News Nosh: 10.16.18

by APN 10/16/18
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APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday October 16, 2018

 
Quote of the Day #1:
“However, bringing a resident of Gaza to trial in Israel for complaining about the conditions that he and other residents of the Gaza Strip are in, seems to me to be a blatantly inappropriate step, both judicially and morally.”
—Israeli District Court Judge Eliahu Bitan rejected Israel’s claims against two young Gazan fisherman and ordered their release.*

Quote of the Day #2:
“It’s a greater threat than nuclear bombs or terrorism greater than the enemies who seek our destruction. The threat of internal division will always be the greatest threat of all.”
--President Reuven Rivlin warned at the opening of the Knesset's winter session yesterday.**

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • Look them in the eyes - Plague in the country: Violence against women eneded in 20 victims since the beginning of the year
  • Expose - Demands the money: State Witness in the submarine affair (Case 3000), Miki Ganor, demands to receive the tens of millions of shekels stuck abroad - or he won’t testify
  • They stole it from him // Nahum Barnea on Netanyahu’s speech
  • EXCLUSIVE - A.K.’s deposition: A.K. confirmed that she confession in the past about her alleged involvement in the murder of Tair Rada
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
  • “Strike the hardest blow on Gaza, even at the cost of an all-out-war” Defense Minister Lieberman at Maariv’s Leader’s Conference 2018
  • (CNN reported:) “Saudi Arabia to announce: ‘The journalist died in interrogation’”
  • The “amputees’ campaign” that worries Israel - Organizers of campaign in France claim: In Gaza, a generation of leg amputees is rising due to Israeli aggression
  • Glitch after glitch in the fast train to Jerusalem: 150 passengers got stuck in the tunnel
Israel Hayom
  • (Netanyahu:) “I don’t need an excuse to go to elections” - Draft, Conversion - and elections atmosphere: The winter session of the Knesset opened in a storm
  • Behind the smoke: Signs of elections // Mati Tuchfeld
  • The campaign of disengagement of (MK Tzipi) Livni and the left-wing // Haim Shine
  • “The amazing 10” - principles of truth // Amnon Lord
  • Money instead of gold - Sad: Former windsurfer Gal Friedman, who excited the country when he won the only Olympic gold in its history, is in financial troubles. Selling his windsurf board and his medal
  • News from Australia: Considering transferring the embassy to Jerusalem
  • The escalation in the south: Terrorists got close to the fence, IDF attacked a Hamas post in Gaza
  • “Saudi Arabia will confirm: The journalist died in botched interrogation”
  • Nightmare in the new train: 150 passengers got stuck in the tunnel from Ben-Gurion Airport to Jerusalem

News Summary:
Israeli Prime Minister BInyamin Netanyahu’s ‘elections’ speech at the opening of the Knesset winter session, the Prime Minister’s and Defense Minister’s support for the IDF Chief of Staff, whom the former coalition whip, MK David Bitan, blamed for the unrest in the Gaza Strip, and the Australian Prime Minister’s declaration that Australia is considering moving its embassy to Jerusalem made top stories in the Hebrew newspapers today along with the CNN report that Saudi Arabia will admit it killed the Saudi journalist in a botched interrogation. Also in diplomacy, Israel will open an embassy in Rwanda as part of its deepening ties with Africa, and Syria opened yesterday the border crossings with Israel and Jordan for the first time in years. Also, the latest on the Gaza crisis.  

At the opening of the Knesset winter session, Netanyahu said he’s “not looking for excuses to call early elections," but the analysts weren’t convinced in light of the long speech he gave listing his achievements. And for what he didn’t achieve, he blamed others. He blamed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for making peacemaking impossible, he accused the Left-wing of not really caring about democracy. He focused on security as Israel’s greatest threat and said he was “doing everything to prevent unnecessary wars.” But before Netanyahu spoke, President Reuven Rivlin warned that  infighting in Israeli society was a greater threat to Israel than nukes or terrorism.

Gaza Quickees:
32 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were wounded by Israeli forces, 24 of them by live Israeli fire, when they made a protest demonstration in the north of the Strip near the beach and the border for several hours. Some held Palestinian flags and some threw burning tires. The Israeli Air Force fighter jets attacked a Hamas post after two Palestinians planted an explosive near the border fence. Also, Maariv reported that Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that there was no chance for a long-term agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Barely making news today was the Palestinian shot dead after allegedly attempting to stab Israeli soldiers near Salfit. The Palestinian, Elias Salah Yassin, 22, is from Biddya, the same village as Aisha Mohammed Rabi, the Palestinian woman who was killed Friday when someone threw a rock at her car hitting her in the head, Haaretz noted. Yassin was shot dead by soldiers and no soldiers were hurt.

