APN's daily news review from Israel

Sunday April 30, 2017
 

Quote of the day:

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Front Page:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

News Summary: 
The stories of fallen IDF soldiers and officers filled today’s Hebrew newspapers ahead of Israel’s Memorial Day this evening (and for which Israel has put the Palestinian Territories under closure). Also making top stories, Israel was angry at Germany for allegedly leading a new softer UNESCO resolution that was critical of Israel and rejected its sovereignty in E. Jerusalem (the vote takes place Tuesday, Israel’s Independence Day) and North Korea expressed anger toward Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman for insulting its leader.
 
And in weekend news about US President Donald Trump: After Trump told Reuters overnight Thursday that there was no reason whatsoever that there was no peace between Israel and the Palestinians and on the subject of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem he said, ‘Ask me in a month on that,’ Maariv quoted far right-wing, pro-settler Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Habayit Hayehudi) said, “It is a great loss. The commitment [to move the embassy] was that of the President himself to his constituency and not to the Israelis." On Trump’s desire to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians, she said: “It's hopeless, like knocking one’s head into the wall.” However, there are supporters for her pro-settler views. A new Republican caucus was established aimed at shifting U.S. policy from peacemaking to 'defeating' Palestinians, Haaretz+ reported. Meanwhile, ahead of his meeting with Trump on Wednesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is making the rounds with neighboring Arab leaders of Jordan and Egypt in order to coordinate positions. Haaretz+’s Jack Khoury wrote that in his meeting with Trump Abbas might raise the two-week long hunger strike by Palestinians in Israeli prisons. Abbas has asked Sissi to intervene to resolve the crisis.”
 
Also, Arab media reported that a Syrian military unit was attacked near the border with Israel, but a Syrian army official denied any attack.
 

Quick Hits:

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Features:

'The world's been wiped out': The first Memorial Day for a newly bereaved family
Shir Hajaj was one of four cadets killed in a truck-ramming attack in Jerusalem in January. In the months since her death, Ynet accompanied the Hajaj family and friends of Shir's as they processed and dealt with the murder of their loved one. (Liran Levi, Ynet) 
How Arabs Made Israel’s Desert Bloom More Than 1,500 Years Ago
Israelis like to boast about their success in developing the Negev, but under the Byzantine empire, Christian Arabs were the first to turn the desert into a garden. (Ariel David, Haaretz+) 

