamberlain, America will be judged.
The Situation in Israel Is Only Getting Worse. So Why Do I Still Miss It? (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz+) I wouldn’t dare go back, I wouldn’t do that to my wife and children. But as I wax nostalgic about my old life, I secretly wish a technicality would force us to return.
The year of saving Jewish Jerusalem (Haim Ramon, Yedioth/Ynet) ‘The united capital of the Jewish people’ is a divided, bi-national city. It’s time to build a full security barrier, amend Basic Law: Jerusalem and return the annexed Palestinian villages and refugees camps to Areas B and C.
Israel Undeterred by Russia's Presence in Syria, but May Trigger Next War With Hezbollah (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) Russian presence in Syria usually limits Israel while restraining Assad, Hezbollah and Iran. Israel's recent actions, however, could provide Hassan Nasrallah with the justification he needs for the next war.
A sex offender should find no refuge in his kippah (Renee Garfinkel, Yedioth/Ynet) Religious practice involves a great deal of self-discipline and setting of boundaries. Impulse-control and restraint are religious values. So shouldn’t we expect religious people to behave better when it comes to sexual offenses?
Abbas' Likely Heir to Haaretz: Don’t Expect Us to Raise a White Flag (Jack Khoury, Haaretz+) With Abbas in his eighties and Barghouti in jail, many see Jibril Rajoub as next PA president. In conversation with Haaretz, he discusses plans for Palestinian unity and popular struggle against occupation.
The Palestinian wars (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) The recent Fatah conference puts former Palestinian Preventive Security Force chief Jibril Rajoub in a good position to succeed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel looks on with concern as the PA's future takes shape.
Thumbing Nose at Alleged Kremlin Debt, Trump Picks Putin’s Pal as Secretary of State (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Jerusalem bound to be disappointed by choice of Exxon CEO Tillerson, whose industry traditionally shuns Israel and prefers the Arab world.
How to Get Rid of the Bennett Government (Nehemia Shtrasler, Haaretz+) With the government enabling any minority group to impose its will on the majority, Naftali Bennett is Israel's real prime minister. It's time to change the system.
Why Congress' New anti-Semitism Bill Won't Protect Jews (Asher Schechter, Haaretz+) U.S. senators' Anti-Semitism Awareness Act actually gives America’s most virulent anti-Semites a giant pass.
Why Israeli Men Live Longer: Army Service (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz+) Israeli men have longer lifespans than the world average, by a lot, and the possibly counterintuitive explanation is they’re forced to serve in the military.
After several houses in Halamish went up in flames two weeks ago, the Israeli army closed off Deir Nizam and turned one home into a military outpost. And then the problem really flared up. (Amira Hass, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
The Reading List for Learning Fascism in Second Grade (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) There is a direct line between extreme, religious and racist nationalism and the reading anthology for learning Hebrew in second grade | Opinion.
Dissing Claims of anti-Semitism, Netanyahu Stamps Trump as Kosher for Jews (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The prime minister endorses Trump on '60 Minutes' as pressure on Electoral College mounts and allegations of Russian intervention erupt.
The IDF's flamboyant attacks in Syria don’t advance the country’s security (Ran Adelist, Maariv) The bombing of weapons in Syria, which Israel was accused of, is part of the policy of protracted conflict with no political horizon. Instead of reducing the threat from the north, they are bringing us closer to the next war.
When Israelis Can No Longer Go to Macy’s (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) The policy of deporting anyone who disagrees with government policy is wreaking havoc on what little remains of Israel’s positive image.
The submarine affair might prove to be one of the most serious corruption scandals ever in Israel (Alon Ben-David, Maariv) Serious suspicions rise from the little that was published about the involvement of the deputy national security adviser and the Prime Minister’s personal attorney in two large security transactions. It is strange that the affair did not bother the many legal experts who commented in the Buchris affair…I wish that the chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot would have showed the same determination he showed in the Buchris affair to the case of the chief military rabbi Eyal Karim. Eisenkot barely managed to get clarification from Karim about the things he wrote (against women and LGBTs) in the past. And only because of the High Court, did Karim agree to admit his mistake and to apologize. Even after the apology, the IDF of today is a military in which the influence of the rabbis is starting to threaten the authority of commanders.
