APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday August 06, 2014
Quote of the day:
"This is the result of incitement coming from government ministers who tell the public that whoever does
not think like them is belongs to the enemy. In the end, there will be another political assassination,
except that this time, after the murder there will be those who blame the murdered and not who stands and
fuels the poisonous incitement every day."
--Peace Now Secretary General says after his face and those of dozens of left-wing journalists and leaders were published on a flyer with the symbol of Hamas' military wing.**
--Peace Now Secretary General says after his face and those of dozens of left-wing journalists and leaders were published on a flyer with the symbol of Hamas' military wing.**
Front Page News:
Haaretz
- IDF completed withdrawal of forces from Gaza Strip
- Withdrawal on the way to an arrangement // Amos Harel
- Cairo is signaling an heir to Mashaal // Jacky Khoury
- Political blunder // Barak Ravid
- Haaretz-Dialogue poll: Public satisfied with Neanyahu, Yaalon and Gantz - but believes that no side won the war; Clear majority supports strengthening Abbas and renewing the diplomatic negotiations
- The tunnels failure: Only during battle were guidelines given on how to destroy them, the soldiers in the field improvised
- Is it appropriate to commend a soldier who charged in contravention of the rules? // Amir Oren
- Gaza residents returned to mounds of ruins that were once their homes // Amira Hass
- Not just Gaza // Haaretz Editorial
- We salute you - Senior officer: The combat soldiers should be saluted. The Y-Generation proved it fights no less valiantly than those before it
- [Main Photos: Group of soldiers raising their hands in joy. One photo that has the mug shots of all the soldiers killed]
- The war begins // Nahum Barnea
- Combat legacy // Yossi Yehoshua
- The last word // Shimon Shiffer
- Victory of sanity // Ben-Dror Yemini
- Change the dogtags/CD // Eitan Haber
- "Hamas was forced to compromise on all of its pre-conditions"
- Bibi's alibi // Ben Caspit
- Old-new Abu Mazen // Kalman Libskind
- The stick and the carrot // Yossi Melman
- Hug from the front - Officer who ran into tunnel to find his friend, Lt. Hadar Goldin, fearing he had been kidnapped, made condolence visit at home of mourning family
- Commander of cell that kidnapped and murdered three teens was captured - Hussam Kawasmeh, relative of one of the two murderers, admitted he got funding for the operation from Hamas in Gaza and buried the three youth
- And thank you to the soldiers!
- The day after: Hamas suffered a mortal blow, but did not fall; Tension with the US
- The seven wonders: A show of support for our children, the heroes // Boaz Bismuth
- Apparently, we won, and the reality is complex // Yoav Limor
- Netanyahu, Yaalon and Gantz - were right // Dan Margalit
- "Unrealized love has its own pain" - Interview with fiance of fallen officer Lt. Hadar Goldin
- Chilling meeting - Lt. Eitan, who ran into the tunnel in attempt to rescue Lt. Hadar Goldin, met with Hadar's family
- The economic damage: How much did Operation Protective Edge cost the economy and how much more will it cost?
- Released for publication: Gaza Hamas financed the head of the cell that killed the three teens
- Taking advantage of what is left of the summer: Israelis rushing abroad
Who won the war and where does Israel stand in the negotiations taking place in Cairo today were the big questions
of today's Hebrew newspapers?
Israel pulled out all of its troops ahead of the 72-hour ceasefire that began yesterday and quiet has descended on the region. The commentators and analysts argued whether the mission was complete. The IDF said the goals were achieved and that there was no intention to topple Hamas. However, some troops and Israelis were disappointed.
Hamas claimed victory and said it destroyed Israel's deterrence and that that would lead to forcing Israel to lift the blockade over Gaza. Hamas said it had agreed to the truce "on the condition Israel withdraws its forces, stop its aerial attacks and open the border crossing to aid, as well as accepts our demands on an airport and seaport." But some of the Israeli papers quoted Egyptian reports that said that 'Hamas gave in to Egypt's dictate' and that Israel did not acquiesce to any of Hamas' demands for the ceasefire. [That said, Israel did pull out all its forces, which was a Hamas condition for a ceasefire. - OH]
The Israel government did not declare victory, but Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that the IDF delivered a blow to the Hamas' strategic infrastructure. "There's no 100% guarantee, but we made the most of it," he said. A Haaretz+ poll showed that Israelis think neither side won the conflict, but the majority approved of Netanyahu's decisions
Negotiations began today in Cairo with Egypt mediating between Israel and the Palestinian delegation, which includes representatives from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman opposed the plan to involve Abbas in Gaza, which counters Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, who said a few weeks ago that Israel supported deploying Abbas forces at Gaza crossings. Egypt reportedly told Hamas to lower its expectations. An airport and seaport were not on the table.
