APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday October 30, 2014
Quote of the day:
“I turn to the government of Israel to treat us as citizens with historic rights, and not as a people
that threatens the Jews.”
-- Kufr Kassem Mayor Bayor Adel Badir in his speech at the march in commemoration of 58 years to the IDF massacre of 49 Arab citizens.**
-- Kufr Kassem Mayor Bayor Adel Badir in his speech at the march in commemoration of 58 years to the IDF massacre of 49 Arab citizens.**
Front Page News:
Haaretz
- Gunman shot prominent right-wing activist who supports Jews going up to (sic - praying on) Temple Mount; Police raised level of alert across the country
- At the conference in support of (building new) Holy Temple, hours before he was shot // Roy Chicky Arad
- Egypt began operation to disconnect Sinai from the Gaza Strip
- Police: Put (Ashdod port labor union chief) Alon Hasson on trial for blackmail by threat and for fraud - also recommended to indict former CEO of port
- Central corruption file against (Nazareth Illit mayor) Shimon Gapso to be closed
- Development in the investigation of the 1998 rape and murder of teenage girl, Noa Eyal
- Defense Ministry demands: Only modest photos at the (job) fairs for soldiers
- Spaceship exploded during launch
- Assassination attempt - Terror in Jerusalem - Motorcyclist wearing black sprayed right-wing activist with gunfire at the Begin Heritage Center - and severely injured him
- The red-head and the mountain // Nahum Barnea
- The attack and the clarification - Day after Obama advisor called Netanyahu ‘chickenshit’: White House renounces the crude remarks
- Populist dispute // Yuval Diskin
- The egg and the chicken // Sima Kadmon
- Punching bag // Ben-Dror Yemini
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Suspected terror attack: Right-wing activist Yehuda Glick shot at end of conference discussing Tempe Mount
- The enemy smells weakness and hesitation // Kalman Libskind
- Jerusalem: “The crisis with the US will have consequences”
- We will all pay – Israel is closer than ever to becoming an empire // Ben Caspit
- Calm down // Shlomo Shamir, NY
- 16 years later: Dramatic development in investigation of rape and murder of teenage girl, Noa Eyal
Israel Hayom
- The assassin asked in an Arab accent, “Are you Yehuda?” and shot three times
- This is a Jerusalem intifada - zero tolerance must be shown // Nadav Shragai
- US insulted and ‘clarified’
- Yaalon to US: We won’t take the V-22s
- Severe state comptroller report: The struggle against money-laundering yielded only 980 sh. ($260)
- Corruption scandal at Ashdod port: Police recommend (former labor union chief) Alon Hasson to trial
- Good news for driving students: Fees for test to gradually drop
News Summary:
A motorcyclist with an Arab accent tries to assassinate a prominent far right-wing activist and the US plays down remarks by a US official that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is ‘chickenshit,’ while the UN Security Council agrees with the US and the EU: Israeli plans to construct Jewish homes over the Green Line in Jerusalem display Israel’s lack of interest in peace.
Yehuda Glick, perhaps the top American-Israeli activist for greater Jewish access to and praying on the Temple Mount was shot by a motorcyclist just as he exited a right-wing conference about the Temple Mount at the Menachem Begin Heritage center in West Jerusalem last night. He was severely wounded. His would-be assassin escaped. Glick, 50, was had just left an annual event organized by the Temple Mount and Eretz Yisrael Faithful Movement, titled, "Israel Returns to the Temple Mount," which was attended by right-wing MKs and right-wing activists. Ynet has more on what went on in the conference.
Yedioth portrayed Glick as a troublemaker, noting that the police had banned him numerous times from visiting the Temple Mount out of fear he would spark problems. Glick was pleased that in recent years more and more rabbis have revoked the halakhic ban on Jews going there. After his shooting, senior government members slammed Netanyahu for 'losing Jerusalem,' blaming him for the worsening security situation in the capital.
Interestingly, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat blamed Palestinian incitement for the incident - and not the attempts to legalize Jewish praying on the Temple Mount, the sneaking-in of settlers into the Silwan neighborhood near the Temple Mount and the mass arrests - and some killings - in E. Jerusalem. "This is a very serious incident that is a result of severe incitement," he said and called on the government to "take harsh steps against the incitement and impassioned tendencies in the city."
