News Nosh 2.4.21

by APN 02/04/21
Share

APN's daily news review from Israel - Thursday February 4, 2020

Quote of the day:

“We need a tourniquet and he offers us a band-aid with ‘Likud’ written on it.”
--Joint List Chairman, MK Ayman Odeh, called the plan that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu presented yesterday to combat violence in the Arab sector an “election ploy on the backs of Arab murder victims."* 


Breaking News:
Lokman Slim, a prominent Hezbollah critic, was found shot dead in his car in southern Lebanon Thursday morning after going missing Wednesday. His telephone was found on the ground, but his ID and pistol were missing. (Also Yedioth Hebrew) It was the first such alleged killing of a leading anti-Hezbollah activist in years. On Wednesday, Hezbollah said it downed an Israeli drone that entered Lebanon using an anti-aircraft missile, but the IDF said the drone wasn’t downed, despite photos and locals saying they heard an explosion. Hours later, on Wednesday night, Israel struck Hezbollah targets in southern Syria near the Golan Heights border, Syrian state TV said. (VIDEO) Syria said it responded to 'an Israeli aggression.’ 


Front Page:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

  • Only this way will we defeat (corona) - Special to Yedioth: Directors of the biggest hospitals call on public to get vaccinated (Hebrew)
  • In the path of their father - 18 years ago policeman Aviv Kordo was killed in operational activity. His pregnant wife joined the police and then their daughter Shiran and now his son
  • Tonight at midnight the closing of the slates of the political parties: Dramatic merger in the [far-far] right-wing: Smotrich and Ben-Gvir agreed to run together. Discussions stuck in the left-wing between Michaeli, Huldai and Shelach; Benny Gantz decided to run alone with Kahol-Lavan
  • She’s worth gold - Another impressive achievement for the Israeli actress Shira Hass, who is candidate for the Golden Globe award

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

  • The easing of restrictions are in question
  • Collapse of the health system: Hospitals report filled to 120% capacity
  • Uniting forces - Smotrich and Ben-Gvir announced they are running together
  • At time of print: Report in Syria of Air Force attack in Damascus
  • Pride: Israeli actress Shira Hass is candidate for Golden Globe award for her role in “Unorthodox”

Israel Hayom

  • For sale: Fake vaccination certificates
  • Smotrich and Ben-Gvir signed (merger); Huldai is expected to withdraw (from election race)
  • Teheran: Enriching uranium in more efficient centrifuges
  • “The corona ship” - One year since the quarantine in Japan
  • From today: Vaccinations for age 16 and up
  • Shira Hass is candidate for the Golden Globe award for her role in “Unorthodox”
  • Uncomfortable truth // Ariel Pleskin on the storm over the anti-Zionist candidate in the Labor party


Top News Summary:
Political parties must close their lists by midnight and
and one merger drew particular attention - Kahanist Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party joined forces with MK Bezalel Smotrich's National Union Party at Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s urging - and Kahol-Lavan surprised by deciding to run alone, despite polls showing it might not cross the minimum threshold (See Elections 2021 section). The debate between Netanyahu and Kahol Lavan chairman and Defense Minister Benny Gantz over the exit date from the corona lockdown continued with Israelis still in the dark and vaccination rates dropping by half and Shira Hass became the first Israeli actor to be nominated for a Golden Globe award - making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.

In diplomacy, security and Iran issues: Netanyahu postponed his trip to the UAE and Bahrain for the third time and sources say the reason is so as not to infuriate Israelis whoare stuck abroad due to his decision to close the airport. US Democratic lawmaker Rep. Andy Levin said that anti-Semitism cannot be wiped out without respecting Palestinian rights. Levin said he has long advocated for the United States to fight Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he hopes the Middle East Quartet will renew its meetings in the next "few weeks" now that there is a new U.S. president in the White House. Also, two interesting analyses of the phone call US President Joe Biden has not made to Netanyahu. (See Commentary/Analysis below.)

