APN's daily news review from Israel - Monday December 7, 2020

Quote of the day:

"We wanted to see the reactions of the (Jewish) citizens. Everyone came to be photographed with us."
--Hamada Odeh, an Arab-Israel from the town of Kafr Qassem, who pranked Jewish Israelis in Tel-Aviv with his friends by dressing up like Gulf Arabs to see how they would react.*

Front Page:

Haaretz

• Government indifference brings Israel closer to another lockdown. Doubtful if its justified // Amos Harel
• Health Ministry trying to control rate of infection until vaccines reach Israel
• The judges: Lack of detail in indictments against prime minister requires explanation from prosecutors
• I erred, I apologize // Amit Aisman [candidate for state prosecutor, who made sexist vulgar remarks in the past]
• Kahol-Lavan considering change in ‘Equality Bill’ in order to prevent national determination of Arabs
• Senior officials in government ministries: IDF conducting itself wastefully and with lack of sensitivity during a crisis
• (Likud Minister) Regev and (Likud MK) Mark boycotted discussion in committee for selecting judges in order to thwart appointment of ‘anti-Zionist’ judge
• The next step // Raviv Drucker says sidelined senior Likud politicians such as Gideon Saar should form separate party (Hebrew)
• Taking advantage of connections // Zvi Bar’el writes that Kushner’s Middle East visit was to prepare for profits after leaving the White House
• It’s already in Canada. Soon in Israel? New and revolutionary career: Sharing a job with another person

Yedioth Ahronoth

• The price of a third lockdown: A million unemployed and 27 billion shekels of damage
• President Netanyahu? // Nahum Barnea on the way to immunity (Hebrew)
• Continuing failure // Sarit Rosenblum against lockdown after lockdown (Hebrew)
• The stain won’t disappear // Merav Betito agasint the appointment of the state prosecutor, who made misogynist remarks (Hebrew)
• Let them profit // Amichai Attali on the cut to the MKs’ salary
• The gaps in [elite IDF Intel Unit] 8200: It all begins with education
• Battle over the [hilltop] youths’ spring - High Court ordered it memorial site on Palestinian land to be demolished (Hebrew)
• “We defeated the monster” - Stepfather of two young women raped them for years as children. Sentenced to 13 years prison (Hebrew)

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

• On the verge of a lockdown
• Wanted - A man of values, decisiveness, sharp thinking and talking - (former chief of staff) Gadi Eisenkot is the hottest name ahead of elections
• Saudi Arabia is not on the list - Prince Turki al-Faisal rejected Israel’s outstretched hand

Israel Hayom

• Third lockdown ahead: More restrictions on the way - Worrying rise in infection
• Sources close to Netanyahu: “Still hasn’t decided whether to go to elections”
• The longed for vaccine is on the way, but its dangerous to be complacent
• “First to be vaccinated? Medical staff won’t be guinea pigs”
• Second-hand, from Newton: Documents on the Bible - and the Holy Temple
• Despite getting closer: Dispute between Saudi prince and Israelis [at conference]
• After 90 years: Proposal for state to recognize survivors and murdered in the Farhud pogrom [in Iraq]
• Swearing-in during corona: US President-elect Biden plans virtual ceremony

Top News Summary:
Corona infection rate continues to rise and a third lockdown is in the offing, (in Gaza, some 30% of tests had returned positive and now the main COVID lab stopped working,) talk of elections and who will run with whom, and sharp comments by a Saudi prince and former diplomat against Israel were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. What did not make news almost at all was the aftermath of the killing of two Arabs, one a Palestinian boy killed by an Israeli soldier in the West Bank and the other a Bedouin Israeli citizen killed by a Jewish man in the Negev.

Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal blasted Israel on a panel at a conference in Bahrain, where Israel Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi also participated. Al-Faisal, who served as Saudi ambassador to the U.S. and U.K., called Israel a 'Western colonizing power,’ accused it of imprisoning Palestinians in 'concentration camps' and of ‘sending attack dogs against us in the media.’ Unlike crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, al-Faisal insisted that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict must be solved before peace agreements with Saudi Arabia and any other Arab country. "Only through the Arab peace initiative will we be able to face Iran, it can not be called the Abrahamic Accords without Saudi involvement," al-Faisal added. The Arab Peace Initiative is a Saudi-sponsored deal that offers Israel full diplomatic ties with all Arab states in return for the two-state solution. Foreign Minister Ashkenazi, also on the panel, objected to the remarks, but did not retaliate. He insisted that the so-called ‘Abraham Accords,’ i.e. the diplomatic agreements with Bahrain and the UAE, are an ‘opportunity' for the Palestinians. (Also Maariv)

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is 'still undecided' about whether to call snap elections, ‘Israel Hayom’ reported. The meeting Sunday between Finance Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) and Defense Minister and Kahol-Lavan leader Benny Gantz over the 2020 and 2021 budgets ended without information. Kahol-Lavan demands the budgets be passed or it will continue on the path to elections. Maariv reported that Netanyahu shamed Gantz Sunday by holding a ceremony at the cabinet meeting to thank the US for moving its embassy to Jerusalem three years ago - but he didn’t inform Gantz. Meanwhile, former chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot is the hottest name among candidates. Maariv ran a profile on him, that listed a number of Eisenkot's stances, which tend to be left-wing: He called not to abandon the negotiations with the Palestinians, warned against unilateral annexation, refused to order shooting kite factories in Gaza because it goes against his operational stance and his values.

The IDF has said it will open an investigation over the shooting of a 15-year-old Palestinian boy in the stomach, killing him. It was his birthday and Ali Abu Aliya went with other villagers to their lands to protest against land confiscation by settler outposts. The European Union called on Israel to investigate.

Prosecutor’s Office decided not to appeal the release of Aryeh Schiff to house arrest after he shot dead a Bedouin-Israeli man who was stealing his car. Schiff, a resident of the Negev city of Arad, said he shot at the wheels of his car to stop Mohammed al-Atrash, a Bedouin man from a village in the area, from stealing his car. Yedioth and Ynet Hebrew reported that a source in the Prosecutor’s Office said that the video shows that “this was an execution.” The police will indict Schiff soon and a source said that in the security video collected, Schiff was seen pointing his weapon at the window of the car, seeing the driver and shooting without hesitation toward his upper body.” Yedioth wrote a short news report on it on page 17. Maariv only put it online. Haaretz+ and Yedioth didn’t even write the killed man’s name. Haaretz+ reported that Public Security Minister Amir Ohana opposes the police indicting Schiff, calling him a ‘model citizen.' Residents of Arad held a demonstration in support of Schiff. Settler columnist Nadav Haetzni wrote that thieves should now that they will be killed. (See Commentary/Analysis below.)
 

Quick Hits:

• 'Torture by Any Measure': Israeli Hospital Sends Palestinian Prisoner Back to Jail Early to Spare Him Shackles - The prisoners’ hands chained to his legs was greater than pain from the operation, and unnecessary, doctors say. “The… indescribable suffering of continuous diagonal restraint without the ability to move is greater than the pain from the operation … This certainly wasn’t the ideal decision for the health of the patient,” said Dr. Alon Schwartz who decided to release the Palestinian prisoner early. (Haaretz+)
• Occupation forces prevent farmers access to their land in Jordan Valley - Israeli soldiers prevented farmers from the village of Atouf in the northern Jordan valley from accessing their lands and seized two bulldozers belonging by two local residents. (WAFA)
• Israeli forces set up caravans in Jordan Valley area - Israeli army forces set up today several caravans in al-Farsiya area in the northern Jordan Valley, an area they often use as a military training zone. Palestinian residents of the Jordan Valley regularly face evictions due to Israeli military exercises on or near their land. (WAFA)
• Israeli settlers destroy dozens of olive trees near Salfit - Israeli settlers cut down around 42 fully-grown olive trees and demolished retaining walls belonging to a local Palestinian family in the village of Yasuif. (WAFA)
• Gantz's Party Mulls Altering ‘Equality Bill,' Preventing National Self-determination of non-Jews - The equality bill was one of Benny Gantz’s campaign promises to Israel’s Arabs following to the passage of the controversial nation-state law, but it may be changed to fit with an alternative version submitted by lawmaker Zvi Hauser from Derech Eretz party and Likud lawmaker Gideon Sa’ar. (Haaretz+)
• (Right-wing) Israeli Lawmakers Fail to Stop Appointment of ‘anti-Zionist’ Judge - Transportation Minister Miri Regev and Likud MK Osnat Mark boycotted Sunday’s meeting of the judicial appointments committee in an attempt to foil the promotion of Judge Abbas Assi, alleging he is “anti-Zionist,” because he ostensibly issued rulings against the army and favoring Palestinian prisoners. Last year Assi dismissed a libel suit Regev filed against Channel 13 News for reports she claimed portrayed her in a criminal light. Assi ruled that the reports, “reflected the truth” and ordered her to pay court costs. (Haaretz+ and Maariv)
• Four Activists Arrested at anti-Netanyahu Protest Banned From Balfour for Weeks - Court rejects police request to ban some protesters for as long as three months; No restrictions placed on far-right demonstrator arrested at same protest. (Haaretz+)
• Elections could cost pandemic-hit Israel up to NIS 3 billion - Due to public holiday on election day, private and public sector are set to lose over 2 billion Shekel, as operation costs also estimated to rise with dedicated polling stations planned for geriatric facilities and retirement homes. (Ynet)
• UAE Hit With Cyberattacks in Response to Ties With Israel, Official Says - 'The normalization with Israel really opened a whole [array of] attacks from activists against the UAE.’ (Agencies, Haaretz and Ynet)
• Israeli Firm Manages to Recover Systems After Massive Cyberattack - Shirbit recovered 90 percent of its system but negotiations with suspects continue. The insurance company revealed that over 2,000 documents were leaked, including at least 130 ID cards belonging to their clients. (Haaretz+)
• Gantz on Yedioth expose about IDF Intel Unit 8200: "Diversify the ranks” - Following the gaps between the cities represented in the prestigious unit, which emerged from the data, Minister of Defense promises a "plan for the integration of youth from the south in IDF Intel. (Yedioth Hebrew)
• Court Hears Netanyahu’s Request to Dismiss His Corruption Cases - The prime minister's lawyers allege that Netanyahu was targeted in advance and that improper criminal means were used, including pressure exerted on witnesses. (Haaretz+)
• Palestinians injured during Nablus-area town clashes - A number of Palestinians were shot and injured with rubber-coated steel bullets, and others suffocated by tear gas during clashes that broke out when Israeli forces raided the town of Beita, south of Nablus. (WAFA)
• Two Palestinian detainees, both minors, released after 3-year imprisonment in Israeli jails - The two 17-year-olds from Jenin's village of al-Jadida were shot and arrested near a military checkpoint in the West Bank three years ago. (WAFA)
• “Export potential of 1.5 billion shekels as early as next year" - A report by the Foreign Trade Administration at the Ministry of Economy estimates: "Normalizing relations with the Emirates - a huge place for business opportunities.” An Israeli delegation landed in Dubai: "A new world of export opportunities.” (Israel Hayom Hebrew)
• *Arab Israeli pranksters fool Tel Aviv  disguised as fake Emirati delegation - Hamada Odeh, a resident of Kafr Qassem, initiated a prank with his friends, during which they disguised themselves and walked the streets of Tel Aviv: "We wanted to see the reactions of the citizens. Everyone came to be photographed with us." (Maariv and VIDEO and Times of Israel/VIDEO)
• Jerusalem Post, Khaleej Times team up for first-ever Dubai conference - “We are moving toward an era of progress, prosperity, peace and friendship in the Middle East." The two media companies team up on January 13th in a joint conference, "The Round Table.” (Maariv and JPost)
• Hezbollah suing those accusing it of Beirut Port blast - The devastating explosion killed more than 200 people, wounded over 6,000, and extensively damaged several neighborhoods in Beirut. The blast was caused by nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrates believed to be stored at the port by the Iranian-backed Shiite terrorist group. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)
• Iran claims satellite-guided technology used in nuclear mastermind's assassination - Iran has blamed Israel for the Nov. 27 killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, threatening a "crushing retaliation." Arab intelligence officials: Iran's citing of multiple factors contributing to hit reflects its embarrassment. (Israel Hayom)
• U.S. Navy Official Says 'Uneasy Deterrence' Reached With Iran - While Iran has not directly seized or targeted a tanker in recent months as it did last year, a mine struck an oil tanker off Saudi Arabia and a cargo ship near Yemen came under assault in recent days. (Agencies, Haaretz)
• Calls in Europe: New and "extended" nuclear deal with Iran - Europe is discussing ways to continue the nuclear deal with Iran and the calls for the return of the US to the agreement. Joe Biden spoke of "follow-up agreements,” while Iran expressed opposition to amending the current agreement. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrives today (Monday) for an official visit to Paris, a few days before Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's planned visit to Cairo. The main issues that will come up in his meetings: the policy towards Iran and the nuclear agreement, the change of government in the United States and the French-German-Jordanian initiative to renew the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. (Maariv)
• Direct conflict with Israel 'could make Iran regional superpower' - An editorial in the hardline Iranian daily Kayhan reveals the internal debate over potential retaliation over the assassination of the head of the Islamic republic's nuclear military program. (Israel Hayom)
• Saudi Arabia says resolution of Gulf dispute within reach - The United States and Kuwait have worked to end the dispute, during which Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt have imposed a diplomatic, trade, and travel embargo on Qatar since mid-2017 over the nation's support of terrorism. Washington says the row has hampered the creation of a united Arab Gulf front against Iran. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)

