APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday October 15, 2018
Quote of the day:
“We do not want revenge, only to catch and punish those who murdered her."
--Yakoub al-Rawbi, the widower of Aisha, the Palestinian woman who was killed Friday by a rock thrown at the windshield of her vehicle, as the couple drove home in the West Bank.*
--Yakoub al-Rawbi, the widower of Aisha, the Palestinian woman who was killed Friday by a rock thrown at the windshield of her vehicle, as the couple drove home in the West Bank.*
Breaking News:
Palestinian shot dead after alleged stabbing attempt of Israeli soldiers near Salfit
Israeli military says that soldiers stationed at West Bank junction shot and killed young Palestinian assailant from Biddya after he tried to stab a soldier. Soldier was unharmed. (Maan, Haaretz, Ynet, Israel Hayom)
Front Page:
Haaretz
- IDF preparing for worsening the response to Hamas, but warns of a broad confrontation
- 22 million shekels allotted for establishing neighborhood for Jews of Hebron
- Agudat Yisrael party will agree to compromise over military draft law in order to prevent the dismantling of the coalition
- (Finance Minister) Kahlon supports “loyalty in culture” - even though his ministry determined that it was illegal
- The money funnel to the US website (Canary Mission) that marks boycott activists: An organization headed by a [Jewish] resident of Jerusalem
- High Court froze the deportation of Lara Alqasem until a hearing for her request for an appeal
- Breakout of measles in Jerusalem: “Every day there are 5-10 cases, we can’t keep pace”
- Suspicion of murder: Policeman shot his wife dead in Netanya
- The witness and the state // Raviv Drucker
- Moles among us // Oudeh Bisharat
Yedioth Ahronoth
- “I murdered my wife” - Plague in the country: 20 women murdered since the beginning of the year
- Hour of war // Yael Abukasis
- Case Tair Rada: A new testimony - development in the case of the murder of the 13-year-old from Katzrin (Hebrew)
- The (military) draft law crisis: Ultra-Orthodox are softening stance
- The big compensation: Dana Ron will receive a million shekels from Keshet TV
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Knesset prepared for battle - MKs return to the Knesset and straight to the mud of the winter session
- Ultra-Orthodox: We won’t bring down the government because of the military draft law
- Netanyahu to Hamas: Stop the fire or a painful blow will come
- Netanya: Policeman shot his wife dead
- End to the lawlessness? Government approved: Electric bicycle riders who don’t have driving license must take a certification test
- A year since the #METOO revolution: Number of complaints to police didn’t increase, senior managers fear hiring women
Israel Hayom
- (Netanyahu:) “If Hamas doesn’t restrain itself - we will act with great strength”
- “We only want to grow up with quiet” (Photo of schoolgirl at a Kibbutz Kerem Shalom)
- The policeman called Moked 100: “I murdered my wife”
News Summary:
Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened Hamas as tensions continued to rise in Gaza, but avoided taking action, an Israeli policeman murdered his wife and reported on it and the Knesset opens its winter session today with numerous contentious bills, but the ultra-Orthodox have already signaled they will be willing to soften their stance on one so as not to bring about early elections - making today’s top stories in the Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news were Netanyahu’s statements at the Christian Media Summit.
Yedioth’s military affairs analyst, Yossi Yehoshua called the situation between Israel and Gaza ‘living from Friday to Friday.’ At the Sunday morning cabinet meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned Hamas that "If they don't stop the attacks against us, they will be stopped in a different way and it will be painful – very painful. We are very close to a different kind of activity, an activity that will include very powerful blows.” Later it was Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman who threatened, saying the time has come to hit Hamas with 'hardest blow.’ But at the conclusion of a four-hour meeting Sunday evening, the Security Cabinet decided to continue efforts to achieve an agreement with Hamas mediated by Egypt and the UN, rather than to take harsh measures against Hamas. Instead, Israel decided it will exacerbate its response if the Palestinians try again to attack the border fence on the weekend. A security source warned again that a response could turn into a broad confrontation and the because of the humanitarian situation in Gaza it means fighting would be accompanied by international criticism that would limit the military's freedom of action, Haaretz+ reported. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said its aircraft struck Palestinians in Gaza who threw firebombs (Haaretz+) or incendiary balloons (Ynet) towards Israeli territory, after fires erupted on the Israeli side.
