*Note: Monday's News Nosh was posted Tuesday due to the celebration of the second day of the Jewish holiday of
Shavuot on Monday
News Summary:
The attack on the gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 50 people, was the top story in today’s Hebrew
newspapers, which still had stories to share from the attack by Palestinians on a Tel-Aviv entertainment area
last week that killed four Israelis.
*
*The Hebrew papers
likened the attack to one on a gay youth club in Tel-Aviv eight years ago, where
two people were killed. Ayala Katz, whose son Nir, was one of those murdered in the 2008 attack presumably by
a local Jewish Israeli, wrote an Op-Ed in Yedioth saying: “A hate crime is a hate crime and it doesn’t matter
if it stemmed from jihadist terror or the desire to eliminate the LGBT community.” She called for more
education for tolerance. However, Israel Hayom made an issue out the fact that US President Barack Obama
referred to it as a ‘hate crime’ and not ‘Islamic terror.’ Tel-Aviv showed solidarity with Orlando and
lit up the municipality building in rainbow colors. The Israeli commentators argued
whether the Orlando attack would help Trump or hurt him.
Meanwhile,
three of the four Israelis killed in Tel-Aviv by two young Palestinians last Wednesday
were laid to rest. One of victims,
Dr. Michael Feige, was a scholar of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Zionist Camp
MK Amir Peretz joined the chorus of blaming Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for
the attack because he was not taking any diplomatic initiatives to solve the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict. “Bibi’s response to the attack in Sarona was that of a bureaucrat and not of a leader with
vision,” Peretz said Saturday. “His government acts the same way over and over again and expects different
results, instead of displaying courage and breaking the diplomatic deadlock.” Haaretz reported that
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told Netanyahu after the June 3 foreign
ministers' meeting in Paris about the Paris peace initiative: “I know that I haven’t persuaded you, but the
train has already left the station.” On Tuesday,
Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi will arrive in the West Bank for the first
time and meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah to discuss the Paris peace
initiative. And
Greece will soon recognize a Palestinian state, its ruling party said.
Over the Jewish Shavuot long holiday weekend,
Israel put a closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip and
tens of thousands of Israelis filled Israeli parks to capacity. Following last week’s
attack in Tel-Aviv, Israel also revoked 83,000 permits for Palestinians to enter Israel, which the
French Foreign Minister warned, “could stoke tensions which could lead to a risk of
escalation.” Last week in a special meeting, leading figures in
Israel's Arab community harshly condemned the Tel-Aviv attack, saying the attackers 'don't
deserve air to breathe.' Maan reported that
Israeli police detained 27 undocumented Palestinians in Tel Aviv amid a crackdown
following the attack.
Features:
What Drives Palestinian Women Shot at Israeli Checkpoints to Their Deaths?
The Palestinians fear that talking about personal motives will free Israel from responsibility for killing women
who approach checkpoints armed with knives. (Amira Hass,
Haaretz+)
Tel Aviv Gunmen's Families Describe Shock at Killings
In shooters' hometown of Yatta, now encircled by Israeli army, relatives say relatives' assault on Tel Aviv's
Sarona Market caught them by surprise; high Palestinian casualties in Hebron area since October may have influenced
them, mayor says. (Jack Khoury,
Haaretz+)
Father’s home: The three children of the mythological right-wing leader make a journey through his
path
He was the sharpest philosopher of the Revisionist Zionist Movement, Jabotinsky admired him, and he turned the
"Alliance of Thugs" into a trademark. On the anniversary of the death of Abba Ahimeir, his three children got
together to make a journey in search of their roots. (Mordechai Chaimovitch,
Maariv)
Domestic Violence Is a Major Threat for Israeli Arab Women. Why Won't the Police Intervene?
A social worker and an activist against violent crime in Israeli Arab society says the police is negligent in
getting guns off the streets and preventing attacks on women in Arab towns: 'Let them kill each other, they say.'
(Ayelett Shani,
Haaretz+)
Silk Road Jewish Documents Dating Back to the 11th Century Come to Light
Written in Aramaic, Hebrew, Persian, Judeo-Arabic and Judeo-Persian, the 1,000-year-old documents are the family
archive of Abu Nassar Ben Daniel, who lived along the old Silk Road. (Nir Hasson,
Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
It Won’t Take Much for Israel's New Defense Minister to Set It All Ablaze (Raviv Drucker,
Haaretz+) In an effort to live up to his macho image, Avigdor Lieberman could unleash a
new intifada that the chief of staff has worked so hard to avoid.
Lieberman's trial by fire (Alex Fishman,
Yedioth/Ynet) The Sarona Market attack is a test for the new defense minister; his
previous polemic must be laid aside to follow defense procedure; his initial reaction has been to stick to
previous methods, leading to an unimpressive response.
Limits of power: Lieberman received a lesson on the nature of the wave of terror (Ben Caspit,
Maariv) When attacks took place when his predecessor, Moshe Ya'alon, was defense minister,
Lieberman would make a variety of demands. Now he realizes that all this is not really relevant: No method was
yet invented to thwart the will of the young people who are ready to die.
Benjamin Netanyahu Breeds His Own Pet Tycoons (Guy Rolnik,
Haaretz+) Netanyahu has Sheldon Adelson on his right, Shaul Elovitch on his left, Tshuva
in the background and his ministers are cowed.
