APN's daily news review from Israel

Sunday May 11, 2014

Quote of the day:

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Front Page News:

Haaretz

• Vatican: Worried about lack of control over hate crimes
• Assessment in Likud: Netanyahu's attempts to postpone elections for President failed
• Today national referendum in Ukraine: Only 30% of residents support annexation to Russia
• Indyk: Construction in settlements pushes Israel to bi-national reality without a revolution
• Economic recovery of Hadassah: Will receive 1.5 billion shekels from state
• After six months of fighting: peace agreement signed in South Sudan
• Men have 2.5 times more chance of receiving position in science-related academia

• "Make punishment of murderers harsher" - Following murder of Shelly Dadon: Thousands demonstrated in Afula - Today minister to vote on MK Shaked's bill that will make it more difficult to release terrorists
• The plan for war against 'price-tag' (attacks) - the Attorney General takes off his gloves
• Hebrew (Jewish) neo-Nazis // (author) Amos Oz
• Amos Oz's blindness // Ben-Dror Yemini
• Revolution in divorces: Law will block "race to authorities"

• not published today

• Security source: "In wake of budget constraints, training in IDF stopped" (Hebrew)
• Anger in US over Israeli neutrality in Ukrainian crisis
• Agreement in Hadassah
• Getting closer to explosion - Mossad chief (sic - former) Meir Dagan assesses that Iran is close to ability to producing nuclear bomb
• Israeli denial - Israel vehemently denies 'Newsweek' claims that Israel continues to spy on the US

• "Israeli spy in air-conditioning canal of Vice President" - Anger in Israel: "Someone is trying to sabotage relations with Israel"
• "Yedioth": Marketing content behind the backs of the readers
• How aren't the MKs not ashamed // Isi Leibler
• Security budget: Home front exercise postponed
• "Make it more difficult for murderers (to be released)"
• Dispute over postponement of elections for President - and over his authorities
• Amos Oz compared 'price-tag' attackers to neo-Nazis; Anger in right-wing: "Cheapening of Holocaust"

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News Summary:
A renowned Israeli author called radical settler youth neo-Nazis, the US special envoy to the peace talks said that Israel's settlement movement could drive Israel into a bi-national reality and a Newsweek article reported on Israel spying on the US - all making top stories in today's Hebrew papers and upsetting the right-wing. Also in the news was the Defense Minister's decision to call of the Home Front command exercise - the latest move in the battle with the Finance Ministry over the security budget.
 
**AMOS OZ and PRICE TAG:
Acclaimed author Amos Oz said that the terms 'price tag', used to describe the attacks mainly against Palestinians, their houses of worship and their property, and 'hill top youth', the term used to describe the radical settler youths behind the attacks, were "sweet names for a monster that needs to be called what it is: Hebrew neo-Nazi groups." Oz spoke Friday at an event in Tel-Aviv marking his 75th birthday and the publication of his new book. 
 
The right-wing were furious with him. Housing Minister Uri Ariel said price-tag attacks were serious crimes, but could not be compared to neo-Nazism. "This comparison is outrageous and degrading to the Holocaust," he said. But Oz did not regret his words. In today's Yedioth, Oz explained that his words were not off the cuff, and that he prepared hours in advance for his speech and weighed each word carefully. In an interview today with Army Radio, he said: "Like the neo-Nazis in Europe they desecrating places of worship, beating innocent people and spraying racist slogans." Secretary-General Director of "Peace Now," Yariv Oppenheimer, expressed support for Oz's statements, reported NRG Hebrew. "If in Europe there were a spreading phenomenon of daily attacks against Jews, Jewish property and synagogues, would the right-wing then be outraged by the term neo-Nazis?" asked Oppenheimer on Twitter . 
 
Meanwhile,on the same day that Oz spoke. the police arrested two (Jewish) youths aged 15 and 16 on suspicion of preparing to carry out a price-tag attack. And, over the weekend, "Death to Arabs" was written with marker on the front door of a family's house in the Muslim Quarter, while "King David for the Jews" and "Jesus is trash" was spray-painted on the wall of Saint George's Cathedral.
  
The Vatican has continued to voice its concern for Israel's lack of control over hate crimes. Yet, Israel Police asked the church to remove a sign welcoming the pope that is on a building belonging to the Franciscan Order, near the Old City’s Jaffa Gate. According to the church official, the officer explained that the sign could inflame passions and lead to the posting of signs by Jews who are against the papal visit. Yedioth's Tov Tsimuki reported that Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein intensified the campaign against 'price tag' attackers, allowing administrative detention without trial [as is done to Palestinians - OH].

Justice Minister Tsipi Livni said she supported an amendment to the law that would allow judges to impose stiffer jail sentences. The Ministerial Committee for Legislation was set to meet Sunday to discuss a bill proposal by Livni to expedite legal proceedings against "price tag" suspects. 
 
INDYK and SETTLEMENTS
In a speech to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on Thursday, Special US envoy to Middle East peace talks, Martin Indyk, said that settlement construction not only undermined Palestinian trust in the negotiation process, but could could drive Israel into a bi-national reality. Israel Hayom emphasized Israeli officials' criticism to his remarks in an article titled: 'What did Indyk contribute to peace talks?' Indyk said: "If this continues, it could mortally wound the idea of Israel as a Jewish state -- and that would be a tragedy of historic proportions." One Israeli official reacted telling Ynet: "He's been prowling around here for years and fails at every one of his attempts and simply refuses to recognize that the problem is not with us." But Indyk had a supporter in the Israeli government. Livni agreed with Indyk and the Palestinians when she told Army Radio Friday that settlement construction prevents peace. "The construction in the settlements, first and foremost, harms the State of Israel. It hurts the Palestinians, but it also hurts us." And Richard Falk, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, urged companies worldwide to boycott settlement products.
 