Top Commentary/Analysis:
What's Really Behind Kushner's Visit to Saudi Arabia and Qatar (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+)  Is it possible that Kushner’s recent visit was not only to resolve a local conflict or begin normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel, but to lay financial groundwork ahead of his family's departure from the White House?
How crime became a cover for Israel to tighten control of Palestinian citizens of Israel (Arab-Israelis) (Shahrazad Odeh, 972mag) Rather than addressing the roots of crime and violence among Palestinian citizens, Israel is advancing plans to depoliticize the community.
How Israel Is Triggering a Royal Civil War in Saudi Arabia (Eli Podeh, Haaretz+) While one Saudi prince (Turki al-Faisal) is slamming the Israelis, another (Mohammed bin Salman) is pummelling the Palestinians: The royals of Riyadh are now fighting a very public war over relations with Israel.
Defend Temple Mount for Jews and Muslims alike (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom) The Emiratis and Bahrainis are paying the price for Israeli government malfeasance in handling the Temple Mount. The Waqf has been allowed to run wild, turning the holy site a base of hostile operations against Israelis, and now also against anybody who makes peace with Israel.
Paper General or Perfect Candidate? This Former Israeli Commander Could Succeed Where Others Failed (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Israeli center-left simply can’t wean itself off its addiction to savior-generals. But Gadi Eisenkot could attract voters from across the political spectrum.
It could be over: Gantz should have resigned after his speech attacking Netanyahu (Yossi Achimeir, Maariv) After the terror speech, Gantz should have submitted a letter of resignation, as did his faction member Assaf Zamir.…Such a thing has never happened in the history of the country: a member of the government coalition who boasts of an invented, unprecedented title ("alternate prime minister"), attacks the prime minister with very harsh words. Words taken from the street vocabulary of protesters. “Liar," "serial promise breaker," "a deceiver" - this is how Benny Gantz slapped Binyamin Netanyahu in prime time on all TV channels…Despite the difficult problems at hand, it is impossible to close your eyes and continue the game. The next crisis lurks for the government around the corner. The next political minefield is expected to explode soon. In any case, in the coming days the two parts of the government will be more preoccupied with the exchange of accusations, with an unstoppable political duel, with the dirty laundry being made available to the public, with mutual filth. And what about the really burning issues? As we get tired of the wasteful election campaigns, there is no escape from another, crucial one, and soon. While the left is crumbling, the Likud as a center-right party must stop attacking the extended "right," and vice versa. Naftali Bennett will in any case be the senior partner in the next government, which may be more homogeneous, more efficient and right-wing.
And what about the really burning issues? As we get tired of the wasteful election campaigns, there is no escape from another, crucial, and soon. While the left is crumbling, the Likud as a center-right party must stop attacking the extended "right," and vice versa. Naftali Bennett will in any case be the senior partner in the next government, which may be more homogeneous, more efficient and right-wing.
For the benefit of the left-wing, Benny Gantz should give up the rotation (Dr. Baruch Leshem, Ynet Hebrew) The chase after Netanyahu's commitment (to rotating premiership) is pointless. He fights for his freedom and does not keep his word anyway. Instead of ending everything and being humiliated at the ballot box, it is better to stay in government and block him from there.
Abandoned to the Angry Mob (Haaretz Editorial) “A huge gang came out and surrounded me. I tried to run. They kicked me in every possible place of my body.” “They threatened: ‘This time you’ll get a bullet like a terrorist, you son of a bitch.” “He spit in my face, right into my mouth. … He ripped off two of my necklaces and grabbed me by the shirt.” These testimonies and others appeared in a Hebrew Haaretz report on Sunday. They are from people who were demonstrating against the prime minister and were victims of physical and/or verbal violence perpetrated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s supporters. These testimonies ought to be a wake-up call to the entire Israeli public, from the ordinary citizen through the political leadership to the president, regardless of their political affiliation…Despite the palpable threats, the police move at a snail’s pace to assure the protesters’ safety. They are primarily engaged in dispersing the demonstrations, using undue force even though the protesters aren’t violent…
The center-left's continued infighting risks its very existence (Yuval Karni, Yedioth/Ynet) There is no lack of candidates willing to lead the camp, in fact there is suffocating overabundance of them but egos do not sway voters and fragments of parties unable to unite leaves the field open to a strong right-wing cabinet.
Let Netanyahu Despair, Not Us (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) I’m writing in response to the survey presented by a “senior official” in Meretz that showed only 0.7 percent of Jews would definitely support a Jewish-Arab list…I am thinking about that survey, but despite the disturbing findings, I am not overcome with despair. On the contrary, the one who ought to be despairing is first of all Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. If you look carefully, it’s the right that ought to despair. Donald Trump, the beacon of hatred and divisiveness, was defeated in the American presidential elections. The right wing here remains orphaned, without a spiritual leader…The Israeli right is a mess. Other than the butcher from Riyadh, and the human traffickers in the United Arab Emirates (according to the U.S. State Department, as cited by Amalia Rosenblum in Haaretz, November 30), they have no allies. Soon those Arab countries will also turn their backs on Netanyahu, when it becomes clear that he has no influence on the new occupant of the White House…
