News Nosh 2.09.17

by APN 02/09/17
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APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday February 9, 2017
 
Quote of the day:
"Israel has had its say, and it’s loud and clear: one state, from the sea to the Jordan River, and its regime – apartheid. Two peoples, one of them superior. The spit in one’s face can no longer be called rain. This spit requires a response, and the response must be action."
--Haaretz's Gideon Levy in today's Op-Ed.

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • Missiles at Eilat – 23:00: Iron Dome intercepted a barrage in the direction of the southern city
  • The submarines: Criminal investigation
  • Trump Friedman – Tal Friedman returns to the satire show “Eretz Nehederet” (Wonderful Country) – as the US President
  • (MK) Oren Hazan and his fiancée break the glass
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
Israel Hayom
  • Barrage at Eilat; Iron Dome intercepts three rockets
  • Report: “Hamas refused the prisoners exchange deal that Israel offered”; Goldin and Shaul families (of dead captive soldiers): “Pressure must be put on Hamas, this is a window of opportunity”
  • Tu B’shvat holiday is already here
  • “The (naval) vessels affair – went from probe to (criminal) investigation”
  • Jerusalem Municipality: The Barbur Gallery will close – because of the lecture there by ‘Breaking the Silence’
  • The ultra-Orthodox demonstrated also yesterday in protest of the detention of an AWOL soldier; Lieberman: “Probe an arrangement of postponing draft”
  • Following ‘Israel Hayom’ investigation: Attorney Roey Bar will be sent to jail

News Summary:
Rockets shot at Eilat from Sinai, the fallout on Israel’s ‘Land grab’ law and the investigations into Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also, the latest attacks on left-wing human rights organizations.

Iron Dome anti-missile battery intercepted three rockets shot from the Egyptian peninsula of Sinai and another rocket fell into an open area of Eilat, with no injuries. Al-Qaeda in Sinai has taken responsibility for the first incident along that border in years. 

Some 20 Palestinian municipalities, represented by Israeli human rights groups, petitioned the High Court against Israel’s ‘Regulation Law,’ also known as the expropriation or ‘land grab’ law, because it allows Israel to legally expropriate privately-owned Palestinian land to give to settlers who built on it. (More from Maan) At the same time, left-wing NGOs are demanding that Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit and the Military Advocate General do not implement the law, while right-wingers are demanding that Mendelblit implement the law also on settlement homes that the High Court has already ruled must be demolished.
  
Internationally, the condemnations keep coming in. Democratic Jewish Senator Feinstein blasted Israel over the 'brutal' law and said it w will “lead to the takeover of the West Bank, making a two-state solution impossible.” Germany said it was 'disappointed' in Israel's Regulation Law and that “The confidence we had in the Israeli Government’s commitment to the two-state solution has been profoundly shaken.” (Haaretz has prepared a ‘handy list’ of reactions to the law around the world.) And now Ireland says it will move quickly to recognize the state of Palestine.
 
In Israel, there are moves to silence Israelis who speak out against the occupation. Netanyahu summoned the Belgian ambassador for a rebuke over the meeting he held with the leaders of B'Tselem and Breaking the Silence. At the government’s request, the Jerusalem Municipality closed down an art gallery because it hosted Breaking the Silence. And Israeli authorities detained the Deputy President of The New Israel Fund at Ben-Gurion Airport and questioned her over support for civil society NGOs in Israel. Netanyahu is also facing the heat. The papers provided more details about Netanyahu’s request from wealthy people to buy presents for his wife, Sara. 
 
