APN's daily news review from Israel

Monday May 12, 2020
 

Quote of the day:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

Top News Summary:
The religious nationalist pro-settler Yamina party declared it would not join the coalition government, the State Comptroller said he will consider probing the Attorney General's 'issue' at the outgoing Justice Minister's request, and daycare centers will operate on Tuesday, Lag B'Omer holiday, while bonfires will be banned much to the disappointment of teachers in the first case and most Israelis in the latter case - making top stories in today's Hebrew newspapers.

Maariv had some interesting news regarding Israel's annextion plans and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit tomorrow. The swearing-in of the new government planned for tomorrow may be postponed due to the meetings between Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz and visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Maariv US correspondent, Shlomo Shamir, reported that diplomats in New York and other senior Jewish sources said that the main purpose of Pompeo's visit is to persuade Netanyahu to delay a decision to annex Palestinian territories for an indefinite period of time. And while Pompeo recently stated that "annexation is an Israeli decision," commentators in Washington said that President Donald Trump updated that he opposes a decision on annexation as part of a unilateral Israeli move. Iran will also be discussed, but it won't be the main subject of discussion. Shamir also wrote that "Even before the outbreak of the coronavirus, Iran as a worrying nuclear nuisance has dropped to the bottom of the priorities of the West and the main powers. On the subject of Iran, Pompeo prefers to hear updated assessments and conclusions of the head of the Mossad, Yossi Cohen, rather than frightening statements made by Prime Minister Netanyahu. Therefore, Pompeo wanted to have a separate meeting with Yossi Cohen, with whom he fostered a close working relationship." Shamir wrote that the reason why Pompeo is stopping first in Israel on his first visit abroad since the coronacrisis is because "the only country in the world where an American official at the rank of foreign minister can be sure of being welcomed and even enthusiastically is Israel." Maariv's military affairs correspondent Tal Lev-Ram reported that Israel is concerned over Palestinian threats to sever relations because of annexation. Palestinian Authority Coordinator of the Occupied Territories, Maj. Gen. Kamil Abu Rukon, recently was updated from senior Palestinian officials that in the event that Israel unilaterally fulfills its intentions to annex land in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority will sever all ties with Israel, including security coordination.


Elections 2020 / Netanyahu Indictment News:
Yamina party threatened to go to the opposition because Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was forming a 'left-wing government' and because he was showing 'blatant contempt for Yamin and its voters' (i.e. he hasn't given the party serious ministries to run.) Yamina has repeatedly accused Netanyahu of sacrificing the right-wing to guarantee his personal legal fate.

With just days left before he leaves his job, Netanyahu loyalist, Justice Minister Amir Ohana, enlisted the pro-Netanyahu State Comptroller, Matanyahu Englman, to launch an inquiry into the state prosecution and Attorney General Avichai Mendelblitt, whom he accused of undermining the public's trust in them. However, Haaretz+ reported that Englman was not presented with any new information on the case from a decade ago, when Mendelblitt was chief military advocate. As Yedioth and Maariv explained yesterday, Netanyahu wants to destroy Mendelblitt's credibility because Mendelblitt is the one who approved that Netanyahu be indicted on three charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust and the trial starts in two weeks. (Haaretz+ has an explainer.)

Corona Quickees:

Other Top Quick Hits:

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Features:

Jewish, Israeli scholars back African intellectual smeared for Israel criticism
Germany's antisemitism czar sparked backlash after trying to cancel an event with Achille Mbembe for comparing Israel to apartheid South Africa. (Mairav Zonszein, 972mag)
PHOTOS: Gaza makes the most of Ramadan under coronavirus lockdown
With large gatherings prohibited and mosques closed for prayer, the strip’s residents are doing everything they can to feel the spirit of the holiday. (Mohammed Zaanoun, 972mag)

