News Nosh 11.7.17

APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
 
Quote of the day:
"...members of the Jewish Federations of North America have been playing fast and loose with this loophole.”
--Americans for Peace Now called on the Jewish Federations of North America to stop allowing donations to settlements in the West Bank, after Haaretz revealed that a humanitarian amendment to its no-settlement funding policy has allowed funds to go to such things as evicting Palestinians from their homes and running schools built on privately-owned Palestinian land.*

You Must Be Kidding: 
Harvey Weinstein hired Israeli firm Black Cube to research his accusers and to scuttle reports of his sexual abuse. Black Cube operatives posed as activists, abuse victims and sources for journalists.**

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • Cleared for publication: Attorney Isaac Molcho, Netanyahu’s envoy, under investigation
  • (Peeing from the)…diving board // Nahum Barnea
  • Bezeq affair: (CEO) Elkovitch and (Communications Ministry director) Filber on the way to indictments
  • This is what your children are eating in after school care
  • Lifetime achievement award to Yedioth journalist, Shoshana Chen
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
  • (Netanyahu’s envoy) Molcho under investigation in the submarines scandal: “I only worked for the benefit of the state”
  • Bezeq affair: Recommendation to indict heads of company, Elovitch and Hendler, CEO of YES cable company Eilon and director of the Communications Ministry, Filber
  • The best (female) become pilots - Captain Y., married to a pilot and the granddaughter of a pilot, will become the first deputy commander of a squadron in history of the air force
  • Nevzlin’s secrets - Most of the accounts of billionaire Leonid Nevzlin are in tax havens abroad
Israel Hayom

News Summary:
More of Israeli Prime Minister BInyamin Netanyahu’s confidants were named in corruption cases that don’t - yet - include him. The name of Netanyahu’s special diplomatic envoy, attorney Isaac Molcho, was revealed as the other Netanyahu confidant who was questioned and interrogated over suspected breach of trust in the submarines scandal, known as ‘Case 3000,’ and the Israel Securities Authority recommended indicting Shaul Elovitch, head of Bezeq telecom company, and Shlomo Filber, director of the Communications Ministry, both close to Netanyahu, in the Bezeq antitrust affair, also known as ’Case 4000,’ making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.

With the blaring exception of Israel Hayom, which for some unexplained reason did not release the name of attorney Isaac Molcho in its article, the Hebrew papers discussed in depth the connection of Molcho to Netanyahu. Molcho was detained along with attorney David Shimron earlier this week in what is considered the biggest episode of corruption in the history of Israel. Molcho is suspected of promoting the purchase of submarines worth some $1.5 billion from Germany shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp during his diplomatic missions. Shimron was representing ThyssenKrupp in Israel and is reportedly suspected of pushing the purchase of the submarines over the objections of Israel’s security establishment. The two are partners in a law firm and Molcho is married to Shimron’s sister. Shimron is Netanyahu’s cousin - second cousin according to Yedioth - and his personal lawyer. Molcho is Netanyahu’s special envoy in diplomatic affairs and insisted that he had no handin the submarine deal, that he only worked for the good of the country and that he and Shimron kept their affairs completely separate. Molcho worked on a volunteer basis without pay, but did receive an expense account and an office at the Prime Minister’s Office. On Monday, the two were confronted separately with Miki Ganor, the state witness who mediated the deal with ThyssenKrupp and was represented by Shimron. More info about Molcho’s diplomatic involvement from Yedioth/Ynet and Haaretz+.
 
