News Nosh 5.24.17

by APN 05/24/17
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APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday May 24, 2017
 
Quote of the day:
“They will tell you ‘there is no partner,’ despite the dramatic change taking place in the entire Arab world’s attitude towards Israel, and although there is a real desire to advance relations with us and create a strategic alliance against Iran and the radical Islamic organizations.”
-- Former IDF Judea and Samaria Division commander, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Noam Tibon called on President Trump to ignore all the false arguments he would hear and to base his peace plan on the Arab Peace Initiative that Israel repeatedly rejected.*

Front Page:
Haaretz 
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • Crying over the children (in Manchester)
  • The embracing speech that ended the visit: “In Iran, they call for destroying Israel? Not on Donald J. Trump’s watch”
  • Former Kfir Brigade commander accuses: “Elor Azariya’s father did not want to help him, just to degrade me”
  • Just like grandpa (Two photos: One of Moshe Dayan, Yitzhak Rabin and general Uzi Narkis as they walked into the Old City after conquering it in ’67; the other photo of a grandchild of each of them posing in the same position at the same place
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
Israel Hayom
  • “I will always stand by Israel” – Trump’s Zionist speech
  • The hug is back: This is the America that we missed // Boaz Bismuth
  • A message of uncompromising support // Prof. Avraham Ben-Tzvi
  • Determined, for our benefit: President Trump chose his side // Dror Eydar
  • Brave words – but much work ahead of him // Prof. Eyal Zisser
  • Massacre of the children in Manchester
  • And this is only the beginning: ISIS will increase its efforts // Yaakov Amidror
  • Tension in the Histadrut: Waiting for the new chairman
  • Attack in Netanya: Palestinian stabbed policeman, lightly injured him – and was neutralized
  • Murder in a family in Beit Shemesh: woman arrested on suspicion of murdering her father

News Summary:
A ‘Zionist’ speech, no mention of a two-state solution and a rebuke for the Palestinians, Israel was pleased with how US President Donald Trump concluded his 28-hour visit to Israel and Palestine, with 27 hours for Israel and 1 for Palestine, but Israel still had to face his determination to make peace making the top stories in the Hebrew newspapers today - alongside the terror attack at the concert in Manchester. The papers also marked ‘Jerusalem Day,’ today, in which [some of] Israel celebrates 50 years to the unification of the city. The day draws marches by right-wing Jews and its climax is the ‘flag dance,’ [which in recent years has become more racist, ant-Arab and violent – OH].
 
In his meeting in Bethlehem with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which was supposed to be three hours and was cut short to less than one, Trump referred to "peace" without mentioning the goal of a state. He both praised and stung Abbas when he said, “I was glad that President Abbas had committed himself to taking firm steps to fight terrorism. Peace can never take root in an environment where violence is tolerated, funded and even rewarded” – a reference to the stipends the Palestinian Authority provides for families whose members were jailed or killed by Israel in attacks. Abbas told Trump he was ready for 'immediate' negotiations with Israel. In his speech, Abbas said that the Palestinians oppose occupation, not Judaism, and he highlighted the plight of the Palestinian prisoners. Palestinian media reported that some Palestinians wish Trump hadn’t come at all - possibly even Abbas. One website asked why Trump's daughter and wife did not accompany the president to Bethlehem, quoting responses from Palestinian social media, Haaretz+ reported. The Palestinians were proud that their reception of the President was dignified – without any embarrassing selfies or gaffes like the Israelis had.

Afterward, at Yad Vashem, Trump described the Holocaust as 'the most savage crime against God and his children,' which some said was an effort to make up for past lapses on the subject.
 
