APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday June 5, 2017
Quote of the day:
"Within two hours I received more than a thousand likes and responses from women who volunteered to
help, women who were willing to travel even from Haifa to breastfeed him.
-- Ula Ostrowski-Zack, a Jewish pediatric nurse at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, said after she asked a Facebook group of Israeli nursing mothers for volunteers to nurse a lightly injured Palestinian baby at the hospital who refused to take the bottle and whose mother was seriously injured and couldn’t nurse him. Ms. Ostrowski-Zack also nursed him.*
You Must Be Kidding:
A majority of 56% of Israelis disagree with the claim that the settlements are an obstacle to peace.**
-- Ula Ostrowski-Zack, a Jewish pediatric nurse at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, said after she asked a Facebook group of Israeli nursing mothers for volunteers to nurse a lightly injured Palestinian baby at the hospital who refused to take the bottle and whose mother was seriously injured and couldn’t nurse him. Ms. Ostrowski-Zack also nursed him.*
You Must Be Kidding:
A majority of 56% of Israelis disagree with the claim that the settlements are an obstacle to peace.**
Breaking News:
Arab states cut ties with Qatar over its support of terrorism
In unprecedented breach between powerful Arab countries, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Yemen accuse Qatar of destabilizing the Gulf • U.S. officials say move unlikely to affect war on terror • Qatar calls measure "unjustified." (Israel Hayom, Haaretz and
Why Are the Gulf States Turning on Qatar? The Biggest Middle East Crisis Since the Gulf War
Qatar responded saying this was a conspiracy between the U.A.E. and a pro-Israel neo-con lobby working in Washington alongside former senior administration officials and supported by Sheldon Adelson and Edgar Bronfman, as well as other Jewish tycoons.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Seven killed and dozens wounded in attack in London; May: We are too tolerant towards radicals in our country
- Choosing terror // Anshel Pfeffer
- Europe’s Intifada // Amos Harel
- All the artists withdrew from Acco (Theater) Festival over rejection of performance that dealt with the occupation
- The Arab representative is leaving the Civics Education Committee: “They are distorting the facts”
- 1.7 billion shekel haircut: Fishman’s debt settlement encourages businesspeople to go in his path
- Average age 46, most of them addicted to drugs: 59 women working in prostitution died in Israel in eight years
- Interior Minister: Unification of Tel-Aviv and Bat-Yam – not before 2023
- The weakness of victory // Haaretz Editorial
- Just don’t shoot // Gabi Levine
- I returned to the first marked hiking trail in the country and then understood what we did to the Dead Sea // Moshe Gilad
Yedioth Ahronoth
- 50 years since the Six Day War: This is how Isarel planned the atomic explosion in Sinai - “The goal was to put down the nuclear device and explode it at the orders of the Prime Minister. We knew that this was the final weapon” – Shimshon Operation revealed
- 50 years in dispute: This is our country // Emuna Alon; The disgrace of the occupation // Sami Michael
- “Be careful,” the policewoman shouted at me, “The terrorists are here” – Yedioth correspondent Yaniv Halili reports from the moments of terror in London
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Terror returned to Britain: Wave of arrests in London
- Netanyahu: Israel returns to Africa
- 50 years since the Six Day War: The things that were preserved in the homes of the soldiers
Israel Hayom
- 18 minutes of terror (in London)
- Blood price of avoiding action // Yoav Limor
- Invade privacy in order to save live // Yaakov Amidror
- Renewing the relations with Senegal, warming relations with Mali
- On the wings of courage: 50 years since the Six Day War // Commander of Hazor military base, Maj. Gen. Or, in a personal column
- Residents of Pisgat Zeev are furious: “Fewer security guards at the shopping mall? Negligence”
News Summary:
The ISIS terror attack in London, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s Africa trip, which included renewing relations with Senegal and an embarrassing shoving incident between Netanyahu’s bodyguards and those of the President of Togo, and a shouting match between the Deputy Attorney General Dina Zilber and Culture Minister Miri Regev over the latter’s intention to cut funding to cultural projects over their content - were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
Also, conflicting reports in the news about whether top Hamas officials left Qatar at the country’s request, Palestinian sources confirmed to Haaretz, Hamas denied, and meanwhile, Israel Hayom reported that new Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, left to visit Cairo, signaling the first high-level meeting between Egypt and Hamas in months.
