APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday June 10, 2014
Quote of the day:
"Eight years ago, a bill outlawing force-feeding geese was passed here. So it's illegal to
force-feed geese, but human beings can be force-fed. Sure if they are Arab."
--Arab Meretz MK Issawi Freij declares his vehement opposition in Knesset to force-feeding hunger-striking
Palestinian detainees.**
Front Page News:
Haaretz
- MKs to elect the next president today
- Sour vote: The unforgettable moments that polluted the race for the president's residence // Yossi Verter
- Promoted general approved shooting (dead) innocent Palestinian - and no steps were taken against him
- Approved in first reading: Force-feeding of (Palestinian) hunger-strikers
- (Netanyahu-appointed) Cabinet secretary questioned under warning in Harpaz affair
- Rishon L'Tzion residents recycled - the municipality threw it all in the garbage
Yedioth Ahronoth
- The 10th President - MKs to vote today at 11AM in first round of elections for president
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links)
- Electing a President
- End to the headache // Ben Caspit
- Lieberman: "Annexation idea is not bad, but hopeless"
- Chief of Staff: "The Iranians are not giving up their vision of nuclear weapons"
- Undercover female agent incriminated dozens of drug dealers
- Judge compelled youth to go through chemotherapy
Israel Hayom
- Electing a President
- Fuad (Ben-Eliezer's) safe: $510,000 in cash - without report and without taxes
- Did we stick with the book? Book week begins tomorrow - in shadow of Authors' Law and Steimatzky bookstore's financial crisis
- The approval and the storm: The bill to force-feed prisoners passed the first reading
- Cabinet secretary Avichai Mandelblitt questioned under warning in Ashkenazi (Harpaz) affair
News Summary:
High tension ahead of the vote today for a new Israeli President made the top story in Hebrew papers this morning. Also high in the news were quotes by the IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and others of the threats Israel faces from its neighbors and a Likud minister questioned the need for peace. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was accused of lousy leadership by his government coalition partners, a former US envoy to Israel confirmed relations between the two countries have never been so bad and the latest news regarding force-feeding hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners.
On a panel at the annual Herzliya Conference, Netanyahu’s former national security advisor Maj.Gen. Yaakov Amidror expressed some interesting and controversial ideas.
**Peace won't help secure Israel: "Even if we do the most fantastic thing that people are expecting of us and sign a peace accord with the Palestinians, it will change nothing in terms of the basic gaps that are now leading and driving the behavior and conduct of countries in the area."
**Israel "will have to" harm Lebanese civilians and is justified in doing so: "We need to use land forces in order to destroy Hezbollah's infrastructure in Lebanon...We will have to take action in places filled with civilians because they (Hezbollah) are launching from houses. We will have to hurt civilians, there's nothing we can do about it. Because the world did not stop these people from launching missiles, they can't complain to Israel (when civilians are harmed)."
**Israel is isolated in dealing militarily with the Iranian threat: "The US won't take Israel's place in action against Iran."
Also at the Herzliya Conference, Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar said things were best as they are. "There is no basis to the perception that the status quo is a bad thing," he said.
IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz also spoke at the conference and made headlines saying:
**Iran would not give up its quest for nuclear weapons.
**Both Hezbollah and Hamas know fighting Israel would set them back.
**Hezbollah's military is stronger than most countries'.
Brig. Gen. Itai Brun, head of Military Intelligence research, provided conference participants with the IDF's assessments:
** 80% of Syria rebels are Islamist.
** Iran abiding by interim nuclear deal, but hasn’t abandoned nuke drive
**Since Operation Pillar of Defense, Gaza has 20 times more long-distance rockets
**Gaza militants have hundreds of rockets aimed at Tel-Aviv.
**There are 170,000 rockets pointed at Israel from Lebanon and Syria.
Meanwhile, a single rocket from Gaza exploded in southern Israel, just north of the Strip Sunday night. No injuries or damage reported. Last week, Israeli Air Force struck two Gaza terror targets in response to previous rocket fire. [This may be the beginning of another round of tit-for-tat. - OH]
Speaking at a ceremony for fallen soldiers of the Nahal Brigades, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon accused leaders of the Palestinian Authority of "unprecedented incitement against Israel," called the countries and organizations around Israel "bloodthirsty and dripping with hatred," Maariv online reported. Yaalon also said: "Forever, we extend our hand in peace. That is what we yearn for. Those who experienced the horrors of war and the loss of family and friends, know the heavy price paid, which hurts so much. Even now we call again on the Arab peoples and the leaders of the Palestinian Authority to honestly sit at the negotiation table, not to reject the hand extended in peace and brotherhood."
