APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Quote of the day:
"As soon as it is determined that equality is not a value, discrimination won’t remain in one
area only. It will infiltrate everywhere—against those who the majority doesn’t wish to honor. The
hostile and discriminating attitude towards Arabs is just the beginning."
--Yedioth columnist Aviad Kleinberg comments on a recent poll by the Israel Democracy Institute that showed racist feelings among Jewish Israelis toward Arab citizens.*
Front Page:
--Yedioth columnist Aviad Kleinberg comments on a recent poll by the Israel Democracy Institute that showed racist feelings among Jewish Israelis toward Arab citizens.*
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Netanyahu-appointed (Communications Ministry) director advanced an enormous benefit in an exceptional move immediately after he was appointed
- (Isaac) Molcho gave Germany a letter that approved upgrading the Egyptian submarines
- British minister forced to resign following visit to Israel
- Israel doubled the waiting time for permissions to exit Gaza; 16,000 requests wait for a response
- (Keshet TV President) Alex Giladi: I will step aside temporarily from the presidency of Keshet; Senior manager in channel: He won’t return to his job
- Shaked asked Rivlin to pardon Yonatan Heilo, who murdered a man who raped him
- The lynch of the asylum seeker in Beersheva: The main evidence was rejected - the security video footage
- Tying of patients in psychiatric hospitals dropped by half
- Hell 2017 // Gideon Levy
Yedioth Ahronoth
- “They are battling the Police Commissioner using mafia methods so that he’ll understand that you don’t deal with the prime minister” - Former police commissioner following initiatives against the police
- Reward and punishment // Sima Kadmon
- With intimidation // Ben-Dror Yemini
- Reason for resignation: Meetings with Israelis
- “Delete the word ‘slave’” - Judge criticized the complainant of the employee against Sara Netanyahu
- Attorney Weinrot: “Bibi has a weakness for tycoons”
- Another scout: “I was sexually attacked in the Scouts”
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Assessment in IDF: “There will be a response to the exploding of the tunnel”
- The 102 list - In the Google table that victims of producer Harvey Weinstein published, the attacks are detailed over 37 years: the date, the victim and the act
- (Keshet TV President) suspended himself from Keshet: “My innocence will be proved”
- (Keshet) in a shake-up: What do the employees say in the halls of Keshet?
Israel Hayom
- Boycott law: “Bank of targets” revealed
- Storm of Lior Horev in the Knesset: “The advisor violated the rules of the game”
- (Alex) Giladi scandal: “Temporarily leaving” Keshet TV
- Don’t freeze - return fire // Maayan Adam
- The judge: “The lawsuit against Sara Netanyahu - for other ears”
- In the name of the brother - Asaf Yifrach fulfilled the dream of his brother, who was kidnapped and murdered in June 2014: He finished paratroopers basic training
- They cooked over a campfire on Yom Kippur: A Meglan Unit officer was transferredfrom his position
- Following ‘Israel Hayom’ report: Calls to “Cancel the appointment of Makbuleh Nassar - she is not fit for an educational position”
- Report: “Soon a date will be made for another questioning of the Prime Minister”
News Summary:
Two people were forced to resign, British minister Priti Patel, who met with Israeli politicians against protocol and Israeli TV executive, Alex Giladi, who was accused of raping women, making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
Also in the news, the Ministerial Legislative committee passed in a first reading the ‘Police Law,’ which would prevent police from recommending indictments at the end of an investigation. The bill was proposed by a loyalist to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, the latter who is under investigation, a day after the Attorney General said that the bill, and another which forbids investigating a sitting prime minister, “seek to change the delicate balance between branches of government and should be treated with utmost caution to avoid harming rule of law and the public's interest. Netanyahu will be questioned today by police today the fifth time in an alleged corruption probe.
And the Commander of the Home Front Command said he expected the Palestinian Islamic Jihad to retaliate to the Israeli demolition of a tunnel that reached Israel and killed seven, Maariv reported.
