APN's daily news review from Israel

Sunday August 31, 2014
 

Quote of the day:

“(We discussed) what to do when students say ‘Death to Arabs’– which they do frequently – and we gave each other the benefit of our experience."
--Rani Hazon Weiss, a teacher at the Givat Gonen High School in Jerusalem, met with other teachers to talk about how to battle anti-Arab racism in Jewish Israeli schools, post Gaza war.**

Front Page News:

Haaretz

• Security establishment recommends easing economic pressure on Gaza
• Israel: No immediate danger from Al-Qaeda - Rebels become established in Golan and tightening the siege on the UN forces
• The choice: ISIS or Hezbollah // Zvi Bar'el
• About half of the addition to the security establishment budget will be cut from Education Ministry and Council for Higher Education
• Obama administration allowed publication of secrets of Israeli nuclear plan
• After summer of fighting - teachers dealing alone with racism of children
• One girl for two peoples: Growing up in a Jewish-Arab home
• Ukrainian president: Getting closer to all-out-war with Russia
• Italian foreign minister to replace Catherine Ashton

Yedioth Ahronoth

• Suffered (from rockets) but won't be compensated - Anger in Ashkelon: We were left off the list of communities to receive benefits
• A year of hope - On the occasion of the school year opening tomorrow, a teacher, a mother and a pupil from the south write about their hopes for quiet instead of missiles
• The female rescuers of the Golan - Dozens of Fillipino UN soldiers who were taken captive by Syrian rebels, were rescued and arrived yesterday in Israeli territory. Female soldiers from the Irish force took part in the rescue operation
• ISIS planned biological attacks using the plague
• Obama changed his official jacket from blue to beige - the fashion world is in shock
• Meow, not a cat - After 40 years it was revealed: Hello Kitty is a little girl, not a cat
• Life after judo - Arik Zeevi after retirement

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links)

• US: ISIS endangers Israel
• Obama's ice bucket // Shlomo Shamir
• On the fences // Yossi Melman 
• "I didn't want killing and kidnapping of soldiers" - Prime Minister explains his motives for ceasefire and attacked cabinet members
• International sponsorship // Prof. Alan Dershowitz
• Tal Gilboa is the big winner of 'Big Brother' reality show 

Israel Hayom

• The observers are running away - Dozens of UN soldiers escaped to Israeli territory from Syria under fire
• US action toward ISIS amateurish // Prof. Avraham Ben-Zvi
• After difficult summer: Tomorrow returning to study
• Pupils, I believe in you // Minister Shai Piron
• Netanyahu: "I will run again from prime minister"
• Today: Government to approve benefits for the south
• 71st fallen soldier
• Goodbye Ashton: Fedrika Mogherini - the new Foreign Minister of Europe
• 13-year-old died of her wounds after hit and run in Ramleh
• During 'Big Brother' finals, Maayan Hodedah was injured in an accident

News Summary: 

The escape by UN observers from Syrian rebel captivity, the ISIS threat to Israel (see commentary) and the beginning of the school year tomorrow were today's top stories in the main Hebrew newspapers. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke to the Israeli media following the start of the ceasefire, which was not popular among all his cabinet members, Haaretz reported that the IDF recommended easing the siege on Gaza and France called for the demilitarization of Gaza. Meanwhile the latest on Gaza and Hamas vs. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and a look at how the Hebrew papers reported on clashes in E. Jerusalem.

Filipino U.N. peacekeepers managed to flee captivity from Nusra Front, the al-Qaida affiliated Syrian rebels, while under fire on Syrian side of the Golan Heights, entering into Israeli territory. Maariv reported that the commander of the Philippine Army told a press conference that "Israel and Syria helped us make the 'Great Escape' of our troops from the Islamic extremist organization Jabhat Al-Nusrah. A senior Israeli official told Haaretz that the rebels currently don't pose a threat to Israeli security. However, the IDF is following the developments along Syria-Israel border closely "from the understanding that what is happening there could at one point affect us," one IDF source told Maariv. "Right now there is spillover (into Israel of fighting in Syria), as we saw last week and earlier. The battles over Quneitra occur very close to the Israel," he said, explaining that the IDF does not let pass, even though it knows this is spillover and not intentional fire, in order to mark a clear red line to the forces operating there. The assessment is that the Syrian troops, the rebels and Assad do not want any confrontation with Israel now, Maariv wrote. "From Israel's perspective, the loss of the Quneitra crossing by the Syrian army for now only means the halt in the transfer of apples or preventing the passage of young Druze studying in Syria," wrote Ynet. Netanyahu told a visiting delegation of the Armed Services Committee of the US House of Representatives: "We must form a joint position in order to defeat them.'
 