The fallout from the Sunday speeches at the conference by Finance Minister Yair Lapid, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett continues. Yedioth reports on tensions between Lapid and Netanyahu after Lapid said in his speech that "Not doing anything is not leadership." Netanyahu responded insinuating that Lapid is inexperienced in security affairs and lacks political wisdom. Now Lapid's people have responded telling Yedioth/Ynet, "It seems that despite his years of experience, the prime minister has yet to move us closer to peace, stop Iran's nuclear program or even renew diplomatic relations with Turkey."
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman also slammed Netanyahu's lack of leadership and had some other interesting things to say.
**He cited lack of cohesion in cabinet by pointing to the different directions of the political speeches the ministers gave yesterday. "What happened yesterday, when four senior ministers gave public addresses one after the other with each proposing a different political solution, was a grotesque performance...One minister spoke of annexation, another minister spoke of deliberation, a woman minister spoke of segmentation, and the last spoke of stagnation."
**Supported the idea of annexation, but said "it was hopeless. Even Minister Bennett knows that, but he thinks it is worth saying to maybe get two more seats (in the Knesset)."
**Opposed continuing the status quo, as Minister Gideon Sa'ar's suggested, saying "...it simply does not work. It's like in soccer, if you do not initiate and are always defending, you eventually concede a goal."
** Appeared to be supportive of the Arab Peace Initiative, saying he supported a negotiated agreement with the Palestinians, "but only as part of a package which also solves our relations with the Arab world and the issue of Israeli Arabs. It must be part of a package deal." However, he added: "The situation today is not what it was more than 10 years ago when they first proposed the Arab Peace Initiative. It is no longer quiet in the Arab world."
At the pro-peace pro-Israel J-Street lobby national conference in San Francisco, Haaretz+ reported that former US ambassador to Israel, Daniel Kurtzer, said US-Israel ties have never been so bad. Kurtzer criticized Israeli meddling in US domestic politics, and said Israeli leaders need to realize the US is 'also a sovereign nation.' Reporting from the conference, Haaretz+ blogger and senior editor, Bradley Burston, noted that J Street tapped Salam Fayyad to open its national summit in an unexpected move.
**Hunger-Striking Prisoner Quick Hits:
Yedioth and Maariv published informative pieces about the first-reading approval by the Knesset to force-feed hunger-striking prisoners and who was in favor and who was against. Maariv's article was only online.
Haaretz+ published a piece by Jacky Khugi that shared the Palestinian detainees' intentions to continue the hunger strike even if it means death. He also reported that "people who have spoken with (Shin Bet Chief Yoram) Cohen over the past several days got the impression that he believed Israel could deal even with the death of a hunger-striking detainee and that compromising with them would put Israel in the position of being permanently under extortion by repeated hunger strikes." Israel has compromised with numerous hunger-striking detainees till now. Maan reported that an Israeli military court gave a release date in an agreement with one detainee who refused to eat for 51 days.
In the Knesset debate, the Arab MKs and Meretz Jewish MKs strongly opposed the bill, as did far right-wing MK Moshe Feiglin, who said that if they want to die, "let them." Arab Meretz MK Issawi Freij: "Eight years ago, a bill outlawing force-feeding geese was passed here. So it's illegal to force-feed geese, but human beings can be force-fed. Sure if they are Arab."
Haaretz's military affairs reporter Amos Harel reported that Israel is concerned that if one of the hunger strikers dies, the public agenda in the West Bank could change radically. "That’s why updates on the condition of the strikers – about 70 of whom have already been hospitalized – are included in every situation assessment the defense establishment conducts," writes Harel.
