APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday June 26, 2017
Quote of the day:
"...Jews will be prohibited from doing what Karaites, a members of an 8th-century offshoot of Jewry that
doesn’t believe in the force of the Talmud, were permitted to do in the 17th century: To pray in a manner that
accords with their beliefs."
--David B. Green examines the cabinet’s decision cancel the agreement to establish an egalitarian space at the Wailing Wall for mixed-gender prayer.*
--David B. Green examines the cabinet’s decision cancel the agreement to establish an egalitarian space at the Wailing Wall for mixed-gender prayer.*
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Palestinian Authority preventing patients in Gaza from receiving medical treatment in Israel – The battle between Abbas and Hamas
- Government withdrew from plan it approved for joint prayer at the Wailing Wall
- Netanyahu doesn’t care about the Reform Jews // Chemi Shalev
- Construction of fence on Lebanese border to begin in July; IDF preparing for clashes
- Government offices acting to thwart plan to mark food harmful food
- Hadassah crisis: Parents of children began hunger strike
- State did not draw up criteria for giving asylum to 200 Darfur refugees, the number was randomly determined
- Haaretz journalist ‘Yoel Marcus’ was given Sokolow Prize
- Breakout of cholera in Yemen: At least 200,000 people infected
- Despite everything, Gabai (for head of Labor party) // Raviv Drucker
Yedioth Ahronoth
- The (hunger) strike of desperation: Parents of children at Hadassah Hospital (cancer ward) are intensifying their struggle
- The Wailing Wall and conversion storm – (Minister) Steinitz: “The decision could create a rift between the Jewish people”; (Minister) Leitzman: “So you prefer a rift between us?”
- Sokolov Prize to Yedioth journalist Dr. Ronen Bergman
- Getting to work by cable car: Haifa to become to first city in Israel where a cable car will become an accessible mode of transportation
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- The double victory of the ultra-Orthodox
- “They framed me, they incited against my family” – CEO of Hadassah Hospital, Prof. Zeev Rothstein, speaks about the crisis; tomorrow the issue will be discussed in High Court following hunger-strike of parents of sick children
- For the second time in two days: IDF attacked in Syria
- The wall of fear // Yossi Melman
Israel Hayom
- Fear: Hezbollah will attack the construction of a wall on the Lebanese border
- Wailing Wall crisis: The sides forgot two things – proportion and High Court // Yehuda Shlezinger
- Record demand to join Border Police: A new company of female combat soldiers will be added
- Crisis at Hadassah – the cry of the mothers: “We have nowhere to go”
- Health Ministry presents: Spin, threats and force // Raz Sukenik
- After being closed for a decade – the Pisgat Zeev bypass road will be re-opened
- The corruption affair at the Israel Aerospace Industries: Minister Haim Katz will be interrogated on Thursday
- Drink a lot: Dangerous heatwave till Wednesday
News Summary:
Fear of a rift with American Jewry after the ultra-Orthodox achieved a double victory in Israel, parents of children being treated for cancer at Hadassah Hospital went on hunger-strike, Israel fired back again after errant Syrian fire spilled into the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan Heights as Syria warned Israel of 'dangerous repercussions for aggressive action' – making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
Jewish groups were outraged after the Israeli government cabinet backtracked on its plan to make a mixed space at the Wailing Wall, where Reform and Conservative Jews could hold mixed prayer services. The Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, a key architect of the plan, said the move was “a retreat that will make our work to bring Israel and the Jewish world closer together increasingly more difficult" and then canceled a Jewish Agency dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. If that weren’t enough to enrage non-Orthodox Jews, the ministers approved a bill giving the ultra-Orthodox Rabbinate the monopoly on conversions. Yisrael Beiteinu appealed the vote, which could potentially stall the draft law for months.