The long-term ceasefire began and Netanyahu gave interviews to the Israeli media - and sent the Israeli public, his security cabinet and the Palestinian President some messages Hamas was surprised by force of Israel's blow, he said and slammed cabinet ministers who criticized government policy during Operation Protective Edge. Netanyahu agreed to the ceasefire without bringing it to a vote of the security cabinet. When asked about the Palestinian unity government between Fatah and Hamas, Netanyahu said: "We have no problem with the Palestinian Authority entering Gaza, we have a problem with Hamas entering the West Bank." He also said that Abbas must choose between Hamas and Israel and that he won't return to negotiations with Abba until he proves he can be a partner for peace.
  
Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon touted the Gaza operation as an Israeli victory, while Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said he was unsure. "The fact that a 20,000-strong terror group has endured for 50 days against the strongest army in the Middle East and has stayed in power – it bothers me very much."
 
Interestingly, the IDF has told Israeli politicians that it's to Israel's benefit to ease the siege on Gaza in order to prevent a social and economic meltdown in Gaza. [The question that needs to be asked is why now and not before this war. - OH]

In a speech to the French diplomatic corps, French President Francois Hollande outlined a proposal that calls for ending the Israeli blockade and demilitarizing Gaza. Haaretz wrote that it was "the latest sign that the international community plans to press for demilitarization after the latest war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip."
 
In Gaza, former Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh visited the ruins of his home, destroyed by Israeli airstrikes. Afterward, he was hospitalized and Israel Hayom wondered whether Haniyeh were poisoned by Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal, who was reportedly furious at Haniyeh for accepting the Egyptian cease-fire proposal, and wanted him removed.

Netanyahu was not the only one to slam his fellow politicians. Abbas slammed Hamas accusing it of dictating the outbreak of war:  "That's not unity; it is not reconciliation.' Earlier in the evening, Mashaal slammed the Palestinian Authority's security forces for preventing an intifada in the West Bank and said that the war was forced on the Palestinians. And at a press conference at Shifa Hospital in Gaza, senior Hamas leader and Mashaal's deputy, Musa Abu Marzouq, told Abbas: "Don't blame Hamas for making the decisions to make peace or war, since the decision to go to war in Gaza was Israel's," Maariv's Yasser Ukabi reported.

Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported that indirect Cairo negotiations were to resume this week, but Abu Marzouq said that no date had been made. Asharq Al-Awsat also reported that Abbas will use the Cairo negotiations as a platform to make headway in his statehood plans, particularly a timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. Israel Hayom has the details here. If the demands aren't met, the Palestinians will seek a UN Security Council resolution forcing Israel to withdraw to the pre-1967 lines.
 
Haaretz has changed the numbering of its live updates on the Gaza-Israel crisis to 'LIVE UPDATES: After Operation Protective Edge.' Here is link to day 3 of the post ceasefire updates.
 
Maariv and Haaretz both reported that Palestinians clashed with police in E. Jerusalem. However, neither paper bothered to report on why the Palestinians were throwing stones.