Speaking to 140 Christian journalists attending the Christian Media Summit, Netanyahu said that “Without Israel, radical Islam would overrun the Middle East,” he called the Israeli human rights organization, B’Tselem, “a disgrace,” said that US student Lara Alqasem should be deported because of her ties with the BDS (Maariv), said appointing an envoy to the Christian world is "a great idea,” vowed to examine lifting restrictions preventing millions of Indonesian Christians from visiting Israel, said Israel foiled 40 ISIS attacks in three years,
Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened Hamas as tensions continued to rise in Gaza, but avoided taking action, an Israeli policeman murdered his wife and reported on it and the Knesset opens its winter session today with numerous contentious bills, but the ultra-Orthodox have already signaled they will be willing to soften their stance on one so as not to bring about early elections - making today’s top stories in the Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news were Netanyahu’s statements at the Christian Media Summit.
Yedioth’s military affairs analyst, Yossi Yehoshua called the situation between Israel and Gaza ‘living from Friday to Friday.’ At the Sunday morning cabinet meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned Hamas that "If they don't stop the attacks against us, they will be stopped in a different way and it will be painful – very painful. We are very close to a different kind of activity, an activity that will include very powerful blows.” Later it was Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman who threatened, saying the time has come to hit Hamas with 'hardest blow.’ But at the conclusion of a four-hour meeting Sunday evening, the Security Cabinet decided to continue efforts to achieve an agreement with Hamas mediated by Egypt and the UN, rather than to take harsh measures against Hamas. Instead, Israel decided it will exacerbate its response if the Palestinians try again to attack the border fence on the weekend. A security source warned again that a response could turn into a broad confrontation and the because of the humanitarian situation in Gaza it means fighting would be accompanied by international criticism that would limit the military's freedom of action, Haaretz+ reported. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said its aircraft struck Palestinians in Gaza who threw firebombs (Haaretz+) or incendiary balloons (Ynet) towards Israeli territory, after fires erupted on the Israeli side.
Speaking to 140 Christian journalists attending the Christian Media Summit, Netanyahu said that “Without Israel, radical Islam would overrun the Middle East,” he called the Israeli human rights organization, B’Tselem, “a disgrace,” said that US student Lara Alqasem should be deported because of her ties with the BDS (Maariv), said appointing an envoy to the Christian world is "a great idea,” vowed to examine lifting restrictions preventing millions of Indonesian Christians from visiting Israel, said Israel foiled 40 ISIS attacks in three years,
Quick Hits:
- *Widower of the killed Palestinian woman: "We don’t want revenge, just that they catch the murderers" - While the Shin Bet is still probing the death of Aisha al-Rawbi whether the accident near Tapuach Junction in the West Bank was caused by Jewish settlers throwing stones, her widower, Yaakub continues to attribute the incident to Jews. “I heard shouts in Hebrew,” he told Ynet. Anger in the (Israeli) right-wing: “Statistics show Arabs are usually the ones throwing stones.” (Ynet Hebrew+ VIDEO and Ynet English)
- UN envoy condemns attack that killed Palestinian woman, calls for swift justice - Police opened an investigation, suspect settlers behind attack. Nickolay Mladenov calls on Israeli authorities to ensure a proper investigation into the matter. (Haaretz)
- Israel approves $6 million expansion of Hebron Jewish settlement - New neighborhood to include 31 housing units ■ Expansion is first significant construction in the Hebron Jewish settlement in a decade. (Haaretz and Israel Hayom)
- In video - Israeli settler runs over 2 Palestinians in Qalqiliya district - Two Palestinian workers were injured Sunday, after an Israeli settler ran them over near the Kafr Laqif village, east of the northern occupied West Bank district of Qalqiliya. The two were hospitalized with head injuries. (Maan+VIDEO)
- In video - Israeli settlers attack Palestinian farmers in Nablus district - Video footage showed how several Israeli settlers from Givat Ronin settlement attacked Palestinian farmer Saturday, while they were harvesting olive harvest on Palestinians lands belonging to the residents of the Burin village. (Maan+VIDEO)