A game of 'War' (Sima Kadmon,
Yedioth/Ynet) Prime Minister Netanyahu's alleged actions, even if they turn out to not
entail criminal penalties, certainly seem to violate traditional ethics, and to go against the integrity we
expect from our leaders.
The response of the security establishment to the attack at Sarona in Tel-Aviv is more of the same
(Yossi Melman,
Maariv) The steps taken by the security system following the attack in Tel Aviv are a
continuation of policy rather than a revolutionary change, as some may have wanted and maybe even expected
from Lieberman among the right-wing circles.
The next prime minister (Nahum Barnea,
Yedioth) “The mountain did not give birth to a
mouse. It did not even give birth to a baby mouse,” said Netanyahu during his visit to Moscow [about the suspicions
of receiving illicit political contributions]. It’s possible that his zoological differentiation is exact.
Nevertheless, the probes of the police, the decisions of the prosecution, the investigations of the reporters and
the nerves of the politicians have their own dynamic…The possibility that he will be forced to resign is far at the
moment. But it won’t hurt to talk about it… Netanyahu’s resignation does not have to be accompanied by hysterical
trauma like those of Begin and Ben-Gurion. But he has no natural successor: He made sure to dry them all out. The
last was Moshe Yaalon. Among the present government ministers, there is not one at the moment who has accumulated
ministerial experience and status in public opinion that will pave his way to the crown.
The Netanyahus vs. Israeli Democracy (Iris Leal,
Haaretz+) It seems everybody is on Bibi and Sara’s blacklist: left-wing organizations, the
media, the poor – and that's just a start.
It's time for Netanyahu to be replaced (Yoaz Hendel,
Yedioth/Ynet) We need to thank Netanyahu for all of his accomplishments in office,
especially in terms of security, but we also need to replace him with one of the many suitable candidates in
the national camp.
Only Solution to Palestinian Terrorism Is the End of the Occupation (
Friday Haaretz Editorial) In the wake of the deadly Tel Aviv attack, ministers voice empty
bravado and call for collective punishment, thereby just pushing more Palestinians to violence. It's time
Israel learned the lesson: Terrorism will continue as long as the occupation does.
The 'occupation' is not the cause (Dr. Haim Shine,
Israel Hayom) The time has come for everyone to internalize that Arab-Israelis and
Palestinians believe that the occupation began in 1948.
What Is Holding Back Israel's Arab Politicians From the Modern Age? (Moshe Arens,
Haaretz+) Many individual Arab citizens have come face to face on a daily basis with
Western civilization. But in the political sphere there is as yet no significant expression of a desire to
Westernize and modernize.
The tragedy of us all: We will do and talk about everything, just not on a diplomatic move (Michal
Aharoni,
Maariv) How can it be that an intifada is raging here for many months and nobody does
anything? Because the government knows the public has gotten used to it, that it accepts the attacks as if it
were a decree from Heaven.
Muhammad Ali’s Message: Fight for Your Vision and Change the System (Rabbi Michael Lerner,
Haaretz+) In this vein, the U.S. must halt drone warfare, bring the troops home, stop
sending arms to the Saudis, tell the Turks to stop bombing their Kurdish minority, and tell Netanyahu to end
the occupation.
Strangling Nasrallah (Smadar Perry,
Yedioth/Ynet) With the US Treasury just having brought a 'blacklist' to Beirut and
Hezbollah constituting 40% of the Lebanese economy, the system is going under the table.
The true intentions behind Netanyahu's 'winds of peace' (Zvi Bar'el,
Haaretz+) The prime minister is trying to divert the focus of the debate from withdrawal,
borders and refugees to the outline of the normalization with Arab nations, if and when an agreement is
reached with the Palestinians.
The Israeli justice who violates international law every time he comes home (Uri Misgav,
Haaretz+) Justice Noam Sohlberg is allowed to curb freedom of expression in defamation
cases if he likes. But as a resident of the West Bank, he’s an offender.
When the rules do not fit: the line of religious hatred "country" (Kalman Libskind,
Maariv) Amos Schocken, the publisher of Haaretz newspaper, claims there is complete
freedom of expression, but the Op-Ed presenting the High Court justice (Noam Solberg) as a “criminal of
international law in court” (because he is a settler) is part of a continuum articles with the same
theme.
The Real Reason Why Some Israelis Like to Compare Their Country to Nazi Germany (Gadi Taub,
Haaretz+) Responding to the arguments of those who make this baseless comparison gives it
far more respect than it deserves, but a closer look the motivations behind it reveals a desire not to save
Israeli democracy but to turn one's back to it.
Israel Already Has Its Own Trump Serving as Prime Minister (Odeh Bisharat,
Haaretz+) In Israel, there is a different Trump, who inflames hatred against Arab citizens
at every opportunity.
What Tel Aviv's Answer to Terrorism Should Be (Anshel Pfeffer,
Haaretz+) Perhaps the occupation we should be opposing is the occupation of the Torah by
those who have been monopolizing it.
Nuclear Secrets and Lies: Petition Seeks to Move Israel's Atomic Policy Out of the Shadows (Avner
Cohen,
Haaretz+) Of the three main secret organizations under the prime minister’s authority, the
IAEC is the most secretive. This harms democratic rule and grants unqualified authority to the executive
branch.
Written by Rabbi Jonah Geffen for APN.