Israel Hayom published a short item on the Knesset approval, that oddly did not explain why the prisoners were hunger-striking. Instead, reporter Gideon Alon wrongly implied that the protest was due to bad prison conditions, and not the real reason: protesting being detained without charges and trial - even for years on end.
High tension ahead of the vote today for a new Israeli President made the top story in Hebrew papers this morning. Also high in the news were quotes by the IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and others of the threats Israel faces from its neighbors and a Likud minister questioned the need for peace. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was accused of lousy leadership by his government coalition partners, a former US envoy to Israel confirmed relations between the two countries have never been so bad and the latest news regarding force-feeding hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners.
On a panel at the annual Herzliya Conference, Netanyahu’s former national security advisor Maj.Gen. Yaakov Amidror expressed some interesting and controversial ideas.
**Peace won't help secure Israel: "Even if we do the most fantastic thing that people are expecting of us and sign a peace accord with the Palestinians, it will change nothing in terms of the basic gaps that are now leading and driving the behavior and conduct of countries in the area."
**Israel "will have to" harm Lebanese civilians and is justified in doing so: "We need to use land forces in order to destroy Hezbollah's infrastructure in Lebanon...We will have to take action in places filled with civilians because they (Hezbollah) are launching from houses. We will have to hurt civilians, there's nothing we can do about it. Because the world did not stop these people from launching missiles, they can't complain to Israel (when civilians are harmed)."
**Israel is isolated in dealing militarily with the Iranian threat: "The US won't take Israel's place in action against Iran."
Also at the Herzliya Conference, Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar said things were best as they are. "There is no basis to the perception that the status quo is a bad thing," he said.
IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz also spoke at the conference and made headlines saying:
**Iran would not give up its quest for nuclear weapons.
**Both Hezbollah and Hamas know fighting Israel would set them back.
**Hezbollah's military is stronger than most countries'.
Brig. Gen. Itai Brun, head of Military Intelligence research, provided conference participants with the IDF's assessments:
** 80% of Syria rebels are Islamist.
** Iran abiding by interim nuclear deal, but hasn’t abandoned nuke drive
**Since Operation Pillar of Defense, Gaza has 20 times more long-distance rockets
**Gaza militants have hundreds of rockets aimed at Tel-Aviv.
**There are 170,000 rockets pointed at Israel from Lebanon and Syria.
Meanwhile, a single rocket from Gaza exploded in southern Israel, just north of the Strip Sunday night. No injuries or damage reported. Last week, Israeli Air Force struck two Gaza terror targets in response to previous rocket fire. [This may be the beginning of another round of tit-for-tat. - OH]
Speaking at a ceremony for fallen soldiers of the Nahal Brigades, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon accused leaders of the Palestinian Authority of "unprecedented incitement against Israel," called the countries and organizations around Israel "bloodthirsty and dripping with hatred," Maariv online reported. Yaalon also said: "Forever, we extend our hand in peace. That is what we yearn for. Those who experienced the horrors of war and the loss of family and friends, know the heavy price paid, which hurts so much. Even now we call again on the Arab peoples and the leaders of the Palestinian Authority to honestly sit at the negotiation table, not to reject the hand extended in peace and brotherhood."
The fallout from the Sunday speeches at the conference by Finance Minister Yair Lapid, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett continues. Yedioth reports on tensions between Lapid and Netanyahu after Lapid said in his speech that "Not doing anything is not leadership." Netanyahu responded insinuating that Lapid is inexperienced in security affairs and lacks political wisdom. Now Lapid's people have responded telling Yedioth/Ynet, "It seems that despite his years of experience, the prime minister has yet to move us closer to peace, stop Iran's nuclear program or even renew diplomatic relations with Turkey."
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman also slammed Netanyahu's lack of leadership and had some other interesting things to say.
**He cited lack of cohesion in cabinet by pointing to the different directions of the political speeches the ministers gave yesterday. "What happened yesterday, when four senior ministers gave public addresses one after the other with each proposing a different political solution, was a grotesque performance...One minister spoke of annexation, another minister spoke of deliberation, a woman minister spoke of segmentation, and the last spoke of stagnation."
