APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday February 23, 2014
Quote of the day:
"The move has support from settlers."
--Meretz MK Ilan Gil-On proposes bill that would compensate any settlers who agree to leave their West Bank
homes voluntarily.**
Front Page News:
Haaretz
- Ukrainian president dismissed at end of three month protest
- Putin will fight on all fronts in order to keep his control // Anshel Pfeffer
- The private zoo and expensive car collection: The magnificent residence of the president is revealed
- US to Israel: Iran will only enrich limited amounts of uranium, or there won't be an agreement
- Clashes in Hebron on 20th anniversary of the massacre at the Cave of the Patriarchs
- Wave of violence - Man murdered in street; bomb place in car of senior Petach Tikva municipality official
- Published in Australia: Zeiger revealed secrets to the Iranians
- 30 people go missing every year, the families search for them alone
- 1/4 page ad: The Lobby for the Land of Israel writes letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu expressing fear he might freeze settlement construction. Signed by seven deputy ministers and 14 MKs from Likud, Habayit Hayehudi and Yisrael Beiteinu
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Revolution - New age in Ukraine
- Yaalon bypasses the draft law, deciding that new 'hesder' yeshiva students will serve two years (not less)
- July? February! (Photo of people on beach)
- The collapse after the sale - WhatsApp stopped working for hours
- Opponents in elections, partners in legislature: The surprising allies in the Knesset
- State of the (tax breaks) - Revealed: Map of the communities that will receive tax breaks from the government.
Maariv
- Revolution in Ukraine: President ran away and was dismissed by Parliament
- Russia won't give up // Matan Drori
- Kibbutzim 2014 - From the serving elite through the de-legitimization of Begin, the great crisis and the privatization. The kibbutzim are searching for a new way (Hebrew)
- Palestinian commentators: Abandon the automatic refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state (Hebrew)
- After the buzz over the giant sale to Facebook, WhatsApp stopped working for hours
Israel Hayom
- Revolution and uncertainty - Drama in Ukraine: President ran away, opposition celebrated - "The dictatorship fell"
- "Zeiger gave information to Iran"
- After the deal: WhatsApp collapsed
- Wendy Sherman on the negotiations with Iran: "You can't always get what you want"
- (Police Superintendent) Arviv: The documents presented by (Rabbi) Pinto's aides: forged
- Murder at a construction site: A guard was shot to death
Peace Talk Highlights:
The Ukrainian revolution was today's top story in the Hebrew papers. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives tomorrow, but given Israel some 'sweets' ahead of her visit and her talks with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu about the peace process negotiations. On Friday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said US peace efforts were serious, but failing and an unnamed Palestinian official said the ideas proposed in US Secretary of State John Kerry's framework accord are unacceptable. Nevertheless, senior PLO official Nabil Amro told the media that the Palestinians could be flexible on the acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state. In the Knesset, a bill is proposed to compensate settlers who volunteer to leave their West Bank homes while another bill is meant to make Israel a Jewish state in the country's Basic Law. Meanwhile, right-wing politicians marched with some 3000 people in the Beqaa Jordan Valley to tell Netanyahu that Israel cannot relinquish the Valley.
Germany's Merkel said she backs Kerry's peace efforts and will lobby on behalf of him. Maariv reported that Jerusalem says, however, that the two countries have "agreed not to agree on the subject of settlements." Ahead of her visit, she demanded - and 17 of her government's ministers will be visiting with her tomorrow. Moreover, under a new deal to be signed by Merkel during her visit, Germany will give consular assistance to Israelis in countries where Israel has no official diplomatic representation, such as Malaysia and Indonesia. The offer is 'a special message' from Germany, says Israel's ambassador to the country.
At a press conference in Paris after meeting twice with Kerry, Abbas expressed his views saying, "So far the Americans have not been able to put these ideas into a framework, even if the efforts are extremely serious." A Palestinian official spoke to AFP afterward on condition of anonymity explaining that the proposals on issues such as the future of Jerusalem and the settlements are inadequate to serve as basis of future peace deal.
