Quote of the day:

"You don't believe that a peace agreement is possible. I do. Which one of us is right? I don't know. One of the things that surprised me was that the Palestinians even agreed to look at my face, as a Jew, after all our history. I was surprised that a man who wakes up in the morning and has to go through the Qalandiya checkpoint, who doesn't have citizenship, who barely has any rights in the face of the Israeli army, was even willing to talk to me. And that he talks to me about co-existence."
--Left-wing author Nir Baram talks to settler columnist Emily Amrousi about the book he wrote after meeting with settlers and Palestinians beyond the Green Line during the course of year. The best-seller is now a documentary film.**

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Front Page:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

News Summary:
Attempts to find solutions as repercussions began appearing from the crises over the new conversion law and the Wailing Wall egalitarian prayer space, a damning OECD report on the state of Israel’s public health system, the release today of convicted former prime minister Ehud Olmert and an ecological disaster in Israel’s Negev desert were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news were statements made by Palestinians and Israelis at the UN's "50 Years of Israeli Occupation" conference.
 
After criticism from AIPAC Netanyahu sought to put the controversial conversion bill, which gives the ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate exclusive authority on conversions, on hold and held an emergency meeting of coalition party heads Friday, but ultra-Orthodox lawmakers stormed out at the suggestion of a compromise and Netanyahu reached a deal with the Reform Movement to ask Israel’s High Court for six months to find a new compromise.
 
But already, Israel is feeling the burn from its conversion law and the cancellation of its egalitarian prayer space at the Wailing Wall. A Jewish-American tycoon, who is a stalwart supporter of Israel and financial investor in Israeli social projects, has withdrawn funds from Israel and has asked for his money back until Israel reverses its decisions, Yedioth reported. Saturday night, over a thousand liberal Jews protestedthe two controversial moves outside Netanyahu’s residence, calling on him “not to divide the Jewish people.”

Also making news were the statements by Israelis and Palestinians at the UN event marking “50 years to the Israeli Occupation.” MK Aida Touma-Sliman (Joint List) infuriated right-wing MKs when she told the UN conference that “Israel is a country that is developing clear signs of apartheid.”  She wasn’t alone in her assessment. Palestinian politician and peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, also spoke at the event, saying: “Unfortunately, we don’t have a partner in the present Israeli government. Netanyahu is trying replace the two-state solution with one state and create two separate systems - that is, apartheid.” Maariv reported that Erekat also said that, "In order to defeat ISIS, we must end the occupation” and that "Hamas and the Popular Front are not terrorist organizations." Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, responded: "False lies from those who pay terrorists." Hagai El-Ad of the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem accused Israel of labeling opponents of the occupation as anti-Semitic: "The Israeli government is prepared to undermine the real fight against anti-Semitism in order to preserve the occupation with minimal repercussions from the international community." 
 

Quick Hits:

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Features:
The West Bank's 'Disneyland' offers a small break from the Israeli occupation
This week, thousands of visitors packed the West Bank's biggest amusement park to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. Two entrepreneur brothers, a $15-million investment – not even Israeli red tape can stop the big wheel (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) 
 