**Supported the idea of annexation, but said "it was hopeless. Even Minister Bennett knows that, but he thinks it is worth saying to maybe get two more seats (in the Knesset)."
**Opposed continuing the status quo, as Minister Gideon Sa'ar's suggested, saying "...it simply does not work. It's like in soccer, if you do not initiate and are always defending, you eventually concede a goal."
** Appeared to be supportive of the Arab Peace Initiative, saying he supported a negotiated agreement with the Palestinians, "but only as part of a package which also solves our relations with the Arab world and the issue of Israeli Arabs. It must be part of a package deal." However, he added: "The situation today is not what it was more than 10 years ago when they first proposed the Arab Peace Initiative. It is no longer quiet in the Arab world."
At the pro-peace pro-Israel J-Street lobby national conference in San Francisco, Haaretz+ reported that former US ambassador to Israel, Daniel Kurtzer, said US-Israel ties have never been so bad. Kurtzer criticized Israeli meddling in US domestic politics, and said Israeli leaders need to realize the US is 'also a sovereign nation.' Reporting from the conference, Haaretz+ blogger and senior editor, Bradley Burston, noted that J Street tapped Salam Fayyad to open its national summit in an unexpected move.
**Hunger-Striking Prisoner Quick Hits:
Yedioth and Maariv published informative pieces about the first-reading approval by the Knesset to force-feed hunger-striking prisoners and who was in favor and who was against. Maariv's article was only online.
Haaretz+ published a piece by Jacky Khugi that shared the Palestinian detainees' intentions to continue the hunger strike even if it means death. He also reported that "people who have spoken with (Shin Bet Chief Yoram) Cohen over the past several days got the impression that he believed Israel could deal even with the death of a hunger-striking detainee and that compromising with them would put Israel in the position of being permanently under extortion by repeated hunger strikes." Israel has compromised with numerous hunger-striking detainees till now. Maan reported that an Israeli military court gave a release date in an agreement with one detainee who refused to eat for 51 days.
In the Knesset debate, the Arab MKs and Meretz Jewish MKs strongly opposed the bill, as did far right-wing MK Moshe Feiglin, who said that if they want to die, "let them." Arab Meretz MK Issawi Freij: "Eight years ago, a bill outlawing force-feeding geese was passed here. So it's illegal to force-feed geese, but human beings can be force-fed. Sure if they are Arab."
Haaretz's military affairs reporter Amos Harel reported that Israel is concerned that if one of the hunger strikers dies, the public agenda in the West Bank could change radically. "That’s why updates on the condition of the strikers – about 70 of whom have already been hospitalized – are included in every situation assessment the defense establishment conducts," writes Harel.
Israel Hayom published a short item on the Knesset approval, that oddly did not explain why the prisoners were hunger-striking. Instead, reporter Gideon Alon wrongly implied that the protest was due to bad prison conditions, and not the real reason: protesting being detained without charges and trial - even for years on end.
