APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday July 07, 2014
Quote of the day:
"This is a shocking murder, barbaric and sadistic, a brutal terrorist attack, and a provocation to the state.
Woe to us if the appetite for revenge replaces the state and the institutions of the rule of law and order. All
those busy stirring up passions and giving legitimacy to vendettas should remember that also their hands will
be stained with blood."
--Labor MK Shelly Yechimovitz said after the news that the six people suspected of killing an innocent Palestinian teenager by burning him alive were Jews.**
--Labor MK Shelly Yechimovitz said after the news that the six people suspected of killing an innocent Palestinian teenager by burning him alive were Jews.**
Front Page News:
Haaretz
- Six detained on suspicion of murder of the youth Mohammed Abu Khdeir as revenge against Arabs
- The Jewish Hamasniks // Amos Harel
- The captain's isolation // Yossi Verter
- Cancer of racism - Educating to hate // Or Kashti
- Resident of Ibilin arrested on suspicion of murdering (Shelly) Dadon; Police and the Shin Bet: Motive still not clear
- Mossad chief Tamir Pardo did not update Prime Minister Netanyahu before he went to private home meeting in the bastion of the business elite
- Adv. Ronal Fisher suspected of offering bribe to police
Yedioth Ahronoth
- The brutality among us - Unbelievable: 6 Jews suspected of burning to death the youth from Shuafat
- To denounce? To vomit [words sound similar in Hebrew] // Nahum Barnea
- There is no difference between (Jewish) blood and (Arab) blood // Shimon Peres and Ruvi Rivlin in joint Op-Ed of outgoing and incoming Presidents
- The Mark of Cain // Sima Kadmon
- Shelly Dadon murdered by 17 knife stabbings - The suspect: A taxi driver from the village of Ibilin. Shin Bet believes: nationalist motive
- Pay and go - secrets of the police - The Ronal Fisher file
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links)
- Fear among Netanyahu's associates of ambush by Lieberman and Bennett in no-confidence motion
- The land is burning - Tension between Jews and Arabs worsens: Police arrested six Jewish youth on suspicion of murdering in cold blood the youth Mohammed Abu Khdeir, who was burned while still alive. In north, Arab taxi driver arrested on suspicion of murdering Shelly Dadon. Also yesterday: rioting at entrances to Arab towns
- The new (Arab) revolt // Ran Adelist
- The era of the gangs // Yossi Melman
- Adv. Ronal Fisher suspected of trading in police secrets
Israel Hayom
- The murder and the shame - Israel is united in condemnation - After arrest of six Jews on suspicion of kidnapping and burning to death the youth from Shuafat: riots in the Arab sector across Israel
- Assessment: Shelly Dadon was murdered for nationalist motives - The suspect, Hussein Khalifa, a taxi driver from Ibilin
- The shooting from the south continues; Our forces attacked Gaza
- Adv. Ronal Fisher caught 'red-handed'
- Achievement for the State Prosecution: High Court to hear the (Shula) Zaken reocrding in the Talansky affair
- Tragedy in Rishon L'Tzion: 1.5 year old drowned to death in private pool
- (Israeli) Phoenix Insurance Group sold to Trump family
News Summary:
Six Jewish youth were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering a Palestinian teenager by burning him alive, making the top story in today's Hebrew newspapers. Other top stories were the arrest of an Arab-Israeli taxi driver for the murder of Shelly Dadon, the spread of rioting by Israeli Arabs across the country over the Palestinian teenager's murder and the fight in the cabinet over how to deal with the continued rockets from Gaza on the south of Israel.
The Shin Bet asked to extend the gag order on the names of the suspects arrested for the horrific murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir. But the papers reported that the killers are not the "classic right-wingers,"that are from settlements and are involved in price-tag attacks, but rather ultra-Orthodox suspects. Haaretz's Nir Hasson reveals that Abu Khdeir's body was burnt so badly, his family would not let his parents see it. The imam of Shuafat, a relative of the boy, was the only family member to see the body. He told Haaretz+ that he had never seen a body in such a bad state. “It’s lucky that I saw the boy after I gave my sermon in the mosque, otherwise it would have sounded very different,” he said.
