APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday April 20, 2017
Quote of the day:
Front Page:
Features:
"Through the victory (Marwan) Barghouti is aiming for, he seeks to force Israel to release him from
prison and recognize his leadership. Israel, however, keeps repeating the tune it began playing 10 years
ago, arguing that not only is Abbas not a partner for negotiations, but that there is no Palestinian
partner at all. It may be time to change direction, to try to talk to Barghouti, who the Palestinians see
as their leader, and at least check if there is someone to talk to."
--Middle East analyst Ronni Shaked in an Op-Ed examining Israel's attitude towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its jailed Palestinian leader, Marwan Barghouti, who has launched a mass hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners.*
--Middle East analyst Ronni Shaked in an Op-Ed examining Israel's attitude towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its jailed Palestinian leader, Marwan Barghouti, who has launched a mass hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners.*
Front Page:
Haaretz
- High Court ruled: Mini-markets in Tel-Aviv can operate on Sabbath
- State: Government negligent in its role treating Holocaust survivors
- Debate on Operation Protective Edge deteriorated into dispute between bereaved parents and Netanyahu and MKs
- Israel trying to thwart FIFA vote on suspension of settlement teams
- Arabic announcements on buses in Beersheva will begin operating again
- One town provides a glimpse into the future under Le Penn (AP)
- It worked for the right-wing // Yossi Klein
- Unacceptable separation // Haaretz Editorial
- Very quietly, the [Hebrew-Arabic] song [about Women Wage Peace] by Yael Dekelbaum has turned into an Israel sensation (video clip)
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Disgrace in the Knesset: MKs attacked bereaved families
- Shameful // Amichai Atali
- The Muslim woman who will sing at the Memorial Day ceremony
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Bereaved parents from Operation Protective Edge: “We have been made into the enemy of the state”
- An inhumane shield // Ben Caspit writes that Likud MKs Bitan and Zohar crossed a line in arguing with bereaved parents
- The wisdom of silence // Meir Uziel writes that Israeli MKs don’t know when to keep their mouths shout
- The Jerusalem connection of the torch lighters
- Tel-Aviv celebrates: It’s permissible to open mini-markets on Sabbath
- Father and son beaten by police from Taybeh: “They beat us up without reason”; Police: “They smelled of alcohol”
Israel Hayom
- After High Court ruling: Battle over Sabbath returns
- “There’s money - it just doesn’t make it to the Holocaust survivors”
- The pain – and the arguments: Stormy debate in the Knesset over Operation Protective Edge
News Summary:
Shock and disgust towards Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Likud MKs, who argued with families of fallen soldiers in the Knesset, a State Comptroller report revealing the government neglect of Holocaust survivors, and the High Court ruling that mini-markets in Tel-Aviv are allowed to operate on the Sabbath made top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
The bereaved parents of soldiers who fell in Operation Protective Edge, the 2014 Gaza War, scolded Likud MKs for their defense of Netanyahu, who said Israel did everything to avoid a conflict and that a diplomatic solution with Hamas was impossible. In the dramatic Knesset session, the parents told Netanyahu, ‘'You’ve made us enemies of the people.'
Shock and disgust towards Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Likud MKs, who argued with families of fallen soldiers in the Knesset, a State Comptroller report revealing the government neglect of Holocaust survivors, and the High Court ruling that mini-markets in Tel-Aviv are allowed to operate on the Sabbath made top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
The bereaved parents of soldiers who fell in Operation Protective Edge, the 2014 Gaza War, scolded Likud MKs for their defense of Netanyahu, who said Israel did everything to avoid a conflict and that a diplomatic solution with Hamas was impossible. In the dramatic Knesset session, the parents told Netanyahu, ‘'You’ve made us enemies of the people.'