The ISIS terror attack in London, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s Africa trip, which included renewing relations with Senegal and an embarrassing shoving incident between Netanyahu’s bodyguards and those of the President of Togo, and a shouting match between the Deputy Attorney General Dina Zilber and Culture Minister Miri Regev over the latter’s intention to cut funding to cultural projects over their content - were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
Also, conflicting reports in the news about whether top Hamas officials left Qatar at the country’s request, Palestinian sources confirmed to Haaretz, Hamas denied, and meanwhile, Israel Hayom reported that new Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, left to visit Cairo, signaling the first high-level meeting between Egypt and Hamas in months.
Quick Hits:
- **Majority of Israelis Object to Term 'Occupation’ and don’t consider West Bank occupied, survey Finds - Nearly 60 percent of Israeli Jews don’t view settlements in West Bank as impediment to peace with Palestinians. Most Israelis think Jerusalem is de facto divided. (Haaretz+, Maariv and Times of Israel)
- Ex-Israeli General: Settlements Do Not Serve Security Needs - New study cites former senior officers who say West Bank settlements are a burden on security services. (Haaretz+)
- Banned Play on Palestinian Prisoners, Occupation Throws Israeli Theater Festival Into Turmoil - Artistic director quits popular Acre Fringe Theater Festival after public steering committee disqualifies 'Prisoners of Occupation.' (Haaretz+)
- AG fights culture minister over attempt to defund 'subversive' art - In shouting match, Deputy Attorney General Dina Zilber tells Culture Minister Miri Regev that she does not have the legal authority to cut funding to cultural projects over their content • Attorney general: Freedom of expression is a sensitive issue. (Israel Hayom)
- In Act of Defiance, Arab Educator Quits Israeli Education Ministry’s Civics Board - The ministry says it’s still trying to keep Yousef Shehadeh on board, though a source says right wing education minister will remain ‘guided by democratic and Zionist values.’ (Haaretz+)
- 'No Celebration of Occupation': Jewish protesters try to block 'Celebrate Israel' parade in N.Y.C. - Tens of thousands attend parade held under the banner of 'Celebrate Israel All Together.’ (Haaretz)
- Bernie Sanders in Video Message to Israelis: 50 Years of Occupation Must End - In speech recorded for left-wing party Meretz event marking 50 years to the Israeli occupation, Bernie Sanders says peace means security for both Israelis and Palestinians. (Haaretz)
- IDF's Six-Day War ending proclamation: 'We have crushed the enemy' - Half a decade after the Six-Day War, the military spokesperson publishes a photocopy of the original order at the end of the war by the then-chief of staff and former prime minister, the late Yitzhak Rabin. (Ynet)
- Shin Bet arrests terrorists suspected of planning attack at Temple Mount - Five indictments are filed against the al-Shabab al-Aqsa organization; one of its militants killed policeman Yosef Karmia and former Knesset worker Levana Malihi last October. (Ynet)
- Israeli Ex-general on Plan to Detonate a Nuke in Sinai in 1967: We Only Examined the Technical Aspects - Three years before his death in 2004, former Chief of Staff Zvi Tzur discussed the 'Samson option.' Newly-released files also reveal Israeli fears of Egyptian strikes on its nuclear reactor. (Haaretz)
- Israel had a plan to nuke Sinai in 1967. But how close did it really get to pushing the button? - 'People draw up plans, at no stage was the detonation of an atomic bomb even close,' historian Adam Raz notes. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli ex-general: Setting off nuke in Sinai in 1967 would've hurt Israel - Three years before his death in 2004, former Chief of Staff Zvi Tzur discussed the 'Samson option.' Newly-released files also reveal Israeli fears of Egyptian strikes on its nuclear reactor. (Haaretz)
- Israeli researcher refutes NYT report that Israel had nuclear bomb in '67 - After NYT claims IDF was considering nuclear attack in Sinai during Six-Day War, Israeli researcher rebuffs NYT claim, saying Israel had no nuclear bomb at the time. (Ynet)