Amos Harel reports that it was the police who spread the false rumors that Abu Khdeir murder's was an 'honor killing' by hinting that the boy was homosexual - thereby leading people to believe that boys family was behind the murder - not Jews. [English-speaking Police Spokesman Miki Rosenfeld also told this to foreign media. - OH]
"Immediately after the murder of the teenager from Shoafat, police put out the baseless supposition (which was publicized in a way it never would have been had the victim been Jewish) that the murder was connected to homosexuality." (Translated from Hebrew Haaretz+) NOTE: That sentence was curiously left out of translation in the English Haaretz edition. These rumors were spread despite the fact that the police already had information about the car and about the Jewish identity of the kidnappers from an attempt they made the previous day to kidnap another boy in the adjacent E. Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina.
The mother of Musa Zalum, 9, complained to police on Tuesday that Jews tried to kidnap her son, but they did nothing because she did not come down to station. She and other witnesses described the car of the would-be kidnappers and the appearance of the Jewish youth, who shouted at each other in Hebrew. [Oddly, the Hebrew newspapers only now reported on the attempted kidnapping of Musa Zalum despite it being reported in the Arab media and all over the social media networks on the day of Abu Khdeir's kidnapping and murder, so any Israeli reporter could have found the Zalum family and interviewed them. But the Israeli media only reported on it today after the police confirmation. -OH]
**Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded to the announcement with a mixed message: "I wish to send my condolences to the family of the teen and promise them that we will find those behind this horrific crime and bring them to justice. There is no place for such murders in our society." But then he went on to say: "I don't make a distinction between different kinds of incitement. Just as I condemn calls for 'Death to Arabs', I condemn calls for 'Death to Jews.' Israel's strength comes from it being a law-abiding state, and anyone who breaks the law will face harsh consequences. Murder is murder, incitement is incitement, and we will respond aggressively to both. This is how we differ from our neighbors. There, murderers are welcomed as heroes and town squares are named after them. That is not the only difference. We put people who incite to violence on trial, while in the Palestinian Authority, official media outlets and the education system are used as tools of incitement. This incitement is focused mainly on calls for the destruction of Israel."
In a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas evoked the memory of the Holocaust as he asked for an international investigation into the "terrorist crimes" committed against the Palestinian people. "The Abu Khdeir boy was not yet 15 and he was burnt alive. This is reminiscent of events from the past." Abbas also said that"if Israel's face was towards peace, it must define price-tag attacks as terror acts." (Maariv)
**The murder was condemned across the political spectrum. Far right-wing Economy Minister Naftali Bennett said Israel must impose the same law against Jewish and Palestinian terrorists. Labor MK Shelly Yechimovitch said, "This is a shocking murder, barbaric and sadistic, a brutal terrorist attack, and a provocation to the state. Woe to us if the appetite for revenge replaces the state and the institutions of the rule of law and order. All those busy stirring up passions and giving legitimacy to vendettas should remember that also their hands will be stained with blood." (Maariv)
Haaretz's Nir Hasson reported that "in the last few days there has been a rash of reports about Palestinians being harassed in (Jerusalem) – a taxi driver who was hit by pepper spray, a young woman who was kicked off the train, a girl who was cursed at and a woman whose hijab was pulled off. [The papers missed the video clip of a young Jewish Israeli woman pushing a Muslim woman with a headscarf into a lake. Journalist Larry Derfner re-posted on Facebook a July 4 video clip post by Daniel Libman who wrote the following in Hebrew:
"For anyone who still needs proof that our country is sick, here is this short film. Place: the Sakhne lake. Incident: A young Jewish woman pushes an Arab woman into the water, just like that. The film was posted by May Nachman. When she was asked in the comments if the woman she pushed in was old, she replied, 'No, just some damn Arab woman, 30 years old tops.' To one of the commenters who told her, 'Not nice,' she replied, 'Having some laughs, don't be so serious.' After a few more 'hahaha' comments, she wrote, 'If they kidnap me because of this film, will you come and save me?'"