Quick Hits: 

• MK Hanin Zoabi: 'No military can defeat people who want to live' - Pro-Palestinian 'Gaza Won' festival organized by Arab Israeli committee hosts Arab MKs, celebrates Israeli defeat in Gaza operation; Zoabi: "Political solution needed that is based on freedom...If there were no occupation, there would be no armed resistance." (Ynet and Israel Hayom)
• **Jerusalem teachers warn of increase in racism after Gaza war - Staff concerned that Education Ministry lesson plans not enough to combat racist comments at start of school year. (Haaretz) 
• **Coexistence at the Bilingual School in Jerusalem - At "Hand in Hand" school, 600 Arab and Jewish students learn together. During Operation Protective Edge "Death to Arabs" grafitti was spray-painted on the school walls and students with school uniforms were verbally assaulted. Nevertheless, they will let their shared life be harmed. (Maariv) 
• Be’er Sheva man charged over anti-Arab Facebook group - Lior Cohen, 22, called for getting together to attack Arabs and make them understand 'that this isn’t their country, it’s the Jews’ country.’ Charged with incitement to racism and incitement to violence or terror. He was released on condition he doesn't use internet for a month. (Haaretz and Maariv)
• Aftermath of Gaza op: Bird's eye view of Saja'iyya in ruins - The Gazan neighborhood was site of some of the most heaviest fighting during Operation Protective Edge. New footage shows devastation after Israeli attacks. (Ynet)
• Housing group: 20 years to rebuild Gaza after fighting with Israel - Palestinian officials estimate cost of reconstruction exceeds $6 billion. (Agencies, Haaretz) 
• Government to convene in Hof Ashkelon to discuss budget cuts - Gaza-border communities to receive 1.3 billion shekels for rehabilitation over five years; government ministries face 2 percent cuts to fund Protective Edge. (Ynet)
• Education Ministry set for additional $195 million cuts to help fund Gaza war - Ministry will take biggest hit of all departments given the large size of its budget, with students in poorer areas of the country likely to suffer most. (Haaretz) 
• Maybe tomorrow they'll kill an Imam, says Tayibe protester - Thousands of Israeli Arabs demonstrate against violence in Arab sector after local high school principal was murdered during a meeting in his office. "The writing was on the wall. Police said there was a foreseeable threat to his life, but they did nothing," said Tayibe resident. (Ynet) 
• Second murder in Taybeh this week: 28-year-old shot in his car - Five days after the Amal school principal was shot dead in Taybeh, Seif Haj Yehiyeh, 38, was shot Friday evening while driving his car on the road near the gas station on Hwy 444. (Maariv) 
• Double murder suspected in (Arab village) Jatt: Two brothers were shot by masked men - Ahmed Watad (55) and Hamed Watad (49) were shot Friday night outside a wedding hall in the village events by masked men. (Maariv)
• Bill: Recognition of Arabs of Israel as a national minority - MK Ahmed Tibi proposed establishing in Israel's Basic Law the state's commitment to equality of the Arab citizens in all walks of life. The proposal came in response to the proposal to abolish Arabic as Israel's other official language and in response to the 'Jewish nation law': "After 66 years, it's time for equality." (Maariv) 
• Newly declassified documents reveal how U.S. agreed to Israel's nuclear program - Documents reveal contacts between Washington and Jerusalem in late 1960s, and outline how US officials came to terms with a three-part Israeli refusal: signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty; agreeing to American inspection of the Dimona nuclear facility; conditioning delivery of fighter jets on Israel’s agreement to give up nuclear weaponry in exchange for strategic ground-to-ground Jericho missiles “capable of reaching the Arab capitals.(Haaretz)
• Dismissed Israeli professor claims political views behind Ariel University decision - Amir Hetsroni suggests university taking revenge for his Haaretz op-ed; ostensibly, he was fired due to comments written on Facebook. The dismissal took place after he wrote in an Op-Ed published in Haaretz that "the reaction of the Israeli universities to the war in Gaza could justify a boycott," wrote Maariv. (Haaretz and Maariv) 