Quick Hits:
  • *Americans for Peace Now calls on Jewish Federations to cease settlement funding - APN urge Jewish Federations of North America to close loophole that permits donations towards projects that take place over the Green Line. (Haaretz+)
  • Hillel Abruptly Cancels Princeton Speech by Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister - Tzipi Hotovely blasts the 'liberal dictatorship preventing American students from hearing an official representative of Israeli government,' will still speak at Princeton Chabad. (Haaretz+ and Times of Israel)
  • Deputy Foreign Minister Hotovely vs. Reform and Conservative Jews: “They have emptied Judaism from content" - During a speech in the United States she protested against the non-Orthodox communities: "Ask yourself why it doesn’t work in Israel." "Secular majority does not need alternative streams.” (Maariv)
  • Israeli State-funded NGO That Built Illegal West Bank Outpost Now Trying to Legalize It - The West Bank outpost near Kfar Adumim currently operates as a site for rehabilitating radical settler youths. The Civil Administration confirmed that the road to the outpost had been paved on private Palestinian land and that the road and structures were built without permits and that demolition orders had been issued for them. There has been no enforcement of those orders. (Haaretz)
  • David Shimron's son to Netanyahu: "You are giving a hand to the dance of the demons (dividing) between the parts of the nation” - Yariv Shimron published a post on Facebook in which he accused the prime minister - his father's cousin - of ridiculing the leftists: "Do not forget that the silver tray also includes the left part of the tray.” (Maariv)
  • Israeli soldiers assault, take 'selfie' with injured Palestinian detainees - Israeli forces raided the home of brothers Tariq Baajeh, 26, and Ahmad Baajeh, 19, in the town of Jayyus and taken to a military zone. “The Baajeh brothers were assaulted and insulted the entire time they were held at the military zone,” the statement said, adding that after the soldiers beat up the brothers, soldier took a “selfie” with the injured brothers “in order to provoke them.” (Maan)
  • Bereaved mother tells Netanyahu: 'What are you waiting for, the next disaster?' - Settlers who lost their loved ones in terror attacks on West Bank roads urge PM to transfer promised funds to improve infrastructure; 'We're driving on roads across Judea and Samaria without proper lighting, without cellular phone reception,' says mother of Adele Biton. (Ynet)
  • PM pledges $57 million to boost security in Judea and Samaria - "We have a clear commitment to solve or help solve the problem of the bypass roads in Judea and Samaria," Netanyahu said. Bereaved families say they will continue protest until funds are officially allocated, they've "had enough" of the PM's promises. (Israel Hayom)
  • Israel charges Palestinian of stealing truck to carry out terror attack - Muhammad Zafran planned to ram truck into soldiers waiting at bus stop outside IDF base in central Israel, but was caught by police while attempting to steal the truck; he admitted to seeking 'revenge' against Israel for its conduct on the Temple Mount. (Ynet)
  • Not just Gush Katif: Settlers sue state for compensation - Residents from West Bank-evacuated settlements Ganim and Kadim demand the same compensation as those evacuated from Gush Katif; 'We lost entire plots and got an apartment in Afula,' says former settler; Agriculture Min. responds by saying, 'They were fully compensated.' (Ynet)
  • Israel to pay out over $120,000 to African asylum seekers jailed illegally - These five men were entitled to temporary resident status in Israel. Instead they were locked up in the Holot detention facility. (Haaretz+)
  • Sheldon Adelson: Israeli American Council will never equivocate on Israel - At national conference of Israeli American Council, philanthropist attacks AIPAC, says IAC "would unequivocally always without question and irreversibly support Israel when it needed it." PM Netanyahu: Israel has never been stronger. (Israel Hayom)
  • First female deputy commander in IAF combat squadron - Air force chief appoints F-15 navigator as a deputy commander in the Spearhead Squadron; officer received the happy news while she was flying a mission. (Ynet)