The news of the arrests re-sparked riots by Israel's Arab citizens from north to south. Some 67 rioters were arrested on Sunday. Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Peri met with Arab mayors, and praised Arab leaders who condemned the riots. The Mayor of Qalansawe, Abed Salameh, spoke to Ynet in an exclusive interview Sunday apologizing for the riots "In my name and in the name of all residents of the city." He explained: "I would call the situation in Qalansawe a crash landing. This is the first time in history that I've met with something like this. I guess the anger and the rage (that's been building up) for years has exploded now."
Netanyahu slammed the rioters saying there was "no place for law-breakers." Finance Minister Yair Lapid however, put part of the responsibility on Knesset members and government officials for incitement. "Ministers should not pontificate like talkbackers (Internet commentators). We must put out the fire, not fuel it. The extremists must not run the State of Israel."
On the same day that the police announced the arrest of six Jews in the murder of the Abu Khdeir the police announced that an Israeli Arab from the Galilee admitted to murdering Shelly Dadon. Only Haaretz+ was forthright in saying that the motive remains inconclusive, although Shin Bet officials view the murder as an act of terror. But two Israeli reporters say that the announcement of a suspect in the Dadon case on the same day as the arrest of the six Jewish suspects was meant to make the alleged murder by the Jews seem less bad. Haaretz's Amos Harel and Yedioth's Ariella Melamed both write of the "perfect timing" with which the Israeli police released the information about the suspected murderers in the cases of Abu Khdeir and of Shelly Dadon. Harel wrote: "With perfect timing, almost as if it was trying to preserve some sacred balance, the Shin Bet on Sunday also announced the arrest of an Arab taxi driver from the Galilee as a suspect in the murder of Shelly Dadon of Afula. Since Dadon was neither robbed nor sexually assaulted, police suspect the murder was politically motivated, but stressed that the investigation was continuing." Indeed, Maariv gave equal size on the front page to the arrests for the two murders.
ABU KHDEIR MURDER QUICK HITS:
Six Jewish youth were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering a Palestinian teenager by burning him alive, making the top story in today's Hebrew newspapers. Other top stories were the arrest of an Arab-Israeli taxi driver for the murder of Shelly Dadon, the spread of rioting by Israeli Arabs across the country over the Palestinian teenager's murder and the fight in the cabinet over how to deal with the continued rockets from Gaza on the south of Israel.
The Shin Bet asked to extend the gag order on the names of the suspects arrested for the horrific murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir. But the papers reported that the killers are not the "classic right-wingers,"that are from settlements and are involved in price-tag attacks, but rather ultra-Orthodox suspects. Haaretz's Nir Hasson reveals that Abu Khdeir's body was burnt so badly, his family would not let his parents see it. The imam of Shuafat, a relative of the boy, was the only family member to see the body. He told Haaretz+ that he had never seen a body in such a bad state. “It’s lucky that I saw the boy after I gave my sermon in the mosque, otherwise it would have sounded very different,” he said.
Amos Harel reports that it was the police who spread the false rumors that Abu Khdeir murder's was an 'honor killing' by hinting that the boy was homosexual - thereby leading people to believe that boys family was behind the murder - not Jews. [English-speaking Police Spokesman Miki Rosenfeld also told this to foreign media. - OH]
"Immediately after the murder of the teenager from Shoafat, police put out the baseless supposition (which was publicized in a way it never would have been had the victim been Jewish) that the murder was connected to homosexuality." (Translated from Hebrew Haaretz+) NOTE: That sentence was curiously left out of translation in the English Haaretz edition. These rumors were spread despite the fact that the police already had information about the car and about the Jewish identity of the kidnappers from an attempt they made the previous day to kidnap another boy in the adjacent E. Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina.
