APN's daily news review from Israel

Friday November 08, 2013

Quote of the day:

"Good things are coming."
--Graffiti sprayed on walls in a Palestinian village by right-wing activists Thursday, who also set two cars on fire.**

Front Page News:

Haaretz

• Holiday after the release - How will Lieberman look after the acquittal? Conciliatory towards his coalition partners, militant from a diplomatic perspective - and a potential partner to the wave of secular legislation
• Ariel Atias: Rabbi Ovadia Yosef was prepared to divide Jerusalem and give up the Arab neighborhoods // Yossi Verter
• Iran and the powers to begin to formulate compromise agreement today over nukes
• Prime Minister in talks in his office: Harpaz is a swindler; I suspended the appointment of (Mossad Chief) Pardo
• Explosion in car of prosecutor; Suspect: criminals who tried to murder the Tel-Aviv district lawyer
• Not listening to the public - Like the US intel scandals, the inflating of the defense budget in Israel is the result of national trauma
• They are betting also on horses: a new addiction in Israel?
• Who is afraid of mathematics? The myth behind the natural talent

Yedioth Ahronoth

• "All the (red) lines were crossed" - Escalation in terror by crime organizations: last night explosion in car of senior lawyer dealing with cases related to organization of Amir Mulner
• I haven't gotten over it // Tom Azar, son of the judge who was murdered
• Hand is still shaking // Bracha Ofir Tom, a threatened judge
• Within 3 years, 95 drop in motivation to join combat units
• "When they said we harmed them, we were in shock, as if they tore out our hearts" - Parents suspected of abusing baby twins
• Kerry: If the negotiations fail an intifada will break out - US Secretary of State in aggressive threat to Israel: The status quo won't remain and you are in danger of international isolation
• On the way to an agreement? Ease in sanctions on Iran in exchange for freezing nuclear program

Maariv

• Teheran: We arrived at a compromise with the West; Netanyahu: Historic deal for Iran (Hebrew)
• Explosive device exploded under car of senior prosecutor dealing with Mulner crime organization (Hebrew)
• Why are cars blowing up in the center of cities? // Shalom Yerushalmi
• Like in Beirut // Aviad Pohoryles (Hebrew)
• Prefer cyber? Percentage of young men choosing to join combat units dropped from 79% to 70.3% in three years (Hebrew)

Israel Hayom

• Lawyer in crosshairs: Criminal attack in the heart of Tel-Aviv - Crime organizations crossed red line: Blew up car belonging to senior prosecutor
• Prime Minister: "Deal with Iran - historic mistake"
• You can burn the US flag - and get a present from it // Boaz Bismuth
• This year too: Record percentage of eligible recruits - from Modiin
• Anger in right-wing against Kerry: "Trying to intimidate"
• Experts ruled: "Arafat was poisoned"; Palestinians demand international investigation
• Good news for skiers: Entrance to Mt. Hermon site to be 30% cheaper

Peace Talk Highlights:
The explosive device set off in a top Tel-Aviv prosecutor's car by criminal elements was the story of the day alongside Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's declaration that a deal between Iran and the powers giving Iran temporary relief from sanctions in exchange for a complete nuclear program freeze would be a 'historic mistake' (see Quick Hits below.) But also in the news was the 'threat' US Secretary of State John Kerry gave to Israel: Make peace or face a third intifada and deeper international isolation.

Like US President Barack Obama, Kerry decided to address the Israeli people. In an unusual joint interview between Israel Channel 2 and the Palestinian Broadcasting Company, Kerry slammed Israel for building more settlements and asked Israelis what they really want. "Let me ask you something - how if you say you're working for peace and you want peace, and a Palestine that is a whole Palestine that belongs to the people who live there, how can you say that you're planning to build in a place that will eventually be Palestine? It sends a message that somehow perhaps you're not really serious."