• Rocket attack victim dies, raising Israeli death toll to 71 - Netanel Maman, a 22-year-old IDF soldier, had come home for the weekend after fighting in Gaza. He was in a car with his brother when it was hit by shrapnel from a rocket attack. After a week of fighting for his life, he succumbs to his injuries. (Israel Hayom)
• One wounded soldier – 1,000 blood transfusions - Sgt. Shachar Shalev, who was severely hurt in Khan Yunis firefight, has lost both legs during more than five weeks of treatment. (Ynet) 
• 200 Israelis stuck in Italy after flight crew refuses to stay in Israel - Italian crew decides mid-flight to turn plane around because they were being charged extra for overnight accommodations. Lawyer: The circumstances demand that the passengers receive significant compensation. (Israel Hayom)
• Israelis stranded at the terminal in Doha: "We were afraid we'd run into Khaled Mashaal" - 16 Israeli passengers flying from India to Israel had stopovers Wednesday in Qatar and Jordan, but missed the connecting flight. One of the Israelis: "The feeling was that we were abandoned." (Maariv)
• Female IDF soldiers under Hamas's fire - Gaza border female technicians risk their lives repairing IDF obsevation equipment on the Gaza border: 'While fixing the post we were constantly under fire.' (Ynet) 
• During the fighting: new immigrants landed in Israel - and were sent to Kibbutz near Gaza - 108 young Americans of military enlistement agewho immigrated during Operation Protective Edge through their Jewish scouts group (Tzofim of Garin Tzabar) were sent to Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak - even though most residents of the area abandoned their homes. They were kept extremely close together, bored and mainly confused -  because they were forbidden from watching the news. "They are playing with the lives of our children," one mother complained. (Maariv)
• Helping heroes: US rescue personnel arrive to support their Israeli counterparts - American paramedics and nurses fly into Israel to save lives at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, the hospital nearest to Gaza. (Ynet)
• Carter to speak at fund-raising event funds for organization suspected of financing Hamas - Former US president, who publicly supported Hamas - he has said and written that Hamas must be recognized as a  legitimate actor and must be included in diplomatic moves in order to put an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, will give a speech at a meeting of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), which is suspected of transferring $12 million to Hamas. (Maariv)
• Man charged with assaulting British MP George Galloway - Galloway, who recently declared the northern English city he represents an 'Israel-free zone,' was attacked on a west London street on Friday night. (Agencies, Haaretz) 
• Pro-Palestinian activists take 'rubble bucket challenge' in DC - 'Rubble bucket challenge,' based on ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, is meant to call attention to suffering in Gaza during recent fighting. Protesters carry out challenge in front of the White House, saying, "Hearts and minds … have to be with the Gaza people." (Agencies, Israel Hayom) 
• Maldives media outlets raise nearly $2 million for Gaza victims - Muslim resort island, which bans Israeli-made goods, also revoked three cooperation agreements last month over Operation Protective Edge. (Agencies, Ynet)
• Suriname president's son pleads guilty to abetting Hezbollah - Dino Bouterse faces terrorism charges for offering the Lebanese group a base in his South American country for attacking U.S. targets. (Agencies, Haaretz) 
• Captured ISIS computer reveals interest in biological weapons - According to Foreign Policy report, computer belonged to Tunisian man with background in chemistry and physics, contains training manuals for carrying out attacks and 19-page document on developing biological weapons. ISIS beheads Lebanese soldier. (Israel Hayom)
• Kerry calls for global coalition to fight ISIS - In New York Times op-ed, US Secretary of State says ISIS terrorists will 'not be satisfied at stopping with Syria and Iraq', warns of militants operating 'perilously close to Israel'. (Ynet)
• EU leaders pick Italian FM as bloc's new top diplomat - Federica Mogherini to succeed incumbent Catherine Ashton in November. (Agencies, Haaretz)

