News Nosh: 8.22.18

by admin_as_editor 08/22/18
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APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday, August 22, 2018

You Must Be Kidding: 
An Israeli military court in the West Bank sentenced Waed Tamimi, the brother of the well-known former Palestinian teen prisoner Ahed Tamimi, to 14 months in prison for throwing stones at Israeli Border Police, the same amount of time that former soldier Elor Azaria sat in prison, for shooting in the head and killing an already shot, injured and incapacitated Palestinian assailant.**


Front Page:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

  • “They told me: Municipality? Shouldn’t you focus on children?” Female candidates for mayor deal with chauvinist attacks
  • The bridge that is closing the Ayalon Hwy
  • “CEO of Fox Company sexually harassed me” - Two women who worked alongside Harel Weisel told Channel 10 about the vulgar sexual treatment from him over a decade ago
  • Deportation order to the electronic cigarette - Juul cigarettes banned from Israel
  • Trump’s former attorney: “I paid, on his orders, silence money to porno stars”

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom


News Summary:
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and the Israeli police criticized the hundreds of residents of the Arab-Israeli city of Um al-Fahm who waved Palestinian flags when they attended a funeral of someone killed by police for attempting to stab a Border Policeman, even though the police limited the funeral to 150 people. But the family, commentators (including from Israel Hayom) and even Likud MK David Amsalem blamed the police. Ahead of a deal with Hamas, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman declared there has been a significant decrease in incidents from the Gaza Strip, while Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh said that Gaza is close to ending the blockade, and for the first time since the start of the March of Return protests along the Gaza border fence, the IDF announced it was opening a criminal probe into the killing by IDF snipers of two Palestinian demonstrators  - making the top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers along with the threats from ultra-Orthodox over the plan to do construction work to build a bridge over the coming Sabbaths.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump plans to present his Mideast peace plan at the UN General Assembly in September, according to a report. And, in an interview with Reuters, Trump said about the Middle East: "I'm constantly reviewing Afghanistan and the whole Middle East. We never should have been in the Middle East. It was the single greatest mistake in the history of our country."
 

Quick Hits:

  • **Israel sentences Ahed Tamimi's brother to 14 months in prison for throwing stones at border police - Waed Tamimi's sister Ahed, who was released from prison last month, attracted worldwide attention after she was caught on video slapping an Israeli soldier. (Haaretz)
  • Israel Won't Grant Life-saving Treatment to Relatives of Hamas Members, Except for Minors - Israel will make an exception for patients aged 16 or younger, while others will be allowed to travel to the West Bank or abroad, state tells High Court. (Haaretz+)
  • Israel sends aid to Indian flood victims - More than 350 killed and 800,000 were left homeless in worst flooding the Indian state of Kerala has seen in a century; Israeli government sends food and clothes; organization IsraAid supplies clean water, counseling to victims. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Israel to build 650 housing units in Samaria community - State greenlights construction for Samaria community of Beit El, increasing number of planned homes from 296 to 650. Venture, likely to increase Beit El's population by some 65%, set to begin next month. Beit El Council head lauds "exciting news." (Israel Hayom and Maan)
  • Palestinian tender for soccer field in east Jerusalem causes ire - Palestinian Authority issues tender for renovation of soccer field in Sur Baher, a neighborhood in east Jerusalem, despite not having jurisdiction there; Jerusalem municipality threatens to stop any construction work without permit. [NOTE: Reporter Yishai Porat quotes the Municipality repeatedly, but does not get quotes from the Palestinian Authority. - OH (Ynet)
  • Israeli gun license reform to make weapons more accessible - Reform seeks to balance the justified concern of issuing too many gun permits and the need to bolster public's sense of security in an era rife with lone-wolf terrorism, public security minister explains. Arab MK warns lax gun laws will cost lives. (Israel Hayom)
  • Israel's plan to ease gun policy will endanger women, won't thwart terror, lawmaker says - MK Michal Rozin (Meretz) calls on the Committee on the Status of Women to convene an emergency meeting. (Haaretz+)
  • Blue-green: The police and the army will establish a joint unit to combat arms theft - A joint force of 20 detectives, officers and commanders was established to deal with the severe phenomenon of theft of weapons from the IDF. [NOTE: This comes the week after the State Comptroller report saying that the army-police-Shin Bet were not working together to prevent arms theft and that was contributing to the violence within the Arab sector. - OH] (Maariv)
  • Number of Israeli families waiting for public housing up by 50% - Israel is adding apartments to the pool but can’t keep up with increasing number of eligible poor families. (Haaretz+)
  • The extent of poverty: 12% of parents find it difficult to send their children with a sandwich to school - In preparation of the opening of the school year, the ‘Hasei Naomi’ organization reveals troubling data on the economic situation of many parents in Israel. "How will my children succeed in school if they keep thinking about food?" (Maariv)
  • MAG pushes for harsher sentence for Gush Etzion terrorist - After terrorist Hamza Faiz gets 14 year sentence for stabbing and severely wounding a woman, Military Advocate General set to appeal the punishment, seek attempted murder conviction. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • WATCH Attack on New Israel Fund charges it brainwashes Orthodox Jews in plot to undermine Israel’s Jewish character - A new campaign by Chotam, a right-wing religious NGO, attacks liberal Orthodox activists in Israel for being agents of the NIF, and urges the greater religious community to 'cut ties' with the U.S.-based nonprofit. (Haaretz+)
  • Visit Golan, and Never Mind the Infected Streams, Says Israel's Agricultural Minister - After a recent outbreak of leptospirosis which left 12 hospitalized, Israel's Agriculture Minister urges visitors to return to the Golan Heights. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  • Israeli Scientist Develops ‘Brain on a Chip’ Allowing for Groundbreaking Research - The Tel Aviv University researcher says the chip system will obviate the need for many types of experiments on animals or human beings. (Haaretz+)
  • Colombian Navy arrests Israeli on charges of transporting wanted man - Roy Erez, who was sailing on his yacht from Panama toward Jamaica, says he was boarded by pirates who forced him at gunpoint to take on a passenger, who is apparently wanted by Colombian authorities; Colombian Navy arrests Erez, tows his sail boat to San Andrés. (Ynet)
  • Israel to launch #No2Antisemitism campaign at UNGA - Israeli Ambassador to UN Danny Danon to invite world leaders, ambassadors, to be photographed alongside displayed slogans against anti-Semitism at UN General Assembly in September. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Court denies petition to identify foreign lawyers helping Israel fight BDS - Pro-Palestinian activists claim covert process by which foreign attorneys are contracted to represent Israel's interests overseas "poses a slippery slope of anti-democratic activity." Court: Granting petition may seriously undermine foreign relations. (Israel Hayom)
  • Noam Chomsky Slams Israeli Interference in U.S. Politics as Far Greater Than Russian - In an interview on Democracy Now, the renowned linguist said that Russian interference in the U.S. elections was minor in comparison to open Israeli interference. (Haaretz)
  • U.S. split on Israel: Netanyahu favorite leader of Republicans, unpopular among Democrats - Poll's results serve as further evidence of a growing partisan gap in the United States on issues relating to Israel. (Haaretz)
  • Trump vows 'no concessions' with Turkey over detained US pastor - American president says will not accept any demands from Turkey to release detained American pastor as he thought he had a deal with Ankara when he helped persuade Israel to free a detained Turkish citizen. Turkey is making a "terrible mistake," he says. (Israel Hayom)
  • 'A Real NATO Ally Wouldn't Do This': U.S.-Turkey Crisis Exposes a Crumbling Partnership - The row between Trump and Erdogan was long in the making, experts and officials tell Haaretz. (Haaretz+)
  • Iran unveils new, domestically produced fighter jet - Iran unveils its new fighter jet as tensions rise between Tehran and regional rivals over Middle East conflicts. Multifunction Kowsar jet is capable of carrying various weapons, will be used for short aerial support missions, Iranian officials say. (Agencies, Israel Hayom and Ynet)
  • Iran says EU must speed up efforts to save nuclear deal - Europeans signatories "have been trying to save the deal but the process has been slow. It should be accelerated," Iranian Foreign Ministry official says. "Iran relies mainly on its own capabilities to overcome America's sanctions," he says. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)
  • 2 Iranians arrested for allegedly spying on US for Tehran - Ahmadreza Mohammadi-Doostdar and Majid Ghorbani are indicted for allegedly spying for Iran, including surveillance on a Jewish facility in Chicago. Both are accused of gathering intelligence about entities Iranian government considers enemies. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)


