News Nosh 1.8.18

APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday, January 8, 2018
 
Quote of the day:
 
"The way to hinder BDS activists was not to keep them out of Israel but to 'allow them in so that they can see this country for what is really is.'”
-- MK Tzipi Livni in response to the publication of the BDS blacklist
 


Breaking News:

US Vice President Mike Pence is set for a 48-hour visit to Israel beginning on January 22. He will then travel to Cairo and Amman, but no visit to Ramallah has been announced.
 

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

News Summary:
On Sunday, Israel published the full list - which has been dubbed the BDS Blacklist - of predominantly European and American organizations whose members will be barred from entering the country. The list guides the implementation of Israel's new Entry Law, which technically bars entry to any person if they, "or the organization for the sake of which he acts," have publically called for a boycott of "Israel, one of its institutions, or an area under its control" (i.e. Israeli settlements).

Israeli opposition leaders came out against the blacklist taking issue with the policy's logic. Labor party leader Avi Gabbay said the policy "has no logic at all... They are causing damage abroad. So if they are here, they can't do the same damage abroad." Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said: "BDS activists are detestable but this is an idiotic idea. So our policy to fight boycotts is by implementing another boycott?” American Jews, both on and off the blacklist, are attacking the policy for being overtly undemocratic, and some pose that it strengthens and emboldens the BDS movement. 

Prime Minister Netanyahu's coalition is struggling to establish a majority in passing a bill that would give the Interior Minister the power to bypass municipal bylaws and shut down businesses on Shabbat. Interior Minister Aryeh Deri - who chairs the ultra-Orthodox party, Shas - threatened to quit the coalition if it didn't pass, and Defense Minister Lieberman (Israel Beytenu party, also in the coalition) vowed to oppose the bill or abstain from the vote.
 
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