Quickees on the murder of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi:
  • Saudi king orders probe in Khashoggi case
  • Trump After Speaking to Saudi King: Journalist May Be Victim of 'Rogue Killers — Who Knows'
  • Saudi Arabia to Admit That Missing Journalist Was Killed in Botched Interrogation and Abduction Operation, CNN Reports
  • Saudi report will conclude that interrogation, likely carried out without clearance, was intended to lead to Jamal Khashoggi's abduction, CNN says. Turkish investigative team leaves consulate after nine-hour probe. (Haaretz)
  • Khashoggi to Jerusalem Post in 2007: Nakba no different than Holocaust
  • The Jerusalem Post spoke to missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2007 on the sidelines of a Washington, DC event condemning anti-Semitism. The Saudi journalist described the relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia as "a political rather than a religious problem," and claimed that "every nation has its own Holocaust.” (JPost and Maariv)
  • Explained: Behind the Saudi Crown Prince’s Carefully Managed Image Lurks a Dark Side
  • As Saudi defense minister from the age of 29, he pursued a war in Yemen against Shi'ite rebels that began a month after he took the helm and wears on today.
     
Quick Hits:
  • Israeli border policewoman arrested on suspicion of shooting Palestinian for fun - Judge says suspect shot the man, who was seriously wounded, 'as a dubious form of entertainment.’ Along with the suspect, four Border Policemen were arrested on similar suspicions. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  • In rare remark, Trump envoy Greenblatt condemns 'reprehensible' killing of Palestinian woman - 'My thoughts and prayers are with Mrs. Aysha al-Rabi’s 8 children and husband,' special envoy to Middle East peace process tweets. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  • Polluted Water Leading Cause of Child Mortality in Gaza, Study Finds - With 43 Olympic swimming pools worth of sewage water flowing from Gaza toward Israel and Egypt daily, Rand researchers say local epidemic is only a matter of time. (Haaretz+)
  • Khan al-Ahmar flooded with wastewater for 2nd time - Locals said that Israeli settlers from the nearby illegal Israeli settlement of Kfar Adummim stormed the village and flooded Khan al-Ahmar with wastewater, causing serious environmental and health hazard for residents. (Maan)
  • *Israeli Judge Orders Release of Gazan Fishermen Jailed for Protesting Blockade - A Beersheva District Court Judge ordered release of two fishermen from Gaza after ruling that the indictment against them was 'inappropriate legally and morally’ and that their plight is 'legitimate.'  Moreover, during the hearing, it emerged that the two men had not been arrested in the territorial waters of Israel. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  • "The Legless Generation": The worrisome campaign in France against IDF soldiers - A photograph showing a Palestinian in a wheelchair throwing stones at IDF soldiers won a prize in the competition, and a report on the "disabled youth" on state television has already aroused protests in the Jewish community. (Maariv)
  • Israeli settlers chop down 100 olive trees near Ramallah - sraeli settlers stormed Palestinian lands of al-Mughayyir and chopped down more than 100 olive trees, under armed security by Israeli forces. Rateeb al-Naasan, the owner, was shocked as he arrived to his land. Soldiers prevented him and his children from entering his lands and they assaulted them. (Maan)
  • Hundreds of trees destroyed in West Bank Palestinian villages, Israeli rights groups report - The trees were in plots Palestinians can only access under army supervision due to proximity to settlements and outposts where Israelis have attacked Palestinian farmers in the past. (Haaretz+)
  • Bethlehem mayor blasts Netanyahu: Stop using Christians to whitewash occupation - Netanyahu said on Sunday at the Christian Media Summit that the number of Christians in the city has plummeted since its handover to the Palestinian Authority. (Haaretz)
  • Israeli settlement plans 'declaration of new war against Palestinians' - The Palestinian government slammed the Israeli government's approval of 22 million shekels ($6.1 million) in government funding to expand an illegal Israeli settlement inside the southern occupied West Bank city of Hebron, calling it a "literal translation of the occupation's plans that is based on what became known as the 'Deal of the Century.'" (Maan)
  • Suspected incendiary balloons found in Jordan Valley - Police sappers and firefighters called to Moshav Yafit, where a cluster of balloons attached with what appears to be a device of some sort was discovered; unclear whether the device is incendiary or explosive. (Ynet)
  • IDF releases footage of Samaria Territorial Brigade attack - Security cameras capture 19-year-old Palestinian sneak up and chase after IDF reservist last Thursday before stabbing him at a bus stop and fleeing the scene; Two other soldiers are seen rushing to the area and firing toward the terrorist. (Ynet)
  • Palestinians Allegedly Try to Attack Israeli Supreme Court Justice Near West Bank Home - Assailants blocked his car with their vehicle, and came toward him carrying hammers, judge tells police. Mintz fled the scene, unharmed. (Haaretz and Maariv and Ynet)
  • Education Minister on Detained U.S. Student: Hebrew University Shouldn't Have Intervened - 'It was not right for the Hebrew University to intervene and take a political side in a categorically political matter,' says Naftali Bennett, adding that anyone who aims to hurt Israel loses the right to enter it. (Haaretz+)
  • Jerusalem students reserve seat for Lara Alqassem - Students at Hebrew University placed signs on seats throughout campus reading 'Reserved for Lara Alqasem,' an American who is barred from entering Israel to pursue a graduate degree at the university because of her alleged involvement in the BDS movement. (Ynet)
  • Regev claims 'history is made' as Knesset passes Film Law - Despite attempts of the opposition to block the move: the controversial law initiated by Culture Minister Miri Regev was approved by the Education Committee. Joint List MK Dov Khenin: “An aggressive attempt by the Culture Minister to perform a hostile takeover of Israeli cinema.” (JPost and Maariv)
  • High Court Slams Attorney General's Directive: 'Is the Blood of Public Figures Any Different?' - Avichai Mendelblit was faced with harsh criticism after he issued 'cautious’ guidelines for investigating public figures. (Haaretz+ and Maariv)
  • State plague: Three laborers killed Monday in accidents at work sites in Israel - 25-year-old man electrocuted to death in Herzliya. A 30-year-old man was hit by a rock that fell from a height at a construction site in Beit Shemesh, and a 50-year-old laborer was run over to death by a tractor while paving a road in Even Yehuda. (Maariv)
  • Report: Unmanned Israeli aircraft targets spy facility in Lebanon - Lebanese media reports claim Israeli aircraft bombed an intelligence facility northeast of Tyre • No Israeli source corroborates report • If true, this would be the first Israeli strike in the sector since the Sept. 17 downing of a Russian aircraft. (Israel Hayom)