The next president (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth Hebrew) Seemingly, the solution is simple - the simplest there is. In June 2021, the Knesset will be called upon to elect the 11th President of Israel. Plenty of candidates will stand for election, armed with promises they received from Knesset members and fantasies that made them believe in the promises. Two hours before the vote, (Likud coalition whip MK) Miki Zohar will announce that he has a fateful message - Netanyahu has agreed to respond to the pleas of the people sitting in Zion, including the people in the Diaspora, and to present his candidacy for the presidency. TV reporters will freeze in their positions at broadcast stations. Members of the Knesset will look for words that will give expression to the greatness of the moment and will not find them. Most candidates will resign from the race, fearing humiliation.
Netanyahu's upcoming visit to Egypt has great economic and strategic importance (Yitzhak Levanon, Maariv) If the announcements about the Prime Minister's intention to pay an official and public visit to Egypt soon come true, it will be a refreshing new move and even a great benefit to the Israeli economy, if he focuses on the goals that will drive relations forward…I was present at several meetings held with President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. They were all unofficial. The prime minister arrived in the country for important talks, but the Israeli flag was raised only for a very short time when landing and taking off his plane, lest the visit be interpreted as official. That is why an official visit, if it materializes, is to be welcomed after so many years. Three significant issues link us with Egypt: the fight against radical terrorism, which allows for close cooperation like we have not seen before; The trilateral QEZ agreement between Egypt, Israel and the United States, which allows Egyptian exports of products with Israeli components to the United States, without customs duties; And the gas agreement we are selling to Egypt. After several decades of deliberate slowdown on the part of Egypt in developing bilateral ties, efforts must be made to achieve goals that will motivate relations…
Israel's Coronavirus Policy Is Lockdown by Default, Even With Other Moves Available (Amos Harel, Haaretz+)  Israel is well-positioned to conduct a coronavirus vaccination campaign – but trigger-happy officials could lock the country down yet again before it gets under way.
Inside Amit Aisman's cabin (Merav Betito, Yedioth/Ynet Hebrew) he latest storm in the case of a senior public official who revealed his weakness for leopard-print thongs seems to be subsiding: Female MKs resented the decision to appoint Amit Aisman as state attorney, adivsors on the subject of women sent lightning bolts of anger and let’s move on - to the next senior appointment. Outside, the storm rages, but inside Aisman's cabin it was warm and cozy. He closed the shutters, locked the door, made sure he had enough wood chips left to feed the fire burning in the fireplace, and waited for the sun to come out. Words swirled in his head that he said, and which now echo from every newspaper: “You are not a man, you have no balls, right? Because when you are a man and your balls are crushed then there is a feeling of pain, but there is also a feeling of pleasure,” and he felt that he was caught red-handed. “Aside from the thong from 2008, but how much of an The apology written by the candidate for state attorney over his sexist statements, wrapped tightly in promises, is reminiscent of what we knew from the beginning: he is just waiting for the storm around him to pass… do you have to be to repeat your deviant horror show in 2017 as well?" He spoke to himself without uttering a word, hating his carelessness, loathing the moment caught in his weakness. On the other hand, he already knew, that man in the cabin, that the search committee was by his side. He also took in stride the fact that there is a complex discussion here: no rape, no touching, no stalking or suggestion. Doubtful if it’s harassment. Aisman is a fierce jurist who has been through a lot of fights in his life, so he puts on a song and hears on replay, "It's Gonna Pass, Too." Like the slight reprimand he received from the director of the State Prosecutor’s Office in 2018, like the screams of feminists, like the mindfucks of bitter single women, like the next storm. The man in the hut did not dare to leave it, not even peeking out the window. For him it is to be or to cease, and he is hanging on the weather forecast, occasionally checking on his cellular phone when the clouds are expected to disperse and when he will already be able to sit on the coveted chair. Who like him knows that only power will bring him more power, only that is what he is aiming for: one more hurdle - one more High Court, and the nightmare will be behind him. Aisman knows the language of testicles squeezedg under female fingers, but he is utterly illiterate in the doctrine of forgiveness and atonement: Had he come out like a real man shouting and begging for forgiveness, standing in the town square and with a bowed head telling of his mistakes, perhaps he would have been privileged to reach the coveted position by right rather than by grace. The women who had to endure the stench of his breath - they and no others, who will forgive the important candidate Aisman for his marginal mistakes. After