Some commentators and analysts continue to refer to the increasing Palestinian violence in the city as the Jerusalem intifada. To that, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Channel 10 news last night in an interview: "If I wanted one, there would already be a third Intifada" Maariv reported. Abbas told Channel 10: "We want to protect the holy places peacefully. During the 50-Day War (against Gaza), not a single shot was fired from the West Bank.” Regarding the peace process Abbas promised Israeli viewers: “If we reach an agreement, we will bring another 57 Arab states to recognize Israel.”
In the latest dispute with the US over plans to build more settlement homes in Jerusalem, Netanyahu defended himself saying he was “under attack for defending Israel.” This came after a US official was quoted calling Netanyahu 'chickenshit.' Nevertheless, Netanyahu insisted the US-Israel alliance was strong despite the arguments.
Meanwhile, President Ruvi Rivlin made what was probably his first criticism of Netanyahu since taking his post: "Israel's foreign policy is based on three principles – the first is relations with the US; the second – relations with the US; and the third, and no less important – relations with the US," he told Army Radio from Warsaw, suggesting Netanyahu had gotten into a dispute with the US he should not have.
The US disavowed the ‘chickenshit’ remarks saying it was ‘inappropriate,’ inaccurate and counter-productive.
Yedioth wrote that both sides are ’climbing down from the tree.’ But Yedioth commentators Sima Kadmon and former Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin both wrote that Netanyahu should not have climbed up this tree. Maariv commentator Ben Caspit also warned that Netanyahu’s actions are harmful to Israeli citizens. They all agreed Netanyahu acted out of his own political interests. A senior Netanyahu adviser will hold talks at the White House to work things out, Haaretz+ reported.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council held an emergency session to discuss the latest Israeli housing construction plans in E. Jerusalem. UN political chief Jeffrey Feltman said the construction would raise "grave doubt" about Israel's plans for a durable peace with the Palestinians. The Palestinians asked the UN to demand Israel end settlements.
A motorcyclist with an Arab accent tries to assassinate a prominent far right-wing activist and the US plays down remarks by a US official that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is ‘chickenshit,’ while the UN Security Council agrees with the US and the EU: Israeli plans to construct Jewish homes over the Green Line in Jerusalem display Israel’s lack of interest in peace.
Yehuda Glick, perhaps the top American-Israeli activist for greater Jewish access to and praying on the Temple Mount was shot by a motorcyclist just as he exited a right-wing conference about the Temple Mount at the Menachem Begin Heritage center in West Jerusalem last night. He was severely wounded. His would-be assassin escaped. Glick, 50, was had just left an annual event organized by the Temple Mount and Eretz Yisrael Faithful Movement, titled, "Israel Returns to the Temple Mount," which was attended by right-wing MKs and right-wing activists. Ynet has more on what went on in the conference.
Yedioth portrayed Glick as a troublemaker, noting that the police had banned him numerous times from visiting the Temple Mount out of fear he would spark problems. Glick was pleased that in recent years more and more rabbis have revoked the halakhic ban on Jews going there. After his shooting, senior government members slammed Netanyahu for 'losing Jerusalem,' blaming him for the worsening security situation in the capital.
Interestingly, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat blamed Palestinian incitement for the incident - and not the attempts to legalize Jewish praying on the Temple Mount, the sneaking-in of settlers into the Silwan neighborhood near the Temple Mount and the mass arrests - and some killings - in E. Jerusalem. "This is a very serious incident that is a result of severe incitement," he said and called on the government to "take harsh steps against the incitement and impassioned tendencies in the city."
Some commentators and analysts continue to refer to the increasing Palestinian violence in the city as the Jerusalem intifada. To that, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Channel 10 news last night in an interview: "If I wanted one, there would already be a third Intifada" Maariv reported. Abbas told Channel 10: "We want to protect the holy places peacefully. During the 50-Day War (against Gaza), not a single shot was fired from the West Bank.” Regarding the peace process Abbas promised Israeli viewers: “If we reach an agreement, we will bring another 57 Arab states to recognize Israel.”
In the latest dispute with the US over plans to build more settlement homes in Jerusalem, Netanyahu defended himself saying he was “under attack for defending Israel.” This came after a US official was quoted calling Netanyahu 'chickenshit.' Nevertheless, Netanyahu insisted the US-Israel alliance was strong despite the arguments.
Meanwhile, President Ruvi Rivlin made what was probably his first criticism of Netanyahu since taking his post: "Israel's foreign policy is based on three principles – the first is relations with the US; the second – relations with the US; and the third, and no less important – relations with the US," he told Army Radio from Warsaw, suggesting Netanyahu had gotten into a dispute with the US he should not have.