Commentary/Analysis:
The Most Logical Solution to the Gaza Water Crisis Is the Most Political One (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) The root of the problem is political, namely Israel’s attitude to the Strip as a separate entity with an autonomous water economy.
Our experts may understand Arabic, but they don’t understand Arabs (Prof. Arieh Eldad, Maariv) "Security officials" say that if we supply diesel to the Gaza Strip, the Gazans will stop trying to burn us. The problem is that the logic guiding the leaders of Gaza is not the guiding logic for leaders in the Western world.
Actions speak louder than words (Amnon Lord, Israel Hayom) There are only so many times Israel can threaten Gaza's rulers without following through before it completely erodes the IDF's ability to generate deterrence.
A Future Forever Pure (Haaretz Editorial) The authoritarianism of Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party, including its anti-Arab sentiment, must not be ignored.
An Israeli wedding between an Arab and a Jew (Daniel Friedman, Yedioth/Ynet) The marriage between Lucy Aharish and Tsahi Halevi, an Arab-Israeli Muslim and a Jew, is a joyous occasion. The state may not recognize interfaith marriages, but the liberal public does, and we must hope that liberals in Israel remain strong to protect mixed families from facing the challenges lying ahead.
Racist outbursts are fine, but watch your timing (Roni Bar, Haaretz+) When asked about Lucy Aharish and Tzachi Halevy's wedding, champion of non-committal politics Yair Lapid spewed out the expected.
Then and now: Incitement leads to murder (Ram Cohen, Israel Hayom) The Likud is using in the campaign slogan "It's us or them" for its candidate list in the Tel Aviv municipal election. This only serves to foment hatred and must be condemned by the party leaders.
Making the Left Seem Worse Than Fascism (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Attacks by the right have made many Jewish Israelis view the word ‘left’ as worse than ‘fascism’ or ‘racism.’ And in the end the Palestinians will pay.
From Khan al-Ahmar to Tel Arad (Adv. Tawfiq Jabareen, Yedioth/Ynet) The defense minister, who immigrated to Israel years after the initial expulsion of the Jahalin Bedouin tribe from their homes, wants to evict Khan al-Ahmar's residents out of concern for their safety; If Lieberman were concerned about their security and health, he would not have insisted on expelling them to a waste landfill or a sewage treatment facility.
Why Is Israel So Afraid of Lara Alqasem? (Jeremy Ben-Ami, Haaretz+) What exactly is the threat posed by allowing a 22 year-old American student to study at Hebrew University? How will she harm the economy? Damage the Mideast's strongest military? What's so frightening about someone who wants to learn more about Israelis and Palestinians?
Netanyahu attacks usual suspects, but his mind is deep in the next elections (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) There’s no doubt that Netanyahu’s mind is already focused on his Likud party’s next campaign, but also on the day after the elections.
The One Speech Netanyahu Will Never Make to Diaspora Jews (Rick Jacobs and Gilad Kariv, Haaretz) Imagine if PM Benjamin Netanyahu, as he begins his remarks to The General Assembly of Jewish Federations of North America next week in Tel Aviv, decided to honor true dialogue - and not the tele-prompter.
The crisis between Washington and Riyadh will damage the reported relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) The murder of the journalist at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul sparked a wave of angry reactions against the Saudis, and Trump could not help but respond. The current confrontation will exacerbate Ben Salman's opposition to the peace plan.
Saudi Arabia discovers that reform and murder don’t go well together (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) Global companies have no choice but to react to the alleged killing of Jamal Khashoggi and would rather get back to business, but the Saudis aren't what they once were any more.
The princely bubble has burst (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's alleged involvement in the murder of a dissident journalist on Turkish soil has shattered his image as a progressive leader. The West's disappointment is palpable.
 
Interviews:
At 92, this pioneering Israeli feminist is finally ready to bare her soul
In her brand new memoir, Alice Shalvi reflects back on a remarkable career, as well as on some of the more painful chapters of her life - including her own traumatic #MeToo moment. (Interviewed by Judy Maltz in Haaretz+)

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

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