Quick Hits:
- Israeli hurt in terror attack at Gush Etzion junction, terrorist killed - A Palestinian terrorist driving a private car hit a 70-year-old man, who was getting off a bus, and wounded him lightly-moderately; An IDF force in the area fired at the terrorist and killed him. (Haaretz and Yedioth/Ynet)
- Police seek to indict 22 settlers who violently protested at evictions - But the police are being lenient toward the apparent worst offenders at Amona and Ofra − the demonstrators who barricaded themselves in the Amona synagogue. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli Settler Convicted of Inciting Violence Online Against Palestinians, Soldiers - Eliraz Fein, 24, from Yitzhar settlement, admitted using social media to call for attacks, expressed her support for throwing stones at soldiers 'even if a soldier dies'; regarding the murder of Muhammad Abu Khdeir, she wrote: 'Proud and happy to discover that there are Jews who could not remain silent.' (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Israeli female conscientious objector sent to military jail for third time - Atalia Ben Abba, who prefers to do civilian national service, will serve 30 more days ‘for the sake of ending the oppression and violence.’ (Haaretz+)
- Israel to allow Marwan Barghouti, other hunger strikers to meet with lawyers - Several attorneys representing hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners said they were barred from meeting their clients who are being held in solitary confinement. (Haaretz+)
- PA, US officials meet over security prisoners' hunger strike - Move by PLO representative aimed at pressuring Israel to accept demands of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners • Former head of Palestinian Prisoners' Club rejects claims the strike is politically motivated, says it could end in hours if demands met. (Israel Hayom)
- Activist group cries foul over Israeli outrage at Marwan Barghouthi op-ed - Activists and commentators have denounced the dishonesty of Israeli criticism of The New York Times for publishing an op-ed in defense of a mass hunger strike underway in Israeli prisons, in light of rampant impunity for Israeli officials who commit crimes or incite violence against Palestinians. (Maan)
- Public security minister: No talks with Palestinian hunger strikers - Gilad Erdan has asked the Health Ministry to prepare field hospitals to treat the security prisoners who require medical aid during their strike, including force-feeding, but he holds firm that these are ‘brutal murderers’ with whom he would not negotiate. (Ynet)
- PA official warns hunger strike could lead to violence - Speaking in an interview with Ynet, a former PA official says people identifying with prisoners and their struggles leads to public sympathy, which in turn, can lead to more demonstrations and confrontations with security forces. (Ynet)
- Haaretz columnist compares Barghouti to Irgun and Lehi fighters - In an acrimonious interview with Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin, Haaretz columnist and Army Radio interviewer Ravit Hecht draws angry reactions by comparing convicted murderer and terrorist Marwan Barghouti to fighters from the Irgun and Lehi. (Ynet)
- Madrid hosts event in honor of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel\ - The event draws harsh condemnations from representatives of the city's Jewish community. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Hamas rejects threats by Palestinian leader - A senior Hamas official claims threats by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not succeed in forcing the terrorist group to cede control in the Gaza Strip; 'Gaza can't be threatened or terrified, and Hamas doesn't accept threats.' (Agencies, Ynet)
- Israel: Arabic announcements to return to Be’er Sheva buses - Practice had stopped at request of mayor, following Jewish residents’ complaints. (Haaretz+)
- Israel Fighting to Stop FIFA From Suspending Settlement Soccer Teams - Move against six teams initiated by Palestinians, backed by FIFA panel; Israelis pessimistic. (Haaretz+)
- Palestinian policeman sentenced to 6 years in killing of Israeli man - Military Prosecution says it will appeal acquittal on manslaughter charge and light sentence on shooting offenses given to policeman over killing of Ben Yosef Livnat in 2011 • Legal aid group Honenu calls ruling a "double blow" to Livnat's family. (Israel Hayom)
- List of Independence Day honorees announced - Honorees who will light torches in the Mount Herzl ceremony include Israeli performers, entrepreneurs and other well-known figures. Miri Regev: 'All of them are lovers of Jerusalem who through their actions and spirit contribute to the building, prosperity and beauty of Jerusalem.' (Ynet)
- Michael Steinhardt, Birthright founder and 'Wall Street's greatest trader,' to light torch on Israel's Independence Day - Steinhardt will be joined by Rabbi Marvin Hier and prominent Israelis in annual ceremony that marks the end of Memorial Day and the start of Independence Day. (Haaretz)
- 575 Jewish Students Challenge Birthright on Israel's Travel Ban: Will We Be Vetted on Our Political Views?