Censoring Israel's Professors (Haaretz Editorial) Israel's education minister wants to establish a code of silence - a new system of political commissars whose goal will be to censor universities and colleges.
The Israeli Army Got the Budget It Wanted - but With Strings Attached (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) It’s not certain that any of the proposed belt-tightening measures, such as shortening compulsory service and lowering IDF pensions, will actually happen.
Like a tumbleweed blowing in the wind (Amnon Abramovich, Yedioth/Ynet) Netanyahu himself has warned that the Regulation Bill could bring senior state officials to The Hague. But who cares about The Hague? The most important thing is to keep living in the prime minister’s residence on Balfour Street.
A Weapon That Destroys Democracy (Adam Raz, Haaretz+) Even if the criminal aspects of the current 'submarine affair' are eventually resolved, the parts concerning nuclear policy and the decision-making processes that shape it will continue to be hidden from the Israeli public.
Assad and Putin are to blame for the atrocities happening in Aleppo, but neither Obama or Israel are clean (Yossi Melman, Maariv) Based on the pictures coming out of Aleppo, the Syrian dictator and the President of Russia are war criminals. But just like Chamberlain, America will be judged.
The Situation in Israel Is Only Getting Worse. So Why Do I Still Miss It? (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz+) I wouldn’t dare go back, I wouldn’t do that to my wife and children. But as I wax nostalgic about my old life, I secretly wish a technicality would force us to return.
The year of saving Jewish Jerusalem (Haim Ramon, Yedioth/Ynet) ‘The united capital of the Jewish people’ is a divided, bi-national city. It’s time to build a full security barrier, amend Basic Law: Jerusalem and return the annexed Palestinian villages and refugees camps to Areas B and C.
Israel Undeterred by Russia's Presence in Syria, but May Trigger Next War With Hezbollah (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) Russian presence in Syria usually limits Israel while restraining Assad, Hezbollah and Iran. Israel's recent actions, however, could provide Hassan Nasrallah with the justification he needs for the next war.
A sex offender should find no refuge in his kippah (Renee Garfinkel, Yedioth/Ynet) Religious practice involves a great deal of self-discipline and setting of boundaries. Impulse-control and restraint are religious values. So shouldn’t we expect religious people to behave better when it comes to sexual offenses?
Abbas' Likely Heir to Haaretz: Don’t Expect Us to Raise a White Flag (Jack Khoury, Haaretz+) With Abbas in his eighties and Barghouti in jail, many see Jibril Rajoub as next PA president. In conversation with Haaretz, he discusses plans for Palestinian unity and popular struggle against occupation.
The Palestinian wars (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) The recent Fatah conference puts former Palestinian Preventive Security Force chief Jibril Rajoub in a good position to succeed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel looks on with concern as the PA's future takes shape.
Thumbing Nose at Alleged Kremlin Debt, Trump Picks Putin’s Pal as Secretary of State (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Jerusalem bound to be disappointed by choice of Exxon CEO Tillerson, whose industry traditionally shuns Israel and prefers the Arab world.
How to Get Rid of the Bennett Government (Nehemia Shtrasler, Haaretz+) With the government enabling any minority group to impose its will on the majority, Naftali Bennett is Israel's real prime minister. It's time to change the system.
Why Congress' New anti-Semitism Bill Won't Protect Jews (Asher Schechter, Haaretz+) U.S. senators' Anti-Semitism Awareness Act actually gives America’s most virulent anti-Semites a giant pass.
Why Israeli Men Live Longer: Army Service (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz+) Israeli men have longer lifespans than the world average, by a lot, and the possibly counterintuitive explanation is they’re forced to serve in the military.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.