News Nosh 3.17.17

APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday March 17, 2017
 
You Must Be Kidding #1: 
“We’re used to the rightist worldview reflected in civics and history. … Now we have to agree to a blatantly political agenda so that the child can go to a science competition.”
“The messages say everyone hates us already from the era of the Bible, which is also the only legitimization for Israel mentioned in the course...The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is presented with no context – no explanation is given for the Arab hatred and there’s no distinction between Israel and the West Bank."

--Angry parents of students, who like all students participating in competitions abroad must now take a compulsory online right-wing indoctrination course beforehand. Arab students are also required to take the course.

You Must Be Kidding #2: 
Israel to Give Highest Honor to Leader of Group That Settles Jews in Arab Jerusalem


Breaking News:
Israel, Assad Regime Engage in Most Serious Military Incident Since Outbreak of Syrian Civil War
Syria deploys air defense system, fires missiles at Israel Air Force jets; Israeli missile defense system intercepts missile north of Jerusalem. (Haaretz and Ynet)

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • In the lowest place in the world – Yedioth team toured the tunnel dug under Tel-Aviv for the light rail
  • Relations between Kahlon and Netanyahu have long been tense // Sima Kadmon
  • Netanyahu: “My Mizrachi gene sprang up” – That’s how the PM explained his demand to postpone the beginning of broadcasting of the Public Broadcasting Corp, which sparked the crisis with Finance Minister Kahlon
  • A racist remark // Meirav Betito
  • Autodeal – The people behind the success story of Mobileye
  • Can a driverless car without passengers drive on Shabbat // Nahum Barnea
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
  • Two years prison for MK Ghattas
  • Eli settlement pre-military academy vs. (Defense Minister) Lieberman
  • The Corporation in exchange for supervision – Prime Minister and Finance Minister (Kahlon) reached an understanding: The Public Broadcasting Corporation will operate in exchange for support for the new media law; Netanyahu was asked by Kahlon why he asked for another postponement and the PM answered: “My Mizrachi gene sprang up”
  • The Intel-Mobileye exit: The stories behind the numbers
  • 25 years since the attack on the Israeli embassy in Argentina and they still haven’t succeeded in bringing those responsible to court
  • Despite the shocks to currency, the Bank of Israel monetary committee is operating with fewer people
  • The partition plan – Here is the alternative to a two-state solution: Dismantling by agreement the Palestinian Authority and establishing a federation of 30 cantons // Udi Segal
  • “A knife in the back of Elor Azaria” – (His remaining) lawyer, Yoram Sheftal, attacks the lawyers who resigned: “They harmed his chance to appeal his sentence”
  • The Iranian crescent: CEO of the Intelligence Ministry, Hagai Tzuriel: “The developments in Syria are the greatest strategic threat to Israel”
  • 60 years since Kastner’s murder: Id he sell his soul to the devil and how much so?
  • In your living room: The lecture tour of the former robber, Yoram Landsberger
  • The country of Haifa: There is life outside of Tel-Aviv and it’s a good one // Marcelle Musari
Israel Hayom
  • A light plea bargain: Two years prison for MK Ghattas – He will admit, resign from Knesset – and will be charged with giving means for perpetrating terror
  • Rabbi Levinstein Storm: IDF Chief of Staff will meet with religious Zionist rabbis
  • The contribution of their lives - These are the Israeli Prize laureates for lifetime achievement: ‘The father of the lone soldiers,’ Maj. Gen. (res.) Tzivka Levy and CEO of Elad NGO, [which champions Jewish settlement in E. Jerusalem – OH] David Be’eri
  • PM: “We will uphold our promise to those evicted from Amona [illegal outpost – OH]”
  • Crisis between Netanyahu and Kahlon ended: The Public Broadcasting Corp will begin as scheduled; the coalition will advance the media bill
  • Deadly day on the roads: 3 killed in crashes within 10 minutes
  • The lane to success: The enormous exit of Mobileye is just the beginning

 
News Summary:
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu party) ended their crisis with a problematic agreement, Arab MK Basel Ghattas and the state reached a plea bargain, but the battle between Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Education Minister Naftali Bennett and the Eli settlement pre-military academy continued as the later rejected the demand by the former that the academy’s controversial rabbi Yigal Levinstein resign, making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.

Netanyahu and Kahlon ended their crisis by reaching an agreement whereby Netanyahu will allow the new independent public broadcasting corporation to begin broadcasting on April 30, but the coalition will agree to pass a controversial new communications bill that gives significant control to the government, which will appoint regulators to supervise the entire media market. 
 
In order to get 'only' two years in prison, Israeli Arab MK Basel Ghattas had to declare that the mobile phones he smuggled to Palestinian security prisoners aided them in terror. [NOTE: One of the greatest grievances of Palestinian security and political prisoners and administrative detainees (jailed but not charged) in Israeli jails is the authorities' refusal to allow them to talk on public telephones inside jails to communicate with their families. As a result, mobile phones are smuggled into jails. Israeli soldiers have also reportedly sold them to prisoners at high prices. Prison authorities claim the mobile phones are used to authorize and plan attacks. Inmates say that if Israel installed prison phones their calls could be controlled and even monitored and that the need for the trade in mobile phones would end. Amira Hass has the interesting details – OH]
 
Key Stories:
Israel and U.S. Make Progress in Talks on Curbs to Settlement Construction, but No Agreement Yet
Second meeting between Trump, Greenblatt lasts for three hours, but fails to produce understanding on settlement construction; discussions set to continue with Israeli ambassador in Washington, joint statement says. (Haaretz+)
State Department: Massive Cuts in Budget Won't Affect Military Aid to Israel
Israel is set to receive $3.1 billion in 2018. Meanwhile, Israeli officials are concerned that the massive cuts could reduce aid to the Palestinians, create a new security threat. (Haaretz+)
In Precedent-setting Ruling, Israel's Top Court Recognizes East Jerusalem Arabs as 'Native-born Residents'
Over 14,000 Arabs have had their residency rights revoked since 1967 because they were absent from Jerusalem for more than 7 years. Court ruling challenges practice that treated them like immigrants in their own city. Jerusalem-born Akhram Abdalhak, 58, was nine when the annexation took place and moved three years later to the United States with his parents. In 1989 he tried to return to Israel and discovered his legal status had expired and the ministry rejected his request to renew his residency. In 2014 he appealed to the high court and on Tuesday, justices Uzi Fogelmen, Meni Mazuz and the court president, Miriam Naor, found in his favor and instructed the ministry to restore his status. Naor consented to these rulings, but added that each case must be judged on its own merit. (Haaretz+)
In First, UN Agency Accuses Israel of Being an 'Apartheid Regime' (Haaretz and Israel Hayom)
IAF destroys Hamas targets in Gaza in response to rocket (Israel Hayom and Ynet)
 
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.