Maariv reported that senior police officials said the investigations into Netanyahu will end within three weeks. Another investigation in which Netanyahu is not directly involved has now a criminal probe. 'Case 3000' on corruption allegations regarding the purchase of IDF submarines from German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp, has turned into a full criminal investigation. Haaretz reported that just before the purchases were made, the Defense Ministry gave up supervision of arms dealers. Haaretz+ wrote that the move meant there was no state oversight of contract to buy German patrol boats. Netanyahu said that the order to turn it into a criminal investigation was part of a plot to topple his government.
Quick Hits:
  • Hamas says it rejected Israeli offer of prisoner swap - 'What Israel offered isn't near the minimum of our demands,' Hamas tells Al-Jazeera. At least two Israelis are held in Gaza, while Israel holds the brother of a senior Hamas operative. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
  • Hadar Goldin's brother says mediation insufficient - Tzur Goldin, Hadar Goldin’s twin brother, comments on Hamas claims that Israel offered a number of prisoner exchange proposals via mediators: says nothing being done on the ground: ‘Netanyahu knows exactly what needs to be done for Israel to enter negotiations from a position of power and strength, and not as a state that capitulates to a neighborhood bully.’ (Ynet) 
  • Hamas in Hebrew propaganda video: 'Be precise, hit IDF headquarters' - Following the escalation in Gaza, Hamas is attempting to renew its psychological warfare in an attempt to deter the IDF from entering a new round of fighting in Gaza. It produced a song accompanied by Hebrew animation and rhythmic music: 'Zionist, you will perish in Gaza.' (Ynet)
  • Lieberman moves to cancel draft agreement with unruly yeshivas - Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman is examining options to cancel the draft deferment agreement with yeshivas, who violently protested Tuesday night; Lieberman: 'Whoever takes part in incitement against the IDF is not entitled to any benefits.' (Haaretz+ and Ynet) 
  • PA has more diplomatic missions around the world than Israel - Israel's international presence is growing weaker due to closures and budgetary constraints; for the first time ever, the PA has more international missions than Israel; Arab League and Iran have 1,941 total, while Israel has 102. (Yedioth/Ynet) 
  • Poll: Most Israelis believe US will move embassy to Jerusalem - Some 35% of Israelis absolutely believe President Trump will fulfill his campaign promise to relocate the embassy, 22% do not believe he will do so • Poll also finds 58% of Israelis do not think Israel is ready for a religious PM while 23% believe it is. (Israel Hayom)
  • Elderly Palestinian dies after being run over by Israeli settler - Suleiman Hamad Salah, an 85-year-old resident of the village of al-Khader, was killed after being run over on Route 60, an Israeli bypass road that cuts through the occupied Palestinian territory and connects illegal settlements to Israel. (Maan) 
  • Indictment against youth for attacking Palestinian dropped - Due to lack of substantial evidence, prosecution decides to rescind the allegations against Itamar Ben-Aharon, who was accused of membership in a Jewish terror cell and of attacking a Palestinian civilian in June 2015. (Ynet) 
  • Netanyahu holding back East Jerusalem construction, says official - Meir Turgeman quotes housing minister as saying Netanyahu opposes building in controversial Givat Hamatos. (Haaretz+) 
  • Netanyahu in New Drive to Delay Public Broadcaster’s Launch - Sources say aides preparing legislation to push back launch date, now set for April 30. (Haaretz+)
  • Israeli bulldozers return to Beit Hanina to demolish Palestinian building - For the second day in a row Wednesday morning, Israeli bulldozers demolished a Palestinian-owned building that was under construction in Beit Hanina in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext that the building lacked the nearly impossible to obtain building licenses required by Israeli authorities. (Maan) 
  • Israeli forces demolish Bedouin village of al-Araqib for 109th time - Israeli forces also demanded that the residents pay 2 million shekels (approximately $532,750) for the cumulative cost of Israeli-enforced demolitions carried out against the village since the first time it was destroyed in 2010. (Maan) 
  • Israeli forces take over Palestinian home in Bethlehem-area town - Israeli forces raided the village of Tuqu southeast of Bethlehem, took over a Palestinian home, and turned it into a military post early Wednesday morning. (Maan)
  • Israeli forces seal house on Hebron's Shuhada Street - Israeli forces put up a sign on the entrance of the house, which belongs to Izzat Yassin Abu Munshar, reading" “house under security,” and barred entry to the residents. (Maan) 
  • 100-year-old Bedouin woman left homeless as Israel continues Negev demolitions - Israeli bulldozers, escorted by Israeli police, demolished a house in the village of Wadi al-Naam in the western part of the Negev in southern Israel. (Maan) 
  • VIDEO shows Israeli forces violently detain Palestinian boy in broad daylight, 16 others in night raids - A video shared on social media shows Israel soldiers aggressively throwing the boy into the back of a military vehicle., as he was walking home from school. (Maan+VIDEO)
  • Palestinian teen sentenced to 15 years in prison over 2015 stabbing - An Israeli magistrate court in Jerusalem sentenced 19-year-old Anas al-Aqraa, to 15 years in prison on Wednesday for his alleged involvement in a stabbing attack in which an Israeli was wounded. (Maan) 
  • Attorney General to Court: I Wasn’t Involved in Israel Hayom Bill - Avichai Mendelblit was responding to move to block him from handling probe of Netanyahu’s ties to publisher Arnon Mozes. (Haaretz) 
  • Shin Bet could ease security clearance rules for past drug use - Review by Israel’s domestic security agency comes after state moves to decriminalize marijuana use. (Haaretz+)
  • Lapid eyes Ya'alon, former generals to join his party - Yesh Atid leader announces he has been in contact with Ya’alon, Benny Gantz and Gabi Ashkenazi to convince them to join his party but says no decision has been taken; pledges not to support any interim government should Netanyahu resign. (Ynet and Israel Hayom) 
  • Author Jamaica Kincaid wins Israeli Dan David Prize - The foundation awards $3 million in prizes annually to recipients grouped in three categories: past, present and future. Kincaid is being honored as 'one of the most important and influential writers today.' (Agencies, Haaretz) 
  • Russia promises to keep weapons out of Hezbollah's hands - Russia's ambassador to Israel Alexander Shane states in interview that during talks between Russia and Israel on Syria, Russia promised Israel that it will prevent Russian weapons from finding their way to Hezbollah. (Yedioth/Ynet) 
  • Israel shoots back at Syria after tank shell strikes in Golan Heights - None were hurt in the incident, which the Israeli army saw as spillover from Syria's civil war. (Haaretz) 
  • Trump Considers Listing Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as Terrorist Group - Such a designation for Iran's single most powerful military and political institution could have potentially destabilizing effects, including inflaming regional conflicts. (Agencies, Haaretz) 
 
