News Nosh 6.22.17

by APN 06/22/17
Share

APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday June 22, 2017
 
You Must Be Kidding: 
"I did not find these actions amount to abuse."
--Jerusalem Magistrate Court Judge Yaron Mientkavich said after he acquitted female Border Police soldier, Yasmin Kontenta, of charges of abuse, fraud and breach of trust, after she tried to take a 'selfie' with a 15-year-old Palestinian girl, who was handcuffed and blindfolded, and yanked her by her hair to stand her up. Kontenta was convicted only of assault.*

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • Power games – Following Yedioth expose, the hematology-oncology department at Hadassah is in an uproar
  • The suspicion: Fraud in grave circumstances
  • Police took 11,000 emails from ‘Yedioth Books’ publishing house
  • The girls were robbed by knife-point
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
  • Egyptian fuel, Israeli mediation – Temporary solution for the electricity crisis in Gaza
  • Troubles of the rich – Chairman of Bezeq, Shaul Elovitch, suspected of fraud and breach of trust; Fishman was declared bankrupt
  • Scream for justice – Hundreds demonstration in Jerusalem demanding justice in affair of children of Yemen and demanded government declare them abducted
  • “They simply love him” – The women of D., who was declared head of a cult and convicted of raping, sodomizing and holding them in slave-like conditions, explain why they are fighting for his release
Israel Hayom

News Summary: 
Israel's telecoms tycoon got into trouble and another tycoon was declared bankrupt, Saudi King Salman made a major shake-up when he replaced the Crown Prince with his son, a leader in the anti-Iran camp, and Egypt transferred fuel to the desperate Gaza Strip to mitigate the electricity and humanitarian crisis making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Newspapers reported that the Egyptian fuel shipment was seen as a sign of improved Egypt-Hamas relations, but Maariv reported that it was Israel that mediated the transfer.
 
Also in the news, US President Donald Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner returned to the US after a lightning 15-hour visit to Jerusalem and Ramallah, where he discussed reigniting the peace process with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. But before those meetings, Kushner visited the bereaved family of Hadas Malka who was killed by a Palestinian assailant in order ‘to express condolences on behalf of the US.'
 