The big event was at the Israel Museum, where Trump gave what some called a ‘Zionist’ speech. Minister Ofir Akunis (Likud) said afterward, “Likud has a new member.” (The Knesset speaker said Trump backed out of a Knesset speech, fearing hecklers.) Although Trump said that peace between the Israelis and Palestinians brings a rare opportunity to achieve peace with the Arab world as well, he never said how and left it up to the two sides. He also said his administration will always stand with Israel and Iran will not obtain nuclear weapons on his watch. (Full speech transcript.) Opposition leader and Zionist Camp chairman, MK Isaac Herzog, met with Trump, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for several minutes after the speech and told Herzog: "I am serious about a deal and I am determined.” Herzog pledged support for a peace deal. (Maariv) According to Channel 10’s Moav Vardi, Kushner also said Trump’s envoy Jason Greenblatt would be returning to Israel next week for follow-up discussions with the sides, reportedly telling Herzog that the US did not want to leave a “diplomatic vacuum.” As Trump and his entourage took off for the Vatican, a US official told Haaretz+ that Trump was looking to create a 'common set of principles' to guide the peace process. And the White House said that Trump promised Netanyahu to preserve Israel’s military edge, despite the massive Saudi arms deal, which contrary to previous administrations, Trump didn't consult with Israel before signing.
 
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel denounced Trump's visit, criticizing the president and his “diluted and inadequate human rights policy.”
 
Quick Hits:
  • Palestinian teen in critical condition after being shot by Israeli forces in Gaza - The Ministry of Health in Gaza said in statement that a 17-year-old Palestinian boy was critically injured in the stomach with live ammunition during clashes that erupted in the “buffer zone” of the central Gaza Strip. (Maan) 
  • Palestinian man lightly stabs Border Police in Israeli city - Attacker shot, in moderate condition; police: Initial findings suggest stabbing was politically motivated. (Haaretz, Maan and Ynet) 
  • Israeli forces shoot, injure 17-year-old Palestinian girl east of Ramallah - Israeli forces shot and injured Tuqua Hammad at the entrance to Silwad village, east of Ramallah on Tuesday afternoon. Locals said she was hit in the lower extremities and that Israeli troops prevented a Palestinian ambulance from accessing the victim to treat her. (Maan 
  • No signs of negotiations with Israel as prisoners plan to refuse salt and water - As some 1,300 Palestinian prisoners entered their 37th day of mass hunger strike, with dozens of prisoners transferred to civilian hospitals due to their critical health conditions, the Israeli government has continued to refuse to negotiate with leaders of the hunger strike. (Maan)
  • Sit-in staged in front of ICRC building in support of Palestinian hunger strikers - Relatives expressed deep concern about the deteriorating conditions of their loved ones, and were distraught over the lack of information about the prisoners’ health. (Maan)
  • 'Resistance is not terrorism': Palestinians burn effigies of Trump in Gaza - Palestinians in the Gaza Strip continued to express outrage over US President Donald Trump naming the Hamas movement -- Gaza’s de facto leading party -- in a list of terrorist organizations during his speech in Riyadh. Palestinians in Gaza from across the political spectrum united in denouncing the remarks, which have been interpreted as a blanket condemnation of all forms of Palestinian resistance. (Maan) 