Quick Hits:
- Assailants destroy 45 olive trees and spray paint 'revenge' on Palestinian land - Israeli NGO Rabbis for Human Rights reported on Facebook that the damage was done adjacent to Route 60, the main highway running through the occupied West Bank. (Maan and photos)
- Settler reportedly stabbed Palestinian at Israeli military checkpoint - Local Palestinian news sites said that an Israeli settler had committed the stabbing at the Israeli military checkpoint north of the village of Nahhalin near the illegal Israeli settlement of Betar illit, and that the Palestinian victim was evacuated in an ambulance to a hospital for treatment. (Maan)
- 20 Israelis arrested for trying to enter Joseph's Tomb in Nablus -Israeli police said group of Jewish Israelis were arrested at entrance to Nablus while on the way to Joseph's Tomb, without prior coordination with Israeli forces to enter Area A -- the 18 percent of the occupied West Bank under the control of the Palestinian Authority (PA). (Maan)
- Settlers Throw Rocks at Israeli Forces Who Take Down Illegal Building in Yitzhar - Three arrested. Incident came hours after two dozen Palestinian-owned olive trees nearby were found damaged. (Haaretz)
- Israeli security forces cracking down on Jewish hate-crime suspects - About 30 restraining orders are currently in place against right-wing extremists, with one Jewish activist being detained without trial. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli authorities indict 3 Palestinian Jerusalemite youths for assault - Micky Rosenfeld wrote that last Saturday, three suspects threw rocks at a Jewish man who was wearing a religious praying shawl known as a tallit and had just finished prayers inside a synagogue when three suspects threw rocks at him. (Maan)
- Palestinian Authority Prevents Gazans From Leaving Strip for Urgent Medical Treatment in Israel - Comes as most attention focused on Ramallah-based PA's cutbacks to Gaza’s electricity. (Haaretz+)
- Israel barred UNESCO from Hebron, citing 'politicization' of holy site - The government did not allow the organization's investigative team to visit the Old City, which was intended to put it on the list of Palestinian World Heritage Sites in danger, at request of Palestinian Authority. (Maariv and Ynet)
- Israeli army readies for flare-ups ahead of work on Lebanon border wall - Works set to begin next month; Israeli army believes Hezbollah will try to disrupt works, claiming they deviate from international border line sanctioned by UN. (Haaretz+)
- For the First Time, Israeli Army to Allow Military Funerals in Secular, Non-military Cemeteries - Funerals at military cemeteries will continue to confirm to Orthodox custom. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Human rights organizations express solidarity with Breaking the Silence: "The (gov’t) is spreading fear" - 18 organizations issued a statement of support following the interrogation of the spokesman, Dean Issacharoff, on suspicion of beating a Palestinian: "Investigations into suspicions of the serious violations of international law are well covered up." (Maariv)
- Former soldiers to Israeli gov't: Investigate us for occupation abuses - Israel’s justice minister demanded an investigation of an anti-occupation activist after he admitted to beating a Palestinian during his army service. Now other former soldiers are stepping up to show solidarity. (+972mag)
- Report: Israel pays $20 million to families of 2010 flotilla raid victims - Turkish media says Israel has paid $20 million in restitution to families of 10 Turks killed during a raid on a Gaza-bound ship trying to breach maritime blockade on the enclave • Turkey's Finance Minister Naci Agbal confirms reparations have been made. (Israel Hayom)
- Turks bus Arabs to Al-Aqsa to 'defend against Israeli invasion' - Mirasimiz, which receives some of its funding from the Turkish government, is working to transport around half a million Arab-Israelis to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem with the aim of "toppling the occupation and the siege," Israel Hayom learns. (Israel Hayom)
- Hezbollah chief: Thousands of fighters will join us against Israel - Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah decries conspiracy to "isolate" Iran and make it the enemy instead of Israel, says Saudis are too "weak and cowardly" to fight Iran. U.N. peacekeepers deny Israeli assertion that Hezbollah set up outposts along border. (Israel Hayom)
- Amid tensions, state renovates shelters near northern border - Plan, expected to cost millions, to focus especially on communities located up to 25 miles from Israel's border with Lebanon. Public shelters to be renovated in 21 communities • IDF determines this is the main area under threat of enemy missiles. (Israel Hayom)
- Israel Stalls on Promise of Temporary Residency to 200 Darfurian Asylum Seekers - Sources: Number picked at random. (Haaretz+)