- Israel, Senegal Mend Diplomatic Ties Marred by UN Settlement Vote - Israel also likely to announce in the coming days the end of its crisis with New Zealand and the return of its ambassador to Wellington, official says. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- *Baby of seriously injured Palestinian mother nursed by Jewish nurse - A couple from Hebron was involved in a car accident, the mother was seriously injured and the father killed; pediatric nurse Ula Ostrowski-Zack at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital volunteers to tend to their nine-month-old. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Protesters call for Mengistu's release after 1,000 days in Gaza - Demonstrators wave signs and march through Tel Aviv demanding the government do more to secure the release of Abera Mengistu, who has now been held for 1,000 days by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. (Ynet)
- Gush Etzion Council Chairman: "Don’t come to ceremony marking the anniversary of the liberation of Judea and Samaria" - The settlers expressed disappointment with Prime Minister Netanyahu following the publication of the agenda of the committee to discuss building permits in Judea and Samaria. Building plans in various settlements were rejected and did not come up for discussion this week. (Maariv)
- The 12-year-old (Israeli schoolchildren) planned to settle the dispute between them with knives - The students came to their school in Jerusalem, began to argue during the break and soon pulled out the weapons. The police, who were summoned to the scene, detained them for questioning at the conclusion of which they were released to their homes. (Maariv)
- Underage Israeli prostitutes stay in school for 'normalcy,' study finds - Since the system isn't aware of the issue, juvenile prostitutes who continue studying are at a greater risk than those who drop out. (Haaretz+)
- Rising violence in the Arab sector—five murders in four days - Starting last Tuesday, five people from the Arab sector are murdered in Jaffa, Kafr Qasim and Nazareth; all the schools in Kafr Qasim have been shut down; a demonstration is planned to protest the violence. (Ynet)
- A bomb exploded in a car. School principal: Studies at Ein al-Assad to begin at 10:00 (in protest) - On Saturday morning, an explosive device exploded in the car of Salah Bader, the principal of the school for 15 years. The sapper found that another explosive device did not explode. Bader: "They are threatening me because of the job.” (Maariv)
- Scores of former Hamas prisoners say their salaries withheld - PA reportedly stops stipends to 277 Palestinians in Gaza released in the 2011 Shalit deal. It is unclear if move is part of internal Hamas-Fatah rift, or if Abbas is acquiescing to pressure from Israel, US to stop payments for terrorists. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Nevada becomes latest state to enact anti-BDS legislation - Israeli American Council praises Nevada for taking strong stance against Israel boycott • Measure prohibits state from conducting business with anti-Israel groups • Nevada governor calls measure "a very important chapter to the history of our state." (Israel Hayom)
Features:
The Israeli Occupation Through Alex Levac's Lens
As the occupation draws on and becomes bloodier, less Israelis are interested in it. The photos here show a reality that most Israeli newspapers are averting their eyes from - a reality that includes Palestinians. (Alex Levac, Haaretz+)
A new phenomenon: The brain drain that threatens the security forces
Senior police and army officers who leave the service set up security and real estate companies overseas, police sources said. "The long service is draining and people are looking for new horizons." (Alon Hachmon, Maariv)
The first dissenting Israeli voices of the occupation
Amid the euphoria of Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War, a number of intellectuals expressed fears about what would happen next. (Michal Aharon, Haaretz+)
Cochin Jews reconnect with their cultural past
For 2,500 years Jews lived in Cochin, India, while preserving ancient customs and refusing to play music because they mourned the destruction of the First Temple; the establishment of the State of Israel led them to immigrate, assimilating with relative ease; sixty years later, the younger generation is looking for its roots. (Attila Somfalvi, Ynet)
The Revolutionary Nostalgia That Gave Rise to Trump - and ISIS
ISIS wishes to make radical Islam great again, author Mark Lilla contends in his book. (Shlomo Avineri, Haaretz+)
How to survive the Israeli jungle: The 'coachers' who help new olim
It's not easy to be a new immigrant in Israel. No one prepares them for the different mentality, the complex reality, the cultural gaps and the language barrier. This leads quite a few olim to pack their bags and return to their birth country. But some, like the startup Olim Advisors and Keep Olim organization, are working hard to change that. (Yaniv Pohoryles, Yedioth/Ynet)
Commentary/Analysis:
As the occupation draws on and becomes bloodier, less Israelis are interested in it. The photos here show a reality that most Israeli newspapers are averting their eyes from - a reality that includes Palestinians. (Alex Levac, Haaretz+)
A new phenomenon: The brain drain that threatens the security forces
Senior police and army officers who leave the service set up security and real estate companies overseas, police sources said. "The long service is draining and people are looking for new horizons." (Alon Hachmon, Maariv)
The first dissenting Israeli voices of the occupation
Amid the euphoria of Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War, a number of intellectuals expressed fears about what would happen next. (Michal Aharon, Haaretz+)
Cochin Jews reconnect with their cultural past
For 2,500 years Jews lived in Cochin, India, while preserving ancient customs and refusing to play music because they mourned the destruction of the First Temple; the establishment of the State of Israel led them to immigrate, assimilating with relative ease; sixty years later, the younger generation is looking for its roots. (Attila Somfalvi, Ynet)
The Revolutionary Nostalgia That Gave Rise to Trump - and ISIS
ISIS wishes to make radical Islam great again, author Mark Lilla contends in his book. (Shlomo Avineri, Haaretz+)
How to survive the Israeli jungle: The 'coachers' who help new olim
It's not easy to be a new immigrant in Israel. No one prepares them for the different mentality, the complex reality, the cultural gaps and the language barrier. This leads quite a few olim to pack their bags and return to their birth country. But some, like the startup Olim Advisors and Keep Olim organization, are working hard to change that. (Yaniv Pohoryles, Yedioth/Ynet)
Commentary/Analysis:
Haaretz, I Didn't Call for the Wholesale Killing of All Palestinians (Bezalel Smotrich,
Haaretz+) Bezalel Smotrich: Any option leaving in place an Arab collective with
national aspirations that contradict our own would only perpetuate the conflict.
Gaza’s stench is penetrating Israel (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) We may not care about infant mortality in Gaza, but the seawater contamination in the strip is going to reach Israel’s shores and cause irreversible damage, including a possible shortage of desalinated water. By failing to deal with this, Israel is shooting itself in the foot.
Israel Deceived the World in 1967, and Paid the Price for It in 1973 (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) Israel pretended to be the victim during the Six-Day War, and succeeded in deceiving the world. But it failed to prepare properly for the Yom Kippur War, fearing it would be blamed for starting the next war.
The Shouting War: The slippery slope on the way to (Israel) becoming Tehran on the Yarkon River (in Tel-Aviv) (Ben Caspit, Maariv) Anyone who does not find the connection between the unrestrained behavior of the Minister of Culture Miri Regev against everything perceived as threatening, and the takeover of the religious leaders, is lying to himself.
Israel's Longest War (Haaretz Editorial) The Six-Day War distorted the justice system so that it became, in part, a tool that judicially sanitizes the occupation.
Six-Day War: The biggest excuse in history (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) Whoever claims today that the war changed us is talking out of wishful thinking, out of a childish dream in which we could have existed within the borders of a small Israel and made peace with everyone around us. According to this dream, if only we had won and pulled out—everything would have been fine.
And Then the Power Was Cut in the Children's Hospital in Gaza (Mohammed Azaizeh, Haaretz+) A technical problem stopped the generator, and the children’s respirators started to work on batteries. But after 15 minutes the batteries ran out.
Keeping a low profile (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) Qatar's decision to expel several top Hamas officials may reflect its desire to mitigate recent tensions with other Arab nations, but it is unlikely to truly sever ties with the terrorist group.
Israelis, Ask Yourselves: At What Point Do Palestinian Lives Matter? (Salem Barahmeh, Haaretz+) I am a Palestinian millennial, a generation shaped by checkpoints, brutality and frustration. I ask Israelis: Will you choose complicity or justice?
Europe's Intifada: ISIS Wants the West to Pay for the War in Syria and Iraq (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Trump, the tweeter-in-chief, mocked London mayor's measured response. But in fact, the Britons' response to London attack is inspiring.
