APN's daily news review from Israel

Sunday March 31, 2019

NOTE: Due to a technical glitch, yesterday's New Nosh did not mail out. So here it is, there are some particularly interesting reports. And later on today you'll get Monday's. Have a great week! - OH

 

Quote of the day #1:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

News Summary:
Today’s top story was the multi-phase agreement that was reached between Israel and Hamas, according to which Israel would ease the siege on Gaza in exchange for quiet on the border, which Israel said Hamas achieved on Saturday. Although 40,000 people came out to protest at the border fence on Saturday (and not a million) to mark Land Day and a year since the ‘March of Return’ began, including Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who personally attended one of the rallies on the border. (Elior Levy writes that protesters took selfies with him and he made a duck face. Hamas reined in the protesters, the IDF said. was Gazan organizers told protesters in advance, 'Don't give Israeli snipers an opportunity to shoot.’ Israel, however, shot dead three 17-year-old demonstrators and a 20-year-old at the border and injured 200 other people - seven of them journalists. Later last night five projectiles hit an open area near the border without injuring anyone. Israeli tanks responded by striking several Hamas observation posts inside Gaza. But the tit-for-tat did not escalate - and it did not disrupt the agreement and Israel opened the border crossings as per the agreement for the passage of goods. (Maariv) Yedioth’s Alex Fishman gave details about the deal, which Israel did not give much info about. (See Commentary/Analysis below.) Haaretz’s Amos Harel notes that Hamas gave details of the deal before Israel would even note that talks were taking place. Ahead of the, Saturday anniversary protest, the UN cited the 195 Gazan deaths from a year of demonstrations along the fence and urged the two sides to avoid violence.

*Interestingly, Yedioth gave great emphasis to an incident that is not unusual - although Yedioth said it was - and which rarely gets reported on in the Hebrew press, but is reported on regularly in Maan News: Gazan children crossing the fence in order to get caught by Israel.  Under Fishman's analysis, titled 'The time bomb is still ticking,' Yedioth ran a half page photo of an Israeli soldier kneeling before two 11-year-old boys seated on the ground, their faces blurred out, one wearing a backpack. The caption title read, "Not a children's game." And the caption read: The humane faces of the IDF are revealed: An unusual incident happened yesterday morning on the Gaza border. IDF soldiers detained two 11-year-old children near the fence. A knife was discovered among their belongings. During the questioning by the soldiers in the field, the children said they brought a knife to cut the fence in order to enter into Israeli territory and later to get detained and imprisoned. The reason they decided to escape from the Golan Heights was apparently economic hardship. The two children were taken care of by the soldiers, who gave them water and food, and after the questioning they were returned to the Gaza Strip via the Erez crossing.
 