Commentary/Analysis:
In Israel, attacks on Palestinians by far-right Jews are frequent - and the police do nothing (Nir Hasson, Haaretz+) A recent attack on three Palestinians, allegedly by members of the far-right Lehava group, is just the latest in a series of such incidents in Jerusalem . 
Soldiers must learn how to deal with Jewish rioters (Ariela Ringel-Hoffman, Yedioth/Ynet) After 50 years of serving in the territories, after hundreds and maybe even thousands of clashes with settlers and Hilltop Youth, the army must put an end to this farce and handle this reality the way it handles its challenges. 
Danger: Jewish Extremists Ahead (Haaretz Editorial and VIDEO) Police have ignored dozens of attacks by far-right Jews on Palestinians. It’s not hard to imagine what would have happened if the situation had been reversed. 
The decrease in violence has led the IDF to deal with issues that you would not expect (Alon Ben David, Maariv) IDF commanders are becoming more interested in improving the lighting in Palestinian villages, in dealing with safety hazards, and even in helping to build gyms in refugee camps. Is this the job of the army? 
The cover-up theater of the occupation (Hagai El-Ad, Haaretz+) After 50 years, one of the occupation's new innovations is doing things out in the open. 
Israel speaking Russian to Hezbollah (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) Using the Russian model, Israel is sending a clear message to the terror organization that if it fails to back down on its effort to establish strongholds in the Golan Heights, Israel may take advantage of its weakness in southern Lebanon and attack. 
Crisis of historic proportions Israel's ties with U.S. Jews are the latest victim of the Netanyahu era (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) As one cabinet minister put it, by throwing U.S. Jews to the dogs, Israel 'didn’t just lose money, we lost our strategic arm in the U.S.’ 
Diaspora Jewry can’t fight Western Wall battle alone (Einav Schiff, Yedioth/Ynet) Despite the injustice suffered by Jews in the US and other countries, the holy site’s fate won’t be determined by those who don’t live here. Without the active involvement of Israeli Jews, the public domain will be shaped by those who care more—in this case, the Haredim.
Israel Needs Diaspora Jewry, Not Their Money (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) The crisis over the Western Wall and conversions should worry Israelis, not because of the financial impact but because of Zionism’s raison d’etre. 
A sledge-hammer blow to American Jewry (Ambassador (Ret.) Arthur Koll, Yedioth/Ynet) Israeli government's decision to renege on commitments made to construct an egalitarian prayer plaza at the Western Wall comes at the expense of its strategic alliance with US Jewry.
The cancellation of the Western Wall plan will harm the chances of reaching a political settlement with the Palestinians (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) The cancellation of the agreement on prayer arrangements at the holy site will not only deepen the rift with the Jewish community in the United States, but also prevent Israel and the PA from resolving the conflict between them. 
The lie at the heart of the Jewish American consensus (Edo Konrad, +972mag) By choosing to engage on specific issues of Israeli policy while ignoring the fate of Palestinians, the Jewish American establishment has effectively sided with perpetuating the occupation.
Trump's productive Middle East failure (Jonathan S. Tobin, Israel Hayom) The U.S. president's demand that the Palestinians end terror and incitement makes brokering the "ultimate deal" unlikely, but it sets the foundation for a realistic view of the peace process. 
Donald Trump Threatening Syria Directly Contradicts His Campaign Promises (Alexander Griffing, Haaretz) Trump had campaigned on a vehement anti-war stance and was a fierce critic of intervention in Syria during Barack Obama's presidency. 
Why Israel Must Send Women to the Battlefield, According to a Female Fighter Pilot (Shira, A Pilot In The IAF Reserves, Haaretz+) I felt proud defending Israel and commanding the next generation of fighters. Anyone argues against women's integration in combat wants to deprive us of our basic rights. 
The Occupation Is a Political Matter, Not a Legal One (Ruth Gavison, Haaretz+) A just solution must consider Israel’s security and identity needs. From the perspective of international law, the Palestinians have no ‘right’ to end the occupation, which was the result of a defensive war. 
When tribalism spins out of control (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) David Ben-Gurion fought the Jewish people’s traditional tribalism through state education and military service, through a melting pot. Today’s political Right has reversed that trend, threatening Israel’s social fabric. 
You Won! Now What? A Note to Israel's ultra-Orthodox and Settlers (Dan Ben-David, Haaretz+) The Haredim and settlers need to understand: Not only will most American Jews abandon them, so will young educated Israelis - secular and religious.
Palestinian identity causes Israeli Arabs to ignore the laws of the state ([settler] Karni Eldad, Maariv) When someone in the Arab sector feels less Israeli, he rarely obeys the rules here, sometimes even through defiance or attempted sabotage. Also: This is how we will save Gazan children.
Trump's Unpredictability Threatens Israel's Balanced, Rational Syria Policy(Amos Harel, Haaretz) With the fall of the de facto capital of ISIS seemingly imminent, no one knows whether the U.S. president will opt for isolationalism or a continued presence in the Middle East. 
Netanyahu is unable to withstand extortionists (Dan Margalit, Haaretz+) Zionists have always understood the importance of compromise for the political good. But Israel's prime minister is only interested in comprises that allow him to cling on to power. 
Not necessarily Netanyahu: Labor must understand that their enemy is Yair Lapid (Ran Adelist, Maariv) The real risk of change in the country, against which the primaries of the Labor Party must fight is not the prime minister, but rather the chairman of Yesh Atid - which has become an obstacle to any change for the better. 
Everyone got Netanyahu's disease (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) Bibi has refused to make do with the modest office of prime minister of Israel. He wanted to be king of the Jews. Now we are all infected. 
The EU must keep building Palestine (Johan Schaar, Haaretz+) A recent op-ed suggested the EU is wasting money on wishful thinking for a two-state solution. But Europe's role in building institutions is vital to Palestinian stability, whatever the eventual outcome. 
The report by the leftist Molad organization is reminiscent of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion (Kalman Liebeskind, Maariv) The new document ostensibly reveals how religious Zionism is taking over school curricula in order to shape the views of secular children. With all this there is only one problem: the facts. 
A Big Day Is in the Offing (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) With the Labor Party leadership elections on Tuesday, the whole region is readying for a revolution. Or not. 
The Most Radical Thing One Could Do: Back Israel's Labor Party (Iris Leal, Haaretz+) Leftists need to take a leaf from the right's book and work together to seek the end of the occupation by diplomatic means.
Modi Visit: Does Trump's Instability Mean Israel Should Pivot Towards India?(Shalva Weil, Haaretz+) As well as billion-dollar defense deals, Israel and India have another key feature in common: a large diaspora. The Jewish diaspora is India's model for cultivating investment and supporting its foreign policy.
 
Interviews:
**A journey beyond the Green Line
Over the course of a year, author Nir Baram met with settlers and Palestinians beyond the Green Line. The resulting articles turned into a best-selling book, prompting Baram to go back and film a documentary titled "In a Land Beyond the Mountains." (Interviewed by Emily Amrousi in Israel Hayom) 


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