Elections 2020/Netanyahu Indictment Commentary/Analysis:
Netanyahu's Target: His Attorney General (Haaretz Editorial) Netanyahu’s gang is racing toward the next target in its delegitimization campaign against the legal system, which dared investigate and indict the only person Netanyahu cares about – himself…Right-wing mouthpieces are loudly demanding that Mendelblit resign, or at least suspend himself, deeming this the self-evident conclusion of an ancient blood libel whose elements are recycled from time to time to serve Netanyahu’s political needs. According to this libel, Mendelblit obstructed the investigation of the so-called Harpaz affair, which involved a forged document aimed at tilting the choice of the next military chief of staff in 2010…There’s no way to understand what’s happening in Israel, on every front, except through the lens of Netanyahu’s trial. There’s no red line Netanyahu would refuse to cross and no means he would consider beyond the pale to escape justice. Nobody is immune to being the target of his incitement, and no value, institution or government agency is safe from being trampled into the dust by him and his gang. Israel has become a hostage in the hands of a defendant with no restraints. It’s hard not to be horrified that Kahol Lavan chairman Benny Gantz chose to ignore not only his partners and many of his voters, but above all the corrupt reality Israel is wallowing in…
Instead of drastically changing the situation, the High Court preferred to be smarter and less just (Ben Caspit, Maariv) The High Court has done the right thing for itself, but Israel has reached a major moral low in its history: it has come to terms with the fact that it will be headed by a man indicted on bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Ex-Gantz Ally Yair Lapid Has Lost Himself Badly, and Netanyahu Stands to Gain (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) Netanyahu’s promises are as risky as junk bonds. Moreover, politicians who fight over principles are preferable to politicians who make forecasts, so let’s take Lieberman out of the equation for a moment, because principles aren’t exactly his thing. Agreed, Lapid is paying a dear political price for fighting for the principle of not joining a government with Netanyahu – the same Lapid who trampled on his pledge not to form a government supported by the Arab party Balad. But at a certain stage this opposition spun out of control. Yesh Atid’s behavior since the breakup of Kahol Lavan has crossed every line, and it’s playing into Netanyahu’s hands. Lapid says he’ll help Netanyahu repeal the laws promising Gantz’s term. There is no political rationale in this. If the rotation isn’t carried out, Gantz isn’t expected to be a candidate for prime minister any longer. If the rotation takes place, there is no reason Lapid won’t join Gantz in recreating a governing alternative. In both cases, this ugly attack isn’t productive. On the contrary, it only strengthens Netanyahu.
*The not-so-hot recording (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth Hebrew) Whatever corona doesn’t do, the fear of Corona does. Last Wednesday, the United States Supreme Court held a hearing for the first time in its history through a conference call. The judges sat in their homes. The statements of the judges and the judges' comments were broadcast on audio. In the middle of the broadcast there was a short, cheerful, passionate and decisive sound sequence, an unmistakable noise: someone among them flushed the toilet. The incident has spawned a wave of clever comments on social networks and here and there some fearful articles. The American Supreme Court is careful to be elevated from the people, distant, shrouded in aura of mystery. Remoteness is part of the secret of its power. The flush of water from the toilet made it dangerously human. There are judges in Washington, and they will find out, sooner or later, what every child who spends his or her day knows on Instagram: everything is documented, audio and video. You can get rid of the virus; You can't get rid of the camera. At the beginning of the Corona crisis, I spoke to the CEO of one of the cyber law firms  that specialize in intelligence. He told me how his company's software can track every subject, lying or standing, 24/7. I pestered him with questions about the privacy violation. He tried to qualify, explain, justify. In the end, he was sick of it, and he said simply: “Forget it, there is no more privacy in the world. The software exists, you just have to want to operate it.” This sweeping statement was hard for me to accept. What do you mean there is no privacy? Even in an intimate phone call with a friend? Even walking in the park? At home, in the bathroom, too? Yes, he said. None. He declared his sentence softly, almost with pity. The right to privacy, it turns out, is a generational thing. Like the right to an old-age pension: young people give up on it, most don't even know it exists. I remembered a phone call I once had with Ariel Sharon. He sounded very restrained, contrary to his custom. What happened, I asked, do you think you are being listened to? "No," Sharon quickly replied, "I know they are listening to me." We both laughed, even though we knew nothing funny was said. It's good that almost every accident on the road, every bank robbery, every passerby's harassment, is filmed and documented. It is not good for politicians and officials to sit in discussions and plan their words, their behavior, not according to what they think is right but according to the impression