- In a letter, students ask if the biggest sponsor of trips to Israel will screen applicants based on their views on settlement boycott, BDS and other political issues. (Haaretz)
- (Israeli) Students detained for interrogation over Nazi pictures - Pictures of Hitler and 'humoristic' memes about the Holocaust were discovered in screensavers of computers in a high school in Petah Tikva; several swastikas were recently sprayed in the city; Police are investigating. (Ynet)
- Gaza sisters smuggled explosives labeled medicine - Security guards at the Erez Crossing examined two Palestinian sisters and found weapons and explosive materials concealed in tubes normally used for medical supplies; Shin Bet says explosives were sent by Hamas. (Haaretz and Yedioth/Ynet)
- Jerusalem stabber (of British woman) was discharged despite ‘violent’ behavior - Jamil Tamimi, 57, who murdered a British exchange student in Jerusalem, had been released from a psychiatric hospital despite his having exhibited violent behavior whilst in their care. He has been declared fit to stand trial. (Ynet)
- British soccer fans hold moment of silence for Jerusalem stabbing - Hannah Bladon, 20, who was murdered by a Palestinian resident of east Jerusalem while riding the city's light rail on Sunday, was a "keen" fan of the Derby County soccer club • Derby County expresses "sincerest sympathies" with the Bladon family. (Israel Hayom)
- Israel’s Finance Minister Says His Economic Package Will Be Approved in Full - Aides to Prime Minister Netanyahu express qualified support for Kahlon’s proposed aid and tax breaks for families. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli economy ranked 3rd most stable in the world for 2016 - Index published by Bloomberg financial news agency cites near-zero inflation and a low unemployment rate as stabilizing factors • Israel follows Hong Kong, South Korea in the rankings • Oil-rich Venezuela named least stable economy for 2016. (Israel Hayom)
- Pentagon's Mattis visits Middle East to discuss war aims - U.S. defense secretary looks to Middle East, North Africa for broader collaboration on combating Islamic extremism • In visit to region, including stops in Israel, Saudi Arabia and Djibouti, Mattis to discuss "defeating extremist terror organizations." (Israel Hayom)
- ISIS claims responsibility for Sinai monastery attack - ISIS continues attacking Christian sites throughout Egypt despite a declared state of emergency and the heavy presence of security forces; attack comes a week before Pope Francis is set to visit Egypt. (Agencies, Ynet)
Features:
Who Makes Millions Off Israel's Top Cyber Spy Agency
Why can’t Israel's army profit from all the tech developed by its soldiers? (Ruti Levy, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Over Passover, Settlers Attacked Three Grandmothers. I Was One of Them (Carol Cook, Haaretz+) We, three women in our 60s and 70s, wanted to see the settlement reality for ourselves. We got a smaller but bitter taste of the violence and hatred Palestinians in the area experience as routine.
*Could Barghouti become Israel’s peace partner? (Ronni Shaked, Yedioth/Ynet) Through a hunger strike in Israel’s prisons, Marwan Barghouti wishes to fulfill his achievements in the last Fatah elections and position himself as Abbas’ successor. It may be time for Israel to change its tune and try to talk to the man who the Palestinians see as their leader.
Barghouti is intentionally lying, and so is New York Times (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) By publishing the convicted Palestinian terrorist’s op-ed, the leading American newspaper is not advancing peace but rather supporting terror and lies. No other imprisoned terrorists around the world receive the envious conditions afforded to those in Israeli jails.
Barghouti's N.Y. Times article met by Israeli ritual of diversion and denial (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz) Comparing article to terror attack and suggesting sanctions against the Times, as Michael Oren did, is more damaging to Israel’s image
Barghouti receives a cold shoulder from Palestinian leadership (Elior Levy, Ynet) Mahmoud Abbas is not interested in riling up the region before his scheduled meeting with Trump, and in Ramallah they are convinced that only personal political interests are behind the initiators of the prisoners' protest. Thus, only about half of the Fatah members joined the strike.
Palestinian prisoners hope to use rare collective action to force Israeli concessions (Yaniv Kubovich, Haaretz+) Hunger strikes are Palestinian prisoners' most important weapon for achieving improvements in their conditions. But they have generally used it sparingly so as not to dull its impact
Blind propaganda: The right's response to the Barghouti affair helped the Palestinian campaign (Lilach Sigan, Maariv) Instead of scoffing at the hunger strike of the security prisoners, a statement that Israel will maintain a humanitarian approach to them even though they are terrorists could actually be a lot smarter.
The Palestinian Hunger Strike Aims Beyond the Jailhouses (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) The hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners is a means of liberation from the destructive effect of the multiple prison cells on the outside
Fascism is approaching: This is how life in Israel appears under the leadership of the ‘MRRN’ right-wing (Yitzhak Ben-Ner, Maariv) How is it that none of the elected, who swore to protect us and the democracy, don’t dare to stand up against the leadership and unite the opposition for an emergency struggle against the MRRN right-wing: the Messianic, radical, religious, nationalist right-wing.
Erdogan can only envy Netanyahu (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) It’s too easy to conclude that Israel and Turkey are like two oxen pulling the same plow
A yes and no victory for Erdogan (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) Erdogan's victory, which gives him a presidency with the authority of a sultan, paradoxically displayed his limitations.
A Heartfelt Apology to Haaretz Readers (Gideon Levy, Haaretz) To all offended readers, I apologize for the one-sidedness. How could I not maintain a balance between the murderer and the murdered; the thief and his victim; and the occupier and the occupied?