  • Rivlin in Madrid: 'We must not surrender to anti-Semitism' - President Rivlin meets with heads of Spanish community in Madrid; citing spike in local anti-Semitism, Rivlin tells Spanish community, 'We must fight it, let us stand together'; Spanish Jewry leaders concerned Catalonia push for independence will bring about wave of violence that will include anti-Semitic acts. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Netanyahu in message to Hamas: 'There are no free gifts' - PM vows to return home Israeli citizens, soldiers' remains being held in Gaza, while stressing Israel will not return terrorists' bodies without anything in return; 'We will bring our boys home, but I repeat: there are no free gifts,' says Netanyahu. (Ynet and Israel Hayom)
  • Abbas Heads to Saudi Arabia in Unplanned Visit to Discuss Iran, Trump's Peace Push - Palestinian president's snap visit was planned 24 hours prior. He will depart from Sharm el-Sheikh after meeting with Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi. (Haaretz)
  • Egyptian envoy: Palestinian reconciliation an important step toward peace - Egyptian ambassador to Israel says his country will help Israelis and Palestinians resolve their differences, citing Anwar Sadat's 1977 visit to Jerusalem as an example of how people can work together toward a "secure, stable and prosperous region." (Israel Hayom)
  • **Harvey Weinstein Hired ex-Mossad Agents to Track Women Accusing Him of Sexual Assault - Weinstein hired Israeli firm Black Cube to research his accusers and to scuttle reports of his sexual abuse. Black Cube operatives posed as activists, abuse victims and sources for journalists. (Haaretz)
  • 1941-2017 Rabbi Yisrael Rosen, founder of Israel's official conversion program, dies - Rosen dedicated his life to finding solutions to integrating technology and Jewish religious law. (Haaretz)
  • Sources in Israel to Ukraine: Allow Rebbe Nachman's bones to be brought to Israel - At the order of Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, Israeli diplomats petitioned Kiev to bring Rebbe Nachman to burial in Jerusalem. But in Kiev they made clear: The grave is a national historic asset. (Maariv and JewishPress)
  • New exhibit showcases 1917 British invasion of Palestine - New photography exhibit titled 'Where Balfour Meets Allenby' to open at National Library of Israel showcasing photographs taken by British troops during World War I push to reclaim Israel from Ottomans; photos depict grander moments, such as Allenby entering Jerusalem, as well as moments from their daily lives. (Ynet)
  • Art deemed too 'Jewish' by 3rd Reich on display for 1st time - Swiss art museum showcases new Bern Kunstmuseum exhibit of artwork deemed 'degenerate art' by Nazis because it was Jewish, un-German or Communist. (Agencies, Ynet)
  • Two years before World War II: Hebrew National Theater Habima asked Goebbels to perform in Germany - Contacts between the Hebrew National Theater and the Nazi Minister of Propaganda were recently exposed. The German criminal allowed the Jewish players to come to Berlin, but the performance was canceled at the last minute. (Maariv and Times of Israel)
  • Russia Under Fire After Claiming Credit for Saving Bulgaria’s Jews From Holocaust - Two allies involved in war of words after Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman says Red Army saved 50,000 Bulgarian Jews from Nazi death camps, which Bulgarian president calls 'deep ignorance of history.’ (Haaretz+)
  • 'Beaten, Drugged and Shot' Argentine Police Claim Alberto Nisman, Who Alleged Cover-up of Jewish Center Bombing, Was Murdered - The new report, which was obtained by The Associated Press, bases its conclusions on controversial new evidence and sharply contradicts earlier official findings that the prosecutor likely killed himself. (Haaretz)
  • Historic Jewish quarter of Marrakesh sees revival - Following a major restoration project that began just over two years ago, the once teeming Jewish area of the Moroccan tourist gem is seeing its fortunes revived as visitors—including many from Israel—flock to experience its unique culture and history; ‘I have never seen so many people,’ says one worshiper at the old synagogue. (Agencies, Ynet)
  • Saudis Accuse Iran-backed Hezbollah of Firing Missile at Capital Riyadh: 'An Act of War' - Iran cannot fire missiles at Saudi cities and not expect a response, foreign minister says. (Haaretz)


