News Nosh 11.22.18

by APN 11/22/18
Share

APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday November 22, 2018
 
Quote of the day:
"Restraint is the right thing for someone who is strong. You do not have to be hasty in using force, but when you use it, you have to do it decisively and make it clear to the other side that you should not mess with us."
--Maj. Gen. Yair Golan warns against Israeli leadership misuse of force.*

You Must Be Kidding: 
Israel's High Court approved the eviction of 700 Palestinians from their E. Jerusalem homes even thought it ruled the process was flawed.**

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
Israel Hayom
  • Rift in the top of Hamas in Gaza
  • The rift could play into the hands of Israel // Daniel Siriyoti
  • “The one who needs to determine what is proportional is the commander in the field and not a lawyer in the war room” - Naftali Bennett
  • Chico Edri: I’m willing to do a polygraph
  • The El-Al ‘Shabbat flight’: MKs demand a discussion in the Knesset about the incident
  • The suicide of the employee of Lev Leviev - Police: There is no connection between the interrogation and the tragedy
  • Exclusive - 2017: A baby every 3 minutes, drop in the number of C-sections

News Summary:
The man chosen to be the next Israel Police Commissioner has agreed to the condition that he pass a polygraph regarding 'inappropriate behavior," Israeli ministers threatened that the country was close to taking over the Gaza Strip and assassinating Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and were reprimanded by their boss (and Israel Hayom reported that there is a rift between Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahiya Sinwar), and the police reject the accusation that the woman probed in a corruption case jumped to her death because of an 'aggressive' interrogation - making top stories in today's Hebrew newspapers.

Also in the news, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Habayit Hayehudi) said US President Donald Trump's peace plan was 'a waste of time,' and the Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds newspaper reported that Trump is delaying the publishing of the details of his "deal of the century" to February, because of a request by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who wanted to please Haybayit Hayehudi leader, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, and stabilize the political situation in Israel. (Maariv)
 
