APN's daily news review from Israel

Monday, December 18, 2017
 

Quote of the day:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links)

Israel Hayom

News Summary:
The country went on strike in solidarity with dismissed employees of the collapsing Teva Pharmaceuticals company, two rockets were shot into Israel from the Gaza Strip as Muslim people and countries around the world protested the Trump Declaration, and two crime bosses are to be indicted for the murder of a state witness making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.

The photos of the angry and desperate unemployed Teva company employees blocking roads, carrying protest signs and burning tires were similar to the photos of Palestinians demonstrating against US President Donald Trump’s declaration that Jerusalem was the capital of Israel and against the occupation and its many manifestations, but without the stones, the Border Police and IDF soldiers, the guns, the wounded and the dead. Of the thousands of Palestinians wounded and the eight killed by Israeli forces since Trump’s declaration almost two weeks ago, only one killing has raised Israeli eyebrows (and the world’s). Ibrahim Abu Thuraya, a legless Gazan activist, who was a regular protester at the Gaza Border fence, was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier, probably from a tower on the border fence. Hours before he was killed on Friday, Abu Thuraya was photographed and filmed in a video clip being pushed on a wheelchair toward the border fence, then holding a Palestinian flag on the ground near some burning tires and speaking about Jerusalem. Footage filmed after he was shot showed him being pushed while slumped in his wheelchair and then carried away, the Jerusalem Post wrote in a lengthy report with photos and video. “IDF officials said soldiers were instructed, according to the rules of engagement, to shoot main instigators only in the lower body area,” The Jerusalem Post wrote. On Sunday, the IDF said it had opened an investigation into the killing of Abu Thuraya.

And the rockets from Gaza keep flying at Israel. Two were fired Sunday, one exploded in the front yard of an Israeli home near the Gaza Strip and the other exploded in a nearby open area. (IDF planes retaliated by attacking six Hamas targets late last night. Israel says Hamas is trying to stop the rockets, nevertheless, Israel holds Hamas responsible.)
 
In Trump Declaration-related news: Tthe UN Security Council will vote today on a draft resolution written by Egypt, which seeks to nullify any decision that would change the status of Jerusalem. The US is expected to veto the resolution, for which Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu thanked Trump ‘for defending the truth on Israel.’ US Vice President Mike Pence arrives Wednesday and won’t be meeting Palestinians or visiting churches. (They don't want him.) The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas-led Fatah movement has called for “angry protests in Jerusalem to coincide with the visit of US Vice President Mike Pence and to protest against Trump's decision.” Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said he intends to open a Palestinian embassy in East Jerusalem. It was not clear how he would carry out the move, as Israel controls all of Jerusalem and calls the city its indivisible capital. Indonesian clerics have called for boycott of US products over the Jerusalem declaration as some 80,000 people rallied in Jakarta in the 10th straight day of protests. While Israel Culture Minister Miri Regev has prepared a $70-million plan to uncover, preserve and develop Jewish historical sites in E. Jerusalem. “This is the best response to those denying our bonds to Jerusalem and the best implementation of the Trump declaration,” Regev said. Interestingly, despite recognition, the Israeli government has been hesitant to relocate government ministries to Jerusalem, according to the State Comptroller. And strangely, a Nigerian stabbed Danish journalists in Gabon, allegedly citing Trump's Jerusalem move as his motive. Go figure.
 

Quick Hits:

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Features:
'They took over like ISIS': Religious war in West Bank town shows not all Jewish settlers were created equal
The standoff between secular and religious settlers in this isolated community (at Migdalim settlement) would have gone unnoticed had it not escalated into a deadly altercation in the nearby Palestinian village of Qusra (where a settler shot dead a Palestinian farmer during a bar-mitzvah hike). (Hilo Glazer, Haaretz+)
The ever-increasing melting pot of the IDF
Cpls. Amir Rav'e, a Muslim Arab, Netanel Mengistu, from an Ethiopian immigrant family from Migdal Haemek, and Jesse Amar from Australia, all fought to serve as combat soldiers in the IDF. (Yoav Zitun, Ynet)
Decades After Fleeing, Iraqi Jews Plan to Return to Their Homeland
With the number of bombings down in Baghdad, some Iraqi Jews in places like London and Israel are applying for passports — amid welcoming signs from the other side. Londoner Edwin Shuker is one of them. He bought a new house in northern Iraq and became, as far as is known, the first Jew in decades to buy a home in that suffering land. “It was mainly a symbolic act that turns me from just a tourist into a man who wants to settle in Iraq,” he said. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
1928-2017 The Jewish Immigrant Who Brought 250 Doctors From Abroad to Southern Israel
In 1953, a young doctor, Chaim Doron, immigrated from Argentina to Kibbutz Gvaram. Later in his life, he helped found the Be'er Sheva Medical School, and helped design the Israeli healthcare system. Last month, he passed away at age 89. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
The Jerusalem museum where evangelicals go to feel good about themselves
The Friends of Zion Museum has attracted some 150,000 visitors since opening in 2015. Its founder reportedly played a large part in pushing Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
Austria's Far-right Foreign Minister a Tough Critic of Both Israel and Muslim World
She was raised in Amman, fell in love with a Lebanese Christian, and studied at Hebrew University. Karin Kneissl's voice found a home in Austria's far-right party, and will be prominently heard in the new Austrian government to be sworn in Monday. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
The Israeli Military First Took His Legs, Then His Life (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) On Friday, a sharpshooter shot and killed Ibrahim Abu Thuraya, a Gazan double amputee, as he protested from his wheelchair near the Israeli border.
The March of Shame: The organized left-wing demonstrations sponsored by Meni Naftali and Eldad Yaniv (Sarah Beck, Maariv) When you expose the true face of the organizers of the demonstration in Tel Aviv, you can only compliment them on one thing: they chose an appropriate name for their empty show…This year we were privileged to see another Hanukkah menorah: political-historical.  Benjamin Netanyahu, with the help of American evangelicals who served as the sun, "lit" Donald Trump on the subject of Jerusalem…The light slowly strips away the darkness, that is, the Palestinian lie about the unbroken connection between them and our capital, even though in our many years of exile Jerusalem has never been recognized as the capital of any Muslim ruler. But there are those among us who do not share in the light of this political-historical menorah. I was shocked to read the words of Meretz Chairman Zahava Gal-On, who expressed regret over the stabbing attack at the central bus station in Jerusalem, but hastened to add: "You can not pretend that the current wave of escalation is cut off from the Trump Declaration." In other words, according to Gal-On, if the descendants of 75 generations who dreamed about the return to Zion ever since the destruction of the Second Temple have finally gotten recognition of their right to their capital by the strongest country in the world, so this achievement must be dispensed with because it might upset some young, hot-headed youth with knives.
The demonstration for and against - The "Rotschild (Blvd.) of the right-wing (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth) This coming Saturday night I'm going to demonstrate, not in Tel-Aviv, but in Jerusalem. Not 'against,' but 'for.' For the rule of law, for checks and balances in the State of Israel. For the battle against corruption wherever it is. I admit that the (weekly) demonstration at Rothschild (Boulevard in Tel-Aviv against Netanyahu and government corruption) pushed me in a corner. It's easy to oppose the messages of the demonstrations in Petach Tikvah (outside the home of the Attorney General). I trust the Attorney General and his system that they do their work properly, no matter what the results...I also trusted the Police Commissioner from the first day that Netanyahu and (Public Security Minister Gilad) Erdan appointed him...Rabbi Yuval Cherlow and his participation in the demonstration (at Rothschild) two days ago caused me to think about what I am doing. It's apparently the power of one rabbi. I have a problem with the demonstrations on Rothschild. It's not the signs against the occupation or the sign in favor of BDS, I know that thousands of people can be stained because of a few extremists...It's also not the harsh calls, in my view, to jail the Prime Minister, or the surreal statement by Eldad Yaniv that Netanyahu will go to war in order to avoid the investigations and their results. It's the general atmosphere that prevents me from being there. The demonstrators at Rothschild claim they are against corruption. So am I. But the atmosphere is both: a political demonstration against Netanyahu and the Likud and against corruption...My place is not there, but my place must be somewhere. Somewhere that the right-wing speaks against corruption. Someplace where it is possible to be in favor of settlements and in favor of the institutions of the state...Therefore, my demonstration on Saturday night will be in support of the State of Israel and also in support of settlements in it, in support of the IDF and its senior commanders and in support of the police, the investigative teams and the Police Commissioner, in support of the prosecutors and the judicial system. In support of limitations of power, in favor of stateliness without which there is no state. ...In conclusion, forget the conspiracies and the interests: I didn't get these values from the media, but from Elkana (settlement) in my parents' home, in Bnei Akiva (religious scouts) and in my army service...