• Brazilian President Bolsonaro Arrived in Israel Sunday, 10 Days Before Election - Netanyahu hopes Bolsonaro will show willingness to move his embassy to Jerusalem during the four-day visit, which will also include the signing of bilateral agreements. (Haaretz)
• Bolsonaro backtracks on Jerusalem embassy move, says he may open 'business office' instead - Bolsonaro, who is slated to arrive in Israel for an official visit on Sunday days before the general election, has said on several occasions that he plans to relocate Brazil's embassy. (Agencies, Haaretz)
• UPDATE: Brazil Announces Opening Jerusalem 'Business Office' - Instead of Promised Embassy - Bolsonaro, who is in Israel for an official visit nine days before the election, had said on several occasions that he plans to relocate Brazil's embassy. (Haaretz+)
• MARCH 30: Blue and White still leads, economy emerges as top issue - Blue and White retains four-seat lead over Likud although both parties gain in latest Israel Hayom-i24NEWS poll • Labor officials accuse Blue and White of taking votes from the Left. Voters say the economy and security are the most important issues. (Israel Hayom)
• MARCH 29: Netanyahu's Likud Lags Behind Gantz-Lapid Alliance, New Election Poll Shows - Despite Kahol Lavan having 31 seats to Likud's 27, the right-wing bloc would still win, with 64 seats overall, a poll published Friday by the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth showed. (Haaretz)
• March 29: Gantz's Party Loses Edge Over Netanyahu's Likud, Election Poll Shows - Likud and Kahol Lavan would get 30 Knesset seats if election was held today, Channel 13's public opinion poll predicts. Feiglin's far-right Zehut party sees dramatic surge in popularity. (Haaretz+)
• Netanyahu says Gantz won't be defense minister in his government - Blue and White leader Benny Gantz says Netanyahu won't be finance minister in his government: "He'll lose the elections and go and face his three indictments" • Energy Minister Steinitz had said Likud would weigh all options regarding defense portfolio. (Israel Hayom)
• Netanyahu Says He Would Not Appoint Gantz as Defense Minister if Reelected - 'Benny Gantz who is collapsing under the pressure of an election campaign will be not be a defense minister in my government,' PM retorts. (Haaretz)
• Netanyahu uses video of Sean Hannity calling him 'Churchillian' in new campaign ad - In the video, Hannity calls the prime minister 'the sole voice of moral clarity against modern evil in our time.' (Haaretz+)
• Netanyahu flaunts 'lecturing' Obama on Palestinians in new campaign ad - Netanyahu has touted his close relationship with Trump in various ads, but is now highlighting his troubled relationship with Obama to show he can stand up to pressure. (Haaretz+)
• Netanyahu’s party to spend millions on campaign masquerading as ‘non-partisan grassroots' initiative - Despite election committee guidelines against such projects, Likud launched a canvassing campaign with Netanyahu's backing – without revealing it was behind it. (Haaretz+)
• Half of Israeli Arab Public Won't Vote in Election, Survey Finds - Arab-majority slates Hadash-Ta'al and Balad-United Arab List are concerned over how low voter turnout could impact representation of Arab society in the Knesset. (Haaretz+)
• Ultra-Orthodox Voters Split Between Following Their Rabbi and Their Gut - Bnei Brak has one of the largest Haredi populations in Israel, with an increasing number of them voting for nonreligious parties. They may disagree on who they’ll be backing on April 9, but one thing unites them — boycotting Yair Lapid. (Haaretz+)

Quick Hits:

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Features:

Gideon Levy Even for the wild West Bank, this is a shocking story
A young Palestinian's attempt to help a stranger shot by Israeli troops costs him his life. (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+)
The Iranian musicians who love Israel and an Israeli music icon
Mohammed and Ali Nasiri posted their performance of a song by Ehud Banai on Instagram along with a declaration of their love for Israel and the Jewish people, and won praise from the singer himself. (Itamar Eichner, Yedioth/Ynet)
'The formation of an educated class must be averted': How Israel marginalized Arabs from the start
Documents from Israel’s first decades reveal the leadership’s efforts to divide and alienate the Arab citizenry. (Adam Raz, Haaretz+)
 