Quick Hits:
- Palestinians resume security ties with Israel, eye Gaza enforcement - PA forces in the West Bank resume security coordination with Israel they suspended almost four months ago in protest of Israel's policies on Jerusalem's Temple Mount. (Agencies, Ynet and Israel Hayom)
- Thousands of Palestinians in Limbo as Israel Doubles Wait Time for Exit Visas From Gaza - Palestinians striving to leave Gaza Strip must brave Israeli bureaucracy and face weeks on weeks of delays. (Haaretz+)
- Palestinians join West Bank bypass roads protest - Bereaved families and Samaria Regional Council heads protesting outside PM's Residence joined by leaders of Gush Etzion Palestinian village, who claim existing roads were intended for donkeys, not modern vehicles; village elder decries congestion on roads, calls on gov't to modernize them; Samaria Council head: Struggle is everyone's, Jews and Arabs alike. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Netanyahu to Be Questioned by Police Today for Fifth Time in Alleged Corruption Probe - Netanyahu associates were detained in recent days as part of probe into wrongdoing in the sale of German submarines, a case in which Netanyahu has not yet been interrogated as a suspect. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- Video Showing Four Israelis Beating Asylum Seeker May Be Rejected as Evidence in Be'er Sheva Court - The security footage shows the four men on trial beating an Eritrean asylum seeker after a 2015 terror attack in the Be'er Sheva central bus station. (Haaretz+)
- Cellphones found in Palestinian child’s underwear in attempted smuggling to security prisoner - Family visiting Fatah security prisoner in Ktzi'ot Prison exploit brief removal of glass partition as window of opportunity to smuggle 10 phones, 3 SIM cards stashed in 5 year old’s underwear. [Note: Israel does not allow security prisoners to call their families. - OH] (Ynet)
- IAI develops unmanned ground vehicles of the future - Israel Aerospace Industries concludes development on two new unmanned grounds vehicles: D9 Panda bulldozer capable of maneuvering on rough terrain, pinpointing mines and constructing batteries to defend forces in enemy territory and Robattle engineering vehicles-robot hybrid, which can grow, decrease size according to mission parameters. ‘Vehicles capable of changing rules of engagement,' says IAI VP. (Ynet)
- Tel Aviv, J'lem on list of world's 100 most toured cities - Euromonitor International puts together list of 100 most toured world destinations, with Jerusalem coming in 67th, Tel Aviv 78th, both dropping in position; Hong Kong maintains first place but loses ground to second place Bangkok, on pace to overtake it; rounding out top-5 are London, Singapore and Macao. (Ynet)
- Hillel apologizes for canceling Israeli deputy FM's Princeton talk - Denying Hotovely the opportunity to speak was an 'isolated incident,' Princeton Hillel officials say. (Haaretz)
- Congress Hearing Amps Up Pressure on Trump to Move U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem - Only one witness called on Trump to sign a waiver on December 1 to delay the embassy's relocation from Tel Aviv. (Haaretz+)
- U.S. Congress Split Over Whether Criticizing Israel Constitutes anti-Semitism - A potential addition to the federal anti-discrimination statute says verbal attacks on Israel count as anti-Semitism. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Natalie Portman honored in Israel with 'Jewish Nobel Prize' - Renowned Israeli-born American actress Natalie Portman wins the international prize known as the 'Jewish Nobel Prize'; says she will donate $ 1 million to organizations promoting women's equality. (Agencies, Ynet)
- With $800 Billion Hanging in the Balance, What Exactly Is Changing in Saudi Arabia - Mohammed bin Salman's crackdown on corruption is just the latest in a wave of frenetic changes in the kingdom over the past 2-1/2 years. (Haaretz)
- Iran-Saudi Proxy Wars: Saudis Holding Lebanon's Former PM Hariri, Top Officials Say - Saying he feared assassination upon the shocking announcement of his resignation. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Iran's Rohani: Saudis made 'strategic mistake' by considering Israel their friend - Iranian president says missile launched from Yemen targeting Riyadh was a reaction to Saudi aggression. (Haaretz)
- From Aleppo, Top Iranian Official Hails Tehran's Growth as Regional Power - After successful intervention in Syria, Iran is exerting decisive authority in the region for the first time in years. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Assad Regime, Hezbollah Capture Last Major ISIS-held Town in Syria, Commander Says - Commander in pro-Assad alliance says Iraqi-sponsored forces assisted in the capture of Albu Kamal, near the Syria border. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Starvation, Cholera and War: Millions in Yemen Face 'Nightmare' After Saudi Arabia Shuts Borders - A quarter of Yemen's 28 million people are starving, while half a million children under the age of five are suffering life-threatening malnutrition. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Egypt's Top Appeals Court Upholds Five-year Jail Sentence for Prominent Opposition Activist - Alaa Abdel Fattah, who has already served more than three years in prison, was jailed for protesting without permission in breach of a 2013 law that rights groups say effectively bans protests. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Turkish Opposition Calls for Prime Minister's Resignation After His Sons Were Implicated in Paradise Papers - Binali Yildirim's two sons are shown as the owners of two Malta-based companies, according to the series of leaked documents of offshore records that relate to global assets of wealthy individuals. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