Quick Hits:
- Israel seeks return of PA forces to Gaza, dismantling of Hamas military arm - On Thursday, June 5, the Foreign Ministry issued an order to Israel’s diplomatic missions worldwide, to tell the most senior local politicians to pressure Abbas to assert control over Gaza, following formation of Palestinian unity government. (Haaretz+)
- IDF officer promoted despite role in Palestinian's death - Brig. Gen. Roni Numa was found by state and military prosecutors to have approved operation that killed a man against rules of engagement; Army: Nothing about the incident discredits his conduct. (Haaretz+)
- Human rights group accuses Israel of war crime in deaths of Palestinian teens - Human Rights Watch says IDF claim it didn't use live ammunition on May 15th killing of two West Bank teenagers does not stand up to scrutiny. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- Israeli forces seize 8 tractors from Jenin field - Israeli forces raided the field and seized two tractors belonging to the Al-Labdi family and six tractors belonging to other families. The forces assaulted a number of farmers who tried to stop soldiers from seizing their tractors. (Maan)
- Israeli officers attack, detain Palestinian woman at Al-Aqsa (Temple Mount) gate - Eyewitnesses told Ma’an that after Israeli officers denied Ayda Saydawi entry to the al-Aqsa compound, an officer attacked her brutally “and tore her clothes.” (Maan)
- Radical Jews protest at (Christian) Jerusalem holy site - Likud MK Feiglin leads some 30 religious Jews to Cenacle, the 'Last Supper' room, on Mount Zion (in E. Jerusalem) where they cause furor. [There was no report of arrests. - OH] (Ynet)
- Media rights group 'outraged' by Israel raid on Palestine TV - Reporters Without Borders "outraged" by Israeli police raid on Palestine TV in E. Jerusalem Friday. "This raid, and the broadcast shut-down, join the long list of violations of Palestinian news media rights by the Israeli security forces, with never-ending threats, arrests and military operations," said RWB. (Maan)
- Australian Jews preoccupied with their state's new stance on East Jerusalem - While left-wing groups condemn Australian decision to not call E. J’lem 'occupied,’ rightists applauded the move. (Haaretz+)
- PA Ministry of Agriculture dumps settlement products - The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture on Monday dumped over 500 kilograms of dates produced in illegal Israeli settlements that were seized by officers. (Maan)
- Israeli ground forces open fire east of Gaza City and Israeli gunboats fire on Palestinian fishing boats - Israeli forces deployed near the now defunct Karni Crossing and opened fire in the direction of Gaza City. No injuries were reported. Meanwhile, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of northern Gaza. (Maan)
- Israeli forces reinforce Beit Ummar military post - Israeli forces tightened West Bank town’s entrance by putting cement blocks at the entrance to expand the area around their military tower by 15 meters, causing heavy traffic. (Maan)
- Ultra-Orthodox venue in Jerusalem offers gender-divided elevator - Mechitza made of nylon will separate men and women for clients interested in the service. (Haaretz)
- VIDEO: Israeli UAV commits 'suicide' to attack like missile - Harop UAV capable of flying for hours before diving on target and exploding on impact - see it in action. (Ynet)
- IDF opens combat positions to cancer survivors - Conditions that kept recruits out of combat positions or out of the military entirely, such as low body weight, hypothyroidism or eye disease, are no longer a barrier. IDF chief medic Brig. Gen. Itzik Kreiss: We want to help as many serve as possible. (Israel Hayom)
- As Israel cuts defense budget, U.S. senators question aid - United States gives Israel $3.1 billion in military aid a year, not including special aid for specific purposes like Iron Dome. (Haaretz+)
- Israel to make first sale of Merkava tank to foreign army - Budget crisis plaguing Israel's security establishment deemed a motivating factor behind the sale. Israel opposed selling the Merkava tank so as not to reveal its technology. Elbit wins bid to supply drones to Switzerland. (Israel Hayom)
- Israelis light up the desert for 'Burning Man' - Some 3,000 participate in Midburn, the first festival in Israel's Negev modeled after the popular US carnival. (Agencies, Ynet)
- U.S. arms to rebels could turn Syria into next Somalia, commander says - Washington was bypassing the SMC in distributing weapons directly to rebel groups that were hard to control and could prompt Afghan-like warlords, former Syrian army general Brigadier al-Bashir said. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Israel's ambassador to U.S.: Don't expect inspectors to stop Iran nukes - Ron Dermer derides efforts at deal with Iran as Tehran, U.S. officials meet in Geneva. (Haaretz)
- Iran, US hold direct talks in Geneva over nuclear deal - Senior IDF intelligence general says Iran 'serious' in talks, while senior minister and Netanyahu confidant reiterates Israeli position that no deal is better than bad deal. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Steinitz: Iran could build nukes in under a year - Strategic and Intelligence Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz reiterates Netanyahu's message, urges world powers to demand Tehran dismantles nuke program. (Haaretz)