However, there has been intense discussion in the Hebrew press about whether Abbas could recognize Israel as a Jewish state and a senior Palestinian official said some form of recognition could be declared if it did not embarrass Abbas. However, it would still have to be brought to a popular referendum, said PLO Central Committee Member Nabil Amro. Maariv/NRG Hebrew's Asaf Gabor writes that the Palestinians are looking for a compromise that does not impair the rights of Israeli Arabs, such as recognizing Israel as a "Jewish democratic state." Another possibility is that the UN and the Arab League recognize the Jewish state - instead of a Palestinian declaration.
Thousands took part in a protest march Friday in the Jordan Valley, in the West Bank, including Israeli Interior Minister Gideon Saar who said "the Jordan Valley will prosper for ages under Israeli sovereignty" and called on Israel to retain the area in any peace deal. The march was initiated by the chairs of the Lobby of the Land of Israel.
**NRG Hebrew's Arik Bender and Yedioth's Tova Tzipmuki report that Meretz MK Ilan Gil-On proposed a bill that according to which the state would provide compensation to settlers who leave their West Bank homes voluntarily. According to the bill, the state will hold the homes and establish an administration like the one during the Gaza withdrawal. "The move has support from settlers," said Gal-On. The proposal has been discussed numerous times in the past. It is also called 'evacuate-compensate' (pinui-pitzui). Meanwhile, former Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hauser and the Kohelet Policy Forum promote a bill meant to set the notion of "Israel as a Jewish state" as a Basic Law. "If we want the Palestinian Authority to recognize Israel as the Jewish state, we should practice what we preach, do the same," said Hauser.
The Ukrainian revolution was today's top story in the Hebrew papers. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives tomorrow, but given Israel some 'sweets' ahead of her visit and her talks with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu about the peace process negotiations. On Friday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said US peace efforts were serious, but failing and an unnamed Palestinian official said the ideas proposed in US Secretary of State John Kerry's framework accord are unacceptable. Nevertheless, senior PLO official Nabil Amro told the media that the Palestinians could be flexible on the acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state. In the Knesset, a bill is proposed to compensate settlers who volunteer to leave their West Bank homes while another bill is meant to make Israel a Jewish state in the country's Basic Law. Meanwhile, right-wing politicians marched with some 3000 people in the Beqaa Jordan Valley to tell Netanyahu that Israel cannot relinquish the Valley.
Germany's Merkel said she backs Kerry's peace efforts and will lobby on behalf of him. Maariv reported that Jerusalem says, however, that the two countries have "agreed not to agree on the subject of settlements." Ahead of her visit, she demanded - and 17 of her government's ministers will be visiting with her tomorrow. Moreover, under a new deal to be signed by Merkel during her visit, Germany will give consular assistance to Israelis in countries where Israel has no official diplomatic representation, such as Malaysia and Indonesia. The offer is 'a special message' from Germany, says Israel's ambassador to the country.
At a press conference in Paris after meeting twice with Kerry, Abbas expressed his views saying, "So far the Americans have not been able to put these ideas into a framework, even if the efforts are extremely serious." A Palestinian official spoke to AFP afterward on condition of anonymity explaining that the proposals on issues such as the future of Jerusalem and the settlements are inadequate to serve as basis of future peace deal.
However, there has been intense discussion in the Hebrew press about whether Abbas could recognize Israel as a Jewish state and a senior Palestinian official said some form of recognition could be declared if it did not embarrass Abbas. However, it would still have to be brought to a popular referendum, said PLO Central Committee Member Nabil Amro. Maariv/NRG Hebrew's Asaf Gabor writes that the Palestinians are looking for a compromise that does not impair the rights of Israeli Arabs, such as recognizing Israel as a "Jewish democratic state." Another possibility is that the UN and the Arab League recognize the Jewish state - instead of a Palestinian declaration.
Thousands took part in a protest march Friday in the Jordan Valley, in the West Bank, including Israeli Interior Minister Gideon Saar who said "the Jordan Valley will prosper for ages under Israeli sovereignty" and called on Israel to retain the area in any peace deal. The march was initiated by the chairs of the Lobby of the Land of Israel.