Meanwhile, the Israeli cabinet was divided over whether to allow the Palestinian Authority to control the passages in and out of the Gaza Strip. Yedioth reported that the Israeli cabinet decided that the Israeli negotiating team is allowed to discuss easing the siege on the Gaza Strip and extending the radius for Palestinian fisherman to fish. However, the team will demand guarantees for demilitarization of the Strip and preventing arms from reaching Hamas. Maariv reported that Lieberman and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett completely opposed opening the crossings for commerce and people. On the other hand, wrote Maariv, others said that, at this point, aside from the Palestinian Authority there was no international source that was willing to take upon itself the responsibility of supervision of the entry of commerce into the Gaza Strip, in particular ensuring that construction materials are used for their goal - rehabilitating the Gaza Strip and not reaching the hands of Hamas' military wing. Maariv interviewed Science Minister and former Shin Bet chief Yaakov Pery, who is an observer in the security cabinet and who said, "We have no choice but to speak, with our faces looking in the direction of an arrangement. "The PA is part of the Palestinian delegation in Cairo and we need to make sure that it will be running the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. That will give the PA a foot inside of the Gaza Strip. Because when we demand the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, we won't be able to allow Hamas to supervise over the crossings." Maariv also wrote that "no minister in the cabinet was under the illusion that the goal of demilitarizing Gaza, despite the agreement of the international community in principle, (would be possible). It would be ambitious." Yedioth reported that Justice Minister Tzipi Livni supported giving control of the crossings to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Channel 2 reported Tuesday night that last week the IDF presented an assessment of a possible reoccupation of the Gaza Strip to the security cabinet, saying that the cost of reestablishing Israeli control over the entire territory would be hundreds of soldiers’ lives, endangering peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, and tens of billions of shekels per year. Maariv's Ben Caspit wrote that it was meant to scare the ministers into opposing a re-occupation of the Gaza Strip. (See Commentary/Analysis)
The papers also commented on the low in relations between the US and Israel. "This is the most sustained period of antagonism in the relationship," said former U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer. A British deputy minister resigned over the U.K.'s "morally indefensible" stance on Gaza and The Times of London refused to run an anti-Hamas ad. Meanwhile, a call between Netanyahu and US Secretary of State John Kerry Sunday that was disconnected was thought to be because Netanyahu hung up on Kerry.
Haaretz has an excellent review of live updates of Day 29 of Operation Protective Edge. Ynet ran an article of 'Operation Protective Edge in numbers:' 3,356 Gaza rockets fired on Israel, 4,762 targets hit by IDF, 82,201 reservists called up during 29 days of IDF operation in Gaza.
Israel pulled out all of its troops ahead of the 72-hour ceasefire that began yesterday and quiet has descended on the region. The commentators and analysts argued whether the mission was complete. The IDF said the goals were achieved and that there was no intention to topple Hamas. However, some troops and Israelis were disappointed.
Hamas claimed victory and said it destroyed Israel's deterrence and that that would lead to forcing Israel to lift the blockade over Gaza. Hamas said it had agreed to the truce "on the condition Israel withdraws its forces, stop its aerial attacks and open the border crossing to aid, as well as accepts our demands on an airport and seaport." But some of the Israeli papers quoted Egyptian reports that said that 'Hamas gave in to Egypt's dictate' and that Israel did not acquiesce to any of Hamas' demands for the ceasefire. [That said, Israel did pull out all its forces, which was a Hamas condition for a ceasefire. - OH]
The Israel government did not declare victory, but Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that the IDF delivered a blow to the Hamas' strategic infrastructure. "There's no 100% guarantee, but we made the most of it," he said. A Haaretz+ poll showed that Israelis think neither side won the conflict, but the majority approved of Netanyahu's decisions
Negotiations began today in Cairo with Egypt mediating between Israel and the Palestinian delegation, which includes representatives from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman opposed the plan to involve Abbas in Gaza, which counters Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, who said a few weeks ago that Israel supported deploying Abbas forces at Gaza crossings. Egypt reportedly told Hamas to lower its expectations. An airport and seaport were not on the table.