- Palestinian prisoner dies inside Israeli prison - Israeli authorities informed the family of the death of Wissam Abed al-Majid Nayif al-Shalaldeh, 28, from Sair village, without providing any details as to why. They requested the family arrive at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute. Al-Shalaldeh is the fourth prisoner to die in Israeli custody since the beginning of 2018. (Maan)
- Israel's Supreme Court freezes deportation of detained U.S. student until Wednesday - Court will convene to determine whether or not it will grant Alqasem permission to file her appeal. Tel Aviv District Court rejected her earlier appeal, after she was denied entry for allegedly having ties to BDS. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- U.S. Jewish groups speak out in defense of student detained in Israel - Anti-Defamation League, the Reform movement and J Street join Hebrew University in calling on Israel to allow Lara Alqasem into the country. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Revealed: The Jerusalem Jews Behind the Israeli Conduit Funneling Money to Canary Mission - Haaretz found that the man behind Megamot Shalom, through which money was funneled to the controversial online blacklist that tracks BDS activists, works with far-right rabbi Ben Packer. (Haaretz+)
- State Prosecutor Nitzan against Regev's Loyalty in Culture Law - Shai Nitzan, who serves as acting attorney general, submits recommendation to the government, saying the culture minister's proposed amendment, which seeks to deny state funds to artists who denigrate national values and symbols, 'raises serious legal concerns,' and will be difficult to defend in High Court of Justice. (Ynet)
- U.S. Lawmakers Pushing Bipartisan Bill to Invest in Palestinian Economy - The legislation, which would create an annual $100-million fund to support economic projects in the Palestinian Authority, may fit into Trump's upcoming peace plan. (Haaretz+)
- Vandals Break Into Jaffa Preschool, Paint Swastika, 'Death to Jews' - Staff of the special-needs kindergarten noticed the writings and alerted the police. The vandalism is the latest in a string of similar incidents throughout Tel Aviv. (Haaretz, Ynet Hebrew and Maariv)
- Israeli Army Hands Demolition Notice to Family of Palestinian Who Killed Two Israeli Co-workers - Family of Ashraf Walid Saliman Na'alwa, who killed two co-workers in the Barkan industrial zone, has until Thursday to appeal the demolition. (Haaretz, Maan and Ynet)
- Police question Breaking the Silence directors, lawyer about Hebron incident - The three, not suspected of any wrongdoing, were called to testify after being detained for entering a closed military zone – although no one else on their anti-occupation NGO tour was arrested. (Haaretz+)
- At Israeli Music Fest, Adjacent Gaza Strip Was on Everyone’s Minds - Passion and politics were at the fore, particularly on the first night of the three-day InDnegev festival. (Haaretz+)
- Palestinian, Israeli delegations clash at parliamentary forum in Geneva - At meeting in Geneva of Inter-Parliamentary Union, a group of 176 legislative bodies engaged in dialogue, Palestinian legislator accuses Israel of being an apartheid state, vows to boycott U.S. peace efforts • Israeli MK: Palestinians support terrorism and fund it. (Israel Hayom)
- Top centrist politician Yair Lapid: Intermarriage is bad because Jews 'haven't recovered from the Holocaust' - Yesh Atid chairman responds to wedding of Israeli Arab broadcaster Lucy Aharish and Jewish actor Tzachi Halevy. (Haaretz+)
- Gay activist starts drive for Israeli LGBT political party - Author Ilan Sheinfeld to set up party 'assisted by the intellectual, political and activist forces of the LGBTQ community.’ (Haaretz+)
- Egyptian military says commercial traffic with Israel resumed - Trade, mostly foodstuffs and raw materials, had been shut down amid an insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Israel outraged after UN Security Council invites B'Tselem speaker - Bolivia's U.N. envoy invites head of controversial rights group B'Tselem to represent Israeli civil society at U.N. Security Council • Israel's U.N. ambassador slams disgraceful "crossing of red lines by foreign countries with an anti-Israel agenda." (Israel Hayom)
- Adelsons honored for work with bone marrow donor organization - Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson awarded Partner for Life prize for their work on behalf of Gift of Life bone marrow donor registry, including their efforts encouraging Birthright participants to register as potential donors. (Israel Hayom)