The US disavowed the ‘chickenshit’ remarks saying it was ‘inappropriate,’ inaccurate and counter-productive.
Yedioth wrote that both sides are ’climbing down from the tree.’ But Yedioth commentators Sima Kadmon and former Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin both wrote that Netanyahu should not have climbed up this tree. Maariv commentator Ben Caspit also warned that Netanyahu’s actions are harmful to Israeli citizens. They all agreed Netanyahu acted out of his own political interests. A senior Netanyahu adviser will hold talks at the White House to work things out, Haaretz+ reported.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council held an emergency session to discuss the latest Israeli housing construction plans in E. Jerusalem. UN political chief Jeffrey Feltman said the construction would raise "grave doubt" about Israel's plans for a durable peace with the Palestinians. The Palestinians asked the UN to demand Israel end settlements.
Quick Hits:
- Ya'alon: Putting Palestinians, Jews on same bus in West Bank guarantees terror attack - Defense minister tells MKs his plan for separate buses for Palestinians was not due to settler pressure, though IDF says there's no security risk. (Haaretz)
- Lapid blasts increased settlement funding: It's harming Israel at this time - Finance Minister says building up infrastructure in isolated settlements, especially at expense of cities within Israel's Green Line, has to happen with natural growth. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Israel assumes Hezbollah has tunnels under Lebanon border - "We have to suppose as a working assumption that there are tunnels. These have to be looked for and prepared for," says Maj. Gen. Yair Golan, commander on the Lebanese and Syrian fronts • Israel hopes to develop tunnel-hunting technology within two years. (Israel Hayom)
- Eye in the sky: Surveillance balloons watching rioters in East Jerusalem - Three operating now, two more to come; police used footage to bust youngsters throwing stones at light rail. (Haaretz)
- Sweden to recognize State of Palestine today - Swedish government expected to officially recognize State of Palestine today, says Jerusalem official; Israel has been informed of decision. (Haaretz)
- **Students in Kfar Kassem re-enacted the massacre the city - Thousands, including thousands of students, participated in a march in Kufr Kassem to mark 58 years since the massacre, in which 49 people were killed, including women and children massacre (by IDF soldiers). Some of the students presented a re-enacting of the massacre. In his speech, Bayor Adel Badir said: “I turn to the government of Israel to treat us as citizens with historic rights, and not as a people that threatens the Jews.” (Maariv)
- Gaza civil servants receive pay in boost to Palestinian unity - Hamas employees receive pay for the first time in a year, workers still not optimistic knowing that another such payment will only happen in another three months. (Agencies, Ynet) [NOTE: Ynet changed the Reuters use of the phrase 'Islamist group' to ‘terrorist group’ in the article. – OH]
- Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai donates $50,000 to Gaza schools - Pakistani teen who won Nobel Peace Prize for education advocacy donates entire sum of World's Children's Prize to UNRWA schools damaged during summer's Gaza war. (Haaretz)
- Hundreds of Egyptians flee Egypt-Gaza border as army begins work on buffer zone - The move to set up the planned 13-kilometer (8-mile) buffer zone comes in the aftermath of a deadly attack on an army checkpoint last week that left 31 dead. (Haaretz)
- Soldier killed in Gaza commemorated around the world - Friends of the Matan Gotlib, who was killed during Operation Protective Edge, brought stickers they designed along with them on their world travels, and placed them at each location to commemorate him. (Ynet)
- Breaking the Silence NGO barred from national service program - The organization, which is dedicated to exposing alleged mistreatment of Palestinians by the army, is rejected because of its "controversial political activity. Meanwhile, an earlier ban on B'Tselem organization is overturned. (Israel Hayom)
- Israeli Arab MK Zoabi suspended from Knesset for 6 months - Sixty-eight MKs vote in favor of the ban, while only 16 MKs -- from the Meretz, Hadash and Israeli Arab parties, as well as Hatnuah MK Amram Mitzna -- vote against the ban. Zoabi: "I did not cross any humanitarian, ethical or legal line." (Israel Hayom)
- Want to recruit IDF soldiers? Don't wear a miniskirt - Defense Ministry directive: headhunters at jobs fairs for demobbed Israeli soldiers warned to dress modestly. (Haaretz+)
- Rivlin in Poland: We won't forget the past - President Reuven Rivlin and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski open Museum of History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, which shows flourishing Jewish life in pre-Holocaust Poland. Rivlin: It is not a museum of the Holocaust, but a museum of life. (Israel Hayom)