- Israel Drops Controversial Study on Links Between Pollution and Cancer in Haifa Area - The health and environment ministries cite methodical problems in the research that found babies being born with smaller heads. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- 4 soldiers jailed after one falls asleep in middle of live fire drill - Nahal infantry soldier dozes off during exercise, only to wake up when a tank bomb goes off near him; he is saved after alerting police to his whereabouts; an officer and three soldiers are sent to jail as a result. (Ynet)
- Hebron shooter Elor Azaria undergoes tests after fainting - Soldier convicted of manslaughter of Palestinian stabber passes out on base, sent for examinations at military hospital. (Maariv and Times of Israel)
- Sheldon Adelson and Wife Miriam to Speak to Israel Police as Part of Netanyahu Graft Case - Testimony of Miriam Adelson, who has been active in matters involving Israel Hayom daily, is expected to be more significant than her husband's. (Haaretz+)
- Istanbul: Police Use Rubber Bullets, Dogs to Break Up Banned Gay Pride March - Citing security concerns after threats from an ultra-nationalist group, Istanbul's governor had banned the event. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Jeering at Israeli Experts, Iran Mocks Reports That Its Missile Strike in Syria Misfired - Iranian general claims warheads hit targets, only first-stage engines fell in Iraq. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Amid anti-Israel bias, Israel to re-enact UN statehood resolution - Re-enactment of 1947 vote to be held in original hall. Israeli Ambassador: Faced with denial of our right to exist, we will highlight the support Israel enjoys from many nations. Israelis recall crowding around radios, dancing in streets. (Israel Hayom)
Features:
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)
IN PHOTOS: Eid al-Fitr in Jerusalem
Palestinians celebrate Eid al-Fitr across the region, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. (Haaretz)
The independent liberal: the story of the right-wing man whom Begin feared
Life in the underground, which led him to exile in Kenya. The great revolution that he led in the Kastner trial. The honesty that made him leave the parliamentary game. And the tragedy he experienced with the fall of his pilot son. The story of Shmuel Tamir. (Yaakov Bar-On, Maariv)
Commentary/Analysis:
Protecting Violent Settlers (Haaretz Editorial) There is no lack of evidence of the anti-Palestinian activities of Jewish lawbreakers who are residents of the settlements.
The cancellation of the Western Wall (division) draft is a declaration of war against American Jewry (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) During the most precious time, the government of Israel shows complete indifference to the feelings of millions of Jews in the Diaspora and accelerates the disengagement from them. The President of the Reform Movement took a flight to Israel: "This is a spit in our face."
This summer's wave of protests gives us reason to be optimistic (Haggai Matar, +972mag) From asylum seekers demanding their wages to protests against the Gaza blackout to raising awareness over disappeared Yemenite babies, this summer’s protests give us every reason to stay optimistic about this place.
'Israel may be able to take our money, but it cannot take our dignity' (Head of the Palestinian Committee of Prisoners' Affairs, Issa Qaraqe, Maan) The Israeli, American, and European attentionmpt to blackmail and pressure the Palestinian Authority to withhold funds from the families of detainees, martyrs, and the wounded is an attempt to classify the entire Palestinian national identity as terrorism and a crime. The Palestinian resistance against the occupation -- represented by detainees, martyrs, and the wounded -- is thus rendered illegitimate and stripped of its legal and humanitarian foundations, especially that which is rooted in international law, which allows any people under occupation to resist to obtain their freedom and dignity.
Palestinians Also to Blame for Gaza Electricity Crisis (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Don’t give a pass to the two rival Palestinian leaderships, who cynically clash with each other at the expense of their people in the Gaza Strip.
In state of panic, Syrian army tosses rules of caution aside (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) While Assad’s army was well aware of the fact its direct tank fire on rebel forces would spill over into Israeli territory and lead to retaliation, it had to stop the rebels from approaching the road to Damascus. Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether the unusually severe IDF response will be met with a Syrian counterattack.
*There Was a Time When Men and Women Could Pray Together at Western Wall. Not Anymore (David B. Green, Haaretz+) Two thousand years ago, Jews' baseless hatred for other Jews led to the Temple's destruction. What damage might today's manifestation of such hatred yield?