- UN rights council accused of giving seats to abusive states - U.S., rights groups say the U.N. Human Rights Council should be calling out rights abusers like the Philippines and Eritrea, not welcoming them into the council • U.S. envoy Nikki Haley slams council's "lack of standards" says U.S. was right to withdraw. (Israel Hayom)
- Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man brutally attacked in New York - Police identify attacker as Farrukh Afzal, 38, arrest him for beating a Jewish man in his 60s in the middle of a Brooklyn intersection. He is facing charges of hate crime assault, mischief and harassment • Victim taken to hospital with facial injuries. (Israel Hayom)
- Jewish Headstones Smashed in Greek City That Saw One of Nazis' Largest Liquidations - Only 10 members of Trikala's Jewish community survived the Holocaust, several of whom were rescued by Prince William's great-grandmother. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Jewish Teens Assaulted in Suspected anti-Semitic Attack in France - Police say the attack was triggered by a Star of David pendant worn by one of the victims. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Saudi stock market plummets after Trump threatens 'severe punishment' over missing journalist - After nearly two hours of trade the index was down 7.0 percent, its biggest drop since December 2014, when oil prices were crashing. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Saudis Threaten Global Economic Repercussions if Punished for 'Murdered' Journalist - U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that there would be 'severe punishment' for Saudi Arabia if it turns out that missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. (Haaretz)
- A kingdom divided 'Fake news' from Qatar or a sign of MBS's brutal rule: Saudi Arabia roiled by 'murder' of journalist - For some Saudis, the alleged killing is a story cooked up by regional opponents to tarnish the kingdom’s reputation. For others, though, it is a sign that Saudi Arabia may be headed in the wrong direction. (Reuters, Haaretz)
- Turkey Renames U.S. Embassy Street 'Malcolm X Avenue' - Amid fraught tensions between the U.S. and Turkey, Ankara city authorities have decided to rename the street where the new embassy is being built after the American Muslim activist. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
A Jewish teacher teaches in Beit Hanina (E. Jerusalem): “(My family and friends) made me nervous (about
working there)”
While most of us look at East Jerusalem through the lens of the camera, Arava Israel, 29, a Master’s student of Arabic Language and Literature at the Hebrew University, teaches Hebrew to the children of East Jerusalem at Rawad Al-Quds School and feels welcome: "Language is also a culture ... When I walk around there I feel safe.” Arava receives support and support from Kerem, a Jewish humanistic education institute, which leads an innovative program to integrate Jewish teachers in schools in the Arab sector in East Jerusalem to teach Hebrew. The program, initiated by the Jerusalem Foundation and the Jerusalem Education Administration, operates in schools where the Israeli curriculum is taught and with the full support of the principals. When asked why she got to this job, she said: "I did not come from any ideological motives, and the reason I started to teach was that I really like languages in general. I speak Spanish, Italian, English, Hebrew and Arabic, and every time I have the opportunity to learn more languages I jump on it. I pass it on to my students, too. I really like the similarity between Hebrew and Arabic, and I use it in the classroom, too. It satisfies me to know that the students will end up with options and with an open door to the world.” Did you ever feel a certain fear of reaching the place? There were a lot of riots in recent years in East Jerusalem. Did not you feel it in the field? "I did not feel it pointed at me. I also worked at an ulpan in Shuafat, which is right next to Beit Hanina. All the teachers are Jewish and come everyday. I did not feel any problem, even in the beginning, before I had a car, and I was still using public transportation or hitchhiking with other teachers at the school. " (Ofir Shamir, Maariv)
Commentary/Analysis:
An attorney general who's on the wrong side of the law (Haaretz Editorial) Avichai Mendelblit’s new guidelines for investigating public figures undermine the fight against corruption.