Elections 2019 Commentary/Analysis:
Calling Gantz 'Unstable,' Netanyahu Takes a Page From Trump's Playbook (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) He may not have a problem with the truth like his rival Netanyahu, but Gantz sure messed up a chance to shine on live TV after Bibi underperformed in the latest scuffle in Gaza.
**The campaign that caused me to break my silence (Former air force chief, Gen. (res.) Amir Eshel, Yedioth) The campaign against (Benny) Gantz forced me to break my long silence. I know him well. Calling him 'mentally unstable' only because of political rivalry - is an act that should not be done, regardless of the question of who you vote for. I completed my service as commander of the Air Force in 2017 and since then I was adamant not to appear in the media. I am very far from politics, but close to the IDF and I could not believe the day would come when they would attack a chief of staff who had dedicated his whole life to the country...The Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, was my commander when we operated on hundreds of operations beyond the enemy lines and beyond the imagination...One day, the stenograms from the discussions (with the cabinet about operations) on the most secret subjects will be opened. Then the real and strong picture will be revealed, that I know so well, and which is not known at this moment to all, that the chief of staff, determined, who knows how to stick to his guns despite complex pressures. A chief of staff who knows how to 'bang on the table' and not to give in on fateful issues. One who exudes confidence and pride. The Benny that you don't know is the negative of the descriptions that are being made about him. The Benny whom I came to know so well has no connection to those descriptions.
You Want to Talk About Sanity, Netanyahu? (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) …If you want to talk about feelings and theories and impressions – well, Prime Minister, you appear to be suffering from an endless sense of persecution and victimization. You have megalomaniacal and narcissistic traits. You are a manipulator, a pathological liar and pathologically cheap. Your wife is pathologically cheap too. It’s a mental disorder. You are just incapable of spending a shekel of your own money. Not even for your lawyers. You demanded a regular supply of cigars and champagne and jewelry as gifts. You fraudulently spent hundreds of thousands of shekels on gourmet meals, you stole lawn furniture, you hired a private electrician with taxpayer money, you employed a cook as a caregiver for the elderly, you recycled bottles of beverages that the government paid for, and the list goes on. Your wife Sara has violent outbursts and clearly has anger management issues. As does your son Yair, to judge by his constant blasts on social media, and the way he is always threatening to sue. He gave protesters the finger and did the same to a woman who reminded him to clean up after the family dog. The three of you operate in a bizarre environment, surrounded by schemers and whisperers. And you have a crazy obsession with the media, one that has led you into police investigations and indictments. Anyone who was sane hightailed it out of your circle long ago. You are pretty much the last person who ought to be talking about mental health. That is all.
Gantz campaign turning into TV show (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) Only hubris and recklessness bring people with zero political experience to run for high office. Running on an "anyone but Netanyahu" platform is not enough if you want lead Israel. 
Bibi Loyalists Aren't Blind. They Simply Want Netanyahu (Ravit Hecht, Haaretz+) His loyalists recognize his stinginess and his cowardice, his venom, his incitement, his descent into the sewers and his lying. Not only do these qualities not bother them, but in their heart of hearts, they rather admire them.  This is the syntax of guerilla politics, anarchism and victimhood. The slogan that was chosen for his campaign – “Davka Netanyahu,” a Hebrew word that can mean “just to spite” – is brilliant, because it reflects not only the contrarian act being performed by his [Mizrachi - OH] voters, who haven’t been redeemed from their victimhood and defiance by 40 years in power, but also reflects their inner consciousness. So even though he’s a stingy Ashkenazi leftist and a coward, they want him, davka him. You can’t blame the truly good people in Kahol Lavan. It’s not their campaign; it’s an undercurrent so deep and so instinctive that the ground above it – that is rational reality – is simply collapsing under its force. And it doesn’t matter how many Moroccan Jews the Labor Party appoints to its leadership.
The Law Designed to Close the Cases Against Netanyahu (Haaretz Editorial) His allies' pushing of a bill granting immunity to lawmakers is a deliberate attack on the rule of law, with the goal of helping the prime minister escape justice.
Instead of following Netanyahu to AIPAC, Gantz could have proved that he is different (Udi Segal, Maariv) The Kahol-Lavan chairman should have stayed in Israel, not stammer himself from Washington and answer the simple questions he was asked. In the end, he sounded bad and he got hit hard.
Gantz, Be Yourself (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) The character assassination attempts against Kahol Lavan chairman Benny Gantz, which the entire country is witness to, are literally attempts to murder his character. We shouldn’t dismiss it as a mere metaphor; if Likud succeeds at it, Gantz will be the equivalent of a dead man. They’ll finish him off…It’s apparent that Gantz entered politics not because of an inner drive, but because he was pushed. This is his strong point: He’s not power-hungry like Netanyahu. But it’s also his weak point, because it’s not clear that he has enough willpower for the purpose. In this sense, he took a personal risk. It’s not by chance that Netanyahu is trying to cast doubts on his character, and thereby trying to make him crack.
Seven issues that will decide the Israeli election (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Or it could just be weed.