2,000-yr Old Sundial Changes Perception of Ancient Rome
One Marcus Novius Tubula apparently ordered the sundial to mark his noble appointment as tribune of Rome itself, say archaeologists after finding it in ancient town of Interamna Lirenas. (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz)
Biblical Record of Eclipse 3,200 Years Ago May Rewrite Pharaonic Era in Ancient Egypt
Joshua said the sun and moon stood still: Now archaeologists think he recorded an annular eclipse in 1207 B.C.E. (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz)
What Were Russia's Jews Up to During the 1917 Revolution? This Moscow Museum Tells All
In 1917, Russian Jews swelled the ranks of the revolution that lead to the rise of the Soviet Union. Jews today still shoulder the blame. (JTA, Haaretz)
Young U.S. Jews Want to Know Why No One Told Them About the Israeli Occupation
IfNotNow launches 'You Never Told Me' campaign, calling on Jewish educational groups to inform students about Israel's policies and to include the Palestinian narrative. (Debra Nussbaum Cohen, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
McCarthyism as a Refuge (Haaretz Editorial) Rather than cover the corruption investigations into Benjamin Netanyahu, the free daily Israel Hayom has created a new agenda by inciting against Israeli Arabs – civil servant Makbula Nassar in particular.
*Equal rights? Not for everyone apparently (Aviad Kleinberg, Yedioth/Ynet) The apartheid-like notions revealed in Jews’ attitudes towards Israel’s Arabs are a symptom of a disease being adopted by the entire Israeli culture in the name of the national struggle—rejecting the equality principle, a principle which is the basis of democracy and human rights.
Elor Azaria 2? The shooting incident near Halamish (where soldiers killed a Palestinian man and injured his sister) requires the publication of the results of the investigation (Ran Adelist, Maariv) Deciding who to believe is everyone's business according to his taste, but the questions that arise require a detailed announcement from the spokesperson. The army knows what happened, and there is no reason not to share it.
It’s Okay Not to Be a Zionist (Emilie Moatti, Haaretz+) Sheldon Adelson’s newspaper Israel Hayom denigrates Zionism by expecting an Arab woman to be a Zionist. It invests money in witch hunts to pave its way into the hearts of the masses.
Anti-Israel activists have no interest in a dialogue (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) A person who asks about a 12-year-old killed by Israeli soldiers isn’t interested in knowing that Israel—more than any other army—is making an effort to avoid innocent casualties. He and his cronies are simply seeking to convince the free world that Israel is massacring innocent civilians.
Dystopia in the Gaza Strip (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) A human catastrophe is taking place just an hour away; a humanitarian disaster, a horror for which Israel bears the brunt of the blame — and Israel is occupied by the sexual assault allegations against TV executive Alex Gilady.
Let’s stop lying to ourselves about a Palestinian state (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) In London, Netanyahu finally told the truth about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: There will be no full Palestinian independence, as it’s too dangerous. What we are left with is an extended autonomy, a state minus—as long as the security restrictions and political separation are maintained
Divorcing the Diaspora: How Netanyahu Is Finally Writing Off U.S. Jews (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+) The Israeli government's decision to suspend the Western Wall compromise is part of the growing evidence, observers say, that something fundamental has changed in the relationship.
Limited liability: Our obligation is limited to Druze living in the state (Amos Gilboa, Maariv) The attack in the village of Khader in Syria caused panic among the Druze population in Israel, as if a massacre was about to take place there. Why did (the government) quickly declare that we would help the Druze contrary to our interests?
It's time for Israel to shut down the Jewish National Fund (Sami Peretz, Haaretz+) The Israeli government's use of JNF as a surrogate money pot for political purposes opens the door to corruption and improper use of the Jewish people's money.
How Ukraine Is Inventing a 'Jewish-Ukrainian Nationalist' to Whitewash Its Nazi-era Wartime Past (Jared McBride, Haaretz) Myth-making efforts by the Ukraine to glorify the WWII role of one 'archetypal' Jew, Leiba Dubrovskii, is part of Kyiv's war on memory: its eager attempts to erase anti-Semitism, brutality and complicity with the Nazis from its wartime history.