Features:

Syria's Famous Ice Cream Is Melting Hearts in Jordan
Bakdash has been a leading ice cream maker in Damascus for over 120 years. Today, despite the endless civil war, Syrians are still addicted to it – and now their Jordanian neighbors are getting hooked as well. (Rotem Maimon, Haaretz+)
Migrants unseen in Israeli photographer's exhibition
After spending years with African migrants in the Israeli desert, photographer Ron Amir has an exhibition of photos devoid of people; exhibition, previously on display in Israel, is set to move to the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris. (AFP, Ynet)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
IDF Probe Into Gaza Killings: An Opportunity to Rethink Open-fire Policy (Mordechai Kremnitzer, Haaretz+) The ultimate test of an order is not what’s written in it but how it's implemented – and when it comes to the Gaza border protests, there's reason for concern.
Like in America, the finger is light on the trigger (Aviad Kleinberg, Yedioth) Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan wants more weapons in the streets of Israel’s cities. If it doesn’t help, it won’t hurt. “Practiced citizens holding firearms in the public, sphere contribute to a sense of security, they are an important line of defense from lone-wolf attackers and they are essentially doubling the forces available, and hence strengthen the security of the public,” he said…(But) Those who say to use a “firearm in the public sphere” are the security forces, who have the training and practice required and who are under the supervision of their commanders. The rest of the armed forces can help in certain cases, but more than once they see the shadow of the hills as people and harm innocents. Even the experienced really have difficulty sometimes to decide when to use firearms, so imagine how it is for the Givati reservists who did basic training in 1998.
Morality is founded on reciprocity (Erez Tadmor, Israel Hayom) Soldiers' willingness to walk in harm's way to defend civilians is worthy of commendation, not condemnation. They never belong on the same moral plain as terrorists, who seek to harm civilians.
The Gazan Toddler With Cancer and the Humanitarian Trap (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) The 3-year-old was forced to undergo chemotherapy treatment alone due to restrictions on family members of Hamas. Such a policy enables the normalization of cruel behavior by bureaucrats and military officers,
The bluff of a Gaza sea port in Cyprus (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) A dock for the strip in Cyprus—an idea being discussed as part of ceasefire negotiations with Hamas—would require the construction of a sea port in Gaza itself, which would in turn be a symbol of sovereignty for Hamas. The Israeli government, especially on the eve of elections, will not allow that.
Patriotism Comes Easy for the Israeli Right. On the Left, It's a Test of True Love (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Leftist loyalty is challenged by assaults from the nationalistic right and temptations from the anti-Israel left.
Lauder loses the plot (Isi Leibler, Israel Hayom) The World Jewish Congress head is a decent, generous man who loves the Jewish people and state, but he has been misled. His harshly critical op-eds in The New York Times may cause Israel real harm.
Israel's Left and Right Are Destined for Defeatism (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Without a focal point around which to unite the whole left against the whole right, without a real war that could call all the camps to their flags, the political brigades have disintegrated into independent militias.
What apartheid? (Smadar Bat Adam, Israel Hayom) Israel is in the midst of a sweeping, natural process of integrating young Arab citizens in hospitals and pharmacies, the information technology sector, academia and in our courts and government offices.
Language as a Bridge: How My Grandfather Helped Prevent a Riot (Steven Klein, Haaretz+) As a police commander in pre-state Israel of the 1920s, my grandfather understood something that today's leaders seem to want to ignore: Knowing Arabic is the key to connecting to Israel's Arab population.
How are the words of Berkovic different from the statements of some Arab MKs? (Lilach Sigan, Maariv) In recent years, insults and agitators have taken over our public space. Was Eyal Berkovic's statement appropriate? No. But what was unusual about it? [NOTE: The writer gave no examples of Arab MKs’ statements. - OH]
Why Sacha Baron Cohen's Targets Agree to Be So Colossally Humiliated (Yair Ben David, Haaretz+) The Milgram experiment led to conclusions about people’s willingness to do things that seem off-the-wall. Sacha Baron Cohen took those conclusions to heart in 'Who is America?'
 

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

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