Quick Hits:
  • *Border Policewoman convicted of assaulting Palestinian detainee - The police officer tried to take a 'selfie' with the 15-year-old Palestinian girl, who was handcuffed and blindfolded, and later pulled on her hair to get her to get up; judge acquits defendant of abuse charge, but finds her guilty of assault. (Ynet)
  • Dutch-Palestinian Begins Civil Proceedings Against ex-IDF Chief of Staff Over Gaza Family's Deaths - Ismail Ziada lost six relatives when Israeli jets bombed family home, claiming that it was serving as an active command and control center for Hamas. (Haaretz+)  
  • Wanted: Israeli Army Seeks Public Relations Expert to Help Upgrade Its Image - As media budget and advertising needs grow, new post to supplement IDF spokesman's publicity division. (Haaretz+) 
  • Israel Police officers suing civilians for social-media shaming to get legal aid - Police commissioner planning to appoint a committee to examine how other organizations handle harassment of policemen on social networks. (Haaretz+)  
  • Economy minister postpones relief measures for Palestinians - Due to the Palestinian Authority's failure to condemn terror attack that claimed the life of Border Policewoman Hadas Malka, Economy Minister Eli Cohen decides to postpone series of economic relief measures. (Yedioth/Ynet) 
  • Israel poised to build some 7,000 housing units beyond the Green Line - New directive instructs zoning authorities to finalize plans for construction in Jerusalem neighborhoods • Deputy mayor: This is a much-welcomed development that will relieve housing shortage • Meeting between PM and U.S. officials "productive." (Israel Hayom) 
  • Germany won't backtrack from unprecedented criticism of Israel's treatment of foreign-funded NGOs - German Foreign Ministry spokesperson says Germany grouped Israel together with China and Russia because all three recently passed laws against transferring foreign government funds to civil society organizations. (Haaretz+) 
  • IAF commander: Israel would go 'all-out' if war breaks out again with Hezbollah - At the annual Herzliya security conference, Maj. Gen. Eshel says Israel can carry out same number of strikes it did during the 34 days of the Second Lebanon War—in just two or three days now; IDF chief Eisenkot stresses Israel still sees Hezbollah as its main threat and will keep thwarting its attempts to obtain advanced arms. (Ynet) 
  • Israel Air Force chief: Arms sales to region could erode Israel’s military edge - Amir Eshel also says ‘crowded skies’ above Syria ‘could block Israel’s freedom of action.’ (Haaretz+) 
  • Israeli bill gains pace to expand administrative courts' reach to settlements - 'What’s right for a resident of Tel Aviv is also right for a resident of Beit El,' bill's sponsor says, while critics call legislation, which passed in a preliminary vote, another step toward apartheid. (Haaretz+)
  • Israeli Justice Ministry aims to empower judges to block websites linked to terrorism, crime - Bill would allow judges to restrict access to sites giving a platform for terrorism, pedophilia, or crimes related to drugs or gambling. (Haaretz+) 
  • Israel’s Ethics Code for Professors Would Encourage More Academic Boycotts, Warns U.S. Union Head - Almost as if Naftali Bennett ‘wants the backlash and damage,’ says Randi Weingarten, president of America's largest teachers' union. (Haaretz+)
  • U.S. 'Inspiration' for Israeli Academic Ethics Code Condemns It as Threat to Israel's Democracy - AAUP, whose ethics guidelines were used as inspiration by Bennett and Kasher, calls Israel to reject proposed university code of ethics 'in no uncertain terms.' (Haaretz+)
  • Ehud Barak Warns: Israel Faces 'Slippery Slope' Toward Apartheid - If Israel keeps controlling Palestinians, 'inevitable' result will be 'either non-Jewish or non-democratic' state, former Israeli PM tells Conflict Zone's Tim Sebastian in Deutsche Welle TV interview. (Haaretz) 
  • Germany delays decision on Israeli drones, approves warships - German parliament postpones 1-billion-euro funding package for the military, including a deal to lease Israeli-made armed drones, reportedly so further considerations could be made. (Agencies, Ynet)  
  • World's democracies snub UNHRC's anti-Israel session - Western nations take "significant stand" against prejudice by absenting themselves from U.N. Human Rights Council session, says monitoring group head • Session centers on alleged Israeli violations of Palestinian rights, while ignoring real offenders. (Israel Hayom)
  • At Security Council, diplomat cites Gazan who likened Strip to ‘concentration camp’ - Lakhdar Brahimi says international community must protect Palestinians; Israeli envoy Danon blasts ‘malicious blood libel.’ (Times of Israel)