The Loneliness of the Long-distance Liberal Zionist (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Arch-Zionists and anti-Zionists want to make us choose between the two pillars of our identity
No to Gender-separate Classes (Haaretz Editorial) If this proposal for Haredim is indeed approved, the heads of the universities and colleges, the academic faculty and the student population must unite to battle the undermining of academia’s foundations
The Dangerous Silence of Decent Religious Zionists (Avraham Burg, Haaretz+) We were nice, not influential or dangerous. Then a new generation arose and moved into the realm of wildness
What We Can Learn From Heidelberg University's Descent Into Nazism (Arye Carmon, Haaretz+) The tale of an academic elite's surrender to the mob, on and off campus
Why can’t Israel's army profit from all the tech developed by its soldiers? (Ruti Levy, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Over Passover, Settlers Attacked Three Grandmothers. I Was One of Them (Carol Cook, Haaretz+) We, three women in our 60s and 70s, wanted to see the settlement reality for ourselves. We got a smaller but bitter taste of the violence and hatred Palestinians in the area experience as routine.
*Could Barghouti become Israel’s peace partner? (Ronni Shaked, Yedioth/Ynet) Through a hunger strike in Israel’s prisons, Marwan Barghouti wishes to fulfill his achievements in the last Fatah elections and position himself as Abbas’ successor. It may be time for Israel to change its tune and try to talk to the man who the Palestinians see as their leader.
Barghouti is intentionally lying, and so is New York Times (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) By publishing the convicted Palestinian terrorist’s op-ed, the leading American newspaper is not advancing peace but rather supporting terror and lies. No other imprisoned terrorists around the world receive the envious conditions afforded to those in Israeli jails.
Barghouti's N.Y. Times article met by Israeli ritual of diversion and denial (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz) Comparing article to terror attack and suggesting sanctions against the Times, as Michael Oren did, is more damaging to Israel’s image
Barghouti receives a cold shoulder from Palestinian leadership (Elior Levy, Ynet) Mahmoud Abbas is not interested in riling up the region before his scheduled meeting with Trump, and in Ramallah they are convinced that only personal political interests are behind the initiators of the prisoners' protest. Thus, only about half of the Fatah members joined the strike.
Palestinian prisoners hope to use rare collective action to force Israeli concessions (Yaniv Kubovich, Haaretz+) Hunger strikes are Palestinian prisoners' most important weapon for achieving improvements in their conditions. But they have generally used it sparingly so as not to dull its impact
Blind propaganda: The right's response to the Barghouti affair helped the Palestinian campaign (Lilach Sigan, Maariv) Instead of scoffing at the hunger strike of the security prisoners, a statement that Israel will maintain a humanitarian approach to them even though they are terrorists could actually be a lot smarter.
The Palestinian Hunger Strike Aims Beyond the Jailhouses (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) The hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners is a means of liberation from the destructive effect of the multiple prison cells on the outside
Fascism is approaching: This is how life in Israel appears under the leadership of the ‘MRRN’ right-wing (Yitzhak Ben-Ner, Maariv) How is it that none of the elected, who swore to protect us and the democracy, don’t dare to stand up against the leadership and unite the opposition for an emergency struggle against the MRRN right-wing: the Messianic, radical, religious, nationalist right-wing.
Erdogan can only envy Netanyahu (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) It’s too easy to conclude that Israel and Turkey are like two oxen pulling the same plow
A yes and no victory for Erdogan (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) Erdogan's victory, which gives him a presidency with the authority of a sultan, paradoxically displayed his limitations.
A Heartfelt Apology to Haaretz Readers (Gideon Levy, Haaretz) To all offended readers, I apologize for the one-sidedness. How could I not maintain a balance between the murderer and the murdered; the thief and his victim; and the occupier and the occupied?
The Loneliness of the Long-distance Liberal Zionist (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Arch-Zionists and anti-Zionists want to make us choose between the two pillars of our identity
No to Gender-separate Classes (Haaretz Editorial) If this proposal for Haredim is indeed approved, the heads of the universities and colleges, the academic faculty and the student population must unite to battle the undermining of academia’s foundations
The Dangerous Silence of Decent Religious Zionists (Avraham Burg, Haaretz+) We were nice, not influential or dangerous. Then a new generation arose and moved into the realm of wildness
What We Can Learn From Heidelberg University's Descent Into Nazism (Arye Carmon, Haaretz+) The tale of an academic elite's surrender to the mob, on and off campus
Interviews:
Israeli author Assaf Gavron on the importance of airing Israel's dirty laundry abroad
Assaf Gavron tells Haaretz about the inspiration for his new book, and his decision to take part in an anti-Occupation book project. (Interviewed by Gili Izikovich in Haaretz+)
Israeli author Assaf Gavron on the importance of airing Israel's dirty laundry abroad
Assaf Gavron tells Haaretz about the inspiration for his new book, and his decision to take part in an anti-Occupation book project. (Interviewed by Gili Izikovich in Haaretz+)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.