The mother of Musa Zalum, 9, complained to police on Tuesday that Jews tried to kidnap her son, but they did nothing because she did not come down to station. She and other witnesses described the car of the would-be kidnappers and the appearance of the Jewish youth, who shouted at each other in Hebrew. [Oddly, the Hebrew newspapers only now reported on the attempted kidnapping of Musa Zalum despite it being reported in the Arab media and all over the social media networks on the day of Abu Khdeir's kidnapping and murder, so any Israeli reporter could have found the Zalum family and interviewed them. But the Israeli media only reported on it today after the police confirmation. -OH]
**Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded to the announcement with a mixed message: "I wish to send my condolences to the family of the teen and promise them that we will find those behind this horrific crime and bring them to justice. There is no place for such murders in our society." But then he went on to say: "I don't make a distinction between different kinds of incitement. Just as I condemn calls for 'Death to Arabs', I condemn calls for 'Death to Jews.' Israel's strength comes from it being a law-abiding state, and anyone who breaks the law will face harsh consequences. Murder is murder, incitement is incitement, and we will respond aggressively to both. This is how we differ from our neighbors. There, murderers are welcomed as heroes and town squares are named after them. That is not the only difference. We put people who incite to violence on trial, while in the Palestinian Authority, official media outlets and the education system are used as tools of incitement. This incitement is focused mainly on calls for the destruction of Israel."
In a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas evoked the memory of the Holocaust as he asked for an international investigation into the "terrorist crimes" committed against the Palestinian people. "The Abu Khdeir boy was not yet 15 and he was burnt alive. This is reminiscent of events from the past." Abbas also said that"if Israel's face was towards peace, it must define price-tag attacks as terror acts." (Maariv)
**The murder was condemned across the political spectrum. Far right-wing Economy Minister Naftali Bennett said Israel must impose the same law against Jewish and Palestinian terrorists. Labor MK Shelly Yechimovitch said, "This is a shocking murder, barbaric and sadistic, a brutal terrorist attack, and a provocation to the state. Woe to us if the appetite for revenge replaces the state and the institutions of the rule of law and order. All those busy stirring up passions and giving legitimacy to vendettas should remember that also their hands will be stained with blood." (Maariv)
Haaretz's Nir Hasson reported that "in the last few days there has been a rash of reports about Palestinians being harassed in (Jerusalem) – a taxi driver who was hit by pepper spray, a young woman who was kicked off the train, a girl who was cursed at and a woman whose hijab was pulled off. [The papers missed the video clip of a young Jewish Israeli woman pushing a Muslim woman with a headscarf into a lake. Journalist Larry Derfner re-posted on Facebook a July 4 video clip post by Daniel Libman who wrote the following in Hebrew:
"For anyone who still needs proof that our country is sick, here is this short film. Place: the Sakhne lake. Incident: A young Jewish woman pushes an Arab woman into the water, just like that. The film was posted by May Nachman. When she was asked in the comments if the woman she pushed in was old, she replied, 'No, just some damn Arab woman, 30 years old tops.' To one of the commenters who told her, 'Not nice,' she replied, 'Having some laughs, don't be so serious.' After a few more 'hahaha' comments, she wrote, 'If they kidnap me because of this film, will you come and save me?'"
The news of the arrests re-sparked riots by Israel's Arab citizens from north to south. Some 67 rioters were arrested on Sunday. Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Peri met with Arab mayors, and praised Arab leaders who condemned the riots. The Mayor of Qalansawe, Abed Salameh, spoke to Ynet in an exclusive interview Sunday apologizing for the riots "In my name and in the name of all residents of the city." He explained: "I would call the situation in Qalansawe a crash landing. This is the first time in history that I've met with something like this. I guess the anger and the rage (that's been building up) for years has exploded now."
Netanyahu slammed the rioters saying there was "no place for law-breakers." Finance Minister Yair Lapid however, put part of the responsibility on Knesset members and government officials for incitement. "Ministers should not pontificate like talkbackers (Internet commentators). We must put out the fire, not fuel it. The extremists must not run the State of Israel."
