News Nosh 1.27.21

by APN 01/28/21
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APN's daily news review from Israel - Wednesday January 27, 2021
 

Quote of the day:

“The cynics will argue that this was the deal: providing the IDF with a budget of billions to plan "offensive options" in exchange for support for (Netanyahu’s) general line. But even without being cynical - it's not certain that talking about war is a smart tactical move.”
—Yedioth’s Middle East analyst Shimrit Meir comments on IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi’s eyebrow-raising speech blasting a return to the Iran nuclear and declaring plans prepared to attack Iran.*


Front Page:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

  • 4,500 victims - the virus doesn’t stop, the lockdown will likely be extended again
  • “There are many patients, there aren’t enough places, there isn’t enough medical staff” - MADA Ambulance medics, war diary (Hebrew)
  • Attorney General vs. Netanyahu: “He received an illegal gift” (Hebrew)
  • Don’t forget us - International Holocaust Day
  • This plan is not election bribery, it is an election lie // Sima Kadmon on the Prime Minister and Finance Minister’s plan to give grants to every citizen (Hebrew)
  • What one can understand about Iran when the Chief of Staff announces attack plans // Yossi Yehoshua (Hebrew)

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

  • The world remembers - International Holocaust Day
  • Some 17,000 Holocaust survivors died in 2020, some 900 from corona; Now they number about 179,000
  • Not closing - Dispute continues in government over Health Ministry demand to extend lockdown
  • You are guilty // Ben Caspit on the accusations of ultra-Orthodox MK Gafni
  • The heroism of the female combat soldier who thwarted an attack in Samaria (West Bank) when she wrestled with a terrorist who tried to stab her
  • Chief of Staff in a message to Teheran: I instructed teh IDF to prepare operational plans for action in Iran

Israel Hayom


Top News Summary:
The question about extending the corona lockdown again for another week has turned into a battle between the Likud and Kahol-Lavan leaders while the hospitals are collapsing and some ultra-Orthodox continued to clash with police over corona restrictions. Facts and personal stories marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day (900 Holocaust survivors in Israel have died of COVID, only about 179,000 survivors still alive, many suffering from the isolation during COVID, while young Israelis are increasingly unaware of the disasters they survived). And, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi gave a controversial speech about the Iran nuclear agreement and military action against Iran - making the top stories in Tuesday’s Hebrew newspapers.

Meanwhile the US administration restored ties with and aid for the Palestinians, declared its support for a two-state solution and the US also urged Israel to avoid annexation of territory, settlement activity and house demolitions of Palestinians, everything that the Trump administration either supported or turned a blind eye to.

Also making waves was the Attorney General’s about-turn over the $300,000 Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu received from his cousin for his legal defense. Mendelblitt told the High Court that in light of the revealing of the business ties between Netanyahu and Natan Milikovsky, in the Stocks Affair the gift was illegal. The Likud slammed Mendelblitt saying he only wants to bring down Netanyahu. And, it just so happened that on the same day, at a ceremony for swearing in judges, President Reuven Rivlin denounced attacks on the judicial system, accusing politicians of “crossing in the name of so-called governance.”  High Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut insisted the courts were apolitical and rejected (right-wing) politicians’ accusations to the contrary.

And in an article titled, “The heroine from London,” Yedioth reported that a 22-year-old Jewish young woman, who came to Israel to serve in the army, managed to fend off a Palestinian teen who attacked her with a knife at a hitchhiking spot for settlers in the West Bank, which she was guarding. She pushed him and hit him with her weapon until her unit force commander shot him dead. "That's what all the training was to prepare us for," she announced, and hurried to call her parents in London to report that everything was alright, Yedioth reported. (Also in Hebrew) Haaretz+ simply reported that “Israeli forces shot dead Palestinian suspect in attempted West Bank stabbing.”