Commentary/Analysis:
The Gaza time bomb is still ticking (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet English) The way ahead for Israel and Hamas is clear, with a plan to incrementally improve the situation on the ground; it is impossible to say whether it will work, but the terror group has been told it is now answerable to Egypt for any further 'mistaken' rocket launches and the IDF is acting with restraint...Throughout the whole day yesterday, at the IDF's new high command outpost, ‘Metzudat Zion,’ there was a feeling that time bomb was ticking backward. Eyes were fixed on the screens and on the data that the Southern Command sent from the field. The planes waited, fueled and armed. In the air, the recognition that the “ACT” order for the forces, meaning to start moving from meeting point areas towards the Gaza Strip, was closer than ever. In the afternoon, the time bomb suddenly stopped, and just minutes before the explosion. As in a thriller, a few minutes before the explosion, someone disconnected the right wire. All the players - Hamas, Israel and the Egyptians - breathed a sigh of relief…Before the demonstration, at the request of Hamas, the Egyptians convened representatives of all the organizations, including Islamic Jihad, and received a pledge that everyone, not just Hamas, would send “sadranim” (people who make order). As for the "mistakes" in the launching of the long-range rockets into Israel, Hamas promised the Egyptians - and is already doing so - to conduct a comprehensive review of the launching positions and to correct all the "mishaps" and "procedures." Otherwise, the Egyptians announced, in the next mishap you are opening an account not with the Israelis - but with us. Israel is committed, at an early stage, to restore the crossings to normal operations and to bring fuel into the Gaza Strip in order to restart the electricity turbines. By the way, some of the turbines are not working today because the substitutes used instead of the Israeli fuel caused clogs and glitches. Now Hamas has received a permit to start repairing the turbines and running them with fuel that will come today from Israel. Israel has also committed to increasing the supply of water via another line, and to operate electricity line 161, which will double the amount of electricity in the Strip. Hamas also received a commitment that it would receive $30 million a month for the coming six months, which will also go to public works as part of UN projects, and Israel has pledged to allow Hamas to export agricultural goods not only to the West Bank, but also to Israel and Europe. The fishing areas will be expanded to 12-15 nautical miles, except in southern and northern Gaza Strip. This is the first stage, which is also the test phase. If either side fails, the time bomb will tick again. To the IDF's credit, it will be said yesterday that the command that came down from the chief of staff was meticulously followed: to show maximum restraint. The agreements with the Egyptians were already known to Israel on Friday. Hamas's first test was yesterday's demonstration, with the defense establishment giving the organization an opportunity to achieve it despite the deviations. The number of (Israeli) snipers deployed along the border was three times higher than in previous weeks, but the number of shots was much lower than the average Friday on the fence. The following stages of the understandings with Hamas, which are planned for after the elections, have been recognized in Israel for years: projects to rehabilitate the Gaza Strip, renew infrastructure of water, electricity, housing and sewage, increase employment and more. At these stages, they will deal with the issue of POWs and MIAs. It all depends, as in the last four years, on political, security and political developments. Will it be quiet? Will there be a desire? Maybe we'll get there without needing another military round.
Gaza Protests: Israel Will Reward Hamas for Its Restraint, but Any Incident Could Reignite the Flames (Amos Harel, Haaretz) Netanyahu agrees to pay a price in gestures to Hamas in order to achieve calm before the April 9 election.
Hamas fired Gaza rocket at central Israel accidentally, defense officials believe (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Israeli army appears cautious not to state this so as not to be perceived as Palestinians' advocate. After attack, Egypt asked Hamas to stop use a brand of rocket that is said to be malfunction-prone.
Sinwar's knockout victory over Netanyahu (Tali Ben Ovadia, Yedioth/Ynet) Every round of fighting with Hamas only serves to further illuminate how empty the prime minister's policies are when it comes to our enemies in the south, and how incapable he is of solving the problem of Hamas once and for all.
Netanyahu actually has a policy on the Gaza issue and it will lead to another war in the south (Yossi Melman, Maariv) The prime minister is prepared to sacrifice the residents of the south on the altar of a long-term ideological outlook, and also: when hidden elements stir up in the election campaign, the former head of the Mossad is not immune.
Hamas' Troubles Don't Stop at the Israeli Border (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) If the group wants to survive it must balance its ties among Mideast players – from Ramallah and Egypt to Qatar and Iran.