On the same day that the police announced the arrest of six Jews in the murder of the Abu Khdeir the police announced that an Israeli Arab from the Galilee admitted to murdering Shelly Dadon. Only Haaretz+ was forthright in saying that the motive remains inconclusive, although Shin Bet officials view the murder as an act of terror. But two Israeli reporters say that the announcement of a suspect in the Dadon case on the same day as the arrest of the six Jewish suspects was meant to make the alleged murder by the Jews seem less bad. Haaretz's Amos Harel and Yedioth's Ariella Melamed both write of the "perfect timing" with which the Israeli police released the information about the suspected murderers in the cases of Abu Khdeir and of Shelly Dadon. Harel wrote: "With perfect timing, almost as if it was trying to preserve some sacred balance, the Shin Bet on Sunday also announced the arrest of an Arab taxi driver from the Galilee as a suspect in the murder of Shelly Dadon of Afula. Since Dadon was neither robbed nor sexually assaulted, police suspect the murder was politically motivated, but stressed that the investigation was continuing." Indeed, Maariv gave equal size on the front page to the arrests for the two murders.
ABU KHDEIR MURDER QUICK HITS:
- Israel sends Palestinian-American teen to house arrest - Tariq Abu Khdeir, 15, a high school student from Florida, was arrested and beaten in East Jerusalem during clashes over the killing of his cousin. The U.S. State Department said it was "profoundly troubled" by reports of his beating and demanded an investigation. (Haaretz)
- US-Palestinian teen: I was attacked by police - Jerusalem court releases Tariq Abu Khdeir on bail; Tampa teen remembers little of incident. (Ynet)
- First Israeli Jew arrested for online incitement to violence - A 37-year-old Arad resident arrested for posting on an online group called "The Jewish Gang." PM Benjamin Netanyahu: I do not distinguish between acts of terror and incitement from either side; both will be dealt with severely. (Israel Hayom)
- Bereaved Israeli family consoles father of murdered Palestinian teen - During condolence visit to family of Naftali Fraenkel, Jerusalem mayor connects Fraenkel's with family of Mohammed Abu Khdeir by phone. (Haaretz)
- Grief mixes with gratitude as families mourn slain teens - Two Palestinians from the Hebron area visit the Frenkel family home to offer condolences. One Palestinian visitor: "When we learn to deal with the other side's pain, the situation will improve." Shaer family thanks IDF for help. (Israel Hayom)
- Bnei Akiva head faces ouster over calls for 'revenge’ against Palestinians - Notables in world's largest Zionist youth movement lining up against Rabbi Noam Perel, despite his apology for the remarks. (Haaretz+)
- Arab mayors fear Jewish boycott - Mayor of Rahat: "The calls to boycott businesses in Arab communities serves the (interests of) the (rioting) hooligans." (Maariv, p. 4)
- Riot-damaged East Jerusalem light rail station won’t see service for months - Riots caused tens of millions of shekels in damage and destroyed the Shoafat and Es-Sahl stations. (Haaretz+)
GAZA:
On the Gaza front, the rocket fire continued to hit southern Israel Sunday and Israel responded with limited strikes, killing two people in Gaza and sparking a fight between Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. At the Sunday cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said "must act responsibly and with restraint" in Gaza and avoid inflammatory rhetoric and brash actions, in a reference to Lieberman and Naftali Bennett. The papers described in (amusing) detail the biting exchange between the two, which astonished the ministers in the room.
Netanyahu accused those criticizing him of "doing so for political ends." Maariv's Ben Caspit wrote that Netanyahu and associates fear that the members of Lieberman's and Bennett's parties are planning not to show up in Knesset today to no-confidence motions to make a kind of coalition attack and a political drama.
