APN's daily news review from Israel

Wednesday May 30, 2018
 

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

News Summary:
There was one main story in today’s Hebrew newspapers and that was the exchange of mortars and rockets from Gaza and missiles and tank shells from Israel, the effect they had on the surrounding Israeli communities (Haaretz+ also reported on the effect on the Gazans) the analysts views that this was ‘known in advance’ because the Israel has not offered a solution for the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip (See Commentary/Analysis below), and the support for Israel from the US and the EU because Israeli citizens were targeted, not just Israeli military. By evening, Islamic Jihad, which started the whole thing, said it wanted to avoid escalation and war. And by the time the newspapers went to bed, Israel denied claims by Islamic Jihad that a ceasefire went into effect at midnight. But Maan reported that a ceasefire agreement took effect at 4 a.m. on Wednesday between the Palestinian political factions in Gaza and Israel. Also, Israel destroyed a two kilometer Hamas tunnel and Gaza homes lost power reportedly due to errant militant mortar fire and Israel will only fix it when things are calm.
 

Quick Hits:

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Commentary/Analysis:
Prevent a War of Prestige (Haaretz Editorial) The battle cries by ministers and lawmakers who are urging Israel to act with full force are hollow fanfare, which must not be a substitute for judicious conduct that takes the explosiveness of the Gaza Strip.
Waiting for the next round: Regarding Gaza, the Israeli government has no plan in the horizon (Ben Caspit, Maariv) We continue to escalate from escalations until a rocket falls into a crowded nursery school, and then everything will rise to the skies and push to conquer the Strip. Is that what we want? The question is, what does Bibi get out of the current situation? True, the destruction of Gaza has led to a few years of quiet, but anyone equipped with a pair of eyes and a bit of reason should know that it will eventually end. Each barrel has a bottom. The defense establishment, the IDF and the Shin Bet all recommend and propose a long list of proposals for changing the economic situation in Gaza and easing things for the population that will provide the Gazans with some hope and horizon. The artificial island suggested by Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz has already dried up. The IDF goes so far as to recommend the taking out tens of thousands of workers from Gaza to work in the Gaza vicinity, under tight security supervision, of course. The reason is simple: What prevented the last wave of knife terror in Judea and Samaria to turn into an intifada is the fact that tens of thousands of workers leave the village in Judea or Samaria every day to work in Israel and support hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. A similar situation in Gaza can calm this sector as well. But apparently we do not really want them to calm things.”What is the problem with helping Gaza humanitarian?” asks MK Tzipi Livni. "Why doesn’t Israel now call upon the entire world to come to the aid of Gaza, to build an electric power plant, a sewage plant, to ensure that we will also help? There is so much to do, instead of waiting for the next round," she says. And she’s right.
Gaza escalation: Both sides are walking on the precipice (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) The IAF bombed dozens of targets in the strip on Tuesday. The mushroom clouds were impressive, but according to reports from Gaza, no one was killed or wounded. This shows that Israel, like Hamas, is choosing a limited conflict. Both sides are trying to play by the rules, but there is a great risk involved.
The High Court Has Just Legitimized the Shooting of Palestinian Civilians (Aeyal Gross, Haaretz+) Its ruling denying a petition against the Israeli army's rules of engagement on the Gaza border is misguided, since it believes the IDF will learn lessons from the high number of casualties and look to use more nonlethal methods.
The reasons Islamic Jihad is violating Hamas' rules (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The mortar barrage against Israel not only relates to power struggles with Hamas, but to internal divisions within the group regarding Iran's influence over its leadership
History won’t end after the next war (Yaron London, Yedioth/Ynet) Israel is once again failing to properly consider the implication of its alliance with the weakening side of the battle taking place in our region, the Arab Sunni states, while its two main enemies—Iran and Turkey—are only growing stronger.
The justices 'wisely chose not to intervene' in Israel's legislation (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) This week the High Court of Justice managed to prevent its own ouster. According to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, it finally understood that it is the one facing a hearing, and it knew its place.
Along with the advancements of Iron Dome, the fact that no cells have been hit should be disturbing (Tal Lev-Ram, Maariv) The number of mortar shells is unprecedented and that is a result of significant improvements to the system. On the other hand, it is forbidden to think that in wartime a technological solution, however good, will solve the threat…In the past, the IDF's response to mortar fire was very moderate, as was the case in the last incident after a barrage of mortar shells was fired at a settlement in Shaar Hanegev. This time it appears that Gaza did not correctly analyze the political-security leadership on the Israeli side. After two months of clashes over the fence and damage to Israel’s image, and international criticism and terror over the fence that has continued over the past two weeks, the Israeli response (Tuesday morning) is becoming more significant than in the past. Thirty targets were attacked in a pre-planned military plan, including an attack on another Hamas tunnel in the area. Hamas suffered casualties, but a pragmatic approach by its military leadership stopped the firing at Israel. What Hamas has learned about its operatives has not been done in the face of Islamic Jihad, and to a great extent it is now playing in Israel's favor, which should also leverage the events in international media…The fact that yesterday, despite the large-scale firing at Israel, no squads were hit (by the IDF) and no terrorists were killed who went out to carry out the shooting in real time, should bother the IDF.
Why Is the IDF So Aggressive? (Yagil Levy, Haaretz+) More than anything the IDF is zealous about its prestige, its resources and its freedom of action, and that influences its judgment on how to best serve the country’s security.
Mini-escalation: No one wants war, but things can get out of control (Yossi Melman, Maariv) Hamas and Islamic Jihad know that if a full-scale confrontation breaks out, their rule will collapse, but even in Israel they are aware of the heavy price in such a case. In the absence of the ability to reach a long-term hudna (ceasefire), both sides reached a silent understanding of a cease-fire.
Israel-Gaza Flare-up Worst Since 2014 – but War Could Still Be Avoided (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) After months of playing by new rules, Hamas allows the Islamic Jihad to respond to the killing of three of its militants. But, for now, the Israeli leadership does not see any achievable goal in a full-on war.
Top Diplomat's Cheshire Cat Smile Symbolizes Israel’s Disgraceful Sympathy for Myanmar (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The regime that carries out ethnic cleansing against the Muslim Rohingya minority is now part of Israel’s natural habitat.
The silence of the left-wing: The case of Ezra Nawi proves that human rights organizations don’t care about the Palestinians (Kalman Liebeskind, Maariv) There are things that can not be debated. It is impossible to accept those who hand over Palestinians to their deaths and talk about justice.
Can the U.S. Risk Turkey Flying the F-35? (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Turkey is set to take delivery of its first F-35A stealth fighter jets in June, prompting a major security headache for the United States (and Israel).

 

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