Meanwhile, the Israeli cabinet was divided over whether to allow the Palestinian Authority to control the passages in and out of the Gaza Strip. Yedioth reported that the Israeli cabinet decided that the Israeli negotiating team is allowed to discuss easing the siege on the Gaza Strip and extending the radius for Palestinian fisherman to fish. However, the team will demand guarantees for demilitarization of the Strip and preventing arms from reaching Hamas. Maariv reported that Lieberman and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett completely opposed opening the crossings for commerce and people. On the other hand, wrote Maariv, others said that, at this point, aside from the Palestinian Authority there was no international source that was willing to take upon itself the responsibility of supervision of the entry of commerce into the Gaza Strip, in particular ensuring that construction materials are used for their goal - rehabilitating the Gaza Strip and not reaching the hands of Hamas' military wing. Maariv interviewed Science Minister and former Shin Bet chief Yaakov Pery, who is an observer in the security cabinet and who said, "We have no choice but to speak, with our faces looking in the direction of an arrangement. "The PA is part of the Palestinian delegation in Cairo and we need to make sure that it will be running the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. That will give the PA a foot inside of the Gaza Strip. Because when we demand the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, we won't be able to allow Hamas to supervise over the crossings." Maariv also wrote that "no minister in the cabinet was under the illusion that the goal of demilitarizing Gaza, despite the agreement of the international community in principle, (would be possible). It would be ambitious." Yedioth reported that Justice Minister Tzipi Livni supported giving control of the crossings to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Channel 2 reported Tuesday night that last week the IDF presented an assessment of a possible reoccupation of the Gaza Strip to the security cabinet, saying that the cost of reestablishing Israeli control over the entire territory would be hundreds of soldiers’ lives, endangering peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, and tens of billions of shekels per year. Maariv's Ben Caspit wrote that it was meant to scare the ministers into opposing a re-occupation of the Gaza Strip. (See Commentary/Analysis)
The papers also commented on the low in relations between the US and Israel. "This is the most sustained period of antagonism in the relationship," said former U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer. A British deputy minister resigned over the U.K.'s "morally indefensible" stance on Gaza and The Times of London refused to run an anti-Hamas ad. Meanwhile, a call between Netanyahu and US Secretary of State John Kerry Sunday that was disconnected was thought to be because Netanyahu hung up on Kerry.
Haaretz has an excellent review of live updates of Day 29 of Operation Protective Edge. Ynet ran an article of 'Operation Protective Edge in numbers:' 3,356 Gaza rockets fired on Israel, 4,762 targets hit by IDF, 82,201 reservists called up during 29 days of IDF operation in Gaza.
Quick Hits:
- Suspect in kidnapping, murder of 3 Israeli teens arrested - Hossam Kawasmeh, arrested on July 11, admitted to leading cell which abducted and murdered Gil-Ad Schaer, Eyal Yifrach, and Naftali Frenkel; He received funds from Hamas. (Ynet and Israel Hayom)
- Palestinian stabs Ma'ale Adumim guard, still at large - Settlement's security guard fired at stabber as he fled, but apparently missed; large security forces searching the area for perpetrator. (Ynet, Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
- Sa'ar pushes to revoke Israeli citizenship of Tel Aviv terrorist - Terrorist convicted of bus bombing on final day of Pillar of Defense got his citizenship as part of family reunification. (Ynet)
- Suspicion: He opened a Facebook page named "The Al-Yehud Gang" and called to kill Arabs - Following the kidnapping and murder of three teens in Gush Etzion, the defendant created a Facebook page through which he created content inciting to violence and racism against Arabs. (Maariv)
- **Incitement on the Internet continues: Leftist Jews in the "Hamas Battalion" - A flyer was distributed presenting (Haaretz commentator) Gideon Levy and (Meretz leader) Zahava Gal-On wearing a keffiyeh, and next to them (Peace Now director) Yariv Oppenheimer and (actress) Orly Weinerman and dozens of others, and next to them the symbol of the Hamas military wing, Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Oppenheimer: "This is the result of incitement coming from government ministers who tell the public that whoever does not think like them is belongs to the enemy. In the end, there will be another political assassination..." (Maariv)
- Palestinian foreign minister cites 'clear evidence' of Israeli war crimes - Riyad al-Malki made the statement after meeting prosecutors at the International Criminal Court. (Haaretz)