What we can learn from the Americans - The happiness and the fury (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth) Sometimes I am jealous from my American friends, who are in the midst of a civil war. No one was killed in this war and we need to hope that no one will be killed, but the intensity, the fury, they come out from every column in the papers, from every blog, from every post in the social media networks. Both sides are convinced they represent the real America, both are convinced they have the key to success, both are convinced that their value system is the right one and that the value system of the other is corrupt and treasonous. The gap is real. Trump is the product of it, not the reason for its existence. Civil war is a tragedy...I am jealous of the Americans for one reason - they translate their frustrations into political action. They don't give up...In Israel, the decaying of democratic values is happening before our eyes, in the Chinese torture way: one drop, another drop, another law to shut mouths, another promotion of a questionable judge by the political house of the Justice Minister, another racist remark by a member of Knesset...There are societies in which fear prevents people from going out to protest...In Israel, what prevents a real protest is happiness: our lives are so good in the present that we close our eyes to what is happening around us. We are Nowists.
Israel's History Is Filled With Benevolent ‘Moles’ (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) In the name of transparency, or more simply in the name of life, I call for the disclosure of any plans on file that deal with the future of the Arab population in this country.
Gaza: Back to the beginning (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) Even if the array of foreign mediators visiting Israel, Gaza and Ramallah this week find a solution to the crisis in Gaza, it will probably be limited and flimsy.
The facts belie the claims of 'siege' (Daniel Siryoti, Israel Hayom) The only crossing through which goods can be shipped into Gaza is the Israeli-run Kerem Shalom, and since 2011 Israel has allowed 100 trucks into Gaza a day.
A Pasture, a Pickup and Two Don Quixotes: Who Damaged the Left-wing Activists' Truck? (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Screws don’t just disappear and the garage owner had no doubt: It was sabotage.
Deport BDS activist Lara Alqasem (Amnon Lord, Israel Hayom) Countless Israelis have their U.S. visa applications rejected every week, so why should Israel allow entry to a woman who specializes in political warfare targeting the Jewish state?
Is Israel's anti-BDS Detention Policy Stupid, Evil – or Both? (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The ongoing uproar over Lara Alqasem shows that the self-inflicted damage to Israel's good name is escalating exponentially – which suits Netanyahu just fine.
The Buzaglo test is dead, and whoever killed it is none other than the right (Dr. Revital Amran, Maariv) The right-wing enjoys creating for itself an image that it acts against the elites and for the good of the people. But this is a false image. It’s (representative, Israel Bar Association President) Effi Naveh is an example of this.
'Murder' of Saudi Dissident: Why Turkey Is in No Hurry to Cut Off Ties With Riyadh (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The affair of the alleged torture and murder of Saudi journalist Khashoggi has put the West, as well as the Turks and Saudis, in a bind.
My Palestinian Husband Banned Hebrew From Our Home. Our Daughter Is Fighting Back (Mya Guarnieri Jaradat, Haaretz+) Until the occupation ends, he says, there can be no Hebrew in our home. So I started listening to Israeli music in the car. That's where the rebellion started - and its consequences.
When Professionalism Trumps Politics (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) With all its imperfections the Israeli process of selecting justices for the Supreme Court still seems preferable to the American process.