  • Turkey aims to tighten Muslim grip on Temple Mount - Ankara is reportedly pouring millions of dollars into east Jerusalem, the Old City and the Temple Mount in a concerted effort to position itself as a Muslim power in the city • As Turkey attempts to restore Ottoman glory, Jordan's influence is waning. (Israel Hayom)
  • Turkish Temple Mount takeover bid prompts MKs to take action  - "Once again we are seeing a clear example of the danger posed by foreign governments' interfering with what is happening in Israel," lawmakers say after learning of Turkey's efforts to position itself as a Muslim power in Jerusalem via massive donations. (Israel Hayom)
  • Mother of Palestinian Assailant Detained by Israel on Suspicion of Incitement - IDF says woman detained after praising attackers who killed border policewoman and calling to attack Jews; in interview with Israeli broadcaster, mother said she wanted son to kill many more. (Haaretz+) 
  • Family rejects Israeli narrative of Palestinian killed at checkpoint as father is detained - Relatives cited eyewitness accounts as saying that Israeli forces stopped Bahaa al-Hirbawi at the Jabaa checkpoint on his way back home from Ramallah and surrounded him. After that, “nobody knows what happened,” they said. They were “shocked” by the news of Bahaa’s killing and denounced Israel’s version of events as “false claims.” (Maan)
  • Asylum seekers prevented from speaking at Knesset hearing about asylum seekers - 'I felt like a cockroach,' says Eritrean whose request to speak during the hearing was denied. Committee chair insists meeting was about hearing from the interior minister, yet residents seeking the refugees' expulsion did have their say. (Haaretz+)
  • (Interior Minister Arieh) Dery: Sudanese came to escape persecution in their home country - Dery responded to question, “Why are we taking in people from an enemy state?” (Haaretz+) 
  • Minister Haim Katz to be questioned in corruption probe - Investigators to question welfare and labor minister on suspicion that workers at the Israel Aerospace Industries were blackmailed into supporting Katz and his Likud faction when he presided over the chairmanship of the company's workers' committee. (Yedioth/Ynet) 
  • Protesters call on Israel to recognize abductions of Yemenite children - About 1,500 demonstrators demand government recognition of the abduction of Yemenite Jewish children in period just after Israel’s founding. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)  
  • Mentally ill ultra-Orthodox man Suspected of Painting Swastikas Inside Jerusalem Synagogue - The 38-year-old suspect, who police say also tried to set fire to books in the synagogue, will be evaluated by a psychiatrist. (Haaretz and Ynet)
  • First-ever Gay Pride Parade to Be Held in Be’er Sheva on Thursday - The event, which is receiving financial support from the municipality, will feature a march up a main thoroughfare, Rager Blvd., even though the police rejected holding the march on the street last year. (Haaretz+) 
  • Adelson Foundation donates $5 million to prestigious Haifa school - Hebrew Reali School to establish innovative learning spaces for practical training in sciences as well as in cooking and carpentry • "The Reali School encourages excellence, courage, creativity and breakthrough thinking," Dr. Miriam Adelson says. (Israel Hayom) 
  • El Al to compensate Holocaust survivor after asking her to change seats - Rina Rabinovitz, 82, was asked to move seats because an ultra-Orthodox man would not sit next to a woman; judge finds the airline's policy on the matter is unlawful and discriminating; 'My message to women in Israel is when they encounter an extremist religious ruling like this, they should each fight it in their own way,' Rabinovitz says.. (Ynet)
  • 'We passed anti-BDS laws thanks to Israelis in the US' - Israeli American Council seeks to leverage the Israeli community in the U.S. as advocates for Israel and against BDS • IAC heads: We see growing interest among second generation Israelis in the U.S. who want to reconnect with their Jewish identities. (Israel Hayom) 
  • Report: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards tried to get Ben Hasin (Canadian-Israeli jailed in Arab country) extradited to Iran - According to a report by KAN (Channel 11), the state in which the Israeli is charged with the murder of a taxi driver has refused the extradition request made by a third country. (Maariv) 
  • Einstein Letters on Relativity, God and Moving to Israel Fetch $210K in Jerusalem Auction - Auction house sells eight letters for nearly five times more than presale estimate; Uri Geller buys letter about a U.S. physicist possibly moving to Israel. (Haaretz) 
  • ISIS blows up mosque where it declared 'caliphate' - ISIS reportedly blows up Grand al-Nuri Mosque of Mosul; it was from there that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a self-styled 'caliphate,' ruling over parts of Syria 3 years ago. (Agencies, Ynet) 