- British minister resigned because of her government's support for (Israel's) policy in Gaza - British deputy foreign minister Sayeeda Warsi filed a letter of resignation in protest of the supportive policies "of the UK with regard to things that are happening in the Gaza Strip." She added: "What is happening there is morally indefensible." Opponents claim: "She supported Hamas in the past." (Maariv)
- WATCH: Reports show Gaza militants firing rockets in civilian areas - French, Indian Journalists in Gaza film militants preparing and firing rockets into Israel from the middle of residential neighborhoods. (Ynet)
- Gaza-area Israelis fear their security concerns are not being addressed - Residents near Gaza protest in Jerusalem against the end of the operation: ‘We are afraid to go home.’ (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Congress and young Americans increasingly differ on support for Israel - Congressional staffers cite a combination of factors alienating the once solid pro-Israel base among Democrats. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Officer tried to save Hadar Goldin by entering smuggling tunnel - Deputy company commander Eitan visits family of fallen soldier after abandoning protocol and risking his own life by giving chase through Gaza tunnel. (Ynet and Israel Hayom)
- Apps playing with (Gaza) fire removed from Google store - Developers and their games have become embroiled in the political furor surrounding Israel's current operation. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
- AG to High Court: Deny petition to air names of Gaza victims on radio - Human rights group B'Tselem asks High Court to order Israel Broadcasting Authority to broadcast the names of Gaza children killed during Operation Protective Edge. "This is not a factual broadcast devoid of political context," state's rebuttal says. (Israel Hayom)
- AG: MK Hanin Zoabi must report for questioning - Yehuda Weinstein declines Balad MK's request to be provided with the material that led to the opening of a criminal investigation against her. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
- South Americans in Israel are shocked by new anti-Israel attitudes back home - Since Israel launched its ground incursion into Gaza, five Latin American nations have recalled their ambassadors, harshly condemning Israel for the latest round of violence. (Haaretz+)
- Gaza op spurs Italian call for 'Nuremberg for Israel' trial - A petition by academics, describing Israel's 'slow genocide' of Palestinians, is one of many signs - including incendiary slogans, swastikas and vandalism - that reflect anti-Semitic undercurrents in Italy. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Dana International: Europeans need to 'shut up' about Israel - Famed Israeli transgender singer says European countries has no right to criticize Israel since they 'conquered half of the world' and 'raped Africa.' (Haaretz+)
- Inaugural Israel Open tennis tournament canceled over Gaza war - The tournament would have been the first ATP event to be held in Israel since 1996. (Haaretz)
- Residents on Gaza border bemoan lack of bomb shelters - Civilians and soldiers left exposed amid shortage of mobile bomb shelters; mayors told to ask for private donations. (Haaretz+)
- Gaza war pushes some to the left of J Street - Ex-staffers say the liberal group is now less vocal in quest for mainstream acceptance. (Haaretz+)
- Congress members to Erdogan: Your anti-Semitism is damaging U.S.-Turkey ties - In letter to Turkey PM, lawmakers call his criticism of Israel – including accusation of barbarism worse than Hitler's – 'historically inaccurate and provocative.' (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Foreign airlines: Israeli transport officials made threats - Executives at foreign airlines accused Israeli aviation officials of using threatening and inappropriate language after many carriers briefly suspended flights to Israel last month. Transportation Ministry denies using threatening language. (Haaretz+)
- As fighting eases, Gaza conflict costs seen totaling $8 billion - Three-quarters of the costs seen in Gaza; Palestinians hope donor aid comes through. (Haaretz+)
- Financial toll of Operation Protective Edge: $4.3 billion - Israel's military spent $2.3 billion and GDP lost $1.3 billion, authorities say. Property damage, reduced tax revenues and restitution to southern towns add further losses. Tourism industry expected to lose hundreds of millions of shekels. (Israel Hayom)
- Gazans return to what’s left of their homes and families - 'People go into every house of mourning for five minutes, shake hands, everyone lists the dead that he knows of, and then they hurry to the other houses of mourning.' (Haaretz+)
- Gaza residents blame Hamas for deaths - Bereaved Gazans confront Hamas official at Shifa hospital, blaming the terrorist organization for their suffering. Israeli officials have already identified 30 percent of Gazan deaths to have been Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives. (Israel Hayom)
- Study: Haaretz the only news bridge between warring sides - According to a new study of social media behavior, the only news site read by both pro-Israelis and pro-Palestinians is Haaretz.com. (Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Israel must rebuild Gaza together with its neighbors (Haaretz Editorial) A strong economic foundation that could change the lives of Gazans and
constitute a genuine defensive barrier to renewed violence.