Quick Hits:
- Mossad chief reveals secrets to elite business parlor meeting - without Netanyahu's knowledge - Unclear if Tamir Pardo knew when he was invited to the “Forum for Israeli Business Leaders,” that it is an incorporated company. Its members meet at an apartment every few weeks with MKs, ministers, senior bureaucrats, army officers and police officers. Members of the forum get direct access to senior officials in a closed intimate forum. (Haaretz)
- Israel arrests alleged accomplice in murder of Jewish teens - Hossam Dofash, who served a four-year prison term for involvement in Hamas activity seven years ago, insists he was not involved in the abduction and subsequent murder of Gil-ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach. Two main suspects still at large. (Israel Hayom)
- Arabic teacher called for hearing over Haaretz op-ed - Iris Maimon warned against Education Minister Piron’s reforms in matriculation exams, and about vanishing Arabic studies. Maimon has been leading the fight of Arabic-language teachers in the months since Education Minister Shay Piron decided to cancel mandatory 10th-grade Arabic studies. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli coalition to back bill to re-arrest terrorists - Widespread Knesset support for proposal to make future releases conditional on terror organizations’ behavior. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
- Egyptian minister approves British import of Israeli gas - Petroleum minister says there is no 'embarrassment' in Egypt indirectly importing Israeli gas, given Egypt's economic situation and interests. (Haaretz)
- Egypt's Sissi wishes imprisoned Al Jazeera reporters were initially deported - Monday's comments could be a hint he might use his presidential power to pardon the journalists, who still have a chance to appeal the verdict in a higher court. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
A third intifada? Many East Jerusalem officials expect the turmoil to die down
West Bank cities have not joined the violent protest, and despite all the violence, no protester has been killed or badly wounded. The parents asked to see the body of their son, Mohammed Abu Khdeir, who was burned alive. But other family members did not let them. “I want his mother to remember him looking well,” says the boy’s uncle, Said Abu Khdeir. “But I’d like to photograph it so that all Israelis can see it. I don’t need the world to see, only the Israelis, to see what they did to him.” (Nir Hasson, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
West Bank cities have not joined the violent protest, and despite all the violence, no protester has been killed or badly wounded. The parents asked to see the body of their son, Mohammed Abu Khdeir, who was burned alive. But other family members did not let them. “I want his mother to remember him looking well,” says the boy’s uncle, Said Abu Khdeir. “But I’d like to photograph it so that all Israelis can see it. I don’t need the world to see, only the Israelis, to see what they did to him.” (Nir Hasson, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
We are all to blame for Palestinian teen's murder by 'Jewish extremists' (Anshel
Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Many Israelis are deluding themselves by declaring Jewish values is a safeguard
against murder and terrorism; this murder should come as no surprise.
The Shin Bet's nightmare scenario materialized (Yossi Melman, Maariv) The murder of a 16-year-old Palestinian boy is everything the Shin Bet did not want. We're talking about a situation where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict turns into a tribal struggle between two communities, along the lines of the biblical eye for an eye, which may leave behind devastation, destruction and scorched earth on both sides.
Jewish hate of Arabs proves: Israel must undergo cultural revolution (Haaretz Editorial+) Without a revolution based on humanist values, the Jewish tribe will not be worthy of its own state.
Where does Israeli Arab loyalty lie? (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) Israeli Arabs must decide whether they are citizens of the state or an extension of its enemies, working from inside.
Sane people on each side, unite! (Ali Zahalka, Yedioth/Ynet) Jewish and Arab leaders must work to stop the journeys of revenge before the fire of hatred spreads and eats away at every good spot.
The West Bank: 'Algeria in our midst’ (Oudeh Basharat, Haaretz+) David Ben-Gurion opposed conquering the West Bank, realizing the Palestinians would never flee. Today, we have returned to the beginning of the story.
What a coincidence, they just now deciphered another murder (by an Arab) (Ariella Melamed, Yedioth/Ynet Hebrew) The decision to allow publication of information about the murder of Shelly Dadon and the murder of Muhammad Abu Khdeir and the timing (on the same day) in which they were done is a PR decision. This is not the first time that the security forces make such a manipulation. We are all extras in their script.The identity of the suspect in the murder of Shelly Dadon has been known for days [sic- weeks. He was arrested weeks ago. - OH]. The solving (of the murder) was done and completed, the suspect was taken into custody - and a hush fell over the affair, until it suited the anonymous knights of the security forces, who decide about such things, to expose the achievement. At a highly publicized media event, of course. Why right now, and not yesterday or the day after tomorrow? Because today it was also revealed that it is known who are the Jewish suspects who burned to death Mohammed Abu Khdeir. By the way, the identities of the (security forces) responsible for brutally beating the victim's cousin, Tarik Abu Khdeir, as the whole world saw on a video clip yesterday, have yet to be revealed. But if you believed yesterday the first official version (of the police), "the video was edited in a biased way"...