REPORT OF ISRAEL SPYING ON THE US
The seemingly embarrassing details of how an Israeli spy got caught trying to sneak into the bathroom of the US vice-president have also sparked outrage with Intelligence and Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz saying that the stories are invented to sabotage US-Israel relations. According to the Newsweek report, Israel's spying efforts are 'hushed up' by the US, but also are preventing Israel from joining the US visa waiver . Next week Steinitz will meet with Dianne Feinstein, the Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Intelligence, to discuss the reports.

Quick Hits:

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Features:

The rabbi who got Abbas to denounce the Holocaust
Together with Imam Shamsi Ali, Rabbi Marc Schneier has made it his life's mission to bring Muslims and Jews closer. Their activity includes a Holocaust remembrance event in Tunisia, a conference on Shoah and Islam planned by Austrian Muslim community. (Ynet)

Commentary/Analysis: 

'Price tag' is Israel's anti-Semitism (Yizhar Hess, Yedioth/Ynet) There are relatively more hate incidents against Arabs in Israel than hate incidents against Jews in France.
In Israel, Jewish terror exists (Haaretz Editorial) The question is when, not if, the 'price tag’ perpetrators will take up arms and cause a disaster.
Hilltop Youth - this generation's pioneers generation and not "neo-Nazis " (Boaz Shapira, NRG Hebrew) There has never been such a large gap between reality and what the hostile media shows as reality. It managed to collectively brainwash the people of Israel after which truth and clarity of thought disappeared as if they never existed. The hilltop youth are pioneers spread over the hills who live extremely modestly. Long days are dedicated to work and short nights with little sleep and a lot of guarding. 
Shock and law: How hate crimes go unpunished (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) With hate crime attacks on the rise, Israel is not displaying a united front or ensuring effective investigation.
US spies vindictive on Israel (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) Newsweek's articles only point out hypocrisy and ignorance in a US intelligence community that harbors a vindictive attitude towards Israel.
The J Street confrontation: Between a local squabble and a historic schism (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Reform leader Rick Jacobs decries 'dysfunctional' Conference of Presidents, whose rejection of J-Street has stirred emotions and raised tempers across the Jewish community.
Israel must not surrender to settler bullying and violence (David Landau, Haaretz+) Before the Gaza disengagement, settler violence was precluded by the heavy presence of police and army – which is what Israel should use today against Yitzhar’s cowardly pogromchiks.
Amos Oz has no right to preach (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth) How can the Israeli author slam rabbis who back 'price tag' thugs, as he legitimizes an Arab lawyer who called Israel a 'Nazi monster'?
Spy in the ointment further undermines U.S.-Israel relations (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Latest espionage allegations by U.S. sources against Israel are unconvincing and point to score-settling, but do magnify underlying problems between the two countries.Where is it really better to be a Christian - Israel or Palestine? (Nicolas Pelham, Haaretz+) In the run-up to the Pope's visit, Israel lobbyists glorify how Israel treats its Christian minority versus Palestinians 'persecution' of theirs – but where are Christians truly safe and part of public life?
Only aliyah will do (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) The future of the Jewish people, in Israel and around the world, depends on immigration to Israel. 
Freedom of the press, at any price (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) One can disagree with the editorial policies of Israeli newspapers Israel Hayom and Yedioth Ahronoth, but not with the importance of an unfettered press.
Will Israel survive? (Yossi Sarid, Haaretz+) For the first time in four decades, Israel stands naked, and not as when the state was born; without a fig leaf, without even an olive branch.
Digging in his heels (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) Even now, former Israeli Atomic Energy Commission chief Uzi Eilam refuses to admit he was wrong to oppose the bombing of the Iraqi nuclear reactor.
Free conscientious objector Omar Saad (Haaretz Friday Editorial) The Druze musician has been sentenced to prison seven times since he announced his refusal to serve in the IDF in 2012.
The impending fall of Abbas (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom) Mahmoud Abbas' time is past. He has abdicated in favor of Hamas, hoping for a controlled transition of power, and is paying Hamas to protect himself and his close associates from harm and allow them to keep the property they stole.
An army rebellion and a new Israeli national hero (Uri Avnery, Maan)  If it is true that every nation gets the national heroes it deserves, it was a rather worrying spectacle. The Israeli soldier, obviously feeling threatened, swings around and cocks his rifle, ready to shoot, threatens both teenagers, he tries to kick one, all the time uttering a stream of foul language. The first and obvious one: why did the army send a lone soldier to guard a street crossing in the middle of Hebron on his own, a town where supreme tension rules even on the quietest of days? 
Did U.S. State Department ignorance kill the peace process? (Emily L. Hauser, Haaretz+) When senior American officials in Kerry’s team say they didn’t know Netanyahu’s government was committed to the massive expropriation of land and to stay in power – what on earth did they know?
What's plan B? (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom) Alarmingly, I sense an undercurrent of growing support for the misguided and dangerous left-wing withdrawal plan nonsensically called "constructive unilateralism."
Al-Sisi, the Jew? (Khaled Diab, Haaretz+) Pro-Muslim Brotherhood conspiracy theorists, by 'accusing' Egypt’s likely next president of having a Jewish mother, are betraying a deeper pathology of hate and paranoia.

Ambassador to Egypt: To succeed you have 'to keep a low profile'
After completing over two years as ambassador, Ya'akov Amitai discusses the dangers, and struggles of serving in Egypt. "For two years I couldn't walk in the streets of Cairo even once." Nevertheless, it was a job he asked for. "It's what I'm the best at. I'm familiar with the country, the culture, and the language. I don't regret it for an instant," he said. (Interviewed by Smadar Perry in Yedioth/Ynet)

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