**NRG Hebrew's Arik Bender and Yedioth's Tova Tzipmuki report that Meretz MK Ilan Gil-On proposed a bill that according to which the state would provide compensation to settlers who leave their West Bank homes voluntarily. According to the bill, the state will hold the homes and establish an administration like the one during the Gaza withdrawal. "The move has support from settlers," said Gal-On. The proposal has been discussed numerous times in the past. It is also called 'evacuate-compensate' (pinui-pitzui). Meanwhile, former Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hauser and the Kohelet Policy Forum promote a bill meant to set the notion of "Israel as a Jewish state" as a Basic Law. "If we want the Palestinian Authority to recognize Israel as the Jewish state, we should practice what we preach, do the same," said Hauser.
Quick Hits:
- Israel pushing to legalize West Bank outpost slated for demolition - Demolition orders issued against Avigayl, in the southern Hebron Hills, since its establishment in 2001 have never been enforced. (Haaretz+)
- In photos: Thousands mark Ibrahimi (Cave of Patriarch) massacre anniversary in Hebron - Protesters marched through the southern West Bank city calling for the re-opening of Shuhada Street, a major thoroughfare that was closed by Israeli forces in the wake of the 1994 killing of 29 Palestinian worshipers by an armed Jewish extremist. (Maan+PHOTOS)
- 13 injured as Hebron clashes mark massacre anniversary - The clashes erupted following a large demonstration organized by the activist group Youths against Settlements calling for the re-opening of Shuhada Street, a major Hebron thoroughfare closed to Palestinians by Israeli forces since 1994. [Among the injured was Badia al-Dwaik, who I met at a peace event for Israelis and Palestinians. In addition, B'Tselem said one of its researchers, Musa Abu Hasha, was hurt in his head while documenting the clashes. -OH] (Maan)
- 16 detained in clashes at al-Aqsa as (far right-wing) Israeli MK Feiglin visits - During the clashes Friday, witnesses said that youth destroyed the Israeli police camera located in the al-Aqsa compound and threw stones at Israeli forces in protest of the visit of MK Moshe Feiglin. (Maan)
- Israeli police detain members of al-Aqsa development committee - The six were detained while they were doing maintenance work, including the chief engineer. (Maan)
- 13 injured as Israeli forces open fire on Gaza border - Thirteen people were injured, including a medic who was shot in the back, when Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian demonstrators east of Jabaliya, who protested against the Israeli confiscation of their lands near the border. A 12-year-old boy was seriously injured from a shot in the head. Ynet reports that another 2 were injured when Israeli forces opened fire on children playing near the border. (Maan and Ynet)
- Israeli forces open fire on protests across West Bank, injuring dozens - Clashes occurred Friday in a number of areas across the region, including al-Jalazun, Bilin, Nabi Saleh, and Khirbet Atuf, a small village near Tubas, on a day that saw dozens wounded in the southern West Bank city of Hebron and the Gaza Strip as well. (Maan)
- Settlers prevent farmers from reaching land near Bethlehem - Farmer Hassan Asakra told Ma'an that a group of farmers headed to their lands, located near the Teqoa settlement, accompanied by solidarity activists to plant olive trees, but settlers prevented them with the help of Israeli forces. (Maan)
- Man shot in the eye during clashes near Bethlehem - Mohammad Jamal Sabah, 22, was shot in the eye with a rubber-coated steel bullet during clashes in the Bethlehem-area village of Tuqu. (Maan)
- Settlers assault farmers in Beit Ummar - Around 15 Israeli settlers attacked Muhammad Abd al-Hamid Jaber al-Salibi and his sons in the Wad Abu Rish area near the Israeli settlement of Bat Ayin while they were working on their land. The settlers hurled rocks, but no were casualties reported. (Maan)
- Settlers attack homes and smash vehicles in Jit, near Nablus - Dozens of settlers from Havat Gilad outpost hurled rocks at local homes in the village of Jeet, smashed vehicles on the main village road and attacked local farmers planting seedlings on lands they own near the outpost Saturday evening. Locals confronted the settlers and forced them to leave the village. (Maan)
- Palestinian prisoner hospitalized after assault by Israeli prison guards - Jihad Abd al-Rahman, a 47-year-old Palestinian from Jerusalem, held in a Beersheba prison for driving without a license, has been hospitalized following an assault by Israeli prison guards. The Israeli prison service asked the family to sign discharge papers, but the family refused until they could ensure his situation had stabilized. (Maan)
- Israeli military one of the world’s most LGBT friendly, report says - In the first index to rank countries by the inclusion of gay and lesbian service members, Israel breaks the top ten, far ahead of the United States. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Netanyahu (appeals) to Supreme Court: Only I can run Likud convention - Hard-line MK Danny Danon hopes to hold controversial votes on Likud-Yisrael Beytenu merger and the peace process, but PM Netanyahu says he wields veto power over agenda as per party charter. Danon: Likud members and institutions will not be silenced. (Israel Hayom)
