News Nosh 1.4.18

APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday, January 4, 2018
 
Quote of the day:

"Friday’s shelling was conducted by the [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad, and we know exactly who was behind it... We will do anything we have to to stop this. We will not accept ‘drizzles' (slang term for occasional rocket and mortar fire."

-- Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman



Front Page:
Haaretz
Israel Hayom
Times of Israel
Ynet News
i24 News

News Summary:
Today, the IDF reported that it struck "central terrorist infrastructure" in the Gaza Strip in response to three mortars that were fired at Israel yesterday. The IDF specifically said that it will "continue to employ all measures available to it below and above ground to thwart attempted attacks on Israeli citizens." Many believe this statement indicates that the infrastructure targeted was an attack tunnel, and the Palestinians have remained silent in response. In a Haaretz op-ed, Amos Harel poses that this may be a sign of escalation and that another round of fighting in Gaza may lie ahead.

The Defense Ministry announced that the Civil Administration High Planning Committee will meet next Wednesday to advance new housing plans for Israeli settlements. The Times of Israel reports that "under unofficial settlement guidelines coordinated with the White House when US President Donald Trump took office, Israel agreed that the committee would meet once every three months instead of once every month... and that Israel could add an unlimited number of housing units to any settlement in the West Bank as long as it does not dramatically expand the community’s existing 'footprint.'” 

Quick Hits:
  • In a Haaretz op-ed, Noa Osterreicher compares the case of Ahed Tamimi - the Palestinian teenage girl detained in a night raid and indicted for incitement and slapping an armed soldier - to the case of Yifat Alkobi. Yifat, an Israeli settler woman, has been convicted five times for throwing rocks, assaulting a police offer, and now slapping a soldier, but has not been jailed once. Osterreicher questions the lack of action taken against Jewish violence in the occupied territories. 
  • Netanyahu's lawyer, Isaac Molho, has been questioned for the fifth time in regards to the submarine corruption case. He is suspected of a breach of trust in promoting a German submarine deal while on official diplomatic business.
  • The Israeli actress who played Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot, will join fellow actresses Allison Janney, Saoirse Ronan and Mary J. Blige in wearing black dresses to the Golden Globe Awards to protest sexual harassment in the film industry, and to support the many women who have spoken up in recent weeks. 
  • Guatemala has offered to help other countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem. Guatemala's Foreign Minister, Sandra Jovel said: "Hopefully, some of the countries that have wanted to do it will be able to follow Guatemala’s example and the decision we’ve taken.”
  • Meretz will hold open primaries in March. This follows a long and contentious internal debate within the party. MK Zahava Galon advocated for open primaries as a way to expand the party's reach and reinvigorate the political left. 
  • Interior Minister, Arye Deri, leaked to the media that Religious Affairs Minister David Azoulay will resign from the Knesset, without securing Azoulay's agreement to resign. Azoulay, who has been hospitalized in recent weeks, said: "There is no truth to the rumor about my expected resignation from the Knesset... I am in constant contact with the party leader Rabbi Arye and I plan to come [to vote on the Shabbat bill]."