One Marcus Novius Tubula apparently ordered the sundial to mark his noble appointment as tribune of Rome itself, say archaeologists after finding it in ancient town of Interamna Lirenas. (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz)
Biblical Record of Eclipse 3,200 Years Ago May Rewrite Pharaonic Era in Ancient Egypt
Joshua said the sun and moon stood still: Now archaeologists think he recorded an annular eclipse in 1207 B.C.E. (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz)
What Were Russia's Jews Up to During the 1917 Revolution? This Moscow Museum Tells All
In 1917, Russian Jews swelled the ranks of the revolution that lead to the rise of the Soviet Union. Jews today still shoulder the blame. (JTA, Haaretz)
Young U.S. Jews Want to Know Why No One Told Them About the Israeli Occupation
IfNotNow launches 'You Never Told Me' campaign, calling on Jewish educational groups to inform students about Israel's policies and to include the Palestinian narrative. (Debra Nussbaum Cohen, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
McCarthyism as a Refuge (Haaretz Editorial) Rather than cover the corruption investigations into Benjamin Netanyahu, the free daily Israel Hayom has created a new agenda by inciting against Israeli Arabs – civil servant Makbula Nassar in particular.
*Equal rights? Not for everyone apparently (Aviad Kleinberg, Yedioth/Ynet) The apartheid-like notions revealed in Jews’ attitudes towards Israel’s Arabs are a symptom of a disease being adopted by the entire Israeli culture in the name of the national struggle—rejecting the equality principle, a principle which is the basis of democracy and human rights.
Elor Azaria 2? The shooting incident near Halamish (where soldiers killed a Palestinian man and injured his sister) requires the publication of the results of the investigation (Ran Adelist, Maariv) Deciding who to believe is everyone's business according to his taste, but the questions that arise require a detailed announcement from the spokesperson. The army knows what happened, and there is no reason not to share it.
It’s Okay Not to Be a Zionist (Emilie Moatti, Haaretz+) Sheldon Adelson’s newspaper Israel Hayom denigrates Zionism by expecting an Arab woman to be a Zionist. It invests money in witch hunts to pave its way into the hearts of the masses.
Anti-Israel activists have no interest in a dialogue (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) A person who asks about a 12-year-old killed by Israeli soldiers isn’t interested in knowing that Israel—more than any other army—is making an effort to avoid innocent casualties. He and his cronies are simply seeking to convince the free world that Israel is massacring innocent civilians.
Dystopia in the Gaza Strip (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) A human catastrophe is taking place just an hour away; a humanitarian disaster, a horror for which Israel bears the brunt of the blame — and Israel is occupied by the sexual assault allegations against TV executive Alex Gilady.
Let’s stop lying to ourselves about a Palestinian state (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) In London, Netanyahu finally told the truth about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: There will be no full Palestinian independence, as it’s too dangerous. What we are left with is an extended autonomy, a state minus—as long as the security restrictions and political separation are maintained
Divorcing the Diaspora: How Netanyahu Is Finally Writing Off U.S. Jews (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+) The Israeli government's decision to suspend the Western Wall compromise is part of the growing evidence, observers say, that something fundamental has changed in the relationship.
Limited liability: Our obligation is limited to Druze living in the state (Amos Gilboa, Maariv) The attack in the village of Khader in Syria caused panic among the Druze population in Israel, as if a massacre was about to take place there. Why did (the government) quickly declare that we would help the Druze contrary to our interests?
It's time for Israel to shut down the Jewish National Fund (Sami Peretz, Haaretz+) The Israeli government's use of JNF as a surrogate money pot for political purposes opens the door to corruption and improper use of the Jewish people's money.
How Ukraine Is Inventing a 'Jewish-Ukrainian Nationalist' to Whitewash Its Nazi-era Wartime Past (Jared McBride, Haaretz) Myth-making efforts by the Ukraine to glorify the WWII role of one 'archetypal' Jew, Leiba Dubrovskii, is part of Kyiv's war on memory: its eager attempts to erase anti-Semitism, brutality and complicity with the Nazis from its wartime history.
Interviews:
Gaza Kids Live in Hell: A Psychologist Tells of Rampant Sexual Abuse, Drugs and Despair
Mohammed Mansour, who treats Gaza victims of sexual assault, describes the dystopian nightmare that Palestinians are living. (Interviewed by Ayelett Shani in Haaretz+)
Gaza Kids Live in Hell: A Psychologist Tells of Rampant Sexual Abuse, Drugs and Despair
Mohammed Mansour, who treats Gaza victims of sexual assault, describes the dystopian nightmare that Palestinians are living. (Interviewed by Ayelett Shani in Haaretz+)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.