- Security guard shot dead in Rehovot because he was a Palestinian-Israeli collaborator or part of the crime wave sweeping over Israel? - Maan reports that a 34-year-old Palestinian who had acquired Israeli citizenship after serving as a collaborator with the Shin Bet was shot dead at a construction site in central Israel early Saturday. The Israeli media did not mention he was a collaborator and quotes the police, which raised the possibility that the murder was the result of an ownership dispute over the construction site. (Maan and Ynet)
- Bar-Ilan University opens Muslim prayer room - Due to continuous racist slurs the Bar-Ilan Muslim students are subjected to while praying in public, campus to allot them private prayer room to allow them 'to pray in a respectable fashion.' (Ynet)
- Forest fire breaks out near Hebron village - Locals said fire fighters from the Palestinian civil defense department and the Hebron municipality worked to control the fire, which burned for several hours near the southern West Bank village of Beit Kahil Friday. (Maan)
- Electricity prices to rise across West Bank to cover PA debts - The Jerusalem District Electricity Company gave the Palestinian Authority two options: either to pay the 400 million shekels ($110 million) debt, or raise electricity tariffs to become equivalent to Israel. (Maan)
- 'Prisoner X' leaked Mossad intelligence to Iranian businessman, new book claims - Book contradicts previous media reports which claim that Ben Zygier, an Australian-born Mossad agent, worked independently to turn an associate of Hezbollah into a double agent. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- Palestinian paratroopers to compete in skydiving competition - Paratroopers from the Palestinian national security forces are set to compete in the fifth Arab Skydiving Competition in Morocco, where they have been training. (Maan)
- Jordanian sheikh causes stir with claims Israel belongs to Jews - Sheikh Ahmed Aladoan, who visited Israel last year, based his assertions that Palestinian claims to Israel are false on the Koran. (Haaretz)
- Hamas arrests former spokesman over alleged corruption - Ayman Taha not suspected of working with foreign powers such as Israel or Egypt, Hamas says. (Haaretz+ and Maan)
- Hamas considers economic reforms as Gaza's economic activity plummets - Looking to lessen friction with both Egypt and Israel, Hamas proposes transferring control of key crossings to private Gaza entrepreneurs. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Protest in Gaza for al-Aqsa and against Central African Republic killings - Dozens of protesters rallied in front of the United Nations headquarters on Saturday in support of the al-Aqsa mosque and in condemnation of massacres against Muslims in the Central African Republic. (Maan)
- Deep Purple to star in Israeli TV series - During their visit to Israel for two concerts this weekend, members of the veteran British rock band will shoot scenes for HOT's new show, 'Atlantica.' (Ynet)
- Man who would be U.K.'s first Jewish PM to visit Israel - Labour Party head Ed Miliband's first major official visit abroad will take place in the next three months, according to the Jewish Chronicle. (Haaretz)
- Orthodox high school disinvites Palestinian-American scholar - Students petition to bring Columbia historian Rashid Khalidi to their high school. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli parliamentarians to rally Sunday outside U.S. embassy for Pollard's release - Wife of jailed Jewish-American spy to speak at rally outside U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv, report says. (Haaretz)
- Report: Congress may condition PA aid on curbing incitement - House Appropriations Committee to advance bill proposing freeze on aid to Palestinian Authority until it stops or reduces incitement against Israel, Channel 2 reports. Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz expresses appreciation. (Israel Hayom)
- Obama to award Jewish, Hispanic veterans with Medal of Honor - Investigation ordered by Congress to look for service members denied the highest military honor due to discrimination yields 24 veterans, to be honored in March ceremony. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Syrian troops advance near Golan Heights city - Syrian government forces seize areas used by rebels near the Golan Heights, air force taking part in attack, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights say. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Senior Iranian parliamentarian calls for new approach against Israeli settlements - Ali Larijani describes Israel as a malignant tumor. (Haaretz)
- U.S. diplomat in Israel: Iran deal will permit 'monitored, verified' enrichment program - Wendy Sherman: One measure of success to talks is that Iran will not be able to acquire a nuclear weapon. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
Features:
Serving in the IDF, with no regrets
Since 2010, there has been a 43% increase in the number of religious women serving in the Israel Defense Forces • The IDF is making special efforts to give these women the chance to serve in meaningful roles. (Israel Hayom)
Commentary/Analysis:
Since 2010, there has been a 43% increase in the number of religious women serving in the Israel Defense Forces • The IDF is making special efforts to give these women the chance to serve in meaningful roles. (Israel Hayom)
Commentary/Analysis:
Yes to a boycott (Yossi Sarid, Haaretz+) When Yuval Steinitz demands NIS 100 million to confront an international boycott,
he ought to take into account a local boycott, too, that will be even more costly and will cause internal
bleeding.