a week he realized he had no choice. If he continues to hide, he could lose the job, his appointment is in jeopardy. He had to take action, and right away. He made a phone call to a friend or two, they helped him get to a small hostel nearby, where he washed his statements, and finally went out to the public in his white clothes. Like someone who did an involuntary act, he drafted an almost academic document with too many words and with too little connection to reality in 2020. The Israeli woman, a graduate of the #MeToo revolution is not willing to be silent any longer when they talk about intimate pieces of clothing. The hands that serve her the forgiveness candy, tremble for fear of losing the coveted role and not out of fear of admitting a mistake. The candy tastes sour, and it is given to her as the minimum necessary to stave off the rage of the angry crowd. The new Israeli woman wishes for herself a state attorney general who understands all this on his own, even without receiving a thick hint from the public opinion. The new Israeli woman wishes for herself a state attorney who understands all this on his own, even without receiving a thick hint from the public opinion. If the keys to the prosecution are finally entrusted to him, Aisman will have to deal again and again with the stain that has already been imposed on the hem of his suit.  He tightly wrapped in promises the apology he wrote for the strategic moves he planned in the Justice Ministry when he gets the job, thus revealing what we knew from the beginning: Aisman is just waiting for the storm to pass, until then he does not intend to give explanations to anyone.
The Brutal Mutation of Israeli Feminism (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Did the soldiers celebrate on Friday when one of them fired directly into the stomach of Ali Abu Aliya, 15, who died afterwards from his wounds? This is not an unrealistic question, because on the previous Friday, November 27, in Ein Samia, the male and female members of the Border Police rejoiced after one of them shot a 'two-two' bullet directly into the leg of another young Palestinian. A video clip, which accompanies this column, commemorated the joy of the Border Police…One policeman is applauding, the two policewomen are congratulating the prone sniper, each touching him lightly with her foot. After the ambulance arrived and picked up the wounded man, one of the policewomen rushed to embrace the sniper who had already stood up, and shouted something like “That was great!”…In the name of women’s liberation and equality, more Israeli women are eager to participate, and are participating very actively, in denying liberty to others.
The difference between Biden's Jews and Trump's Jews (Dr. Zohar Hess, Ynet Hebrew) The next administration will have more Jews and more key positions than before. This time there will be Reform and Conservative Jews among them, unlike those from the previous administration who moved between Chabad and modern Orthodoxy…Even now - and we have not yet seen the final list of appointments - it is clear that the Biden White House will have more Jews, and more key positions, than any previous administration. Only one Jew has previously served as Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger. That was almost 50 years ago. The sigh of relief of more than 75% of Jews in the United States at the end of the nerve-wracking week of the vote-counting, when it became clear that Biden is indeed the next president, could be heard as far as Tel Aviv…When Trump was elected, I remember conversations between prominent Jewish leaders who wondered how they would react if he invited them to a symbolic Passover Seder (presidents usually do so) or to the regular lighting of Hanukkah candles. Some planned how they would refuse to come. But Trump did not even try. It did not occur to him to invite them. Reforms, Conservatives - anyone who had the slightest liberal fragrance simply wasn’t there. The Jewish guests at White House events mostly moved across the spectrum between Chabad and modern Orthodoxy -and in it, too, he knew how to give signs. Is the tenure of Jews in key positions in the new administration good for Israel? I don’t know. Not necessarily. And to me that's not the only thing that matters either. To my delight, many of Biden's appointments are also clear supporters of Israel, but I am happy with the success of my brothers and sisters even if they are not Zionists. A Satmar follower who would have won the Nobel would have pleased my heart even though he is not a Zionist. I feel proud of a war hero officer who fought in the Red Army against the Nazis even if he was a devout communist. Jewish peoplehood is sometimes a gut feeling, not a pure ideology. And it allows me, even as a determined Zionist, to look at the broad circles of my family with a good eye. I am happy with their success, I also wish them success. (Dr. Zohar Hess is the Deputy Chairman of the World Zionist Organization)
Plagued by intelligence failures, Iranian security apparatuses aims to clean house (Lt. Col. (ret.) Michael Segall, Israel Hayom) In Iran, the dilemma is growing with regard to how and where to respond to Mohsen Fakhrizadeh's assassination, and how far to stretch the regime's restraint.
Criminals should know that whoever breaks in, robs and steals will not leave alive (Nadav Haetzni, Maariv) Aryeh Schiff of Arad simply tried to prevent a violent burglar from stealing his car - and became the enemy of the police, where he volunteered for many years. The same police force that is abandoning the people of the south to the army of crime and violence.
Israel's Greatest Achievement in the Coronavirus Fight Came When Netanyahu Stepped Aside (Meirav Arlosoroff, Haaretz+) Avoiding concentrated power in the hands of Netanyahu and the Health Ministry allowed a decentralized network to efficiently boost testing rates.
 