that will come from the video to be leaked. It isn’t possible to wage wars, crises cannot be resolved this way. Every historian knows that protocols can be deceiving: a person can say something in the heat of the moment, make a remark that will reach the registrar's ear, and his whole worldview will be distorted. This is also true in the age of digital documentation. So many of my journalist colleagues owe their careers to recordings. When a politician finally says something reasonable, right, settled, they rush to pull out a tape from years ago, in which he said the opposite. Don't be smart, they say, be consistent…And there are tapes that are leaked from investigative material. The legal basis for distributing such tapes to the public is questionable, but the legal basis is not the point. Investigations are recorded to protect defendants, not to degrade them. The degradation is disturbing. More than it educating us, it is funny and entertaining. Behind it there is usually a vague, cynical interest of investigators and lawyers. Does this culture encourage people being interrogated to say the truth? I think not. Journalists who secretly record (conversations) are suspicious in my view. They remind me of dark regimes. When a journalist [Barnea uses the feminine version of the word, reference to journalist Ayala Hasson, who exposed parts of the 2010 conversation between now Attorney General and Gabi Ashkenazi, then chief of staff - OH] decides to violate a court order and publish the contents of a banned recorded conversation, the only question is of benefit to the public: is it a crime that was revealed, an obsession that lost proportions, or an orchestrated campaign to oust the attorney general. The journalist is not a martyr. Journalists are not martyrs - not at the present stage of the contraction of Israeli democracy. Certainly not when they do their deeds with the blessing of government. In two weeks, Netanyahu's trial is scheduled to open. The Attorney General was asked what his position was on filming and broadcasting the trial. He replied that he would not object. At first glance I was happy: Long live the transparency. In a second flash, I was less happy: a trial is not an entertainment show. In a third flash, I returned and rejoiced: the court decided to avoid broadcasting the trial. At least this time, justice can appear without accompanying the flush of the toilet.
The people's trust in its leaders is the main victim of the latest election (Attorney Ehud Peleg, Maariv) The proposal by the Israel Center for the Promotion of Fairness to strengthen the commitment between the elected and the electorate will ensure the democratic principle of rule according to the will of the people - and improve the level of fairness in the political and public arena in Israel. What I learned in that conversation removed my desire to fight against the Ministry of Health's efforts to put Shin Bet surveillance on people suspected being infected with corona.
A Court That Surrenders to Criminally Charged Netanyahu Is a Perfect Fit for the Israeli Regime (Odeh Bisharat , Haaretz+) Let there be no misunderstandings. Thanks to the High Court’s intervention – in the appeal against allowing an indicted lawmaker to head the government – Benjamin Netanyahu pledged not to touch any appointments related to his trial. One is reminded of the story of the thief who was asked to swear that he hadn’t stolen a horse. The thief said to himself: I’ve been saved. Indeed, why should the man who made the pledge touch the appointments? He already has Amir Ohana for that, and Avi Nissenkorn in the new government. Considering Nissenkorn’s enthusiasm in defending Netanyahu, it’s reasonable to assume he will act accordingly…During the High Court hearing, the judges seemed to be searching for a clause in the law or a precedent they could hold onto. Let us calmly ask why there is no law or precedent in this instance? Simply because every intelligent person assumes that there is no way a criminally indicted person could be chosen to form a government. It was a shadow like this that forced Ehud Olmert to resign when he didn’t have to resign, forced Ezer Weizman to retire early, and forced Moshe Katzav – over a no less serious accusation – to declare incapacity…
The High Court didn’t stop Netanyahu. It won’t stop annexation either (Meron Rapoport, 972mag) The center-left camp hoped the High Court would put an end to Netanyahu's rule. Now that it's given him the green light to remain in office and advance annexation, opponents need to find new ways to resist.
Buds of the socio-legal anarchy is already emerging around the corner (Dr. Haim Misgav, Maariv) Despite the rejection of the petitions against Netanyahu, the fact that every decision of the public should receive the High Court's approval indicates the buds of socio-legal anarchy…The boundaries between the judiciary and the elected authority have become much more blurred. The regime method used got a particularly ugly twist. The balance of power has changed for the worse. In practice, the entire law enforcement system has become a monster with no restraint on it. Its conduct is like a closed cult. The top appointments come only from within. There is no way to open the rows (to new people - OH). There is no law defining the powers of the Attorney General, as the Basic Laws do not define the powers of the High Court. The field is completely broken into and each man who thinks he is honest acts as he thinks.

Other Top Commentary/Analysis:
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.