Israel's security network (Yossi Beilin, Israel Hayom) The symbiotic relationship between the army and the civilian sector makes Israeli society unique, and perhaps more suited to make the painful decisions required for peace.
To rally American Jews, Netanyahu places Israel on a permanent 'gevalt’ footing (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Lessons he learned from his father’s years in New York during the Holocaust may have inspired the prime minister’s Munich-1938 Iran analogies and his anti-boycott battle cries.
American silence on Abbas' insolence (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom) Kerry has had nothing to say about Palestinian political culture that remains violent, anti-democratic, and wedded to historical lies.
Why Jewish organizations should mark the Green Line (Amos Schonfield and Ella Taylor, Haaretz+) U.K. Jewish students are urging their community to only use maps that show Israel's 1967 borders for the sake of an honest, transparent basis for educating about Israel.
The sad story of Denmark (Elliot Abrams, Israel Hayom) Seventy years after bravely protecting the Jews, the Danes have joined the persecutors.
A murder that should disturb us all (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) The death of Tha'ar Lala was probably the only time his life was of interest to the majority of Israelis.
Leftist cliches (Emily Amrousi, Israel Hayom) Human rights do not belong to the Left alone.
Despite draft law, there will never be equality (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) Yair Lapid sees the 'equal share' law as a historic triumph, but even he knows it doesn’t consider seculars and haredim equal.
A morally disgraceful government (Haaretz Editorial) Responsibility for breaking the law and violating asylum seekers’ rights rests not only with Interior Minister Sa’ar, but also with Netanyahu.
For Americans, Israel is the MVP (Yoram Ettinger, Israel Hayom) While the White House pressures Israel, the Jewish state enjoys record popularity among Americans.
Sisters in arms: The burgeoning defense trade between Israel and India (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) While they don't see eye to eye on terror, Tehran and trade with China, India and Israel are closely engaged in the realm of defense. Reflections of a first-time 'western Asian' visitor to India.
If Bibi wants to (Yoel Marcus, Haaretz+) Bibi will cast a long shadow of weakness over himself if he doesn’t fire Housing Minister Uri Ariel and his ilk, or at least issue an ultimatum: Either you’re in or you’re out.
Hillel should be donor-backed and student-led (Jacob Plitman, Haaretz+) Their ideas too often shunned, Jewish students will stop engaging in communal campus life unless they start being heard.
Thank you, Irwin Cotler (Yaakov Ahimeir, Israel Hayom) All of us here in Israel owe a deep debt of gratitude and appreciation to Irwin Cotler, who is retiring from Canadian politics.
Should Israel give Lars Von Trier the BDS treatment? (Uri Klein, Haaretz+) At Cannes three years ago, the Danish filmmaker expressed sympathy with Hitler and said Israel was 'a pain in the butt;' but not screening his avante-garde work here would be a mistake.
Peres, the PM, and the politics behind the presidency (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) The idea of having the country’s citizens elect the president is completely misbegotten. Isn’t the Knesset, elected by and representing the people, good enough for that?