Interviews:
Abu Dhabi’s Israeli Shopping List: Agrotech, Foodtech, Pharma and Space
In an interview with Haaretz, Dr. Tariq Bin Hendi, head of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, shares his insights on the start of a beautiful business friendship. (Interviewed by Hagai Amit in Haaretz+)

The guard of Meretz (word for the political party and also means ‘energy’)
When the former minister Yair Tzaban, 90, sees the polls that predict the collapse of his party, Meretz, he does not remain indifferent, and despite his advanced age, he acts to save it. He is among the people working to make Meretz a joint Arab-Jewish political party, which he hopes can ensure that Meretz will have representation in Knesset. In an interview marking the screening of a documentary film that tells about his work, he speaks about the situation in the country: “We are stuck in an eclipse. We were never in a situation in which the ruling party acted like a puppet theater as per the whims of one man. This cannot continue for a long period of time. (Interviewed by Yaakov Bar-On in Maariv’s Magazine supplement, cover)

“I have a number of differences with people who lead the Meretz party, unfortunately. It started with the wrong alliance with Ehud Barak, who I look upon severely, and it continues with what is connected to the attempts to make inappropriate alliances.”

“I had an anti-Zionist chapter in the Maki period, but it would be a mistake to see the urn to anti-Zionism of myself and others like me as denial of Jewish nationalism. We thought that the nationalist troubles of the Jewish people had a different solution.”
Interviewer: In conclusion, Yair Tzaban, what drives you all these years?
“In two words - moral motivation. That is the threat that connects between everything I have done and what I continue to do.”
 

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