Hamas prefers other options over war, but there are still chances of escalation (Tal Lev-Ram, Maariv) Hamas prefers to find a way to reach an arrangement rather than a (military) confrontation, which is related to their ability to manage the Gaza Strip in various aspects related to governance. As we published earlier this month for the first time in Ma'ariv, the security establishment believes that Hamas' modus operandi points even more to the fact that the rocket fire into Israel was a mistake. Hamas has not succeeded to a large extent in getting control over rockets (launchings - OH), but has proved today that it knows how to take control of about 40,000 people who have reached the border, which is very complex. The defense establishment still recognizes, in assessments of the coming days, that there are factors that can lead to an escalation, but on the other hand, there is a potential that this Sabbath will be a lever for stability. On the one hand, according to this view, the situation is very fragile, while Israel believes that Hamas understood that we are approaching war and it is not interested in it at this time. Here, too, things go mainly to the political level. As for preparations for the coming days, the many forces remain on the ground, and we need to examine a few other issues, such as the "nightly confusion" events.
Only one factor will determine if protests on Gaza-Israel border become a bloodbath (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Monday's rocket to central Israel was most likely a Hamas mistake, but the complex situation is not a comedy of errors; it's a tragedy.
Risk of a Gaza Conflagration (Friday Haaretz Editorial) We must seek fundamental change in the policy of blockading Gaza and severing it from the world.
Iran is declaring war on Israel – from Gaza (Muhammad Shehada, Haaretz+) Iran is doubling down on its explosive investment in Gaza: Islamic Jihad. An impoverished Hamas faces a militant, rejectionist and increasingly untamable rival, flush with cash and determined to trigger war with Israel.
Donald Trump's gift to Bashar Assad (Shimon Shiffer, Yedioth/Ynet) By unilaterally declaring American support for Israel's claim to the Golan Heights, the US president has united the world against the move, and given much needed legitimacy to the Syrian president and his scorched earth approach to clinging onto power.
We must be worthy of the Golan Heights (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) In 2007, a movement comprising artists, writers, and even former defense officials was prepared to give up the Golan Heights, not comprehending the nature of the tyrant Bashar Assad, which was to be revealed a few years later.
Leave Putin alone! (Ofri Ilany, Haaretz+) After the collapse of the Trump-Russia conspiracy, it turns out that Moscow’s supposedly satanic power is a myth inflated for political purposes and reaches Israel's shores too.
A little request for peace from southern Israel (Adar Gandelsman, Ynet) I think it's time for someone to take matters into their own hands and seek a permanent solution for the people in the south, a solution that will bring calm to our communities and families - that's not too much to ask, is it?
Annul the Nation-state Law (Amos Schocken, Haaretz+) The “Nation-State of the Jewish People” is a term that was invented in recent years. The Declaration of Independence speaks of a Jewish state and of a national home for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel. As it turns out, the two are opposites. While the newly established Israel was a state that was inclusive of non-Jews (“We appeal … to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the state on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions”), the nation-state is a state that separates its citizens.
The submarines affair is a story about a prime minister who plays with a toy in order to become Churchill (Ran Edelist, Maariv) The submarine deal there is no betrayal of national security, but it is broader than just the suspicions that Netanyahu made profits from the deal. This is a global megalomania of a prime minister.
Israel-Egypt Treaty, 40 Years Later: When Israel Made Peace a Priority (Uzi Benziman, Haaretz+) Surrounded by highly motivated advisers, Menachem Begin signed a peace treaty with Egypt while forsaking some of his cherished beliefs. It’s hard to find anyone of similar stature in Israel today.
40 years of peace with Israel - an Egyptian perspective (Mina Nader, Ynet) The anniversary of the US-brokered accord stirs complex emotions in the largest country in the Arab world, where some highlight the economic benefits the agreement brought, while others cannot see the deal lasting.
40 Years of non-war: It is still too early to know the meaning of the agreement with Egypt (Prof. Arieh Eldad, Maariv) Contrary to my predictions of 1979, the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt holds up. Regarding all the rest, those who opposed the withdrawal from Sinai were not mistaken: We did not receive peace.
Even to the Most Enlightened Zionist Leftists, the Palestinians Are Invisible (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Oshrat Kotler is an editor and anchor of the Channel 13 news magazine. She is considered principled, assertive and courageous. She comes by this description honestly, especially in comparison to most of her colleagues on television. On Thursday, she participated in a panel on the silencing of free speech at the Haaretz Democracy Conference...What happened on stage was like a Hollywood movie. As she praised her editors and bosses for their strong position against silencing free speech, it was reported that she had been put on extended leave. Kotler squirmed and tried to deny it, but by the time she left the stage it turned out the report was true. We may assume that there was a direct connection between her leave and her remark: “We send the kids to the army, to the territories, and we get back ‘animals.’ This is the result of the occupation.”
Michael Steinhardt Sexually Harassed Me. Rich Donors Like Him Buy the Jewish Community's Silence (Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi, Haaretz+) Steinhardt treated me as a sex object. He harassed women over the course of decades: we didn't dare speak out, and the men who witnessed his behavior chose to appease it. His money bought him immunity - until now.
 

 

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