News Nosh 3.06.17

by APN 03/06/17
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APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday, March 6, 2017
 
You Must Be Kidding:
"I was very hurt; they asked me if I had ties to ISIS. I am a married man and I want to live and support my family with dignity."
--Majdi Othman of Abu Ghosh town was shocked to learn that the Shin Bet denied him permission for a technical job in an external company working at Ben-Gurion Airport. The Shin Bet said his "security status was found unsuitable.” Othman, an Arab-Israeli, served in the IDF as a combat medic and driver and fought in the Second Lebanon War.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • “The caregivers hit the babies and scream at them” – Abuse at daycare center
  • Today: Netanyahu will be interrogated for the fourth time
  • “A partner who is a full partner is a condition for a woman who wants a career” – Governor of Bank of Israel Karnit Flug
  • Women write Yedioth Ahronoth – International Women’s Day 2017
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
Israel Hayom

News Summary:
The interrogation today of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu – for the fourth time - over allegations that he and his family received illicit gifts and that he discussed striking a deal with the publisher of Yedioth Ahronoth to their mutual interests and against those of Israel Hayom newspaper, the White House call on Congress to investigate whether former US president Barack Obama wiretapped his successor, as US President Donald Trump accused, and the decision to hold elections for the leadership of Israel’s Labor party were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
  
In diplomacy, or lack thereof, Likud MK Miki Zohar said that in his vision for a one-state solution, only Palestinians who served in the army would be able to have full citizenship and vote. Also, Netanyahu said that in his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin he will demand that Iranian forces leave Syria. Netanyahu has made no comments on the Haaretz report of his planned Mideast peace initiative, only saying, “I won’t go into it.” Haaretz+ also revealed that the secret regional peace bid sparked tensions between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi. Abbas objected to the effort believing that Netanyahu was just cooperating with the push for a regional peace agreement in order to shake off responsibility and in hopes of pressuring the Palestinians into additional concessions.
 
Meanwhile, only Maariv online (and i24news) reported that in an interview with Maan News, a senior Hamas official revealed that Hamas’ new charter will state “acceptance of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital based on pre-1967 borders,” and declare that the “conflict is with the Israeli occupation and the Zionist movement inside Palestine, and not with the Jews in general."
  
i24news also reported that “Hamas has been cracking down on rogue jihadists within its territory over the past month, rounding up some 550 suspected jihadists and supporters of the Islamic State terrorist organization, some of whom, they claim, are responsible for recent rocket fire into Israel.” Also in the news, Tony Blair is reportedly aiming to be Trump's Middle East peace envoy. 
Quick Hits:

Wounded Palestinian Boy of 14 Spends Three Days Handcuffed to Hadassah Hospital Bed - The boy is expected to be released to house arrest after facing arrest for alleged involvement in throwing stones at police in East Jerusalem. (Haaretz+)
Israeli army leans towards appealing lenient sentence for Hebron shooter - Sgt. Elor Azaria was given an 18 month term for manslaughter. Prosecutors have days to decide whether to appeal it. (Haaretz and Ynet)
[Suspected] Stabbing attack prevented [without shooting] at Tapuah Junction - Border Police report that they apprehended two Nablus residents who were approaching the West Bank junction with a knife and successfully arrested them without the use of physical force. (Ynet and Maan)
Israeli minister to demand cabinet discuss his plan to build Gaza island port - The request comes against the backdrop of concern over a humanitarian crisis in the coastal strip that could spark a renewed violence conflagration. (Haaretz+)
**Outstanding Arab IDF soldier was rejected for job for ‘security’ reasons - Majdi Othman, a former combat medic in the Border Police and driver in the IDF's permanent service, who served in the Second Lebanon War, is denied a technician's job in the Airports Authority due to 'security lack of suitability.' (Ynet)
Arab town in Israel removes 'Arafat' street signs under government order - Interior Minister Arye Dery demanded that Jatt rescind a 2008 decision to name a street for the late Palestinian leader. Netanyahu: 'we can't have streets named after Israel's enemies.' (Haaretz+ and Ynet) 
Committee: Israel fined Palestinian minors a combined $15,400 in February - Committee lawyer Luay Akka said that of at least 49 Palestinian minors who were imprisoned in February and taken to Ofer, 27 of them were detained during home raids, nine in the streets, five after being summoned for interrogation, four at checkpoints, and four in Israel for not having permits. (Maan) 
Report: Israeli forces detained 420 Palestinians in February - Israeli forces detained 420 Palestinians during the month of February, including 70 minors and 22 women and girls, according to a statement released on Saturday by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Center for Studies. (Maan) 
Palestinian immediately re-detained by Israel upon being released from prison - After completing a 12-year sentence in Israeli prison, 34-year-old Moussa Darwish, of E. Jerusalem, was immediately redetained by Israeli forces upon being released on Sunday. (Maan)  
Miri Regev presents the official logo marking 50 years since the liberation of Jerusalem - Minister Miri Regev presents the symbol that will adorn the official stationery of the various government ministries in the upcoming year; 'The liberation of Jerusalem must be above political disputes.' (Yedioth/Ynet) 
Arab Israeli sentenced to 3 years in prison for attempting to join ISIS - The 36-year-old resident of Shfar'am was found to be in possession of pro-ISIS material and to have made contact with an ISIS recruiter on Facebook in the hopes of traveling to Syria to join the organization. (Ynet) 
Obama's Israel envoy to join Tel Aviv-based think tank - Dan Shapiro, who served as ambassador for six years, will participate in various research programs on Israel's ties with the U.S., the Palestinians and the Arab World. (Haaretz) 
Protesters denounce 'racist' planned closure of Beersheba Bedouin market - An appeal has been made against the decision by Mayor Ruvik Danilovich to close Beersheba’s traditional Bedouin market, which had been in operation for some 120 years, by the end of the month. (Maan) 
Israeli bulldozers level Palestinian lands near Gaza border with Israel - Palestinians who work near the “buffer zone” often come under fire from Israeli military forces, as the authorities have not made clear the precise area of the designated zone. (Maan)
Ministers set to approve NIS 52 million boost to yeshivot budget - Budget hike will see religious seminaries' budget come to NIS 1.2 billion ($320 million) • Increase part of coalition deals signed with ultra-Orthodox parties Shas, United Torah Judaism • Funds meant to meet needs of growing number of students, they say. (Israel Hayom)
Despite war and terrorism, poverty and inequality, Israel scores low on misery index - Israel is the 54th least miserable country to live in, while U.S. ranks 49th, but you'll never guess the No. 1. (Haaretz)
Reopened theater to memorialize Protective Edge casualties - Outdoor theater at Kibbutz Gvaram is located a few miles from the Gaza Strip • Project envisions a happy, vibrant place that will host activities year-round and where families can enjoy themselves as well as communing with the memory of their sons. (Israel Hayom( 
Israel moves to approve 'instant passport' bill for immigrants, even if they don’t settle - Law would waive one-year wait for new immigrants, even if they don’t move to Israel for good, despite police objections. (Haaretz+)
Ministry of Justice recommends denying Olmert's clemency request - President Reuven Rivlin is set to receive the denial recommendation from Minister of Justice Shaked, which is in response to a clemency request submitted by disgraced, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for early release. (Yedioth/Ynet) 
Congressman confident Trump will move embassy to Jerusalem - "Knowing the president ... I don't think that he's going to, in the same month that people here in Jerusalem are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem Day, sign the waiver [to stop the move]," says House Subcommittee on National Security head. (Israel Hayom)
Fatah to US Congress: moving embassy to Jerusalem will disrupt entire region - In a statement released Saturday night, Fatah spokesperson Ziad Khalil Zayyad warned that the US Congress “should understand that moving the US embassy to Jerusalem will not only explode the situation in Palestine but the whole Mena (Middle East and North Africa) region.” (Maan)
Israeli Arab Leader Angers J Street by Criticizing Labor Party - J Street denies president refused to shake Aymen Odeh's hand after lawmaker accused Zionist Union of failing to take steps to stop violence in a Bedouin village. (Haaretz+) 
Sanctuary Synagogues Throughout U.S. Feel Urgency to Protect Immigrants and Stand Up Against Trump - A growing number of congregations across the U.S. are announcing themselves as 'sanctuary synagogues,' offering refuge and assistance to those who might be affected by Trump's new immigration policies. (Haaretz+) 
Visiting NY governor condemns recent anti-Semitic incidents - "It is disgusting, it is reprehensible, it violates every tenant of the New York state tradition," says New York Governor Andrew Cuomo at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem • President Reuven Rivlin: "Jews must be safe wherever they are." (Israel Hayom)
'Spy Who Infiltrated Nuclear Team' Indicted in Iran - Amid talk of 'Western infiltration, a number of Iranian dual nationals held behind bars on charges of espionage, collaborating with hostile governments. (Agencies, Haaretz)