Before dismantling democracy, Israeli right breaks rule of law (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Police probe of Breaking the Silence spokesman is part of overall campaign to politicize Israel’s legal system.
The end of every balloon: In the case of the assaulting spokesman, the people of "Breaking the Silence" fell big time (Kalman Liebeskind, Maariv) It is impossible to for the members of the organization to get out clean from the story of Dean Issacharoff. Anyone who wants to exempt a soldier who admits that he beat an Arab for no reason, only because he is one of the "good guys," proves that Palestinian rights do not interest him.
Ultra-Orthodox Judaism is taking over Israel. Netanyahu just made sure of it (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) In a single day, Netanyahu hands Haredim two major victories that will reverberate among world Jewry.
ISIS: The day after (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) The Iranians are working to ensure they succeed the Islamic State as masters of the Syrian and Iraqi deserts. The U.S. must act now if it hopes to avoid the mistakes of the past.
The Republic of Gilead Is in 21st-century Israel (Rivka Neriya-Ben Shahar, Haaretz+) El Al’s practice of moving ‘offending’ female passengers, rather than the ‘offended’ men, is rooted in the notion that women are essentially wicked.
New generation of Hilltop Youth: Less ideology, more anti-state activity (Elisha Ben-Kimon, Yedioth/Ynet) The main targets of ‘price tag’ perpetrators in recent weeks have been Israel’s security forces—the Shin Bet, the IDF and the police—rather than the Palestinians.
Netanyahu to American Jews: Drop dead (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) With Trump in office, the prime minister feels free to renege on Western Wall deal and stab liberal Jews in the back.
The Bermuda Triangle: The General Staff Must Prevent the Prime Minister from Engaging in the War Against ISIS In Syria (Ran Adelist, Maariv) The campaign against ISIS is becoming a local war over the drawing of the borders of the Alawite neighbor, which has won in its struggle for survival. The responsibility of the General Staff is that the government does not intervene.
Why Did Islamic State Wait So Long to Attack in Iran? (Amatzia Baram, Haaretz) The Iranians blame the Saudis for the terror attacks in Tehran, but neither state is really eager to go to war.
Sunset of the Saudi Era (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Even the super-rich can become poor.
There isn't a shortage of MKs, there’s a shortage of mensches - a special column by MK Ilan Gilon (Ilan Gilon, Maariv) Will 20 more members of Knesset make a difference in our legislature? It doesn’t need more friends, but rather more power vis-a-vis the government and leaders to stand up for what is important.
Gaza, a Failed Palestinian State (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+)
Would a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria be substantially different than incontestably failed one in Gaza?
Europe must stop funding demonization of Israel (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) In the past, Europe was involved in the demonization of Jews. Today, Europe is funding the demonization of the Jewish state. A normal country can’t allow donations that fund the campaign to destroy that same country, and it’s time for Israel stop this absurdity too.
Is an 'Economic Separation Barrier' the Key to the Future of Israel-Palestine? (Hagai Amit, Haaretz+) Like it or not, the Palestinian and Israeli economies are bound together with ties that no political arrangement could sever.
The Fear Fence: The decision to build the wall in Lebanon is not new (Yossi Melman, Maariv) More than a year ago, it was decided to build a new and advanced fence in Lebanon. It's a shame that in the media there are those who are trying to connect the subject to the recent events in the north and scare the public for no reason.
Dear Arab men, it's time to build a new kind of masculinity (Abed Abu Shehadeh, +972mag) We must challenge masculinity that derives its power from the backs of the weakest segments in our society, while at the same time proposing an alternative masculinity that fights back against our humiliation.
How my family was betrayed by Berlin, again (Rachel Judah, Haaretz+) My grandmother was driven out of Nazi Germany; other family members were murdered in Auschwitz. When, this year, I applied for German citizenship, I never imagined I would encounter Holocaust revisionism.
The Bank of Israel Is Captive to Tycoons, Supervisor Admits (Guy Rolnik, Haaretz+) But Hedva Ber is looking at the symptom and ignoring the disease: the banks’ shaky corporate governance, their political power and the regulators’ fear to confront them.