In a headline-making speech Monday, Israel’s military chief Kochavi attacked the possibility that the US would return to the Iran nuclear agreement and said military action “should be on the table” and that he was already preparing that option, if necessary to go it alone. The military commentators had a field day with this speech as be can be seen in the Commentary/Analysis section below. And some of them, such as Yedioth’s Shimrit Meir,  made the connection to the billions of shekels in additional budget money that the IDF just asked for. And, by the way, the military sidestepped the Treasury and went straight to Netanyahu with the budget request. On the same day, Iran announced that US President Joe Biden won’t have infinite time to make his decision about rejoining the nuclear deal. And on Wednesday, Iran responded to Kochavi’s speech, saying "the threats made by Israel are nothing but psychological warfare.” Sharpening Kochavi’s message and using Netanyahu’s comparison, Israel’s new ambassador to the US and Netanyahu loyalist, Gilad Erdan, wrote an Op-Ed in ‘Israel Hayom’ calling Iran a Nazi country. And, the UAE and Bahrain called for a joint stand with Israel in approaching the US on the Iran threat, declaring that "Any future deal with Iran will have to reflect the new reality in the region."


Elections 2021: 

  • Israeli Election Poll Shows Labor Rallying, Tel Aviv Mayor’s New Party Fizzling Out- Channel 12 poll has Labor getting enough votes to enter Knesset following election of new leader, with Netanyahu and his likely allies two seats short of majority. 61% want a coalition without ultra-Orthodox parties. (Haaretzand Times of Israel)
  • Former Labor Leader Peretz Quits Party, Knesset, to Stay on as Minister Under Netanyahu- Peretz defied newly elected Chairwoman Merav Michaeli, who ordered him and Social Services Minister Itzik Shmuli to resign from government, but the move could help the party's image ahead of the March 23 vote. (Haaretz+ and Times of Israel)
  • Yair Lapid's Campaign to Focus on Netanyahu's COVID Failures Without Targeting His Haredi Partners- With new polls showing 78 percent of center-left voters would prefer a coalition without ultra-Orthodox parties, Lapid is seeking to exploit his base's frustrations, yet will steer clear of running an anti-Haredi campaign. (Haaretz+)

 

Quick Hits:

  • Israeli forces uproot hundreds of trees near Tubas- Israeli forces cordoned the area off Einun, east of Tubas, before military bulldozers uprooted hundreds of trees planted several years ago under purportedly for being planted in military zones. (WAFA)
  • Palestinian Prisoner Society: 440 Palestinians held in administrative detention in Israel by end of 2020- Among those in administrative detention, i.e. jailed without charge or trial, were three minors and three women, said the Palestinian Prisoner Society. (WAFA)
  • Panel Urges Disciplinary Action Against Netanyahu Advisers for Partisan Activity- The two advisers allegedly violated a ban barring civil servants from engaging in political activity. (Haaretz+)
  • Israeli Psychiatric Patient Talked to Cats. He Was Charged With Threatening Netanyahu- The police have asked that the man be kept in custody, but the judge says testimony shows the patient never threatened to hurt Netanyahu. (Haaretz+)
  • Israel Reopens Morocco Mission After Two Decades; Consul General Arrives in Dubai- Head of mission arrives in Rabat for first time since Morocco suspended ties with Israel in 2000. (Haaretz+)
  • History at Israel Post: It has begun sending mail to the United Arab Emirates- From now on it is possible to send and receive letters and packages from the country by regular mail, registered mail and fast EMS deliveries. Israel Post CEO Danny Goldstein: "The connection between the postal administrations will make it possible to tighten trade ties between the countries." (Yedioth Hebrew)
  • Israeli minister heads delegation to Sudan to discuss normalization- Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen says Israeli officials discussed with their hosts diplomatic and security issues ■ Israel says a Sudanese delegation will hold a reciprocal visit. (Agencies, Haaretzand Ynet)
  • Grazing Cows Lead to Squabble on Lebanese-Israeli Border- Lebanon and Israel are still in a formal state of war and have long contested their land and maritime borders. (Agencies, Haaretzand Ynet)
  • France Wants More U.S. 'Realism' in Dealing With Lebanon's Hezbollah- It remains unclear how Biden's administration might tackle Lebanon. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Report: Syrian troops take positions on Lebanese side of Mount Hermon- The IDF has repeatedly stated that it will not permit any foreign forces, whether regular soldiers or Iranian-backed proxies, to deploy anywhere near Israel's borders and will strike their positions. (Israel Hayom)
  • Report: Exiled Abbas rival banned from running in Palestinian elections- Mohammed Dahlan, who was expelled from the West Bank following a political conflict with the PA leadership, is seen as a leading candidate to replace 84-year-old Mahmoud Abbas. (Israel Hayom)
  • Wanted Mexican Official Linked to NSO Spyware Deal 'Seeks Asylum in Israel'- Tomas Zeron De Lucio is wanted for his role in the abduction and murder case of 43 students. He also helped bring NSO’s tech to Mexico. Now he’s hiding in Israel, Mexican FM says. (Haaretz+)
  • Khashoggi Documentary, Too Explosive for Streaming, Debuts On-demand- Worried about the consequences of angering Saudi Arabia, major distributors failed to pick up the film, raising questions regarding the future of political films. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • S. exploring new military bases in Saudi Arabia amid Iran tensions- Using Yanbu, as well as air bases at Tabuk and Taif along the Red Sea, would give the American military more options along the crucial waterway. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Tunisian police fire water cannons as protesters march on parliament- Protests broke out this month on the 10th anniversary of Tunisia's 2011 revolution that inspired that Arab Spring and introduced democracy. (Agencies, Haaretz)


