APN's daily news review from Israel

Wednesday August 14, 2019

 

Quote of the day:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

Top News Summary:
A five-year-old girl was found crying, tied up and bleeding, alone in her home in Lod, an Israeli stewardess died after contracting measles on an El-Al flight, and right-wing politicians slammed each other as they battled over right-wing voters - making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.

Elections 2019 Quickees:

Quick Hits:

---

Commentary/Analysis:
No, Liberal Zionism Isn't Dead Yet. So Fight for It (Abe Silberstein, Haaretz+) If a Jewish state really becomes dependent on the subjugation and annexation of Palestinians - apartheid - then its continuation would be immoral. But we haven’t reached that point of no return yet.
The explosion in Russia is a cause for concern (Nadav Eyal, Yedioth/Ynet) Russia's seemingly accelerated arms race and willingness to go to war should be more of a concern for the world than a single incident that does not seem to have far reaching consequences.
The Goal: Granting Netanyahu Permission to Do as He Pleases (Haaretz Editorial) Matanyahu Englman, who was appointed with the task of eviscerating the office of the state comptroller of any content in the service of his masters, has begun fulfilling his mission. This week he decided to appoint to his office’s Permits Committee members who are not jurists, including Likud and other right-wing party associates. It’s hard to think of a more egregious move. Over the last year, Netanyahu appealed to the committee three times for permission to exceed ethical boundaries that bind other cabinet members and receive cash and gifts, some of these retroactively, in order to fund his legal defense. In all cases the committee, in its former composition, refused his request. Now Netanyahu is seeking, through his loyal servant Englman, to change the committee’s composition so that his request is granted.
Disengagement harmed Israel's security (Akiva Bigman, Israel Hayom) Even those who still support the 2005 disengagement in hindsight admit that it did little to reduce the number of terrorism casualties while greatly contributing to the threat from Gaza.
In One Netanyahu Corruption Case, a CEO Faces a Hard Task Too (Gur Megiddo, Haaretz+) Next week is the pre-indictment hearing for Shaul Elovitch, whose Bezeq telecom company plays a role in favorable-news-for-favors allegations.
The eyes of the State of Israel (Yoav Keren, Yedioth/Ynet) The IDF has a team of women soldiers whose job it is to watch and monitor; known in Hebrew as tatzpitaniyot – derived from the word tatzpit, or lookout - these troops are often the first line of defense against terrorists, and their contribution cannot be overstated.
Attacking the 'chosen' (Ben Cohen, Israel Hayom) Zionism and its product – the State of Israel – are transformed from a political movement in favor of Jewish self-determination into an almost mystical evil.
The Temple Mount Is in the Fanatics’ Hands (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) It’s clear that the Jews have to mourn the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem – all Jews, not just the “handful” of messianic fanatics sewing together robes like the ones worn by the ancient priests. All Jews who love the Jewish people and seek peace, particularly those who are liberal, abhor racism and for whom human rights, freedom of religion, equality and freedom of expression are important, must go to the Temple Mount. But that’s not to mark the destruction of the ancient Temples but to mourn for our country, where chilly drafts blow through wrecked walls – a country whose leaders are corrupt, whose judges expel children and their mothers from the Promised Land and whose cabinet members stand trial. We have to mourn for its army, which is occupying 5 million people, for the high priest, the official in charge of supervising the government, who’s a willing prisoner in the lap of the dictator, and for the citizens who own the country and are still convinced they’re the Chosen People.
Finland takes attacks on Israeli embassy in Helsinki very seriously (Kirsikka Lehto-Asikainen, Yedioth/Ynet) In wake of consistent harassment of Israel's mission, Finnish Ambassador to Israel Kirsikka Lehto-Asikainen celebrates decades of strong bilateral ties, says her country will fight anti-Semitism in any form.
Judaism should not be used as an ideological prop (Jonathan S. Tobin, Israel Hayom) Protesters using Tisha B’Av to call for the elimination of ICE and the Homeland Security Department are doing more than using a misleading analogy.

Elections 2019 Commentary/Analysis:
In Netanyahu’s Israel, Democracy Is Dying in Broad Daylight (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Ominous pre-election right-wing purges inspired by Trump's brazenness have been met with apathy and impotence on the center-left.
The big parties head into the final stretch (Mati Tuchfeld, Israel Hayom) This is what we know so far about what the major political players intend to do in the week leading up the election and on Election Day itself to make sure they squeeze out every possible vote.
The War for Israel’s Russian Vote Shifts Into High Gear – and Lieberman Is Still Winning (Liza Rozovsky, Haaretz+) Likud’s attacks on the former defense minister are full of inaccuracies and backfire to hurt Netanyahu – but Yisrael Beiteinu is offering its own half-truths, and is losing younger voters.
The left gave up a political settlement and raised its hands (Amnon Abramovich, Yedioth/Ynet Hebrew) It does not even mention the need to put an end to control over the Palestinians. This is the third election campaign that includes only a meager yes-Bibi-no-Bibi bickering.
Netanyahu Is Running Out of Natural Partners (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Bibi’s historic alliance with the religious right has begun to show cracks, which may be significant enough to deny him a ruling coalition in September.
At the Prime Minister's Residence, they are beginning to understand the damage from the extreme right (Limor Livnat, Yedioth/Ynet Hebrew) Is it right to form a coalition with supporters of gay conversion therapy and supporters of separating Jewish and Arab women in the maternity ward? About the need to dismantle Yamina and take only Ayelet Shaked.
Israel's New Iron Lady Should Sit in the Back of the Bus (Zehava Galon, Haaretz+) Ayelet Shaked is currently the only woman heading an Israeli party. She’s already kowtowing to those who didn’t want her, undermining the women who fought so that a women could be where Shaked is today, and the women who will follow. “Segregation is not exclusion,” she said, (referring to gender separation on buses and at public events - OH) bringing to mind the South African explanation that apartheid meant “separate development.” Does she want women to sit in the back? That’s fine, but she should be the first.
Israel Faces Political Deadlock – So Why Are the Markets So Strong? (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) Foreign investors and Israel’s rich aren’t bailing out, they’re bailing in. Why is the shekel strengthening when all the polls predict the end of the Netanyahu era?
 

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