Israel Hayom continued to focus on Iran, quoting people in favor of Israel attacking the country. It reported that Iran was “bucking against the nuclear deal” and had begun accelerated enrichment at Natanz nuclear facility. The paper quoted Likud MK and former Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter, who called for Israel to “initiate military operations against Iran.” ‘Israel Hayom’ did quote J Street Israel Executive Director Nadav Tamir, who counteredthat Iran began enriching uranium at a dangerous rate only after the Trump administration left the nuclear agreement. The paper also quoted the United Arab Emirates' former deputy police chief Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, who asserted that Israel was capable of destroying Iran's nuclear project with one single attack and that it “would be easier than you think.”  Tamim led the investigation into the 2010 Mossad assassination of a top Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel room.

Elections 2021:

  • Israel Election: At Netanyahu's Urging, Kahanist Party Joins Forces With Far-right Slate - Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party joins forces with Bezalel Smotrich's National Union Party, with the Kahanist leader set to take the third slot on the list for the fourth Israeli election in two years. (Haaretz+ and Times of Israel)
  • Yesh Atid, Yamina, Kahol-Lavan file their election slates, ruling out mergers - On Wednesday, a day ahead of the Thursday midnight deadline, several prominent parties submit their lists of candidates for March 23 vote; some small parties drop out. (Times of Israel)
  • Three of four Arab factions of Joint List launche Knesset run separate from RA'AM - Hadash, Ta’al and Balad split from longtime ally RA'AM due to RA'AM's connections to the ruling Likud party and its chairman, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, as well as disagreements regarding issues of religion and conservatism among Arab society. MK Ahmed Tibi: "The door to Mansour Abbas will remain open." (Haaretz+, Ynet and Maariv)
  • Joining Netanyahu 'Was a Mistake,' Admits Labor Minister in Resignation Post- After talks on joining Gantz's Kahol Lavan party fail, Itzik Shmuli announces he would take 'a time out' from politics. [NOTE: In its report, 'Israel Hayom' didn't mention that Shmuli said it was a mistake to join Netanyahu. - OH] (Israel Hayomand Haaretz+)
  • PM believes path to electoral victory runs through Yamina - Having realized his divisive rhetoric is pushing away voters and an end to the pandemic won't be coming anytime soon, Netanyahu is shifting gears in his campaign. (Israel Hayom)

*After weeks of courting Arab voters and two days after an innocent Arab-Israeli nursing student was killed in a shootout between police armed with assault rifles and criminals in a residential neighborhood, Netanyahu appointed a controversial person to run his new plan to counter the rampant violence in the Arab-Israeli sector and chose a problematic location to announce it. At a news conference at the National Police Headquarters, Netanyahu announced the appointment of retired police Maj. Gen. Aharon Franco to run a $30-million plan to curb Arab community crime. (The plans require cabinet approval, and it is not clear if or when they would be brought to a cabinet vote and whether they would be approved.) In the past, Franco formerly the head of the Prison Service and the Jerusalem District Police commander, called Muslim Israelis “ungrateful” for clashing with the police, in 2009 at the Temple Mount. But Netanyahu said Franco has “excellent relations with the leaders of Arab communities.” The reactions were quick to come. Joint List Chairman, MK Ayman Odeh, called the plan an “election ploy on the backs of Arab murder victims. Odeh said,  “We need a tourniquet and he offers us a band-aid with ‘Likud’ written on it.” Meretz Chairman MK Nitzan Horowitz slammed Netanyahu for “trampling on the law and holding a press conference as part of his campaign at the National Police Headquarters…this is something that is completely forbidden by law.” According to Netanyahu, a special ministerial committee will be set for the plan. "The immediate plan includes collecting weapons from Arab localities, investing one hundred million shekels in building police and fire stations in addition to the nine we established, establishing social welfare institutions, establishing a team led by the National Security Council to prevent weapons (from getting to the criminals in the localities - OH), implementing a domestic violence prevention program in the Arab sector and many other important tasks,” he said. “I am personally committed to carrying out this huge task, a task that will change the lives of Arab Israeli citizens. It will give great hope for the future for every boy and girl." Public Security Minister Amir Ohana was present and said: “We need the Arab public by our side in this war. The majority of the Arab public is law-abiding, but a small minority of them are responsible for 93% of the shootings, 64% of the murders, 56% of the weapons offenses, or in other words - about 60% of the crime in Israel. And the victims of crime are, of course, Israeli citizens, Jews and Arabs alike." (Maariv, Ynet and Haaretz+)

Corona-related Quickees:

  • Health minister: Drastic drop in vaccination rate troubling - The Health Ministry has decided to expand the nationwide vaccination campaign and allow every Israeli over the age of 16 to get inoculated as a result of the drastic drop in the vaccination rate in recent days. (Israel Hayom)
  • In global first, Health Ministry to begin vaccinating all Israelis 16 and up - Expanded drive will make an additional 1.7 million people eligible for the vaccine. Meanwhile, ahead of a cabinet meeting to discuss another lockdown extension, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the economy will gradually begin reopening next week but in a "cautious" manner. (Haaretz and Israel Hayom)
  • Palestinian Health Minister confirms 10,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik vaccine will arrive in Palestine today - Donations of vaccines from friendly countries and institutions supporting the Palestinian people are also expected here in the near future, the Palestinian Health Minister said. (Haaretz and WAFA)
  • Pfizer Vaccine Is Just as Effective Against COVID U.K. Strain, Israeli Data Shows - New studies by Israeli HMO based on patient data demonstrate coronavirus vaccine effectiveness in real world. (Haaretz)
  • U.K. Virus Variant Has Developed Concerning New Mutation - The E484K mutation, which occurs on the spike protein of the virus, is the same change as has been seen in the South African and Brazilian variants. (Haaretz)
  • Study Suggests Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine Less Effective Against S. African Variant - Britain and many other countries have begun rolling out the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to try to stem the spread of the pandemic disease. (Agencies,Haaretz)

 

Quick Hits:

  • Why Is the Israeli Military Exercising in These Palestinian Villages, for the First Time in 7 Years? - Despite explicit promises to residents of Masafer Yatta in the south Hebron Hills, military vehicles drive onto farmland, damaging vital crops and cisterns, during large-scale drills using tanks and live fire. They caused psychological distress and panic among the residents, particularly the children. Locals said the drills came to preempt an Israeli court ruling on a lawsuit filed by the Palestinian farmers in protest of the ongoing Israeli military destruction of their farmland. (WAFA and Haaretz+)
  • Israel razes Palestinian village in northern Jordan Valley for second time - Israeli forces dismantled tents and structures Wednesday morning dismantled tents and other structures in Khirbet Humsa al-Fouqa community and prevented activists from building shelters for the residents whose tents were demolished yesterday and left without a shelter to protect them from the cold desert night weather. Israeli authorities said the village had been constructed illegally on a military firing range and locals rejected their offer to move nearby. (WAFA and Agencies, Ynet)
  • Palestinian President expresses solidarity with Jordan Valley community threatened with expulsion by Israel - President Mahmoud Abbas stressed in a phone call to activists battling Israel's attempts to displace the Palestinian community of Humsa al-Fouqa in the northern Jordan Valley his solidarity with them and the community, and expressing his deep anger at what he described as the continuation of this barbaric aggression against them. (WAFA)
  • Israeli military targets Gaza farmers, fishermen, detains one - Israeli forces fired live ammunition and smoke shells towards farmlands, forcing farmers to leave their lands and the Israeli navy opened gunfire and water hoses toward fishermen as the latter were sailing only three nautical miles offshore, forcing them to flee and return to shore to avoid being hit or their boats damaged. (WAFA)
  • Israeli forces to demolish farmer’s hut, retaining walls south of Bethlehem - Israeli troops stormed the western section of al-Khader and handed a resident a military notice to tear down his hut and retaining walls. (WAFA)
  • Attorney, three minors among 25 Palestinians detained from West Bank - In Hizma, near Jerusalem, soldiers broke into the family house of one of man they detained and used pepper spray against three of the family members, causing them to suffocate. In Nablus district, Israeli soldiers detained a Palestinian from a coffee shop in Asira Ash-Shamaliya town, north of the city. In in Tuqu‘, near Bethlehem, soldiers ransacked the homes of two teenagers when detaining them. (WAFA)
  • Military observation point set up at entrance of Ramallah-district town - The fixed tent will function as an observation point at the entrance of Deir Nidham village. In January, the Israeli army sealed off the village purportedly as part of an active pursuit of the perpetrators who hurled stones at a female settler as she was driving past the village entrance, injuring her. (WAFA)
  • Israeli Prisoner X, Intel Agent Turned Murderer, Dies at 91 - Mordechai Kedar, a Military Intelligence operative, was sent to Argentina in the ‘50s to launch sabotage operations in Egypt in the guise of a businessman. He was hired in the framework of a military plan to use criminals because they were fearless and knew how to do undercover jobs.  “He was one of the strongest and darkest people I have ever questioned,” said one Israeli interrogator. But would be secretly convicted of killing an Argentian Jewish businessman who assisted him. Israel did not want Argentina to know what it was doing on its land, so he became the first prisoner in the "Xs wing" at Ramla prison. [Prisoner X is what those secretly imprisoned in Israel are called. Because they hold state secrets the state does prevents their identity from being known and they are given a false name so no other prisoner knows who they are. e.g. Australian-Israeli spy Ben Zygier - OH]. At age 92, Kedar passed away in Los Angeles, leaving behind a trail of terror, corpses and a legacy that Israeli intelligence would rather forget. (Haaretz+ and Yedioth Hebrew)
  • Court indicts Palestinian terrorist for murder of Israeli woman - Indictment Thursday says Muhammad Mruh Kabha, who murdered Esther Horgen in December, smashed the mother of six on the head with a rock until she stopped moving in an attack he planned for over a month. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Israeli High Court Approves Demolishing Home of Palestinian Accused of Murdering Settler - Israeli justices divided on the Shin Bet's opinion about the effectiveness of demolishing Palestinians' homes in preventing future terrorist attacks. (Haaretz+)
  • Palestinian Foreign Ministry calls on Kosovo to retract embassy decision to have full diplomatic relations with Israel - "The agreement Kosovo signed with the occupying power (Israel) and declaring its intention to open an embassy in occupied Jerusalem is a step that contradicts everything that Kosovo is trying to do to persuade the world to recognize it," said the Foreign Ministry in a statement. (WAFA)
  • Turkey slams Kosovo decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem - Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said, "It is clear that any step towards this direction will not serve the Palestinian cause and undermine the vision of a two-state solution." (WAFA)
  • UAE, Israeli soccer clubs to play first friendlies since normalization - UAE club Al-Ain and Maccabi Haifa, two of the most successful in their respective leagues, have yet to set dates for the games in two friendlies. (Israel Hayom)
  • Israeli Good Governance Group Is Seeking U.S. Government Probe Linked to Israel - The Movement for Quality Government has hired a D.C. law firm and appears to be seeking to have Prime Minister Netanyahu investigated in the U.S. over Israel’s purchase of German submarines and his ties to his cousin Nathan Milikowsky. (Haaretz+)
  • Washington Wizards Launch Hebrew Instagram for Deni Avdija's Israeli Fans - This is the first Instagram account in Hebrew for an NBA team, which will also launch a Wizraeli podcast to 'feature interviews with Wizards personnel and voices from around the NBA and Israel.’ (JTA, Haaretz)
  • Rights groups, lawmakers urge reversal of Trump's sanctions reprieve for Israeli mining tycoon - Human Rights Watch, Oxfam and Biden cabinet members call on President Biden to reverse move to ease sanctions on Dan Gertler. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Archaeologists in Egypt unearth an eerie cache of golden-tongued mummies - Corpses dating back to Greek and Roman eras likely received gilded organs to better speak to Osiris, lord of the underworld. (Maariv and Times of Israel)