Quick Hits:
  • **Court Allows Eviction of 700 Palestinians From East Jerusalem Neighborhood - Judges criticize authorities for transferring land to settlers organization without bothering to notify Palestinian residents. (Haaretz+)
  • Policemen caught on camera mocking an Arab citizen - A video from 2016 shows 2 police officers humiliating Nayef Yabin Yassin, a resident of the northern city of Arraba; 'The vehicle's wheels are square instead of round,' the officers told Yassin after they detained him for an alleged traffic violation. (Yedioth/Ynet and VIDEO) [NOTE: Jewish Israelis from the ‘Tag Meir’ organization visited Yassin and posted on Facebook: “We came to apologize Yassin and to hug him after he was humiliated by police.” - OH]
  • Israel seals off West Bank village - Israeli forces sealed off the eastern entrance to al-Walaja village and prevented passage of Palestinian residents in both directions. (Maan)
  • Israeli bulldozers demolish Palestinian home near Nablus - Israeli forces stormed the Duma village, south of the northern occupied West Bank district of Nablus, and demolished a Palestinian home under the pretext that it was built without the difficult-to-obtain Israeli permit. (Maan)
  • Israeli settlers raze agricultural lands in Jordan Valley - Israeli settlers from the illegal Maskyot settlement built a small structure and razed dozen of dunams of agricultural land, particularly used to herd sheep. (Maan)
  • Israel withdraws VIP card from PA Attorney General - Israeli authorities have withdrawn a VIP card from the Palestinian Authority's (PA) Attorney General, Ahmad Barak, on Wednesday. (Maan)
  • Israeli demolition campaign against dozens of shops in Shufat refugee camp, E. Jerusalem - Israeli bulldozers demolished dozens of Palestinian-owned shops Wednesday and gave owners only 12 hours to evacuate the premises before the demolitions commenced. (Maan)
  • PLO condemns Israel's demolition campaign in East Jerusalem - Ahmad Abu Holy, the head of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLO) refugee department, accused the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem of waging a war on the Shufat refugee camp with the demolition of 20 Palestinian shops “under the illegal pretext of building without a permit.” (Maan)
  • Erekat: 'Israel should be condemned at UN, not Hamas' - Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) Executive Committee, Saeb Erekat, denounced, on Wednesday, United States’ efforts at the United Nations to condemn the Hamas movement, stressing that “Israel should be condemned for its war crimes record against the Palestinian people.” (Maan)
  • IDF Ombudsman told Knesset: “We are not ready for war, Commanders are not telling the truth” - Yitzhak Brick sent an urgent letter to the Knesset, in which he reported serious flaws in the functioning of the IDF. He also claimed that the commanders intentionally did not raise this issue: "Unfortunately, among some of them, their mouths and hearts are not equal.” (Maariv)
  • Olmert asserts: "There is no existential threat to Israel, Netanyahu has said baseless things" - In an interview on TV, The former prime minister came out against the current conduct vis-à-vis Hamas before the cease-fire, referred to Lieberman's resignation, and suggested to the cabinet ministers "not to act with rage and to talk less.” (Maariv)
  • Palestinian (Israeli) prisoner to be released after 30 years of imprisonment - Samir Saleh Sirsawi ,52, from Haifa district, in northern Israel, will be released after 30 years of imprisonment. (Maan)
  • Israeli court upholds administrative detention of 23 Palestinians - According to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, nine prisoners from various towns in the West Bank received detention orders for six months, 11 for four months, two for three months and one for two months. (Maan)
  • Divided by border, Israeli and Gazan girls show lives via Instagram - "We opened the [Instagram] account to raise awareness for the reality we experience every day," says Meshi Almakeas, 16, from Israel's Kibbutz Kerem Shalom • Gaza Instagrammer Fatma Abu Musabbeh: "I like to show Gaza like countries abroad are shown." (Israel Hayom)
  • This Palestinian Youtube Star Is Captivating the Arab World. Just Don't Mention the Occupation - The tragic story that started it all and the crucial advice she got from her mother. With 740,000 followers, Hannah Ziad is the Holy Land's biggest Youtube star. (Haaretz+)
  • Palestinian Journalists Syndicate calls to boycott Eurovision - It was not clear why the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate chose to call for boycotting the song contest despite the decision to hold it in Tel Aviv. (JPost/Maariv)
  • Edelstein trying to cancel event calling for Hebron evacuation - Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein trying to prevent conference organized by opposition MKs calling to evacuate the Jewish settlement in Hebron. Conference is set to take place on the same day as a state visit by Czech President Miloš Zeman. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Police again rejected Elor Azaria’s request to carry arms: "He is not a normative person" - The request of the so-called “Shooting Soldier (from Hebron)“ was rejected again, while rejecting all his claims: "Holding a shotgun in his hand is a danger to the public safety." He can appeal to the High Court of Justice. (Maariv)
  • Joint List Faces Crisis of Voter Confidence Over Nation-state Law - The Arab parties believe that a major issue at the ballot box will be a crisis of confidence over the recently passed nation-state law, which their voters see as a tool to relegate Arab Israelis to second-class citizenship. (Haaretz+)
  • Shaked: We made a mistake in giving Netanyahu a public ultimatum - In interview with Yedioth Ahronoth, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked says threatening Prime Minister Netanyahu is the only way to 'succeed in achieving our goals,' but allows that making the threat public might have been a mistake. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Regev slammed for implying Gantz to blame for death of 4-year-old boy - Culture Minister Miri Regev comes under fire after implying former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz, who encouraged Israelis to return home to the Gaza border during a ceasefire in 2014, was responsible for the death of Daniel Tregerman, who was killed by a mortar shell that hit his home. (Ynet)
  • Bill aims to legalize deportation of migrants denied refugee status - Peace deal between Eritrea and Ethiopia means tens of thousands of illegal migrants in Israel no longer face mortal danger and can return to their countries, says Likud MK Sharren Haskel • New bill is "key" to resolving illegal migrant problem, she says. (Israel Hayom)
  • Deri suspected of tax evasion amounting to NIS 2 million - The interior minister Arieh Deri is suspected of fraud and breach of trust, perjury, tax evasion and money laundering in 4 different cases, including the sale and acquisition of properties, and money he received and failed to report to the proper authorities. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Israeli consulate in Boston to RT journalist: You’re a disgrace to Americans and Jews everywhere - Dan Cohen, Jewish RT journalist, criticized the way the Associated Press covered the Gaza flare-up. Foreign ministry spokesman admits 'wrong conduct.’ (Haaretz+)
  • Krahenbuhl applauds international effort for keeping UNRWA afloat - Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Pierre Krahenbuhl, applauded international community for addressing its "greatest financial predicament ever” and reducing the staggering shortfall of $446 million at the start of this year [due to US withdrawal - OH] to $21 million. (Maan)
  • VP Pence confirms participation in major pro-Israel conference - Mike Pence will be the first U.S. vice president to attend the annual Israeli-American Council conference, which begins Nov. 29 in Florida • Pence will speak at the event alongside a long list of notable U.S. and Israeli politicians and public figures. (Israel Hayom)
  • Rights group sues Abu Dhabi Crown Prince in France over alleged torture in Yemen - Lawsuit alleges complicity in torture and inhumane treatment. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Rights groups: Activists held in Saudi Arabia tortured, Riyadh denies charge - Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accused Saudi Arabia of subjecting activists including some female human rights defenders to torture and sexual harassment. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Another First Temple weight, this one with mirror writing, found in Jerusalem sifting project - This tiny stone weight found by the foundation stones of the Western Wall may have been used in the First Temple itself, if users were unfazed by its backwards engraving. (Haaretz and Israel Hayom)