- SodaStream to move its West Bank factory in 2015 - Israeli company cites 'purely commercial reasons' behind decision to move its facory to the Negev, following Palestinian boycott. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Report: US, Iran move into 'state of detente' - Wall Street Journal: U.S. and Iran have grown into alignment on a spectrum of causes. Shift could drastically alter balance of power in the Middle East and risks alienating key U.S. allies, with Israel among them, report says. (Israel Hayom)
- Syrian rebels enter Kobani from Turkey to help Kurds fight ISIS - The fighters, said to number 150, belong to the Free Syrian Army, an umbrella group of mainstream rebels fighting to topple President Assad. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Many reported dead after Syrian army drops barrel bombs on displaced persons camp - Footage posted on YouTube showed corpses of women, children and burning tents while people scrambled to save the wounded. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- NY regulator could seek $300m from Bank Leumi for tax eviasion - Source says Bank Leumi could be forced to pay New York financial regulator $300m in a settlement for aiding clients evade taxes. (Agencies, Ynet)
Features:
From Gaza comes a new computer game: 'The Liberation of Palestine'
Players are invited to use force, as well as diplomacy, in the fight against Israel. (Haaretz+)
Who unfriended whom on Facebook during the Gaza war? The stats are in
Right wingers? Left wingers? Fence sitters? Israeli researchers parsed the data (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Players are invited to use force, as well as diplomacy, in the fight against Israel. (Haaretz+)
Who unfriended whom on Facebook during the Gaza war? The stats are in
Right wingers? Left wingers? Fence sitters? Israeli researchers parsed the data (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
European recognition of Palestine will save the two-state solution (Sa'eb
Erekat, Haaretz+) By affirming their belief in the right of the Palestinian people to a national
homeland, European countries are also sending a message to Israel: The era of impunity is over.
A fiery devotee on the Temple Mount (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) Yehudah Glick's life mission was to break the status quo at the most sensitive and dangerous place in Jerusalem; others had the same goal, but none shared his level of addiction.
U.S. to Israel: Never mind peace, just be polite (Peter Beinart, Haaretz+) Instead of dissing Defense Minister Ya’alon, Obama should support Mahmoud Abbas’ last-ditch UN effort to save the two-state solution.
Zero risks for Israel vs. zero chances for Palestinians (Former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy, Yedioth/Ynet) If there is no way to guarantee Israeli citizens' safety without zero achievements for Palestinians, our leaders must say it clearly and fearlessly.
Israel is closer than ever to being an empire (Ben Caspit, Maariv) In Washington, some believe that Netanyahu and (Jewish American tycoon and publisher of Israel Hayom, Sheldon) Adelson worked together to hurt Obama in the congressional elections and turn him into a lame duck. If that happens, what's left for this president are external relations. He will be hurt, vengeful and most importantly, he will have two more years in office. We will be the ones to pay the price.
The crisis with Washington is here to stay (Barak Ravid, Haaretz+) The close security cooperation will continue, but America’s diplomatic defense of Israel at the UN and other international forums will not be immediate and obvious.
Al-Aqsa is not a pawn (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom)
Using one of Islam's holiest sites to incite violence in Jerusalem is one of the oldest tricks in the book, and it is up to Israel to make sure it doesn't work.
Jerusalem's mayor uses paternalism to keep the Arab residents in line (Haaretz Editorial+) Nir Barkat should seek dialogue, not services that he sees as a reward and heightened law enforcement that he sees as punishment.
From sanctions to veto: The US has plenty of ways to punish Israel (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) Clash between Obama and Netanyahu could have devastating ramifications for Israel: From postponed arms shipments, to international isolation and even a possible shift regarding Israel's alleged nuclear program.
The situation with Israel is also harmful to the US (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) Officials in Washington who used vulgar expressions common among drunk people at the end of a night of heavy drinking, expressed the White House and State Department leadership’s frustration and anger towards the Prime Minister.
Is it safe to go to Jerusalem? (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) Despite the obvious tension throughout the city, few of Jerusalem's residents seem to appreciate the idea of their fellow Israelis staying away.
Liberty and the Palestinian Authority (Elliott Abrams, Israel Hayom) As in the days of Yasser Arafat, the PA is a threat to the liberty of the Palestinians it rules.