The 'media tribe' still spins (Amnon Lord, Israel Hayom) The gatekeepers of democracy, despite their delusional hatred of the prime minister, must still be expected to muster a modicum of proportionality and commonality.
Trump Administration Adds Fuel to the Fire Accompanying Mike Pence's Israel Visit (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Mike Pence's visit to the Western Wall this week adds religious significance to Trump's Jerusalem announcement. Palestinians already declared additional days of rage in Jerusalem in the West Bank. Hamas is working to curb Gaza rocket fire.
No one has trampled Palestinian hopes for a state like their leadership (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) In their responses to Trump's declaration, Palestinian officials and their Arab and Muslim supporters made all the possible mistakes. No one has humiliated the Palestinian cause as they did at the (OECD) conference in Istanbul. According to diplomats at the UN, the Palestinians have shaken and undermined the base of sympathy for their issues at the UN and damaged their image of being "weak,” which has played a role in their favor. "At the end of the day, Trump left the status of Jerusalem quite vague and subject to changes in the negotiations. Instead of exploiting this fact, demonstrating restraint and behaving politically wisely to formulate a response that was a challenge and a serious test for Israel and the White House, the Palestinians chose their old and well-known response - demonstrations and violence,” said a senior Western diplomat.
U.S. Liberal Jews Read It Wrong. Trump's Call on Jerusalem Was Good for the Peace Camp (Eric H. Yoffie, Haaretz+) The pro-peace, pro-negotiations, two-state camp consensus in Israel welcomed Trump's Jerusalem move. That shows it was no sell-out to Netanyahu and the Israeli right-wing - and that Palestinian rejectionists can't wish historical realities away.
Abbas and Jerusalem (Elliott Abrams, Israel Hayom) Abbas presents Jerusalem as a Christian/Muslim city whose only connection to Jews is that they are defiling it. If these are his views, what chance is there for a successful negotiation?
How Mike Pence's Mideast Trip to Help Embattled Christians Evolved Into a Visit Devoid of Christians (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+) Pence originally said his trip to Israel and Egypt was envisioned as a show of solidarity with persecuted Christians. So why isn't there a single Christian on his itinerary?
Demonstration of intent (Yaakov Ahimeir, Israel Hayom) Most notable about U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's Middle East trip next week will be where it does not take him – to Ramallah or Bethlehem.
Under Pressure, Egypt's Suffering Christians Reluctantly Reject VP Pence as a Savior (Jacob Wirtschafter in Cairo, Haaretz) 'Where are you guys? Muslim students are noticing you aren’t joining in': How Trump's Jerusalem move put Egypt's Christians, already under jihadist attack, on the defensive about their loyalties, while VP Pence, 'champion' of Christians, won't be meeting them.
Is Netanyahu’s coalition on the verge collapse? (Moran Azulay, Yedioth/Ynet) The public atmosphere, the anti-corruption protests and the investigations against the prime minister and his associates are completely disrupting the coalition’s work; smelling elections in the air, the ministers are trying to appeal to the public with different benefits and statements.
The Israeli governing coalition's near-death experience in the Shabbat wars (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) As Netanyahu's government was jolted by one shock after another this week, Defense Minister Lieberman assumed a lead role in the drama, displaying brinkmanship that could have ended badly.
The Missed Opportunities Orchestra Proceeds to Drown Out Palestinian Voices (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) The truth is that the dominant stream of the Zionist movement crushed and continues to crush Palestinian nationalism.
Let's stop lying: The Association for Civil Rights in Israel is an extreme leftist organization (Karni Eldad, Maariv) I have never heard him denounce the attempted murder of Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria every day, but they will put their heads on the issue of the rights of terrorists to study at the university.
Listen to Elizabeth Warren: Antitrust Action Is the Path to a Better Society (Guy Rolnik, Haaretz) Reforming taxes, health care and education isn’t enough. Social change in the United States needs a curbing of the corporate giants' vast power.
Strike back at Gaza with force (Itai Levy, Yedioth/Ynet) An Israeli living in a Gaza vicinity town appeals to PM Netanyahu to do his duty in defending the communities near the border from the almost daily rocket barrage from the strip, pleading 'don't let the trickles become a downpour.'
Teva as a parable (Tzvia Greenfield, Haaretz+) There is no better parable for Israel, which has all the characteristics necessary for prosperity, but is preoccupied with endless shenanigans instead of adopting the only course of action that could really save it.
Teva Relied on Perks From the Israeli Government, and Now It’s Done For (Eytan Avriel, Haaretz+) Israel's political and corporate leadership keeps saying they want a capitalist economy, but when a crisis erupts, everyone clamors for a return to kibbutz socialism.
A Jewish Resurrection Story - and Its Startling Price (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Destroyed by the Nazis, disbanded by the Soviets, reborn in pre-state Israel: The story of the last of the rabbis who led the reinvention of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva culture and its exponential, but untenable, growth.
 
Our man on Al-Jazeera
In Israel he is maybe not very well-known, but on the Al-Jazeera News network, the Middle East historian, Dr. Mordechai Keidar became a star long ago, a one person hasbara (PR for Israel) team. His provocative remarks against Islam and the Arab world have sparked a big storm, but he isn’t moved. “In Israel they hug me and kiss me. I am Israeli, Jewish, Zionist that defends his people, his religion and his country from the desert peoples.” (Interviewed by Noam Barkan, Yedioth’s Sunday ’24 Hours’ supplement, pp. 24-25)

 

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