There is no limit: Netanyahu harms the reputation of the IDF in order to avoid criticism from the right (Ben Caspit, Maariv) Bibi's alibi: The Prime Minister did not topple Hamas and conquer the Gaza Strip because the IDF did not let him win. How pitiful. And to think that Netanyahu is the one who threatens cabinet ministers who leak with a polygraph. This is how it looks when the ultimate goal is really to stay at th (Prime Minister's official) residence on Balfour Street.
The truth about ourselves (Carolina Landsman, Haaretz+) We can only hope that when the truth about Gaza and about ourselves erupts through the cracks revealed in society, we do not discover that it, and not Hamas, is Israel’s greatest existential threat.
Iran saving Hamas from bankruptcy (Dr. Yaron Friedman, Yedioth/Ynet) Islamic organization is sacrificing Gaza's residents in the battle against Israel in order to receive funds and weapons from Tehran.
What would U.S. do if under rocket attack? A double standard worth examining (Peter Beinart, Haaretz) The American response to threats from the Middle East may make Israel’s actions in Gaza look tame, but is that enough to justify them?
West encouraging terror with 'massacre' claims (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Western states support Israel's right to defend itself, as long as it goes to war with its hands tied.
Egypt: The new power broker? (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Cairo has carved a key role for itself as an Israeli-Palestinian mediator and guarantor for Hamas’ conduct.
Abu Mazen cannot be part of the solution, he is part of the problem (Kalman Libskind, Maariv) Until recently, the Israeli government explained to us, rightly, that the Chairman of the Palesitnian Authority is one of the bad guys. Now there are those who believe that we have a new Abbas: Peace-seeking and good.
Netanyahu's missed diplomatic opportunities in Gaza (Barak Ravid, Haaretz+) The prime minister could have pursued creative and sophisticated diplomatic initiatives to end the war. Instead, he returned to the political passivity that he excels at.
Jerusalem in flames (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom)
With the public focused on Gaza, the media has neglected to report the thousands of incidents of violence in the capital, by both Arabs and Jews.
Nine years of failure in Gaza (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Israel's operation seems to be over; when and where it started is a different question.
Despite the achievements, Operation Protective Edge did not end in a 'knock out' (Yossi Melman, Maariv) The IDF demonstrated achievements and a graphchart of successes, but there were mistakes. The arena now goes from the Gaza Strip to Egypt and the international community, where Israel is likely to face a practically lost battle for public opinion. The question is whether the campaign will yield the deterrence needed to give peace to the south.
Warsi's resignation: U.K.'s Mideast policy won't change, but it's a bad sign (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) The resignation of the senior foreign office minister illustrates how divisive Israel is now in the U.K., and the conflict's detrimental influence on Jewish-Muslim relations in Britain.
A letter to my fellow fighters (Staff Sgt. Nir, Israel Hayom) The citizens of Israel realize that you are blocking a serious threat with your bodies.
Is this what morality looks like? (Oudeh Basharat, Haaretz+) Since the world began, morality has refused to be the province of those who ignore injustices committed by their own side.
France and Britain change their tune (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) Sunday's bombing of a U.N. school is leading politicians in the West to join the international media in criticizing Israel.
Why Snowden hasn't harmed Israel's intelligence services (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) There was an expectation that the Snowden documents would yield details on Israel's electronic surveillance capabilities, yet Glenn Greenwald has barely reported on Israel.
Day-to-day deterrence (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) f the cease-fire holds, Israel should consider embracing a new political order vis-a-vis Hamas.
Netanyahu has won the battle for the Israeli psyche (Sefi Rachlevsky, Haaretz+) The premier has sought, and found, ways to undermine prospects for peace.
The deathmongers from Gaza (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) People wonder why Hamas invested in war rather than welfare. Look around -- since when do Arab leaders care for their people?
U.S. Jewish voters are not about to turn Republican because of Israel (Anthony Weiss, Haaretz+) Jews don’t vote only on Israel, and Jewish views on social and economic issues are more aligned with the Democratic Party.
Sweet while it lasted (Ruthie Blum, Israel Hayom) I urge my fellow Israelis to pause before coming to literal and figurative blows. But it won't do any good.
Bringing back the Jewish liberals who 'have become less pro-Israel’ (Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, Haaretz+) Netanyahu can only bring back disillusioned liberal Jews such as Jonathan Chait, Roger Cohen, and Ezra Klein by enhancing Abbas’ status in the ceasefire talks, backing a settlement freeze and showing he hasn’t abandoned the two state solution.