Rivlin's Kafr Qasim speech can herald change (Ariana Melamed, Yedioth/Ynet) Reuven Rivlin is the first Israeli president who can make Jews and Arabs reach out to each other – not out of love, but because there is no other choice.
The 'chickenshit' relationship between Obama and Netanyahu (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The prime minister sparked unprecedented White House fury not for his defense of Israel, as he claims, but for wagging his finger, thumbing his nose and spitting in Obama’s eye.
Baku to the future: Azerbaijan, not Armenia, is Israel's true ally (Maxime Gauin and Alexander Murinson, Haaretz+) While Armenia continues to spout anti-Semitic bile, the Azeri government has proven itself to be a trustworthy and important partner for the Jewish state.
Negotiations train on hold (Dr. Limor Samimian-Darash, Israel Hayom) One cannot help but be surprised to read Thomas Friedman making security arguments usually made by PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
A fiery devotee on the Temple Mount (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) Yehudah Glick's life mission was to break the status quo at the most sensitive and dangerous place in Jerusalem; others had the same goal, but none shared his level of addiction.
U.S. to Israel: Never mind peace, just be polite (Peter Beinart, Haaretz+) Instead of dissing Defense Minister Ya’alon, Obama should support Mahmoud Abbas’ last-ditch UN effort to save the two-state solution.
Zero risks for Israel vs. zero chances for Palestinians (Former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy, Yedioth/Ynet) If there is no way to guarantee Israeli citizens' safety without zero achievements for Palestinians, our leaders must say it clearly and fearlessly.
Israel is closer than ever to being an empire (Ben Caspit, Maariv) In Washington, some believe that Netanyahu and (Jewish American tycoon and publisher of Israel Hayom, Sheldon) Adelson worked together to hurt Obama in the congressional elections and turn him into a lame duck. If that happens, what's left for this president are external relations. He will be hurt, vengeful and most importantly, he will have two more years in office. We will be the ones to pay the price.
The crisis with Washington is here to stay (Barak Ravid, Haaretz+) The close security cooperation will continue, but America’s diplomatic defense of Israel at the UN and other international forums will not be immediate and obvious.
Al-Aqsa is not a pawn (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom)
Using one of Islam's holiest sites to incite violence in Jerusalem is one of the oldest tricks in the book, and it is up to Israel to make sure it doesn't work.
Jerusalem's mayor uses paternalism to keep the Arab residents in line (Haaretz Editorial+) Nir Barkat should seek dialogue, not services that he sees as a reward and heightened law enforcement that he sees as punishment.
From sanctions to veto: The US has plenty of ways to punish Israel (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) Clash between Obama and Netanyahu could have devastating ramifications for Israel: From postponed arms shipments, to international isolation and even a possible shift regarding Israel's alleged nuclear program.
The situation with Israel is also harmful to the US (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) Officials in Washington who used vulgar expressions common among drunk people at the end of a night of heavy drinking, expressed the White House and State Department leadership’s frustration and anger towards the Prime Minister.
Is it safe to go to Jerusalem? (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) Despite the obvious tension throughout the city, few of Jerusalem's residents seem to appreciate the idea of their fellow Israelis staying away.
Liberty and the Palestinian Authority (Elliott Abrams, Israel Hayom) As in the days of Yasser Arafat, the PA is a threat to the liberty of the Palestinians it rules.
Rivlin's Kafr Qasim speech can herald change (Ariana Melamed, Yedioth/Ynet) Reuven Rivlin is the first Israeli president who can make Jews and Arabs reach out to each other – not out of love, but because there is no other choice.
The 'chickenshit' relationship between Obama and Netanyahu (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The prime minister sparked unprecedented White House fury not for his defense of Israel, as he claims, but for wagging his finger, thumbing his nose and spitting in Obama’s eye.
Baku to the future: Azerbaijan, not Armenia, is Israel's true ally (Maxime Gauin and Alexander Murinson, Haaretz+) While Armenia continues to spout anti-Semitic bile, the Azeri government has proven itself to be a trustworthy and important partner for the Jewish state.
Negotiations train on hold (Dr. Limor Samimian-Darash, Israel Hayom) One cannot help but be surprised to read Thomas Friedman making security arguments usually made by PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
Interviews:
WATCH: Bradley Burston: Netanyahu needs Israel in constant state of despair and fear
Haaretz columnist explains why he thinks peace with Palestinians isn't possible in our time. (Haaretz+)
Haaretz columnist explains why he thinks peace with Palestinians isn't possible in our time. (Haaretz+)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.