Features:

Children from mixed marriages look for answers in complex Israeli reality
When Israeli parents are of different religions, their offspring can spend a lifetime trying to grapple with questions of identity. (Ofra Edelman, Haaretz) 
Jewish mother, Palestinian father - and a book that had to be written
Author hopes to show readers that 'people are just people ... societies are complex and convoluted.' (Matthew Kalman, Haaretz)
What happens when you care about Israel, but love Turkey?
From the funeral of the wealthy Jewish couple murdered in Istanbul to the lavish bar mitzvah of the son of Istanbul's chief rabbi, against the backdrop of rising tensions over Israel, Boaz Bismuth tries to figure out Turkey's Jews. (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom)
Why would anyone live on the Gaza border?
They have been living under the threat of rockets for 14 years, but the area's special pull keeps the residents there. (Danna Harman and Judy Maltz, Haaretz)
10 things you probably didn’t know about the border kibbutzim that starred in Gaza war
For instance, many old-timers remember when Gaza was considered a friendly place: To this day, some remain in touch with Gaza residents formerly employed in their homes. (Judy Maltz and Danna Harman, Haaretz) 
Israel's top-secret high school
The Atid high school at the Dimona nuclear reactor trains select students in professions needed in Israel's industrial sector. They can't divulge any details about their studies, but say it's worth it to be fast-tracked into in-demand professions. (Israel Hayom) 
A guide for the perplexed: What’s the story with 'Villa Touma’?
Director-screenwriter Suha Arraf’s film will be screened this week at the Venice Film Festival. She described it as 'Palestinian,' although she received funding from Israeli organizations. Everything you need to know about the political and cultural brouhaha. (Haaretz)
From price tag to peace tag
Even as the Hamas rockets were falling, West Bank settlers and Palestinian villagers were forging a historic new co-existence initiative. (Matthew Kalman, Haaretz)

Commentary/Analysis:

Leaving my homeland (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz) Israel is not worth the price it is exacting from us. There is a nationalist-religious-ultra-Orthodox majority, and our lifestyle will not survive.
Gaza ceasefire is too little, too late (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) INSIGHT Part 1: Operation Protective Edge has left behind several poisoned chalices: Israelis have discovered they have no leadership, no political trust, a tenuous grip on coexistence and democracy, and a downturn in relations with the US. 
The politics of war: Protective Edge in retrospect
(Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) INSIGHT: Part two of Nahum Barnea's in-depth look at the key players and events in the 50-day conflict between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers.
Better the devil you know (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) As new tensions mount in the northern sector, there is no doubt Israel would rather deal with the familiar threat posed by Assad than the new threat posed by al-Qaida. 
Can a dark-horse duo save Israel? The Huldai-Diskin rumor (Bradley Burston, Haaretz) The rumor suggests that a new center-left bloc could be created, which might draft Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai as its leader, and thus a potential prime minister to succeed Netanyahu. Former Shin Bet Director Yuval Diskin, an outspoken critic of Netanyahu's policies, and a vocal advocate of advancing a two-state solution in negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, has been mentioned as Huldai's potential partner. After years of right-center and far-right governments, is a center-left coalition for Israel even an option? It is. 
Making a weakened Israel into a political powerhouse (Yuval Diskin, Yedioth/Ynet) Only by shrugging off its inertia and going full steam ahead on a diplomatic solution with the Palestinians can Israel rescue itself from the disaster of the recent fighting in Gaza.
Choosing between Hezbollah and the Islamic State ( Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz) Trying to work out which groups the West will befriend in Iraq and Syria is almost as difficult as reaching a consensus on how to tackle Islamic State.
Syria: What was will no longer be (Yossi Melman, Maariv)  Events on the border with Syria mark the end of the arrangement that has been kept since the ceasefire after the Yom Kippur War. The big question is how long will the United Nations will continue to send observers units to the area in which the reality is changing right before our eyes.
An Israeli reservist asks: What did I fight for in Gaza? (Tamir V., Haaretz) For now, writes the soldier, the well-brought-up Zionist young people continue to show up dutifully for reserve duty. But they are also filled with despair. 
Their sons did not die in vain (Ruthie Blum, Israel Hayom) The casualties of the latest war died as heroes, bringing the only kind of peace and quiet we Israelis ever have.
Post Operation Protective Edge: The grades for the Political-Security Cabinet (Ben Caspit, Maariv) IDF finished the operation in not a bad situation, but Israel has not made any political progress, the coalition members can't stand each other, the 2015 budget is yet to come and the situation on the border with Syria is complicated. Netanyahu will have to deal with all of this, but it's no problem for him. Prefers this over Hamas. 
Gaza: An opportunity missed (Moshe Arens, Haaretz) The shorter the war, the smaller the number of casualties on both sides. Whatever had to be done could and should have been done quickly and efficiently.
The war in the eyes of our leaders (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) Why was it decided not to topple Hamas' regime in the Gaza Strip? What is Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal's biggest challenge? My conversations with decision makers.
No victory photos from Gaza Op (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) Hamas is left with some 6,000 rockets, a functioning military wing and many more terror tunnels; Israel faces all of these with passive defense strategy after yielding on offensive initiatives that could have prevented future attacks on us.
The IDF’s real face (Gideon Levy, Haaretz) In civilian life, anyone suspected of manslaughter or murder is immediately arrested, with an investigation coming later. In the IDF the opposite is true. 
Wars of the zeitgeist (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom) What "corrupts" more: the "occupation," or Israeli withdrawals and the inevitable wars against Palestinian terrorist enclaves? 
Rebuild Gaza? Hamas wants to kill us, and Gaza wants Hamas (Kalman Libskind, Maariv) Before a campaign arrives calling to lay a crown on the head of the messiah, Mahmoud Abbas, here's what the people of Kibbutz Nahal Oz said in July 2005, when they thought that the disengagement from Gaza would bring them security, prosperity and great neighborly relations. And the time has come for us to understand that people in Gaza are not hostage to Hamas - they want it
Holocaust deniers in 'B'Tselem' (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) The organization is not dealing with human rights, but encourages anti-Semitism; it's not about criticizing Israel's actions or about healing the world, it's about Jewish support of fabricated blood libels meant to assist Hamas.
Go buy furniture for your retirement home in Caesarea (Yoel Marcus, Haaretz) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has done what he does best: survive. He didn’t bring down Hamas, didn’t lose the war but didn’t win it either.
Is a takeover of Gaza impossible? (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) Many voices in Israel's top military echelon believe that Israel mishandled the latest Gaza operation. Surprisingly, some of the most vocal calls for either reoccupying the Strip or overthrowing the Hamas regime come from figures long identified with the political Left.
Should historic Gaza mosques be spared even if hotbed of terror activity? (Ilene Prusher , Haaretz) Palestinians believe IDF couldn’t care less if it destroys cultural or historic buildings in Gaza; Israelis believe Hamas has turned Gaza’s mosques into legitimate targets.
Nipping terrorism in the bud (Avi Dichter, Israel Hayom) Israel is far ahead of the rest of the world in understanding the magnitude of Hamas' threat, and it does not have the luxury of waiting for the rest of the world to wake up.