While most of us look at East Jerusalem through the lens of the camera, Arava Israel, 29, a Master’s student of Arabic Language and Literature at the Hebrew University, teaches Hebrew to the children of East Jerusalem at Rawad Al-Quds School and feels welcome: "Language is also a culture ... When I walk around there I feel safe.” Arava receives support and support from Kerem, a Jewish humanistic education institute, which leads an innovative program to integrate Jewish teachers in schools in the Arab sector in East Jerusalem to teach Hebrew. The program, initiated by the Jerusalem Foundation and the Jerusalem Education Administration, operates in schools where the Israeli curriculum is taught and with the full support of the principals. When asked why she got to this job, she said: "I did not come from any ideological motives, and the reason I started to teach was that I really like languages in general. I speak Spanish, Italian, English, Hebrew and Arabic, and every time I have the opportunity to learn more languages I jump on it. I pass it on to my students, too. I really like the similarity between Hebrew and Arabic, and I use it in the classroom, too. It satisfies me to know that the students will end up with options and with an open door to the world.” Did you ever feel a certain fear of reaching the place? There were a lot of riots in recent years in East Jerusalem. Did not you feel it in the field? "I did not feel it pointed at me. I also worked at an ulpan in Shuafat, which is right next to Beit Hanina. All the teachers are Jewish and come everyday. I did not feel any problem, even in the beginning, before I had a car, and I was still using public transportation or hitchhiking with other teachers at the school. " (Ofir Shamir, Maariv)
Commentary/Analysis:
An attorney general who's on the wrong side of the law (Haaretz Editorial) Avichai Mendelblit’s new guidelines for investigating public figures undermine the fight against corruption.
What we can learn from the Americans - The happiness and the fury (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth) Sometimes I am jealous from my American friends, who are in the midst of a civil war. No one was killed in this war and we need to hope that no one will be killed, but the intensity, the fury, they come out from every column in the papers, from every blog, from every post in the social media networks. Both sides are convinced they represent the real America, both are convinced they have the key to success, both are convinced that their value system is the right one and that the value system of the other is corrupt and treasonous. The gap is real. Trump is the product of it, not the reason for its existence. Civil war is a tragedy...I am jealous of the Americans for one reason - they translate their frustrations into political action. They don't give up...In Israel, the decaying of democratic values is happening before our eyes, in the Chinese torture way: one drop, another drop, another law to shut mouths, another promotion of a questionable judge by the political house of the Justice Minister, another racist remark by a member of Knesset...There are societies in which fear prevents people from going out to protest...In Israel, what prevents a real protest is happiness: our lives are so good in the present that we close our eyes to what is happening around us. We are Nowists.
Israel's History Is Filled With Benevolent ‘Moles’ (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) In the name of transparency, or more simply in the name of life, I call for the disclosure of any plans on file that deal with the future of the Arab population in this country.
Gaza: Back to the beginning (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) Even if the array of foreign mediators visiting Israel, Gaza and Ramallah this week find a solution to the crisis in Gaza, it will probably be limited and flimsy.
The facts belie the claims of 'siege' (Daniel Siryoti, Israel Hayom) The only crossing through which goods can be shipped into Gaza is the Israeli-run Kerem Shalom, and since 2011 Israel has allowed 100 trucks into Gaza a day.
A Pasture, a Pickup and Two Don Quixotes: Who Damaged the Left-wing Activists' Truck? (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Screws don’t just disappear and the garage owner had no doubt: It was sabotage.
Deport BDS activist Lara Alqasem (Amnon Lord, Israel Hayom) Countless Israelis have their U.S. visa applications rejected every week, so why should Israel allow entry to a woman who specializes in political warfare targeting the Jewish state?
Is Israel's anti-BDS Detention Policy Stupid, Evil – or Both? (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The ongoing uproar over Lara Alqasem shows that the self-inflicted damage to Israel's good name is escalating exponentially – which suits Netanyahu just fine.
The Buzaglo test is dead, and whoever killed it is none other than the right (Dr. Revital Amran, Maariv) The right-wing enjoys creating for itself an image that it acts against the elites and for the good of the people. But this is a false image. It’s (representative, Israel Bar Association President) Effi Naveh is an example of this.
'Murder' of Saudi Dissident: Why Turkey Is in No Hurry to Cut Off Ties With Riyadh (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The affair of the alleged torture and murder of Saudi journalist Khashoggi has put the West, as well as the Turks and Saudis, in a bind.
My Palestinian Husband Banned Hebrew From Our Home. Our Daughter Is Fighting Back (Mya Guarnieri Jaradat, Haaretz+) Until the occupation ends, he says, there can be no Hebrew in our home. So I started listening to Israeli music in the car. That's where the rebellion started - and its consequences.
When Professionalism Trumps Politics (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) With all its imperfections the Israeli process of selecting justices for the Supreme Court still seems preferable to the American process.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.