Commentary/Analysis:
Settlers of Amona? Stop the bluff, let's see you being heroes in the Negev (Yoram Duri, Maariv) For those who oppose the eviction of the Amona outpost, the commandment to settle the land and prevent it from falling into the hands of foreigners apparently is only valid for you in certain areas. Otherwise, we would have seen these people acting within the Green Line. 
Netanyahu's Diplomatic Collapse (Haaretz Editorial) Netanyahu, by capitulating to the extreme nationalism of Bennett’s Habayit Hayehudi, is forcing the world to oppose Israel. 
Hamas is hesitating, Israel is gambling (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) Israeli officials are confident that the IDF can keep responding powerfully to occasional rocket fire from Gaza without the situation spiraling out of control. But that won’t last forever. At some point, the Palestinian organization may reach the conclusion that a certain strike is part of an Israeli plan to invade the Gaza Strip. 
**Imagine Netanyahu Arrested in London (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) And Defense Minister Lieberman extradited from Minsk; settlers' Minister Bennett quivering in federal prison; army generals not getting off the plane in France. 
Living in a bubble: Netanyahu is ready for any trick, just as long as the investigations stop (Ron Kaufman, Maariv) A war in Gaza, jibberish about two states, even five. A war against Hezbollah, a boycott of all European countries, and a hug from Trump. Netanyahu even made a plea bargain with Lady Sarah. 
As Netanyahu Cozies Up to Trump, American Jews' Alienation From Israel Escalates (Ori Nir, Haaretz+) The more Netanyahu hitches his wagon to the White House, the more he and Trump resemble each other, the more American Jews will actively resist both. 
Politics of doing things just to spite: The problem of the Regulation law (Shmuel Rosner, Maariv) Since there is a high chance the Regulation Law won’t pass the legal test, it means the Knesset actually chose, with a clear mind, to pass a law that has no use, and which certainly causes damage. This is not a choice of people of principles, but of politicians who do things to spite.
Makor Rishon's Strange Campaign of Love (Emilie Moatti, Haaretz+) Why does a serious, independent newspaper with a respectable readership run ads delegitimizing its competitors under the guise of love? 
The Regulation Law (Expropriation Law) will put an end to the discrimination against Jews in Judea and Samaria (Kalman Libeskind, Maariv) It is important not to get confused. The current legal situation, prior to the Regulation Law, does not discriminate against the residents of Judea and Samaria in comparison to their brethren in Israel. Worse. It discriminates against Jews vs. Arabs. 
How Will America Look After Years of Trump and Bannon? See: Israel (Don Futterman, Haaretz+) Liberal democratic values are under attack in both America and Israel. But in Israel, the assault's already gone on for years, led by fanatics and unobstructed by a cowardly prime minister. 
The Regulation Law gives a glimpse into the country's bleak future (Lt. Col. (res) Aviv Feigel, Maariv) There is one blessing in the “Regulation Law”: It gives us a glimpse of what to expect from what is to come, despite the fact that the horizon does not appear positive. However, keep in mind that reality can still be changed. 
 

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

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