Commentary/Analysis:
He’s not coming and he’s not ringing: Is Biden letting Netanyahu ‘dry out’? (Itamar Eichner, Yedioth Hebrew) US President Joe Biden will deliver his State Policy speech from the State Department in Washington tomorrow (Friday) at 2:45 pm Washington time (9:45 pm Israel time). In a speech that will also be attended by Vice President Kamla Harris, Biden will explain the principles of his foreign policy on a number of issues, including Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a wide range of other issues. But 15 days after entering the White House, Biden has yet to find time to call Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, unlike former President Donald Trump who called him three days after entering the White House in 2016. Biden may call Netanyahu today or tomorrow, but if he does not do so before giving his foreign policy speech tomorrow - it will be a real insult…It will be a statement from Washington that it is less interested in what the Israeli prime minister has to say, especially when he has already made all his messages about the Iranian issue public. In Israel, there is a debate as to whether Biden is shaming Netanyahu or simply that (we have) to get used to the fact that the new president is not Trump and that one can forget about the intimate closeness between the two leaders. During Trump's tenure, Israel received truly extraordinary treatment on every scale and the administration literally took us into account in almost everything it was involved in. Now a government has been elected whose promises to the public have been in the area of fighting corona, repairing the damage to the economy, to businesses, fighting climate change and the competition with China. With all due respect to those sitting in Zion, the Middle East is not on the agenda of the Americans. The White House is also dealing with the Iranian issue, but only because there is no choice and due to the fact that the Islamic Republic continues to rage in violations. Sources in Washington have sent signals and hints to Jerusalem that as soon as President Biden begins talks with Middle Eastern leaders - they will give Netanyahu the honor of being the first leader. Some argue that the new administration is letting Netanyahu sweat on purpose. They know he has an election coming soon and are not eager to help him, especially against the backdrop of past fallouts. The Israeli statements against returning to the nuclear agreement and the words of Chief of Staff Major General Aviv Kochavi did not really contribute to building trust. But when you look at the list of world leaders that Biden has already called, it's hard not to conclude that someone in the White House simply does not count Netanyahu. Just Wednesday night Biden spoke with the leaders of South Korea and Australia. This was preceded by his talks with the leaders of Canada, Mexico, Britain, Russia, Germany, France and NATO. The Americans have promised to consult with the US allies on the issue of a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Israel, and they are keeping their promise even though the same important phone call between Netanyahu and Biden has not yet taken place. However, it is important to emphasize that Israel and the United States do hold working-level talks on the nuclear deal with Iran and Middle East issues in which Jerusalem presents its concerns.  These calls only take place on Zoom due to corona limitations. Until now, Defense Minister Benny Gantz spoke with new US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat spoke with his American counterpart Jake Sullivan. The Americans have not yet decided whether to start holding face-to-face meetings. Israel's position is heard, but it is not certain that it can really influence the American perspective. The United States is rowing back toward a nuclear deal, even if it promises to try to improve it later. Meanwhile, the Iranians are hardening their positions and making it clear that they will not agree to any change. Mossad chief Yossi Cohen is expected to arrive in Washington this month, and according to the plan, he is expected to meet with a long list of people to whom he will present the Israeli intelligence information on the Iranian violations. In the meantime, Netanyahu is expected to appoint a project manager to coordinate contacts with the United States and other people in the international community on the Iranian issue. Gantz has informed him that he will not allow him to appoint such a projector if he intends to bypass the defense establishment.
Biden Wants to Restore America’s Influence in Europe. He Should Start Here (Hamza Karcic, Haaretz+) China and Russia are embedding themselves in the Balkans; nationalism, authoritarianism and the anti-NATO camp are rising. But it’s not too late for Biden to reassert America’s role, and influence, in this corner of Europe.
Biden Didn’t Call Netanyahu Since January 20. Does It Matter? (Alon Pinkas, Haaretz+) Because the phone call was never made, many devastated Israelis – particularly in the media – all guided by their compulsive need to be loved by the U.S. president, are in full panic mode. “Is this a crisis? What’s the problem with Biden? Is the United States still an ally? What will happen with the Iran nuclear deal now Biden hasn’t spoken to Netanyahu,” they ask anxiously. But relationships between U.S. and Israeli leaders are measured by matters of policy, not when they first spoke.
The Iranian threat, the American problem (Dan Schueftan, Israel Hayom) The Biden administration would like to revive the 2015 deal, with minor tweaks, essentially accepting Iran's bid for regional dominance.
Biden needs to understand the world has changed (Emirati, Amjad Taha, Israel Hayom) Israel, Bahrain, and the UAE share great concerns over Iran's regional and military aspirations. Will the American president listen?
