APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
NOTE: Orly Halpern, editor of News Nosh, is on holiday from August 15th until August 24th, during which News Nosh will be produced as a truncated version and sent later in the day.
NOTE: Orly Halpern, editor of News Nosh, is on holiday from August 15th until August 24th, during which News Nosh will be produced as a truncated version and sent later in the day.
You must be kidding:
The "Regularization Law" - which allows for the retroactive legalization of Israeli outposts, built in violation of Israeli law - is a "humane, proportional and reasonable response to the genuine distress of Israeli residents [settlers].”
-- the state argued on Monday before the Israeli High Court to reject legal challenges to the "Regularization Law"
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Mossad accused of assassinating Palestinian man in Sweden
- Gaza blockade: Egypt set to reopen Rafah Crossing on regular basis
- Israel: seizing of Palestinian land is human response to distress of settlers
- Courting evangelical right in the US, Israel to host first "Christian Media Summit"
Ynet News
- Netanyahu asks for hearing on Israel Hayom ruling
- US remains concerned over freeze of Kotel plan
- N. Korea, Syria cooperating on chemical weapons
- Kahlon boasts record-low unemployment rate
Times of Israel
- PM asks Supreme Court for new hearing on revealing Adelson phone calls
- Jerusalem ordered to release details about Sara Netanyahu's employment
- Shas leader: Modern Orthodox communities are 'borderline Reform"
- Posers or terrorists? Deaths put spotlight on Florida neo-Nazi group
Israel Hayom
- Iran warns it can resume high uranium enrichment "in 5 days"
- Lebanon helps foil Islamic State explosive Barbie doll plot
- Palestinians await "clear vision" from US on peace talks
- NGO uses government funds to broadcast support for BDS
i24 News
- Bannon boycotted meeting with Abbas, pushed for embassy move
- US reportedly works to thwart UN list of firms operating in Israeli settlements
- Netanyahu to meet Putin in Sochi for discussions on Syria and the region
- Mattis in Baghdad as Iraq presses assault on IS bastion
News Summary:
The UN Human Rights Council announced that it will publish a list by the end of the year of international businesses that operate in Palestinian territories that the international community recognizes as occupied by Israel, including the Golan, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank. US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley came out strongly against this list, arguing that "blacklisting companies without even looking at their employment practices or their contributions to local empowerment, but rather based entirely on their location in areas of conflict is contrary to the laws of international trade and to any reasonable definition of human rights." Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Dannon, claimed that "the UN human rights commissioner has become the most senior activist of the BDS movement and has set a goal to harm the State of Israel."
Jared Kushner, Jason Greenblatt, and Dina Powell have quietly departed for their Middle East trip and will arrive on Wednesday night. In anticipation of meetings with the US delegation, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced that he plans to give the team an ultimatum on the peace plan. A Palestinian source said: If we don’t hear within a month and a half that the American team has stopped talking and started doing, Abbas intends to mobilize anyone and everyone he can for the UN General Assembly session on the establishment of a Palestinian state, regardless of the Israeli and American reactions."
Quick Hits:
- How 1,000 Die-hard Protesters Are Testing Israel’s Democracy: For 39 weeks, demonstrators have gathered near the home of the Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit in Petah Tikva to protest his foot-dragging in corruption cases against Netanyahu. They say police activities, including the arrest of two organizers, have guaranteed a bumper crowd for Saturday's 40th protest. Read more here.
- Or Kashti of Haaretz says that there are critical problems with the the Arabic translation of the Israeli civics textbook. A number of translators have warned that some of the material is inappropriate for Arab students because of its reliance on Jewish sources and minimization of the Arab perspective. Read more here.
- In i24 News, Lily Galili highlights that the 1948 narrative is playing an increasingly important role in the Palestinian consciousness, while official peacemaking efforts largely limit the conversation to issues resulting from the 1967 war. She argues that this narrative has to be addressed moving forward. Read more here.
- Haaretz features the Shepherds Beer Fest in Bethlehem - 8,000 people have shown up for two nights of music, drink and dance at the second annual beer festival. Read more here.
- The Jerusalem Post reports that the High Court rejected the Shamasneh family's appeal to delay the evacuation of their home in Sheikh Jarrah, which they've lived in for 53 years. Read more here.