Features:
100 Years Later, Russia and Israel Reach Deal to Digitize One of World's Great Collections of Hebrew Manuscripts
The Günzburg collection contains over 14,000 items, including thousands of rare Hebrew books, as well as manuscripts in Hebrew and many other languages. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
Car Tech Giants Are Coming to Israel in Their Race for Technologies of Tomorrow
Argus Cyber Security, a young startup, acquired by Continental, is one of dozens of Israeli tech firms developing solutions for the vehicle market of the future. (Eliran Rubin, Haaretz)
Apple's Weakness for Israeli Singers and What It Says About Selling Digital Music
But before declaring her a national treasure, listen to the words. Erez is furious about something, someone or some entity, that took her best years and then gave her the finger. It’s not entirely clear, but when she sings “Can you dance while you shoot,” she means Israel. (Ben Shalev, Haaretz)

Commentary/Analysis:
Under Interrogation: Netanyahu's Right-hand Man and Left-hand Man (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) No one is closer to the prime minister than his confidants Isaac Molho and David Shimron, who are both suspects in one of the most grave corruption cases in Israel’s history.
Each nation has its own ‘Nakba’ (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) The claims of injustice suffered by Palestine’s Arab residents because of the Balfour Declaration should be looked into on the background of the reality and norms in the first half of the 20th century. Hundreds of millions of people gained national liberation and independence, and tens of millions experienced some kind of ‘Nakba,’ including Jews in Arab countries.
Netanyahu’s Associates Are Being Investigated Left and Right, and He Knows Nothing? (Ido Baum, Haaretz+) Anyone who takes a step back and looks at the case into wrongdoing among the heads of Israel's biggest telecom and the ministry tasked with overseeing them would surely ask: Where’s Netanyahu?
Not sour - rotten (Yuval Diskin, Yedioth/YnetHebrew) The moral and ethical rot that leads us is penetrating the Knesset and the government systems and undermines our future and the foundations of our existence. A law against the investigation of an incumbent prime minister is a red light for all of us. The bill is corrupt legislation that justifies the public taking to the streets if it does not stop.
How Israel Can Avoid War With Iran and Hezbollah - for Now (Chuck Freilich, Haaretz+) Israeli leaders should push for more military restraint, and to moderate their jingoistic rhetoric, to avoid further escalation. The situation on Israel's northern border isn't 'intolerable'- yet.
The illusion of the Palestinian state - Enough of lying to ourselves (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth) In London, Netanyahu revealed the truth: There won't be Palestinian independence, an Israeli version, because that's too dangerous. What is left is expanded autonomy, a state-minus, a type of being. In other words, Sovereignty of a different type, as long as the security limitations and state separation are preserved.
Adelson Has Hijacked the Israeli-American Community for His Hard-right Agenda (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz) New political pressure group will outflank AIPAC and fragment the Jewish establishment.
An Ambitious Heir and a Bitter Family Feud Are Shaking Up Saudi Arabia (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The arrest of some of the kingdom’s richest officials, ostensibly for corruption, is a pretext for clearing the crown prince’s ruthless path to power.
Mendelblit, learn: it is possible to conduct a complex investigation in a reasonable amount of time (Ben Caspit, Maariv) Only five months had elapsed from when the investigation by the Israel Securities Authority made public its investigation (into Bezeq, Israel's dominant telecommunications company, in a sprawling antitrust case)
until it was finalized and sent to the State Prosecutor's Office. Compare this to the prime minister's investigations, which at the present speed might be over in the current decade.
Cluster Bombs and Yachts 5 Things You Should Know About Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince (Alexander Griffing, Haaretz+) The world's youngest defense minister, Mohammed bin Salman, has become the poster boy for Saudi Arabia’s proxy wars in the Middle East.
The submarine affair: There is a large gap between those under investigation and those who are tried (Adv. Yechiel Guttman, Maariv) I know Mr. Molcho personally and he is a decent and honest person - I do not think there is a fear that he crossed the criminal threshold.
Is Saudi Arabia's New Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman 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.
Don't return bodies for nothing (Maj. Gen. (ret.) Yaakov Amidror, Israel Hayom) Israel's new tunnel detection and destruction technologies are changing the equation on the southern front, but the enemy might abandon its own casualties for the sake of leaving Israeli families in a state of uncertainty.
Israeli Arabs, Too, Benefited From the Balfour Declaration (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) Let’s hope that in Israel’s next election, more Arabs will be on the slates of mainstream parties, like Zouheir Bahloul of the Zionist Union and Esawi Freij of Meretz.
The Chained Jailers of Gaza (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Israelis refuse to comprehend that Gaza is a huge prison, and that we are the wardens.
The ball is in Hezbollah's court (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) In the wake of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's resignation after a possible Hezbollah assassination plot, it is now up to Hezbollah to make the next move.
Women Will Be Silent No More (Haaretz Editorial) Women no longer have to accept behavior that causes them distress, and the behavior of men who exploit positions of power will no longer be protected.
The Mysterious Death of Alberto Nisman Revisited: What We Know and Who's Who(Noga Tarnopolsky, Haaretz+) Argentina’s border police concluded that the 2015 death of the prosecutor investigating Iran’s role in the 1994 Buenos Aires Jewish community center bombing was a homicide. A guide to the personalities involved.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.