APN's daily news review from Israel

Monday August 28, 2017
 

Quote of the Day #1:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

News Summary:
The fury of the parents of a killed and captured Israeli soldier called Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman “weak” and a “coward” after Lieberman said there would be no prisoner swaps, the floods in Houston and the acquisition of F-35 stealth planes from the US were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived in Israel and was expected to push Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to ease restriction on Gaza. Israel Hayom reported that Abbas already agreed to ease crippling Gaza sanctions, at the behest of US Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt and senior US residential adviser Jared Kushner during their meeting in Ramallah Sunday. Meanwhile, Haaretz reported that talks were underway to arrange a meeting next month between US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu.
 

Quick Hits:

---

Features:
WATCH Hebrew 101 with Conan O'Brien
Watch Conan's goofy video, filmed on his El Al flight to Israel. (Haaretz)
Love of soccer brings together Jewish and Arab kids
Sixth graders from Jewish and Arab communities in northern Israel come together for a three-day camp where they play their favorite game in mixed teams and learn about each other; 'I found out there are interesting things in Jewish culture,' says Amir Hosni-Kabha from Barta’a, while teammate Gal Ben-Yitschak from Pardes Hana says he's happy to have learned some words in Arabic. (Ynet)
Eichmann and the Bomb: How Israel's Fledgling Nuke Program Impacted the Nazi's Trial
New book explores the diplomatic balancing act faced by Ben-Gurion. (Yechiam Weitz, Haaretz+)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
The Danger of Ignoring Mizrahi Jews' History (Ron Cahlili, Haaretz+) The more you delve into Mizrahi Jewish history, the more you understand what a real alternative it is, one that could help to neutralize the Israeli fear machine.
We didn't retreat. We gave it up for peace (Eitan Haber, Yedioth/Ynet) Just like in Sinai, Israel should discard its tough guy attitude and relinquish what will be handed over anyway. Enough hiding behind such terms as 'disengagement' or 'evacuation'—for could there be a nobler choice than the decision to let go for peace?
Israel's Defense Minister in Service of Mohammed Dahlan (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) Israeli Defense Minister Lieberman's contempt for Mahmoud Abbas serves interests of the former Gazan 'strongman' who, backed by major Arab money, is trying to inherit the Palestinian Authority.
**When it comes down to it, love should trump hate (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) Jewish American authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman call on Jews in US Pres. Trump's administration to resign over his support of Charlottesville neo-Nazi rally. Their open letter makes a good point: namely, that we should not absolve any Nazi or KKK member of their anti-Semitism due to their hatred of Arabs, while we define ourselves through our love of Israel.
Who would have believed that the partnership between the US and Israel would be expressed in relation to the racism that rules the administrations? (Uri Savir, Maariv) Trump will not change, but the day is approaching when American Democrats and Republicans will make a joint effort to put an end to the phenomenon that threatens the democratic system. Here, too, we need a battle like this.
Chance of Israeli-Palestinian Peace Deal - if Trump Stays (Tzvia Greenfield, Haaretz+) The Saudis need an alliance with Israel but to have one they must present a deal for the Palestinians, which is where the U.S. president comes in.
On Kremlin friendship (Prof. Abraham Ben-Zvi, Israel Hayom) As the U.S. signals its ongoing disengagement from the Middle East, the ties between Israel and Russia take on special importance.
Israeli Leftist Politics as Therapy (Gadi Taub, Haaretz+) As far as those making the human rights argument are concerned, the Palestinians can burn in hell as long as our hands remain spotless.
*Does 'Never Again' only apply to us? (Yehuda Shohat, Yedioth/Ynet) Perhaps it is the notion of the 'chosen people' or 'virtuous people' that makes me recoil when I detect excuses made in Israel for neo-Nazi rallies in the US, or silence when George Soros becomes a victim of anti-Semitism, or overlooking genocides in other countries.
Bring Back the Shame Bonus (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Maybe it's time to give 'shame pay' to the Israeli judge who billed dirt-poor Bedouin for the cost of demolishing their homes, and the ministers who serve in Netanyahu's government.
The Knesset is trying to make the reality "normal," and it is to be hoped that the High Court of Justice will not intervene (Kalman Libeskind, Maariv) Those who authorized the demolition of [settler] houses, thinking that the Disengagement Law [withdrawal of Israeli civilians from Gaza Strip and some settlements in northern West Bank - OH] “was intended to fulfill a vital social need," will find it difficult to convince others that the Regulation Law, which [if passed - OH] will prevent the dismantling of [settler] houses, does not meet this test.
Crossing the Rubicon (Sarah N. Stern, Israel Hayom) The U.S. has finally adopted the right approach: not dictating the outcome of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations but letting the parties decide what works.
With the Occupation in Never Never Land (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) The jeep bounced along the road until our backsides hurt, Tzur texted his girlfriend, complaining that he and the other Israeli troops had fired only stun grenades.
Can Greenblatt succeed where his predecessors failed? (Noam Tibon, Yedioth/Ynet) To succeed in his mission, Trump's Middle East envoy needs to create an updated and revised version of the Saudi peace initiative by limiting the Right of Return to the Palestinian state, removing the Golan from the equation, and adding a comprehensive security plan.
Yemen Is Dying, and It’s Been Forgotten by the World (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The Yemenite front shows clearly how limited Arab countries are in their ability to resolve conflicts by either diplomatic or military means, and highlights Yemen’s need of the intervention of Western countries or Russia.
Obama chose dishonor, and Israel will have war (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) The nuclear agreement—misleadingly presented to the world as the lesser of evils—allowed Iran to grow rich and expand its influence in the region. Now, Tehran is taking over Syria, and the distant enemy is coming closer to Israel.
Targeting 'New Likudniks' (Haaretz Editorial) The attempt to keep the 'New Likudniks' out of the party indicates the degree to which the party's anti-democratic tendencies have deepened under Netanyahu’s leadership.
Rethinking our definition of apartheid: not just a political regime (Part I) (Haidar Eid and Andy Clarno, Al-Shabaka, Maan) Under international law, apartheid is a crime against humanity, but what is missing from the legal definition is the basis for critiquing the economic aspects of apartheid. To address this concern, we propose an alternative definition of apartheid that grew out of the struggle in South Africa during the 1980s and has gained support among activists due to the limits of decolonization in South Africa after 1994 -- a definition that recognizes apartheid as intimately connected to capitalism.
Fascism, Terrorism, the Occupation? Who Cares? There's an Eclipse! (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz+) Will my old, existential political rage come back once I return to Israel from the U.S.?
 

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