Israel's security network (Yossi Beilin, Israel Hayom) The symbiotic relationship between the army and the civilian sector makes Israeli society unique, and perhaps more suited to make the painful decisions required for peace.
To rally American Jews, Netanyahu places Israel on a permanent 'gevalt’ footing (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Lessons he learned from his father’s years in New York during the Holocaust may have inspired the prime minister’s Munich-1938 Iran analogies and his anti-boycott battle cries.
American silence on Abbas' insolence (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom) Kerry has had nothing to say about Palestinian political culture that remains violent, anti-democratic, and wedded to historical lies.
Why Jewish organizations should mark the Green Line (Amos Schonfield and Ella Taylor, Haaretz+) U.K. Jewish students are urging their community to only use maps that show Israel's 1967 borders for the sake of an honest, transparent basis for educating about Israel.
The sad story of Denmark (Elliot Abrams, Israel Hayom) Seventy years after bravely protecting the Jews, the Danes have joined the persecutors.
A murder that should disturb us all (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) The death of Tha'ar Lala was probably the only time his life was of interest to the majority of Israelis.
Leftist cliches (Emily Amrousi, Israel Hayom) Human rights do not belong to the Left alone.
Despite draft law, there will never be equality (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) Yair Lapid sees the 'equal share' law as a historic triumph, but even he knows it doesn’t consider seculars and haredim equal.
A morally disgraceful government (Haaretz Editorial) Responsibility for breaking the law and violating asylum seekers’ rights rests not only with Interior Minister Sa’ar, but also with Netanyahu.
For Americans, Israel is the MVP (Yoram Ettinger, Israel Hayom) While the White House pressures Israel, the Jewish state enjoys record popularity among Americans.
Sisters in arms: The burgeoning defense trade between Israel and India (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) While they don't see eye to eye on terror, Tehran and trade with China, India and Israel are closely engaged in the realm of defense. Reflections of a first-time 'western Asian' visitor to India.
If Bibi wants to (Yoel Marcus, Haaretz+) Bibi will cast a long shadow of weakness over himself if he doesn’t fire Housing Minister Uri Ariel and his ilk, or at least issue an ultimatum: Either you’re in or you’re out.
Hillel should be donor-backed and student-led (Jacob Plitman, Haaretz+) Their ideas too often shunned, Jewish students will stop engaging in communal campus life unless they start being heard.
Thank you, Irwin Cotler (Yaakov Ahimeir, Israel Hayom) All of us here in Israel owe a deep debt of gratitude and appreciation to Irwin Cotler, who is retiring from Canadian politics.
Should Israel give Lars Von Trier the BDS treatment? (Uri Klein, Haaretz+) At Cannes three years ago, the Danish filmmaker expressed sympathy with Hitler and said Israel was 'a pain in the butt;' but not screening his avante-garde work here would be a mistake.
Peres, the PM, and the politics behind the presidency (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) The idea of having the country’s citizens elect the president is completely misbegotten. Isn’t the Knesset, elected by and representing the people, good enough for that?
Interviews:
Interview: Ilan Pappe on academic freedom in Israel and BDS
Ilan Pappe is an Israeli historian and political activist whose work has focused on the 1948 expulsion of 700,000-800,000 Palestinians from their homes in what became the State of Israel. He recently announced that he would begin translating his book "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine," through crowd-sourcing on Facebook. The move came after years in which he was unable to find a translator and publisher inside Israel. Ma'an talked to him about his decision to crowd-source book translation, the state of academic freedom in Israel, and the American Studies Association's recent decision to endorse the boycott of Israeli academic institutions. (Interviewed by Alex Shams in Maan)
Ilan Pappe is an Israeli historian and political activist whose work has focused on the 1948 expulsion of 700,000-800,000 Palestinians from their homes in what became the State of Israel. He recently announced that he would begin translating his book "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine," through crowd-sourcing on Facebook. The move came after years in which he was unable to find a translator and publisher inside Israel. Ma'an talked to him about his decision to crowd-source book translation, the state of academic freedom in Israel, and the American Studies Association's recent decision to endorse the boycott of Israeli academic institutions. (Interviewed by Alex Shams in Maan)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.