Why celebrating 'victory' after the Gaza war is so repellent (Don Futterman, Haaretz) It's the same queasy feeling as I had after the last two wars in Gaza; so much death and destruction, so little progress toward a long-term solution that neither the leaders of Israel nor Gaza want. 
Peace is made with neighbors (Avishai Ivri, Maariv) The Israeli government needs to say goodbye to the hallucinations of peace with imaginary Palestinians who don't support Hamas, and to start seriously protecting the real Palestinians who actually oppose it and pay the price. But they do not live in Nablus, but in Jaffa and the Israeli government just ignores them. We need to support the many Arabs who call to join the IDF and to join hands with the State, we need to remove the agitators like Hanin Zoabi from the Knesset and deport Hamasniks such as Raed Salah. 
The unrequited love affair between liberal Jews and an illiberal Israel (Carlo Strenger, Haaretz) We have the right to voice our displeasure about what other Jews - Israeli or not - do, as much as the Americans and French can dislike some of their fellow countrymen. 
War on Jews: Europe and now America (Richard Baehr, Israel Hayom) The U.S. is headed toward the European ‎model, where Muslim numbers and threats begin to dictate ‎policy and make Jewish security and safety no longer a given.
Israelis cannot let Judaism be a mask for racism (Arie Hasit, Haaretz) It's time Jews in Israel shed their Diaspora mentality of fearing assimilation and start taking care of the minority religions living in this country.
The next step for liberal Zionists after Gaza: a Freedom Summer with Palestinians (Peter Beinart, Haaretz) In an era of direct action, supporters of the two-state solution must start putting their bodies on the line. 
The intolerable mistake (Samuel Maoz, Haaretz) Creative work is an individual rather than a national expression. The artist is not an ambassador of Israel, but an ambassador of his soul. If we force a nationalist definition on the artist we will cause our culture to become shallow.
Is time working for or against Israel? (Yoram Ettinger, Israel Hayom) Israel has experienced splendid economic ‎integration and growth, in defiance of ongoing ‎war, terrorism, boycotts and international pressure.
Netanyahu’s horizon after Protective Edge (Friday Haaretz Editorial) It's time for the prime minister to keep his promises to the public and to obtain peace, even if it means replacing some of his coalition partners and confronting the political hacks in his Likud party.
After Gaza, Netanyahu faces tough political battles (Moran Azulay, Ynet) From renewed peace talks, to housing and the next budget, after the Gaza conflict's unpopular ceasefire, Netanyahu enters the Knesset's winter plenum with little political credit and a coalition looking for his blood. 
A war with no illusions (Shlomo Cesana, Israel Hayom) With the end of Operation Protective Edge, questions begin to arise over its true gains and losses. Hamas was dealt a massive blow, but the operation has brought the murky relationships in the cabinet to light.
Gaza shows fading returns for Netanyahu's appeal to Jewish trauma (Gershom Gorenberg, Haaretz) Netanyahu taps into two contradictory currents in the Israeli psyche: The Holocaust trauma of helplessness, and belief in force as the only solution. But, after Gaza, are Israelis growing less receptive? 
Trial balloons (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) Two days after the Gaza war, both Israel's relations with the PA and internal relations between Israel's top politicians are unclear.
Riddle of the Sphinx: How does Egypt do it? (Ilene Prusher , Haaretz) With each new round of Israeli-Palestinian confrontation, Egypt emerges strong and indispensable. But its years-long role in the embargo of Gaza is underestimated. 
A few yards away (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) Some 47 years ago, Arab leaders refused to negotiate with Israel. Since then, they have led their countries to the brink of destruction, and Israel could be pulled in. 
Why are Brits who know little about Israel so active against it? (Eyal Winter, Haaretz) It may have less to do with anti-Semitism than we think.
Is this the generation that rejects circumcision? (Avraham Burg, Haaretz) There is no Jewish death penalty. There are no rabbinic executioners, or people who amputate limbs for violations of Jewish law. Ritual circumcision is the only act of physical harm that remains. 
The thing that scares the Jews of France more than anything: stop being French (Gideon Kotz, Maariv) An editorial published by the editor of a respected French newspaper, L'Expresse, which accused the Jews in the state of the upsurge of anti-Semitism around the country, has shaken the Jewish community in the Republic. They felt betrayed and they lost the advantage they had over the Muslims as an organized community that has a part in the modern history of France. According to the article, Jews should not follow the policy of Israel and Netanyahu and be tempted to join the extreme right in France, with the encouragement of the Jewish Defense League, the radical Jewish organization, whose membership is extremely small. The article echoed a classic anti-Semitic undertone, when it hinted that the Jews are to blame for what happens to them. [Note: According to The Jewish Daily Forward, the article by Christophe Barbier condemned the anti-Semitism and defended the Jews, but did so by attacking them. - OH]
Unsafe place for asylum seekers (Haaretz Editorial) The government and Knesset should change their attitude to asylum seekers and allow them a safe stay in Israel without confinement, as long as they are at risk in their countries of origin.
On the edge (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) With Operation Protective Edge over, now we need to draw conclusions from having been dragged into a protracted war of attrition, and correct the faulty conduct of the Homefront Command. Are ISIS atrocities helping Israel gain the world's attention? 
Obama's ice bucket (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) Between vacation and a NATO summit, The US President found time to engage with "the Islamic State." That did not help him escape the criticisms of dissatisfaction with his performance.
The heartache: Sayed Kashua visits the ER for the first time (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz) Just like in Jerusalem, blacks are the majority in the ER here – I mean, in Israel it’s Arabs, but you get the idea.

 

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