- Iran's Rohani meets with Turkey's Erdogan - Iranian president makes first official presidential visit to Turkey since 1996. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
Defeating BDS by bringing pro-Israel, pro-Palestinian students together
Jewish students in the U.K. defeated a student union’s academic boycott of Israel - by campaigning on a pro-Palestinian ticket. (Haaretz+)
From Siberia to Jerusalem: Israel's first Gypsy police officer
After spending her childhood in a Gypsy tribe on the frozen plains of Siberia, Tania Leontieff discovered that her mother had Jewish roots. She immigrated to Israel alone and converted, and is about to become a policewoman in Jerusalem. (Daniel Siryoti, Israel Hayom)
The presidency and the Diaspora: Haaretz asks the candidates
With Israeli lawmakers poised to vote for the next state president, Haaretz asked the candidates for their views on some of the issues closest to the hearts of Diaspora Jews. (Haaretz)
WATCH: Summary of the Pope's peace prayer summit
Didn't get an invite, but are curious anyway? Here is a short version of the peace prayer summit, via Peres' YouTube channel. (Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Jewish students in the U.K. defeated a student union’s academic boycott of Israel - by campaigning on a pro-Palestinian ticket. (Haaretz+)
From Siberia to Jerusalem: Israel's first Gypsy police officer
After spending her childhood in a Gypsy tribe on the frozen plains of Siberia, Tania Leontieff discovered that her mother had Jewish roots. She immigrated to Israel alone and converted, and is about to become a policewoman in Jerusalem. (Daniel Siryoti, Israel Hayom)
The presidency and the Diaspora: Haaretz asks the candidates
With Israeli lawmakers poised to vote for the next state president, Haaretz asked the candidates for their views on some of the issues closest to the hearts of Diaspora Jews. (Haaretz)
WATCH: Summary of the Pope's peace prayer summit
Didn't get an invite, but are curious anyway? Here is a short version of the peace prayer summit, via Peres' YouTube channel. (Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Where the Palestinian hunger strike and pardoning terrorists align (Amos
Harel, Haaretz+) Former head of the Israeli army's missing soldiers unit, Col. (res.) Lior Lotan,
says bill to prevent pardoning terrorists would severely curtail government's room to maneuver when acting to
rescue abducted soldiers.
Stand behind the guardians of the law (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) The electoral rough and tumble may be ugly, but it has become a rather effective screening mechanism.
Don’t force-feed Palestinian hunger strikers (Haaretz Editorial) Efforts to end Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike should be focus on non-violent means.
Bill against freeing murderers won't tie PM's hands (Shimon Shiffer, Yedioth/Ynet) Future Israeli prime ministers will still find a way to make decisions related to the release of kidnapped soldiers – with or without a law.
As U.S. influence wanes, its only choice is Mideast compromise (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Washington may not want to alienate Palestinian unity government any more than it wants to turn its back on Lebanon or Egypt.
Israel a divisive cause for US Jewry (Associated Press religion writer Rachel Zoll, Ynet) For decades, support of nascent country united American Jews across political and religious spectrum; now its occupation of Palestinians is a sore subject for second-largest Jewish community.
What Lapid needs to do if he really wants to be prime minister (Nehemia Shtrasler, Haaretz+) Its clear that Yair Lapid craves the post of prime minister. It’s also clear that he won’t get it if he doesn't make a better job of his present role.
Stand behind the guardians of the law (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) The electoral rough and tumble may be ugly, but it has become a rather effective screening mechanism.
Don’t force-feed Palestinian hunger strikers (Haaretz Editorial) Efforts to end Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike should be focus on non-violent means.
Bill against freeing murderers won't tie PM's hands (Shimon Shiffer, Yedioth/Ynet) Future Israeli prime ministers will still find a way to make decisions related to the release of kidnapped soldiers – with or without a law.
As U.S. influence wanes, its only choice is Mideast compromise (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Washington may not want to alienate Palestinian unity government any more than it wants to turn its back on Lebanon or Egypt.
Israel a divisive cause for US Jewry (Associated Press religion writer Rachel Zoll, Ynet) For decades, support of nascent country united American Jews across political and religious spectrum; now its occupation of Palestinians is a sore subject for second-largest Jewish community.
What Lapid needs to do if he really wants to be prime minister (Nehemia Shtrasler, Haaretz+) Its clear that Yair Lapid craves the post of prime minister. It’s also clear that he won’t get it if he doesn't make a better job of his present role.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.