  • Peace Now: 34% increase in illegal settlement construction over 2016 - “Construction was largely focused in isolated settlements and in areas that are highly problematic in terms of a two-state solution,” settlement watchdog Peace Now said in its report, highlighting that nearly 70% (1,263 housing units) of the new housing were in areas that lie beyond the proposed 1967 "Green Line" border in the occupied West Bank. (Maan) 
  • Israeli forces set up checkpoints at entrances to 2 West Bank villages - Said Zeidan, mayor of Deir Istiya in the central West Bank district of Salfit, said Israeli forces arrived in military jeeps on Monday evening after local youth closed the main entrance of the village with burning tires. (Maan)
  • PA arrests 12 Palestinians in 48 hours, Hamas says - In a statement published Tuesday morning, Hamas said that the PA arrested eight Palestinian the previous night in raids, including university students and former prisoners -- including one woman. (Maan)
  • AG Seeks Prosecutorial Power Over Chatty Cops - Under draft directive, police officers, prosecutors and court employees who obstruct justice by leaking information from ongoing investigation could face criminal charges. (Haaretz+) 
  • Rivlin asks Trump's help in returning bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul - President Rivlin raised the issue with President Trump during their meeting Monday at the president's residence in Jerusalem; the Goldin family thanked Rivlin for the emotional gesture. (Ynet) 
  • Katsav asks Rivlin: 'Lift my restrictions' - Six months after completing his sentence for sexual offenses, former president and convicted rapist appealed to the incumbent President Reuven Rivlin to cancel a series of restrictions imposed on him; Katsav seeks, among other things, to cancel the nightly house arrest and the prohibition against his leaving the country. (Yedioth/Ynet) 
  • Suspicion: A young woman missing from the Bedouin (Negev)—kidnapped and murdered - Police arrest five suspects, including the brother of 19-year-old Hanan al-Bakhiri, who has been missing for 20 days, on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering her; although her body was not found; Al-Bakhiri is alleged to be a victim of honor killing. (Ynet) 
  • The Arab and ultra-Orthodox streams of education are choosing the Israel state education system in the capital - In the previous school year 267,800 pupils and girls aged 12-12 were enrolled in the Jerusalem educational system, of which about 40% belonged to the Arab sector and 36% to the ultra-Orthodox. Yair Assaf-Shapira, a researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Studies, explains that in the 2015 school year there was a dramatic increase in the number of pupils in Arab education, not only because of the increase in the number of students, but also because of the transition from private systems to the state system. (Maariv)
  • Human rights organizations demand retrial for 3 Gazans sentenced to death - “Carrying out these sentences would amount to an arbitrary deprivation of life in violation of international law,” said the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the occupied territory. (Maan)
  • Not only in Israel: Now Egypt has its own ‘Muezzin Bill’ - The new legislation has led to widespread national anger ahead of the festival of Ramadan. (Maariv/JPost)
  • WATCH: Great walls and lasting peach: Late night hosts roast Trump's Israeli visit - A look at prominent U.S. comics highlight the humor of Trump' most ridiculous moments overseas. (Haaretz) 
  • Move over, Alec Baldwin: Israel's SNL spoofs Trump visit - Special edition of ‘Eretz Nehederet’ focuses on the foibles of Trump and his hosts. (Haaretz)