The land of the Color Red sirens (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) The government should send three or four ministers to live in the south, under rocket fire, until the tension subsides.
Welcome to the online propaganda war (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Video of beaten Palestinian youth has become the new social media hit. Every such exception serves as a powerful weapon for Israel's enemies.
Is it too late to clean Israel’s education system of its racism? (Or Kashti, Haaretz+) A racist cancer infects tens of thousands of young people who learn in schools that it is possible - and maybe even necessary - to wipe out the other.
A blow to academic coexistence (Or Ben-Shimon, Israel Hayom) A Facebook post supporting terrorism shocked and angered the student body at Ariel University, who saw the Arab students as friends.
There cannot be one law for Israeli terrorists and another for Arab (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) The prime minister, the government and Israeli public must examine their own roles in the terrible events of recent days, and consider the impact on the whole of Israeli society.
When justice for terror victims is hostage to politics (Seth Lipsky, Haaretz+) Despite his courtroom ‘vindication’, Stephen Flatow’s reaction was subdued: Will the U.S. nonetheless sell out his daughter, an American citizen, killed in an attack backed by Iran?
The right response (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) The new outposts erected this weekend in Gush Etzion must be quickly expanded, both as a declaration to ourselves and to those who seek our demise.
Gush Etzion: emblematic of Zionist history (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) Most Israelis, young and old, know only too well where the guilt belongs for the seemingly never-ending Jewish-Arab conflict.
The buds of a new Arab revolt (Ran Adelist, Maariv) The process of solidarity that the Arab public in Israel is going through in relation to the Palestinian struggle for independence jumped a level in recent days. But while the riots of the last days could be "contained," the process of Palestinianization of the Arab citizens of Israel can not be stopped.
The dangers of an uncontrollable war (Dave Sharma, Haaretz+) The First World War provides a compellingly relevant lesson for us about today’s global order: Wars have unpredictable and unintended consequences.
Will Hamas choose war? (Elliott Abrams, Israel Hayom) The terrorist group's high command may be unable to resist the temptation to attack, despite the high price it would pay.
The technical failure of Israel's divine intelligence (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Just as God knows what’s hidden in the hearts of men, Israelis expect the Shin Bet to know what’s brewing in the minds of 6 million Palestinians.
It's in our hands to put an end to bloodshed (Shimon Peres and Ruvi Rivlin, Yedioth/Ynet) Israel's outgoing president and president-elect call on Jews and Arabs to stop violence and incitement and believe in their ability to live together.
A time for justice, not revenge (Ban Ki-moon, Haaretz+) UN Secretary-General: We need a bold, visionary Israeli and Palestinian leadership to break a deadlock.
The Shin Bet's nightmare scenario materialized (Yossi Melman, Maariv) The murder of a 16-year-old Palestinian boy is everything the Shin Bet did not want. We're talking about a situation where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict turns into a tribal struggle between two communities, along the lines of the biblical eye for an eye, which may leave behind devastation, destruction and scorched earth on both sides.
Jewish hate of Arabs proves: Israel must undergo cultural revolution (Haaretz Editorial+) Without a revolution based on humanist values, the Jewish tribe will not be worthy of its own state.
Where does Israeli Arab loyalty lie? (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) Israeli Arabs must decide whether they are citizens of the state or an extension of its enemies, working from inside.
Sane people on each side, unite! (Ali Zahalka, Yedioth/Ynet) Jewish and Arab leaders must work to stop the journeys of revenge before the fire of hatred spreads and eats away at every good spot.
The West Bank: 'Algeria in our midst’ (Oudeh Basharat, Haaretz+) David Ben-Gurion opposed conquering the West Bank, realizing the Palestinians would never flee. Today, we have returned to the beginning of the story.