There is no limit: Netanyahu harms the reputation of the IDF in order to avoid criticism from the right (Ben Caspit, Maariv) Bibi's alibi: The Prime Minister did not topple Hamas and conquer the Gaza Strip because the IDF did not let him win. How pitiful. And to think that Netanyahu is the one who threatens cabinet ministers who leak with a polygraph. This is how it looks when the ultimate goal is really to stay at th (Prime Minister's official) residence on Balfour Street.
The truth about ourselves (Carolina Landsman, Haaretz+) We can only hope that when the truth about Gaza and about ourselves erupts through the cracks revealed in society, we do not discover that it, and not Hamas, is Israel’s greatest existential threat.
Iran saving Hamas from bankruptcy (Dr. Yaron Friedman, Yedioth/Ynet) Islamic organization is sacrificing Gaza's residents in the battle against Israel in order to receive funds and weapons from Tehran.
What would U.S. do if under rocket attack? A double standard worth examining (Peter Beinart, Haaretz) The American response to threats from the Middle East may make Israel’s actions in Gaza look tame, but is that enough to justify them?
West encouraging terror with 'massacre' claims (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Western states support Israel's right to defend itself, as long as it goes to war with its hands tied.
Egypt: The new power broker? (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Cairo has carved a key role for itself as an Israeli-Palestinian mediator and guarantor for Hamas’ conduct.
Abu Mazen cannot be part of the solution, he is part of the problem (Kalman Libskind, Maariv) Until recently, the Israeli government explained to us, rightly, that the Chairman of the Palesitnian Authority is one of the bad guys. Now there are those who believe that we have a new Abbas: Peace-seeking and good.
Netanyahu's missed diplomatic opportunities in Gaza (Barak Ravid, Haaretz+) The prime minister could have pursued creative and sophisticated diplomatic initiatives to end the war. Instead, he returned to the political passivity that he excels at.
Jerusalem in flames (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom)
With the public focused on Gaza, the media has neglected to report the thousands of incidents of violence in the capital, by both Arabs and Jews.
Nine years of failure in Gaza (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Israel's operation seems to be over; when and where it started is a different question.
Despite the achievements, Operation Protective Edge did not end in a 'knock out' (Yossi Melman, Maariv) The IDF demonstrated achievements and a graphchart of successes, but there were mistakes. The arena now goes from the Gaza Strip to Egypt and the international community, where Israel is likely to face a practically lost battle for public opinion. The question is whether the campaign will yield the deterrence needed to give peace to the south.
Warsi's resignation: U.K.'s Mideast policy won't change, but it's a bad sign (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) The resignation of the senior foreign office minister illustrates how divisive Israel is now in the U.K., and the conflict's detrimental influence on Jewish-Muslim relations in Britain.
A letter to my fellow fighters (Staff Sgt. Nir, Israel Hayom) The citizens of Israel realize that you are blocking a serious threat with your bodies.
Is this what morality looks like? (Oudeh Basharat, Haaretz+) Since the world began, morality has refused to be the province of those who ignore injustices committed by their own side.
France and Britain change their tune (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) Sunday's bombing of a U.N. school is leading politicians in the West to join the international media in criticizing Israel.
Why Snowden hasn't harmed Israel's intelligence services (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) There was an expectation that the Snowden documents would yield details on Israel's electronic surveillance capabilities, yet Glenn Greenwald has barely reported on Israel.
Day-to-day deterrence (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) f the cease-fire holds, Israel should consider embracing a new political order vis-a-vis Hamas.
Netanyahu has won the battle for the Israeli psyche (Sefi Rachlevsky, Haaretz+) The premier has sought, and found, ways to undermine prospects for peace.
The deathmongers from Gaza (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) People wonder why Hamas invested in war rather than welfare. Look around -- since when do Arab leaders care for their people?
U.S. Jewish voters are not about to turn Republican because of Israel (Anthony Weiss, Haaretz+) Jews don’t vote only on Israel, and Jewish views on social and economic issues are more aligned with the Democratic Party.
Sweet while it lasted (Ruthie Blum, Israel Hayom) I urge my fellow Israelis to pause before coming to literal and figurative blows. But it won't do any good.
Bringing back the Jewish liberals who 'have become less pro-Israel’ (Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, Haaretz+) Netanyahu can only bring back disillusioned liberal Jews such as Jonathan Chait, Roger Cohen, and Ezra Klein by enhancing Abbas’ status in the ceasefire talks, backing a settlement freeze and showing he hasn’t abandoned the two state solution.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.