Commentary/Analysis:
Frozen out by Israel, repelled by Trump, U.S. Jews find more in common with Palestinians (Avraham Bronstein, Haaretz+) Israel has chosen to embrace Trump and serially antagonize U.S. Jews. Listening to Palestinians on a recent trip to the West Bank, I realized that we - liberal, two-state U.S. Jews - now know what it's like to go unheard, too.
It is not a gamble that there will soon be events that will lead to the presentation of Netanyahu's words as ‘I told you so’ (Tal Lev-Ram, Maariv) The prime minister has to explain how in the exact same reality that existed a month ago he acted politically, for the opposite purpose. The narrative he presented could have be presented at any time in recent months…It is not a wild gamble to predict that in the coming month significant security events will occur in the various sectors through which the prime minister's decision can be presented as “We told you so.”
US changes course on Golan (Ariel Bolstein, Israel Hayom) For the first time ever, the United States voted against the U.N. resolution calling on Israel to return the Golan Heights to Syria. This will have a tremendous impact on the international arena.
Greenlighting East Jerusalem Eviction Attests to Revolution in Israel's Supreme Court (Nir Hasson, Haaretz+) Israel's top judges have upheld a series of decisions that are at best a rubber stamp for injustice and at worst leading the conservative and reactionary charge.
Who will replace Netanyahu? (Aviad Kleinberg, Yedioth/Ynet) Bennett folded like a cheap suitcase when he decided to stay in government despite his threats; no wonder Bayit Yehudi's supporters are in PM's pocket; the belief that Netanyahu is invincible is his greatest achievement—but in order to bring down the PM, we need to want an alternative.
In the Name of Security (Zehava Galon, Haaretz+) No government has ever prostituted Israel’s security like this. Whatever Netanyahu and his government want to conceal, they hide behind 'security.' And it will continue, as long as the public is willing to swallow it
Hurray for Airbnb (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Airbnb explained that it doesn’t need to profit from land from which people have been uprooted. Is there a more just statement than this?
Boycott Airbnb, Unless You're Good With anti-Semitism (Jonathan S. Tobin, Haaretz+) Even if you fiercely oppose the occupation, you should still be able to see that denying Jews rights that you don’t seek to deny to others, even other occupiers, is bias. That bias is anti-Semitism
Worthy Reminder (Haaretz Editorial) The Airbnb decision is another reminder that the distinction between sovereign Israel and the occupied territories remains firm and valid. The position of the world is that the settlements are illegal.
Perpetuating the Palestinian divide (Shaked Morag, Israel Hayom) As PM Benjamin Netanyahu sees it, cooperation between PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas contradicts Israel's unstated policy: the perpetuation of the division between Gaza and the West Bank.
Unlike his wonderful image, Ram Cohen is not really the model of pluralism (Kalman Liebeskind, Maariv) The head of the Tichonet High school in Tel-Aviv, who recently praised the Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, is tolerant of views similar to his, and less tolerant of other views. The silence of the left-wing to his statements is deafening.
How Yuval Noah Harari Became the Pet Ideologist of the Liberal Elites (Danny Gutwein, Haaretz+) Why did Obama, Zuckerberg and Gates adopt Harari? Maybe it's the political benefit they hoped to extract from his view that there is no serious alternative to the neoliberal package.
Israel's patience in Gaza will pay off (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom) Hamas is something of a caged monster that sees Israel's self-imposed moral restraints as a straitjacket. Israeli policy must continue to be prudent.
Hamas has run out of credit (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) The IDF is done giving Hamas leeway and is ready to retaliate to any provocation within minutes. With Israel on the verge of general elections, Hamas should not take its cue from the Israeli leadership, but from the public. Elections time triggers military pyrotechnics, and not just on the Gaza front.
The Don's Consiglieri Khashoggi Scandal Completes Trump-Netanyahu Symbiosis (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Trump's donning of an Israeli flak jacket to deflect international criticism and coming to the defense of a key client of the American arms industry completes the definition of Israel’s role.
 
Interviews:
*General Yair Golan attacks in a belligerent retirement interview: "Bennett weakens the IDF and the state"
The general, who lost the race to become the Chief of Staff and will finish his term and retire soon, attacked the Minister of Education and Habayit Hayehudi leader, Naftali Bennett, in an interview on 103 FM following Bennett’s statement that soldiers are more afraid of the Military Advocate General than of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar. “All the leadership in Israel must make sure that the State of Israel will use mainly the threat of force and won’t use force. Israel today is a very strong country, a regional power, our situation relative to 60 years ago is infinitely much better. Restraint is the right thing for someone who is strong. You do not have to be hasty in using force, but when you use it, you have to do it decisively and make it clear to the other side that you should not mess with us. Unfortunately, in the last few times that we have exerted force in Gaza, we have done it in a not resolute manner. The first and foremost of these less successful campaigns Operation Protective Edge.” (Interviewed on 103FM,  published on Maariv online)

https://www.maariv.co.il/news/military/Article-671983

 


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

Recent Entries