Features:
Trump's Pick for Israel Envoy: Where Do Jewish Groups Stand?
Religious right against liberal left: Ahead of this week’s critical vote, Haaretz presents a list of David Friedman’s friends and foes in the American Jewish world. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+) 
For gay Zionists, making Aliyah is an opportunity to link both identities together
Magazine: For the first time ever, the Israel Mega Event—an annual Aliyah fair taking place in New York City—included a stand catering to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Jews; Scott Piro, who was behind the initiative, speaks about marketing the Israeli gay community to American LGBT Jews. (Itamar Eichner and Gal Becker, Yedioth/Ynet)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
Netanyahu, in His Own Words (Haaretz Editorial) Netanyahu would be well advised to declare to the public that he believes in the two-state vision, is ready for a territorial compromise and understands that settlement expansion must be stopped. 
The road to the march of folly (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) Almost everything about Operation Protective Edge was known in real time: The fact that both sides entered the battle unwillingly; the operational difficulties and the futility in destroying the tunnels; the huge waste of ammunition, especially by the Air Force; the refusal to examine any other alternative for Gaza; and most importantly, Netanyahu’s weak leadership and, as a result, the anarchy in the Security Cabinet. 
With a Wave of Netanyahu's Dismissive Hand (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) As before the 2014 Gaza war, officials know there’s no follow-up after the 'guidance' the prime minister gives, so nothing ever happens. Hopefully reports by the state comptroller will make him more effective. 
Let's Celebrate: Israel Is Better Than North Korea (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) The U.S. ambassador to the UN put Israel, Syria, Iran and North Korea all in a row, and determined that Israel is the best of them. So what's the celebration about? 
To succeed (and) to remain a woman (Air Force pilot N., Yedioth/Ynet) The picture of an IAF pilot breastfeeding her son, which touched hearts around the world, is a testament to the complex world of a pioneering woman in a closed men’s club. In a special op-ed in honor of International Women’s Day, she explains how accepting her femininity made her a better pilot. 
Baseless Arrests in the Holy Kingdom of Judea and Samaria (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Someone fed the Israel Defense Forces spokesman’s office with lies claiming that two young West Bank Palestinians caught by Israeli soldiers were suspected of breaking a see-saw owned by West Bank settlers.
Where is Hamas headed? (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) Unlike Hezbollah after the Second Lebanon War, Hamas never tried presenting Protective Edge as a victory or an achievement for the organization.
For the Next Gaza War, Israel Must Seek Permanent Quiet in the South (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) Regardless of whether the 2014 Gaza operation a success or failure, the next time around whatever needs to be done will have to done in days, not weeks. 
Justice Minister Shaked sends a hint to the judges - my way or the highway (Ran Adelist, Maariv) The Israeli legal system has never been a beacon of justice according to accepted Western criteria. It is not difficult to assess how the wind blows now, when it comes a strictly right-wing High Court of Justice.
Tzipi Livni, Israel's Angela Merkel (Tzvia Greenfield, Haaretz) Tzipi Livni is an unusual and admirable phenomenon in Israeli politics. She’s a serious, clearheaded woman who grew up in the right, but whose head and heart are in the right place.
 
Interviews:
The Arab lawmaker vying to be prime minister of a utopian Israeli-Palestinian state
Which flag? Which religion? And what about the army? Knesset Member Ahmad Tibi lays out his vision for the one-state solution. (Interviewed by Carolina Landsmann in Haaretz+) 


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

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