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)
IN PHOTOS: Eid al-Fitr in Jerusalem
Palestinians celebrate Eid al-Fitr across the region, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. (Haaretz)
The independent liberal: the story of the right-wing man whom Begin feared
Life in the underground, which led him to exile in Kenya. The great revolution that he led in the Kastner trial. The honesty that made him leave the parliamentary game. And the tragedy he experienced with the fall of his pilot son. The story of Shmuel Tamir. (Yaakov Bar-On, Maariv)
Commentary/Analysis:
Protecting Violent Settlers (Haaretz Editorial) There is no lack of evidence of the anti-Palestinian activities of Jewish lawbreakers who are residents of the settlements.
The cancellation of the Western Wall (division) draft is a declaration of war against American Jewry (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) During the most precious time, the government of Israel shows complete indifference to the feelings of millions of Jews in the Diaspora and accelerates the disengagement from them. The President of the Reform Movement took a flight to Israel: "This is a spit in our face."
This summer's wave of protests gives us reason to be optimistic (Haggai Matar, +972mag) From asylum seekers demanding their wages to protests against the Gaza blackout to raising awareness over disappeared Yemenite babies, this summer’s protests give us every reason to stay optimistic about this place.
'Israel may be able to take our money, but it cannot take our dignity' (Head of the Palestinian Committee of Prisoners' Affairs, Issa Qaraqe, Maan) The Israeli, American, and European attentionmpt to blackmail and pressure the Palestinian Authority to withhold funds from the families of detainees, martyrs, and the wounded is an attempt to classify the entire Palestinian national identity as terrorism and a crime. The Palestinian resistance against the occupation -- represented by detainees, martyrs, and the wounded -- is thus rendered illegitimate and stripped of its legal and humanitarian foundations, especially that which is rooted in international law, which allows any people under occupation to resist to obtain their freedom and dignity.
Palestinians Also to Blame for Gaza Electricity Crisis (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Don’t give a pass to the two rival Palestinian leaderships, who cynically clash with each other at the expense of their people in the Gaza Strip.
In state of panic, Syrian army tosses rules of caution aside (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) While Assad’s army was well aware of the fact its direct tank fire on rebel forces would spill over into Israeli territory and lead to retaliation, it had to stop the rebels from approaching the road to Damascus. Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether the unusually severe IDF response will be met with a Syrian counterattack.
*There Was a Time When Men and Women Could Pray Together at Western Wall. Not Anymore (David B. Green, Haaretz+) Two thousand years ago, Jews' baseless hatred for other Jews led to the Temple's destruction. What damage might today's manifestation of such hatred yield?
Before dismantling democracy, Israeli right breaks rule of law (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Police probe of Breaking the Silence spokesman is part of overall campaign to politicize Israel’s legal system.
The end of every balloon: In the case of the assaulting spokesman, the people of "Breaking the Silence" fell big time (Kalman Liebeskind, Maariv) It is impossible to for the members of the organization to get out clean from the story of Dean Issacharoff. Anyone who wants to exempt a soldier who admits that he beat an Arab for no reason, only because he is one of the "good guys," proves that Palestinian rights do not interest him.
Ultra-Orthodox Judaism is taking over Israel. Netanyahu just made sure of it (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) In a single day, Netanyahu hands Haredim two major victories that will reverberate among world Jewry.
ISIS: The day after (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) The Iranians are working to ensure they succeed the Islamic State as masters of the Syrian and Iraqi deserts. The U.S. must act now if it hopes to avoid the mistakes of the past.
The Republic of Gilead Is in 21st-century Israel (Rivka Neriya-Ben Shahar, Haaretz+) El Al’s practice of moving ‘offending’ female passengers, rather than the ‘offended’ men, is rooted in the notion that women are essentially wicked.
New generation of Hilltop Youth: Less ideology, more anti-state activity (Elisha Ben-Kimon, Yedioth/Ynet) The main targets of ‘price tag’ perpetrators in recent weeks have been Israel’s security forces—the Shin Bet, the IDF and the police—rather than the Palestinians.