The GOP Isn’t Big Enough for Jews and for Marjorie Taylor Greene's Jew-hate(Jonathan S. Tobin, Haaretz+) Republicans’ disinterest in ostracizing Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, an extremist who proudly peddles antisemitic conspiracies, is devastating for Jewish conservatives.
IDF setting a dangerous precedent (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) Hezbollah's attempt to down an Israeli drone was not the first incident of its kind. The terrorist group continues to challenge Israel and the IDF needs to send a stern message with actions, not words.
The lost generation of young Arabs in Israel (Zohir Bahlul, on Wednesday front page ofYedioth Hebrew) The virus of violence in Arab society continues to spread. Moreover, it already produces mutations of various kinds. It is doubtful if any vaccine can save any more…This writing is not just an ‘Je accuse,’ it is a diagnosis. Perhaps this is pretentious, and yet: Arab society is a young, dynamic and energetic society. It is of course looking for horizon and vision, just as is the case in any normal society around the world. But what can you do, the captains of the country have failed to produce for the shabab (Arab youth) neither horizon nor vision, nor employment nor dream. Thus, the numbers of unemployed are enormous. These youth live without the possibility of earning normal wages, without employment options, neither in the depths of high-tech nor in the spaces of low-tech. They are tucked away, hurt and trailing behind. Not only are they unable to catch up with civilization, they see it receding from them. Then the sadness turns to rage. This leads to acts of despair and, hence, the short cut to delinquency, casual weapons, shootings and connecting with crime families. This bloody arena turns our lives into hell. The shabab are mostly uneducated. They find in weapons both a lucrative tool and a macho one. The guys are galloping through the streets, skidding their cars, intimidating, blackmailing and exploiting the urban slums to get more and more candidates from them who are looking for quick money - and turning them into the criminals of today. Those who did not act to fulfill the needs of the Arab minority in the country today receive a lost generation, which sows destruction and turns personal security into a sad joke. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu cannot guarantee what he has failed to do for 12 years. We, the Arab leadership, also have a part to play. Bibi will have a hard time rehabilitating the ruins. He or whoever replaces him will have to rebuild everything: employment, transportation, development and a sense of hope. Otherwise, we will continue to wallow in the swamp of fear and bury our sons as happened (Monday night) in Tamra with Ahmad Hijazi, an innocent nursing student, [who was killed in shootout between police armed with assault rifles and criminals in a residential neighborhood - OH]. The cries of the mothers resound and the number of bereaved families is growing. A land roars of rupture, doom, orphanhood and destruction. When a country, with its various branches, has no particular motivation to establish order, this is what the reality of our lives looks like. Before I finish, I hurry to close the windows of my house lest another shot kill me or anyone around me. Howls of bereavement. (Zohir Bahlul is an Arab-Israeli journalist and former MK of the Zionist Camp party.)
Why Shin Bet torturers don’t have to worry about punishment (Yael Stein, Israel Hayom) By clearing the Shin Bet for the brutal interrogation of a Palestinian detainee, the attorney general played his part in masking Israel's approval of torture.
Terrorism is terrorism: the Shin Bet is the solution to the problem of violence in the Arab sector (Musa Hassadiya, Maariv) If the corona was defined as a national epidemic and the government used the Shin Bet to locate those infected, then this is also a national epidemic, and the involvement of the intelligence organization is needed to locate the families of the criminals and the criminals themselves.
Arab Israelis, don't waste opportunity for change (Uri Cohen, Israel Hayom) An alliance with the Likud would see Israel's Arabs move from segregation to partnership and from fantasy to reality.
In its war on Palestinian students, Israel deems book fairs and falafel sales a crime(Anat Matar, Israel Hayom) From campus raids to dubious indictments, Israel's persecution of Palestinian students aims to suppress political activism in West Bank universities.
Lapid Finally Has His Moment in the Election Ring With Netanyahu. He’ll Have Just One Chance (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) For the first time in his nine years in politics, Lapid is Netanyahu’s main challenger. This election could bring him a difficult but viable majority coalition.
It's not Haredi blackmail, but the bedrock of our democracy (Dr. Shlomo Zadok, Yedioth/Ynet) Ultra-Orthodox leaders never stationed tanks in front of a secular prime minister or presented him with an instrument of surrender, they're simply carrying out the will of their constituents, and their detractors are the same ones who rag on secular politicians for failing to do the same.
When Will the Arab World Confront Its Sex Abuse Problem? (Reem Abdellatif,Haaretz+) Sexual harassment and assault are pandemics stalking the Middle East: Fear, and the impunity granted to perpetrators, have long silenced women. But boosted by #MeToo, a reckoning is building, slowly but surely.

Interviews:
The First Lady of Israeli Culture: 'This Country Is Going Down the Drain'
'Even animals have culture. Here there’s nothing,' says celebrated Israeli actress Gila Almagor, who is coping with the demise of her life’s two great loves: husband Yaakov Agmon and cultural institutions. (Interviewed by Lior Soroka in Haaretz+)
 

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

Recent Entries