Features:

For Armenians in Israel, a Sad Holiday and an Identity Crisis Following Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
The recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh has left many Armenians in Israel angered by their adopted homeland’s reported role in helping arm Baku and its ongoing refusal to recognize the 1915 Armenian genocide as a holocaust. (Eetta Prince-Gibson, Haaretz+)

Commentary/Analysis:
Israel's Military Chief's Iran Comments Are Way Out of Line (Haaretz Editorial) “This is bad and wrong strategically and operatively,” Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi said about the nuclear deal with Iran at a lecture Tuesday. If Kochavi were not IDF chief of staff, his opinion might be considered a legitimate assessment, or an educated guess. The problem and the damage in the chief of staff’s remarks when he reveals that he has directed the army to prepare an operative plan against Iran, “in addition to existing ones,” he greatly exceeds his authority and his words are an intentional shot at Biden and an open threat that Israel’s military might act independently against Iran.
Israel will not allow Nazi Iran to nuclearize (Gilad Erdan, Israel Hayom) Israel must not allow the world's most dangerous regime to get its hands on the world's most dangerous weapon.
Threat with an asterisk (pun for Kochavi) (Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth Hebrew) "Returning to the nuclear deal is a bad thing and wrong,” Chief of Staff  Aviv Kochavi said in a message to the US administration. The question is what does Iran understand when Israel announces that is only now starting to work on attack plans, and that it also depends on a special budget that will come. The important and interesting part of Kochavi's speech last night dealt with his public statement regarding the nuclear agreement. Speaking at the annual conference of the Institute for National Security Studies, the chief of staff surveyed the dangers known to Iran, sent a message to the incoming Biden administration regarding the fear of a nuclear deal, and sent a message, no less important from his point of view, to the Israeli government: that in light of the risks in the Iranian arena, the IDF will be required to make a significant budget increase...
Israel’s Top General Is Confused. He’s Not Joe Biden’s National Security Adviser (Alon Pinkas, Haaretz+) By attacking the United States' still-unformulated Iran policy, IDF chief Aviv Kochavi is ingratiating himself with Netanyahu – and irritating the new White House.
IDF chief's message to Biden: If necessary, Israel will act alone (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi's speech was intended for both Washington and Tehran, but also for an Israeli audience, as the IDF needs a massive budget infusion for its plans. 
*When the chief of staff aligns himself with Binyamin Netanyahu (Shimrit Meir, Yedioth Hebrew) One of the main lessons of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the campaign to thwart the original nuclear agreement with Iran, six years ago, was that Israel must not speak with two voices. So, in every room of a congressman whose envoys came to explain why the agreement was dangerous to Israel, it turned out that an Israeli general in reserves had visited beforehand and explained why the agreement was actually good for Israel. At any given moment, the Obama administration could argue - the Israeli security establishment is with us. This kosher certificate was taken out at every discussion of the agreement. It was impossible to escape it. This time Netanyahu tried to prevent this from happening. Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi not only aligned himself with Netanyahu yesterday (Tuesday) and presented a united Israeli front, he also took the opportunity to remove the Israeli military option from the IDF emergency storehouses, air it out a bit and bring it up for discussion. The cynics will argue that this was the deal: providing the IDF with a budget of billions to plan "offensive options" in exchange for support for (Netanyahu’s) general line. But even without being cynical - it's not certain that talking about war is a smart tactical move. The empty threats to attack Iran's nuclear facilities at the time achieved the opposite goal, and starred in the bullet point on the pages of then-White House spokesman Ben Rhodes as an argument in favor of the urgency of the agreement - to prevent war. It can happen this time too…
'Never Again' is more than a slogan (Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Hayom) As prime minister of a proud, strong Jewish state, I swear that we will never forget the tragic past, and we will never again be helpless against those who want to kill us.
Backing Netanyahu on Iran, Israel's Military Chief Strikes Defiant Tone Against Biden(Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi has warned the new administration against returning to the Iranian nuclear deal, but he shouldn’t be lecturing Israel’s key ally.
Next US envoy on Iran might destroy Trump's legacy (Amnon Lord, Israel Hayom) President Joe Biden is mulling naming National Security Council Robert Malley to head efforts on Iran. That is a cause for concern.
Why was Netanyahu so quick to close Israel's airport? (Meirav Arlosoroff, Haaretz+) Israel is the only country in the world to close its airport. Instead of a proportionate, thought-out COVID policy that could have brought about the same result with less damage, Israel chose again to go with a single dramatic, aggressive move.
Put Netanyahu on Trial’ Is Not the Answer to Every Problem (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) To the anti-Bibi camp, which is beautiful in its own eyes, anything Netanyahu does is bad now and forevermore. When he declares a lockdown, it’s the end of the world; he is demolishing the economy. When he opens up the economy, it’s the end of the world; election bribery and trafficking in the dead. When Ben-Gurion Airport was open – shooting from the hip. When it’s closed – devastation. How did he not lock down the ultra-Orthodox cities – after all, it’s so easy. Run over the ultra-Orthodox, beat them and shoot them.
Israel, Minus the ultra-Orthodox (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The bastards changed the rules, say the Haredim. Until the coronavirus came along everything was clear, orderly and coordinated. The government paid, and the rest of us supported it. Whoever chose to, saw this as a model of multicultural liberalism, and those whom it angered gnashed their teeth but understood it was a lost cause, since a Jewish state cannot crush the core of Judaism. The Haredim had another important role: They bestowed on secular and religious-Zionist Jews the status of progressive liberals, seekers of science and knowledge, representing a Judaism of power and military might, of “Never Again,” and “Only Thus,” of settlements and hilltops, of the “Jewish brain” that wins Nobel Prizes and creates global high-tech…Suddenly they are being seen as an existential threat. They don’t follow the rules, they open their Talmud Torah and yeshiva against regulations, they throw stones, beat policemen, burn buses and seem to be infecting the entire country with Covid-19…On the other hand, we have sworn democrats suggesting that the Haredim be beaten over the head and taught a lesson…

 

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

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