Netanyahu to American Jews: Drop dead (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) With Trump in office, the prime minister feels free to renege on Western Wall deal and stab liberal Jews in the back.
The Bermuda Triangle: The General Staff Must Prevent the Prime Minister from Engaging in the War Against ISIS In Syria (Ran Adelist, Maariv) The campaign against ISIS is becoming a local war over the drawing of the borders of the Alawite neighbor, which has won in its struggle for survival. The responsibility of the General Staff is that the government does not intervene.
Why Did Islamic State Wait So Long to Attack in Iran? (Amatzia Baram, Haaretz) The Iranians blame the Saudis for the terror attacks in Tehran, but neither state is really eager to go to war.
Sunset of the Saudi Era (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Even the super-rich can become poor.
There isn't a shortage of MKs, there’s a shortage of mensches - a special column by MK Ilan Gilon (Ilan Gilon, Maariv) Will 20 more members of Knesset make a difference in our legislature? It doesn’t need more friends, but rather more power vis-a-vis the government and leaders to stand up for what is important.
Gaza, a Failed Palestinian State (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+)
Would a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria be substantially different than incontestably failed one in Gaza?
Europe must stop funding demonization of Israel (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) In the past, Europe was involved in the demonization of Jews. Today, Europe is funding the demonization of the Jewish state. A normal country can’t allow donations that fund the campaign to destroy that same country, and it’s time for Israel stop this absurdity too.
Is an 'Economic Separation Barrier' the Key to the Future of Israel-Palestine? (Hagai Amit, Haaretz+) Like it or not, the Palestinian and Israeli economies are bound together with ties that no political arrangement could sever.
The Fear Fence: The decision to build the wall in Lebanon is not new (Yossi Melman, Maariv) More than a year ago, it was decided to build a new and advanced fence in Lebanon. It's a shame that in the media there are those who are trying to connect the subject to the recent events in the north and scare the public for no reason.
Dear Arab men, it's time to build a new kind of masculinity (Abed Abu Shehadeh, +972mag) We must challenge masculinity that derives its power from the backs of the weakest segments in our society, while at the same time proposing an alternative masculinity that fights back against our humiliation.
How my family was betrayed by Berlin, again (Rachel Judah, Haaretz+) My grandmother was driven out of Nazi Germany; other family members were murdered in Auschwitz. When, this year, I applied for German citizenship, I never imagined I would encounter Holocaust revisionism.
The Bank of Israel Is Captive to Tycoons, Supervisor Admits (Guy Rolnik, Haaretz+) But Hedva Ber is looking at the symptom and ignoring the disease: the banks’ shaky corporate governance, their political power and the regulators’ fear to confront them.
Interviews:
Amos Oz, a Fanatic of the Two-state Solution
In his new nonfiction book the novelist’s language is wondrous as usual, but behind it lurks all the problems of the Zionist left – from arrogance and sanctification of secularism to dodging the toughest questions. (Interviewed by Avraham Burg in Haaretz+)
Rabbi Yisrael Lau: Is there anything left of the Jewish state?
As he marks his 80th birthday, Israel’s former chief rabbi is officially retiring after 56 years of activity, including two terms as the Tel Aviv city rabbi. In a special interview, he talks about the Shabbat wars in his city, the Pride Parade, the religionization of the IDF and his memories from Buchenwald, which follow him wherever he goes. (Interviewed by Amira Lam in Yedioth/Ynet)
Amos Oz, a Fanatic of the Two-state Solution
In his new nonfiction book the novelist’s language is wondrous as usual, but behind it lurks all the problems of the Zionist left – from arrogance and sanctification of secularism to dodging the toughest questions. (Interviewed by Avraham Burg in Haaretz+)
Rabbi Yisrael Lau: Is there anything left of the Jewish state?
As he marks his 80th birthday, Israel’s former chief rabbi is officially retiring after 56 years of activity, including two terms as the Tel Aviv city rabbi. In a special interview, he talks about the Shabbat wars in his city, the Pride Parade, the religionization of the IDF and his memories from Buchenwald, which follow him wherever he goes. (Interviewed by Amira Lam in Yedioth/Ynet)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.