Features:
My Jerusalem
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the capital's reunification, President Reuven Rivlin, Chief Justice Miriam Naor, Actress Mayim Bialik, Philosopher and author Bernard-Henri Lévy, State Comptroller Yosef Shapira and others write about Jerusalem from their own perspective. (Yedioth/Ynet)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
The Miracle Didn’t Happen: Trump Never Said 'Palestinian State' (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) After so many years of disappointments and unfulfilled promises, the Palestinians didn’t expected any positive surprises.
Trump visit could cost Netanyahu dearly (Shimon Shiffer, Yedioth/Ynet) The two days he spent in Riyadh convinced the American president that if Israel wishes to reach an agreement with its neighbors and to become part of the anti-Iran alliance, it must accept a self-determination of the Palestinian entity within the 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital. 
The one thing missing from Trump's visit to Israel (Amir Tibon, Haaretz+) Trump spoke in vague words like 'peace' and 'love,' but refrained from presenting any specifics.
*Mr. President, beware Israeli and Palestinian lies (Major-General (Res.) Noam Tibon, Yedioth/Ynet) Former Judea and Samaria Division commander calls on President Trump to ignore all the false arguments he is set to hear from both sides during his Mideast trip and put a clear formula for an agreement on the table. 
Trump Rounds Off His Israel Trip With an Empty Zionist Speech (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Trump wanted to make sure no one mistakes him for Obama and to please his friend Benjamin, and accomplished both goals. The coalition plows on, undeterred.
After Trump's meatless speech, Israeli politicos fish for takeaways (and fawn over Sheldon Adelson) (Ravit Hecht, Haaretz+) In the absence of any real content, we were left with the schmoozing, the suits and the power relations. But one concrete point could be extracted from Trump's sentimental mumbo jumbo. 
The battle is not over: Until we return to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem will not be truly liberated (Prof. Arieh Eldad, Maariv) The calm that prevailed in the capital when Motta Gur announced that "the Temple Mount is in our hands" is just another cease-fire, until exile is removed from the hearts of hearts, and until our enemies are expelled before us on the Temple Mount – our war won’t be over.
Israel’s Joke Of Gestures (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Between the government’s insulting gestures and their implementation lies a time-tested innovation dreamed up by the Jewish brain – the bureaucracy of Israel’s Civil Administration in the West Bank. 
Trump's Israel Love Offensive Might Carry a Hefty Price Tag (Barak Ravid, Haaretz+) Overall, Netanyahu can be pleased: In his visit, Trump told Israelis what they want to hear. But Trump is undeterred from his goal of Israeli-Palestinian peace, and unlike Netanyahu, believes both sides are ready to make history. 
The other angle of Trump's visit: Should Israeli euphoria be replaced by apprehension? (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) Senior US and UN officials see the president's trip mainly as a rapprochement with Saudi Arabia and his great desire to reach an agreed-upon solution for the Palestinians. A senior Jewish official: "The reception for Trump - lacking Jewish pride.” 
Trump, the Miracle Worker? (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Israelis have no reason to believe that peace is more important to Netanyahu than his own political survival. 
After Manchester: Is Trump the Key Liability in the War Against Islamist Terror? (Azriel Bermant, Haaretz+) The recent horrific attack by 'evil losers', in Trump's words, won't swing the UK election. But will the U.S. president's hazardous position provide them a different win? 
Giving sensitive information to Russians is Trump's legitimate presidential decision (Ran Adelist, Maariv) The storm that broke out following the report of the leak of the US president to the Russians is not justified, because this spy or another will not really affect the strategic campaign against ISIS.
When has pragmatism ever had anything to do with Mideast peace? Now (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) Gruff-talking, self-adoring pipe-dreamers have failed to find any solutions for any of our problems. A different experiment is in order. 
Donald Trump in Israel: He Came! He Spoke! He Conquered! (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) His determined discipline in the Middle East stood in stark contrast to his recklessness back home. 
Trump's correct words have not yet penetrated the wall of Arab hatred (Meir Uziel, Maariv) The statements of the reality star disappeared as if they never existed, and from the mouth of the President of the United States there were declarations of someone who has a world of unwavering values. 
Trump Speaks, and Israel Is Out of Excuses (Haaretz Editorial) For Israelis who want peace but fear it, the U.S. president said everything he could to assuage those fears. 
'Evil Losers': Trump Hurls Ultimate Insult at Terrorists (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) In coining a term that he vows to use from now on, the president – who has a habit of inventing disparaging monikers – intimated that being a 'loser' is as bad - or worse - than being evil. 
Heavenly Jerusalem: From now on one will doubt the sovereignty of Israel over the Western Wall (Dr. Revital Amiran, Maariv) It is quite possible that Trump The Realist is the one who will force us to build a bridge between the two dimensions of Jerusalem - the earthly city versus the spiritual one - and transform the property discourse into a substantive discourse. 
Trump's Israel Trip Was One Big Gaslighting Charade (Jacob Bacharach, Haaretz) He wanted to rehabilitate an image tarnished by accusations of anti-Semitism. But the U.S. president's 'spiritual grand tour' stop in Israel was an absurd series of empty gestures. 
Trump’s 'New Middle East' Is Fake News (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) Like previous U.S. administrations, Trump ignores the economic malaise that makes the Arab world such fertile territory for instability and terrorism 
 
 
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.

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