What a coincidence, they just now deciphered another murder (by an Arab) (Ariella Melamed, Yedioth/Ynet Hebrew) The decision to allow publication of information about the murder of Shelly Dadon and the murder of Muhammad Abu Khdeir and the timing (on the same day) in which they were done is a PR decision. This is not the first time that the security forces make such a manipulation. We are all extras in their script.The identity of the suspect in the murder of Shelly Dadon has been known for days [sic- weeks. He was arrested weeks ago. - OH]. The solving (of the murder) was done and completed, the suspect was taken into custody - and a hush fell over the affair, until it suited the anonymous knights of the security forces, who decide about such things, to expose the achievement. At a highly publicized media event, of course. Why right now, and not yesterday or the day after tomorrow? Because today it was also revealed that it is known who are the Jewish suspects who burned to death Mohammed Abu Khdeir. By the way, the identities of the (security forces) responsible for brutally beating the victim's cousin, Tarik Abu Khdeir, as the whole world saw on a video clip yesterday, have yet to be revealed. But if you believed yesterday the first official version (of the police), "the video was edited in a biased way"...
The land of the Color Red sirens (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) The government should send three or four ministers to live in the south, under rocket fire, until the tension subsides.
Welcome to the online propaganda war (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Video of beaten Palestinian youth has become the new social media hit. Every such exception serves as a powerful weapon for Israel's enemies.
Is it too late to clean Israel’s education system of its racism? (Or Kashti, Haaretz+) A racist cancer infects tens of thousands of young people who learn in schools that it is possible - and maybe even necessary - to wipe out the other.
A blow to academic coexistence (Or Ben-Shimon, Israel Hayom) A Facebook post supporting terrorism shocked and angered the student body at Ariel University, who saw the Arab students as friends.
There cannot be one law for Israeli terrorists and another for Arab (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) The prime minister, the government and Israeli public must examine their own roles in the terrible events of recent days, and consider the impact on the whole of Israeli society.
When justice for terror victims is hostage to politics (Seth Lipsky, Haaretz+) Despite his courtroom ‘vindication’, Stephen Flatow’s reaction was subdued: Will the U.S. nonetheless sell out his daughter, an American citizen, killed in an attack backed by Iran?
The right response (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) The new outposts erected this weekend in Gush Etzion must be quickly expanded, both as a declaration to ourselves and to those who seek our demise.
Gush Etzion: emblematic of Zionist history (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) Most Israelis, young and old, know only too well where the guilt belongs for the seemingly never-ending Jewish-Arab conflict.
The buds of a new Arab revolt (Ran Adelist, Maariv) The process of solidarity that the Arab public in Israel is going through in relation to the Palestinian struggle for independence jumped a level in recent days. But while the riots of the last days could be "contained," the process of Palestinianization of the Arab citizens of Israel can not be stopped.
The dangers of an uncontrollable war (Dave Sharma, Haaretz+) The First World War provides a compellingly relevant lesson for us about today’s global order: Wars have unpredictable and unintended consequences.
Will Hamas choose war? (Elliott Abrams, Israel Hayom) The terrorist group's high command may be unable to resist the temptation to attack, despite the high price it would pay.
The technical failure of Israel's divine intelligence (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Just as God knows what’s hidden in the hearts of men, Israelis expect the Shin Bet to know what’s brewing in the minds of 6 million Palestinians.
It's in our hands to put an end to bloodshed (Shimon Peres and Ruvi Rivlin, Yedioth/Ynet) Israel's outgoing president and president-elect call on Jews and Arabs to stop violence and incitement and believe in their ability to live together.
A time for justice, not revenge (Ban Ki-moon, Haaretz+) UN Secretary-General: We need a bold, visionary Israeli and Palestinian leadership to break a deadlock.
Interviews:
James Baker: You can't force-feed peace to Israel or the Palestinians
In a special interview, former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker says the Israeli-Palestinian situation is a Catch-22, but that's no reason to give up. (Interviewed by Chemi Shalev in Haaretz+)
In a special interview, former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker says the Israeli-Palestinian situation is a Catch-22, but that's no reason to give up. (Interviewed by Chemi Shalev in Haaretz+)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.