Features:
The Movement That Saw Israeli Settlements as Redemption for Jews and the World
The rise and fall of Zionism as a religion. (Tomer Persico, Haaretz+) 
What really went wrong in botched 1997 Shayetet 13 operation?
20 years later, the IDF finally confirms Hezbollah was able to intercept intelligence while being transmitted from Israeli drone, giving it advance knowledge of naval commando operation deep inside Lebanon. The Shayetet 13 force was ambushed by the terror group, losing 11 soldiers. (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet)
Yes to Europe, No to Thailand Do Political Considerations Influence Israel's List of Travel Warnings?
Judging by Israel's travel warnings, it is considered dangerous for Israelis to travel to around a quarter of the world's countries. (Moshe Gilad, Haaretz+)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right (Haaretz Editorial) Detention without charges is supposed to be reserved only for “ticking bomb” situations. 
When the defense counsel is also the prosecutor (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) Any jurist, as talented as he may be, is incapable of advising the prime minister while simultaneously being in charge of his investigations. An attorney general cannot help the government implement its policy, and at the same time restrict the government with different arguments. 
Kushner should tell Trump: Drop the 'ultimate deal' idea (Tsvi Bisk, Haaretz+) If Trump envoys Kushner and Greenblatt, now visiting Israel and the PA, want Israeli buy-in they should go for a more modest, but far more achievable, plan: 'a little land for a little peace.’ 
The ambition to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians became a refuge for Trump (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) The problem is not the lack of diplomatic experience of the two senior officials, experts say, but that the ambition to advance peace between Israel and the Palestinians has, for President Trump, turned into a protected shelter. 
Saudi Arabia's New Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Is Good News for Israel and U.S. (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Saudi crown prince Bin Salman agrees with U.S. on Russia, Assad, Iran and ISIS and according to some reports, he's also met with top Israeli officials 
No compassion for the cruel (Prof. Efraim Inbar, Israel Hayom) Supplying electricity to the Gaza Strip would be a strategic and moral mistake for Israel. A little darkness may help the people of Gaza see the oppressive Hamas regime in a different light.
There has never been such a good opportunity in our region to change the harsh reality (Ephraim Ganor, Maariv) Hamas is currently in one of its worst slumps. This is the time to find a solution that will bring about a significant change and for this we must mobilize the bloc of Sunni states.
Who’s Afraid of Ehud Olmert? (Emilie Moatti, Haaretz+) With all due desire to treat Olmert like any other prisoner, it’s clear to everyone that he is not
A miserable failure for Iran’s military industry (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) If there is any military-political message in the Iranian missile strike on ISIS targets in Syria, it appears to be directed at the Gulf states and Saudi Arabia rather than at Israel. Satellite images, if verified, indicate that the first barrage in 30 years of Iranian ballistic missiles at targets outside Iran was an operational failure.
Beware the Third Coming of Ehud Barak (Haim Ramon, Haaretz+) The belief that Ehud Barak is the one man who can defeat the right and, if re-elected prime minister, will lead Israel into an era of peace, is wrong on every level.
The onus is on us (Yossi Beilin, Israel Hayom) The near total dependence of Gazans on Israel and our international commitment to resolving Gaza's political status mean that we must ensure it does not plunge into darkness.
Only Israelis, Not Palestinians, Are Entitled to Mourn Their Dead (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) A single line passes between the death and bereavement ritual for the Israeli dead and the display of indifference, inhumanity and gloating over the other nation’s dead – a line of dehumanization.
What about politics in the yeshiva? (Dov Elbaum, Yedioth/Ynet) If we want an ethical code that bars professors from expressing political views in their lectures, we should have one in all educational institutions funded by the state—including the religious ones, where there is a clear bias towards the right.
How Far Can America and Israel Trust the Instincts of Saudi Arabia's New Heir? (Daniel B. Shapiro, Haaretz+) King-in-waiting Muhammad bin Salman signals both promise and peril. He's a modernizer, but also impulsive and has disregarded coordination with the U.S. On Iran, that could be dangerous. 
 
Interviews:
Israel Electric chief on cutting power to Gaza hospitals: 'It's our job'
What the director of Israel Electric Corporation, Yiftah Ron Tal, said when asked why he didn't stand up to the government and refuse to cut power to Gaza despite the humanitarian toll. (Interviewed in surprise phone call from Nir Gontarz for Haaretz+)
 
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.

Recent Entries