The disgrace of the occupation (Sami Michael, Yedioth/Ynet) The Iranians are not the ones threatening our existence as a normal, civilized country. The occupation is the sworn enemy that could destroy the State of Israel.
Some East Jerusalem Neighborhoods Are More Equal Than Others (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) Despite all the talk of a 'united Jerusalem,' residents of Kafr Akab and Shoafat refugee camp are still separated by a wall.
Only Barak: The former prime minister is the only one who can reach an agreement with the Palestinians (Ran Adelist, Maariv) As opposed to those who offer sympathy or compassion, fear or false hope, the man who left politics is the only one on the leadership spectrum that can bring about an agreement between us and the Palestinians.
Haaretz, I Didn't Call for the Wholesale Killing of All Palestinians (MK Bezalel Smotrich, Haaretz+) Bezalel Smotrich: Any option leaving in place an Arab collective with national aspirations that contradict our own would only perpetuate the conflict.
Gaza’s stench is penetrating Israel (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) We may not care about infant mortality in Gaza, but the seawater contamination in the strip is going to reach Israel’s shores and cause irreversible damage, including a possible shortage of desalinated water. By failing to deal with this, Israel is shooting itself in the foot.
Israel Deceived the World in 1967, and Paid the Price for It in 1973 (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) Israel pretended to be the victim during the Six-Day War, and succeeded in deceiving the world. But it failed to prepare properly for the Yom Kippur War, fearing it would be blamed for starting the next war.
The Shouting War: The slippery slope on the way to (Israel) becoming Tehran on the Yarkon River (in Tel-Aviv) (Ben Caspit, Maariv) Anyone who does not find the connection between the unrestrained behavior of the Minister of Culture Miri Regev against everything perceived as threatening, and the takeover of the religious leaders, is lying to himself.
Israel's Longest War (Haaretz Editorial) The Six-Day War distorted the justice system so that it became, in part, a tool that judicially sanitizes the occupation.
Six-Day War: The biggest excuse in history (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) Whoever claims today that the war changed us is talking out of wishful thinking, out of a childish dream in which we could have existed within the borders of a small Israel and made peace with everyone around us. According to this dream, if only we had won and pulled out—everything would have been fine.
And Then the Power Was Cut in the Children's Hospital in Gaza (Mohammed Azaizeh, Haaretz+) A technical problem stopped the generator, and the children’s respirators started to work on batteries. But after 15 minutes the batteries ran out.
Keeping a low profile (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) Qatar's decision to expel several top Hamas officials may reflect its desire to mitigate recent tensions with other Arab nations, but it is unlikely to truly sever ties with the terrorist group.
Israelis, Ask Yourselves: At What Point Do Palestinian Lives Matter? (Salem Barahmeh, Haaretz+) I am a Palestinian millennial, a generation shaped by checkpoints, brutality and frustration. I ask Israelis: Will you choose complicity or justice?
Europe's Intifada: ISIS Wants the West to Pay for the War in Syria and Iraq (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Trump, the tweeter-in-chief, mocked London mayor's measured response. But in fact, the Britons' response to London attack is inspiring.
The disgrace of the occupation (Sami Michael, Yedioth/Ynet) The Iranians are not the ones threatening our existence as a normal, civilized country. The occupation is the sworn enemy that could destroy the State of Israel.
Some East Jerusalem Neighborhoods Are More Equal Than Others (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) Despite all the talk of a 'united Jerusalem,' residents of Kafr Akab and Shoafat refugee camp are still separated by a wall.
Only Barak: The former prime minister is the only one who can reach an agreement with the Palestinians (Ran Adelist, Maariv) As opposed to those who offer sympathy or compassion, fear or false hope, the man who left politics is the only one on the leadership spectrum that can bring about an agreement between us and the Palestinians.
Haaretz, I Didn't Call for the Wholesale Killing of All Palestinians (MK Bezalel Smotrich, Haaretz+) Bezalel Smotrich: Any option leaving in place an Arab collective with national aspirations that contradict our own would only perpetuate the conflict.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.