Commentary/Analysis:
*My Sister Was Killed by Terrorists. But I Won’t Give Up on Peace (Yigal Elhanan, Haaretz) 10 years ago, Smadar was murdered in a suicide bombing in Jerusalem. But I refuse to let Israel’s government make political capital out of her death, and the deaths of all the Israeli and Palestinian victims of this conflict. 
This Is How Israel Inflates Its Jewish Majority (Haaretz Editorial) The stats bureau's annual population report is a ludicrous piece of propaganda that includes settlers but not all Palestinians under Israeli control. 
Big Deal: What does Israel want Trump to think about during his visit to Israel? (Udi Segal, Maariv) Instead of a thousand speeches or position papers that he will never read, Israel needs to design for the American president a learning experience and a content package that will lead to closing the deal. 
Winning in Israeli Court Isn’t Enough to Get You Justice, Palestinian Farmers Are Reminded (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Across the West Bank, they’re barred from their own land when Israeli army fails to enforce court orders.
Why I Won't Fly the Israeli Flag on Independence Day (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Since it began flying in the territories, it has become the flag of apartheid. This is the flag you want me to fly? How can I? 
Islam’s only achievement: Changing Western politics (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) European states have been reshaped following the massive waves of immigration from Muslim countries, bringing suspicion and hatred back to the continent. All polls reveal that liberal Western Europe is more afraid of Muslims than of anything else, regardless of their real number in the population. 
No political stars in constellation of Israeli Labor Party leadership hopefuls (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) After years in the opposition, the party is still looking for the Barack Obama who could lead them to unseat Netanyahu, but it seems unlikely that any of the contenders would fit the bill. 
Netanyahu’s potential successors have nothing to offer (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) A significant part of the Israeli public is fed up with the prime minister's ongoing presence in its life and is willing, at least according to the polls, to vote for a different candidate. The problem is that apart from personal criticism against Netanyahu, there is no real criticism against his moves and policy. 
Why the World Needs Open Borders More Than Ever (Ofri Ilany, Haaretz+) And why Israelis especially should be fighting for them. 
The Self-destructive Hypocrisy Threatening Jewish Philanthropy (Joel Braunold, Haaretz+) Donor-advised funds are changing the Jewish non-profit landscape and are increasingly being used to block donations to left-leaning projects. 
Greenlighting an Israeli attack on Iran in Syria? (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) The Iranian takeover of Syria, as well as of Lebanon and Gaza, is no longer just Israel’s problem. There is a feeling in Jerusalem that if and when Israel is forced to put an end to the Iranian crawl into the Golan Heights, it will receive strong American backing.
Israel's Politicization of Bereavement (Iris Leal, Haaretz+) Individual loss that is not incorporated into and defined as an idea is pure emptiness, which is liable to cause the national ethos to crumble. But one day, somebody may yet refuse to take part in it.
Netanyahu's Snub of the German FM Was a Pathetic Political Game - and It Paid Off (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Here's why he didn't ask President Rivlin to boycott Germany's Sigmar Gabriel as well.
Keeping all cards close to the vest (Maj. Gen. (ret.) Yaakov Amidror, Israel Hayom) The U.S.'s decision to strike Syria and the results of the referendum in Turkey have a significant impact on Israel. It will not be easy to navigate between these conflicting forces and Middle East realities, but Israel must guard its interests.
International phenomenon: The world is responsible for the ethnic gap in Israel and not its founders (Ran Adelist, Maariv) The resentment toward secular Ashkenazis is authentic, but the responsibility for racial differences in the country lies with those who long ago praised the white race and determined that all the rest are third world. 
Israel, Not Quite Independent and Not Quite Democratic (Nehemia Shtrasler, Haaretz+) We have not achieved the Zionist dream, of a country that will be a safe haven for the Jewish people, even after 69 years of 'independence' and 50 years since the Six-Day War. 
Netanyahu Needs Initiative, Not Intrigue (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) The prime minister has thus far imposed bloody immobility with the Palestinians and Israel's other rivals - and doing nothing means eternal war
UNESCO trying to impose a fake history (Ron Prosor, Yedioth/Ynet) Just like Israel’s security forces manage to thwart most terror attacks, the State of Israel must work to thwart most diplomatic terror attacks, including the resolution challenging Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem. 
For Netanyahu, Palestinian Hunger Strike Is a Chance to One-up Abbas (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) While the prime minister has so far found a smooth way to deal with Trump, his conduct in relation to the Europeans has been much more cynical. 
Give Thanks for the Godless State of Israel (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Ben-Gurion and the other founders knew what they were doing when they kept God out of the Declaration of Independence. Israel still functions thanks to them. 
US-Israel security interests converge (Yoram Ettinger, Israel Hayom) Israel backs the ‎U.S. on three critical challenges: constraining Iran, defeating global Islamic terrorism and bolstering pro-U.S. Arab regimes.
First We Take the Arts and Courts, Then We're Coming for Israeli Business Too (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) Business is the next logical target of Bibi & Co.'s attacks on 'the left': Why not condition government contracts on building a factory in a settlement?
Israel's covert war against Hezbollah's artillery (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) After Israel completed its multi-layer defense system David's Sling, Hezbollah and Iran are increasing their artillery armament efforts, aiming to overpower the missile defense system by launching dozens of missiles and rockets at once; the attacks in Syria may be indicate the IDF's efforts to prevent that. 
We Don't Need the Jewish Agency in 2017 (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) The institution's mentality is rooted in an outdated view of Israel as a fledgling state that won't survive without the support of well-off Diaspora Jews. 
At Fox News, It's Always Racist Amateur Hour (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz+) For the amateur American racist, a Muslim is someone who has some sort of head covering; it makes no difference whether it’s a hijab or a turban.
 

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