He also repeated to Israeli and Palestinian viewers what he said Wednesday in Bethlehem, that was not properly reported on in the Israeli press: that there had was never an agreement between the two Palestinian and Israeli sides stipulating that each wave of Palestinian prisoners released would be accompanied by settlement expansion, as Netanyahu had claimed.

And he warned Israelis of what would happen if they did not make the compromises they needed to and continued the status quo: "I know that there are Israelis who say we have a separation fence, there is no daily friction, our financial situation is pretty good. Well, I've got news for you: the status quo of today will not be the status quo of tomorrow or next year, because if we do not resolve this issue in the Arab world and the Palestinians will begin again to push the other way...The alternative to getting back to the talks is the potential of chaos. I mean does Israel want a third Intifada?" The Times of Israel also has a good sum up of key quotes from Kerry's TV interview.

This angered right-wingers, such as Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, who responded saying there was nothing for Israelis to fear and the Palestinians were responsible for the lack of peace, Israel Hayom reported: "We are managing an open and continuing conflict. From the Palestinian view this is not over the '67 lines. There is Sheikh Munis - Tel Aviv, and Majdal - Ashkelon. We left Gaza and they continue to attack us. They educate the younger generation that Haifa and Acre are Palestinian ports and more. There's no sign of compromise, so we're probably not going to solve it based on what we thought. This does not mean that we want to control them, they have political independence and that's good. We will manage (the conflict) wisely, and so there is no need to worry about threats of a third intifada." Deputy Transport Minister Tzipi Hotoveli responded to Kerry's remarks, saying that "Arab terrorism rejected any Jewish presence in Israel. The thought that (settlement) construction is delaying peace is wrong." NRG Hebrew reported that she claimed that Israeli settlement construction had no connection to Palestinian violence. "The Second Intifada broke out because the Palestinians refused to accept the generous offer by Ehud Barak at Camp David," she explained. Minister of Economy Naftali Bennett claimed that a "united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty is a guarantee of peace and should not be grounds for threats to Israel." (NRG Hebrew)

Meanwhile, Kerry extended his stay in the Middle East to meet again with Netanyahu. He had flown to Jordan Thursday met with King Abdullah and again with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and returned to Jerusalem to meet again with Netanyahu on Friday morning.

Quick Hits:

• Swiss lab: Arafat ingested deadly polonium - Scientists say former Palestinian leader was deliberately poisoned, but can't determine exact cause of death. (Agencies, Ynet)
• In wake of Swiss findings, Israel vehemently denies poisoning Arafat - Palestinian officials demanded probe into the 'killing.' Israel's energy and intelligence ministers tell Israeli radio stations that the Palestinian allegations against Israel were false and unfounded. (Haaretz and Maan)
• Soldiers shoot (dead) Palestinian who fired flare gun at hitch-hikers - Palestinian who shot at direction of Israelis in Tapuach Junction killed by IDF unit. Police sappers searching body for explosives. No Israelis injured in incident. (Maan, NRG HebrewVIDEO and Ynet)
• Suspects open fire at Israeli soldiers near Ramallah - Shots were fired from a Palestinian car at Israeli soldiers in a Ramallah village as the car exited the village of Nilin overnight Wednesday, the IDF said. (Maan)
• **Settlers torch 2 cars in Hebron village, spray graffiti - settlers from Kiryat Arba set fire to the vehicles in Bani Naim, which belonged to two brothers. The settlers also sprayed threatening graffiti in the village reading "Good things are coming." (Maan)
• Israeli military vehicles enter Gaza, 'fire at farmers' - Eight Israeli vehicles crossed into Gaza near the town of Jabaliya and opened fire at farmers, who fled. The bulldozers then began razing lands. (Maan)
• Percentage of recruits joining combat units dropped 9% in three years - The percentage joining combat units dropped from 79% in 2010 to 70.3%. Many are joining the cyberwar and air defense units rather than serving in the field. 15% of the men and some 43% of the women who are obligated to serve - don't serve at all. (Maariv, p. 1/NRG Hebrew and Ynet)
• Seeing spies: Lebanon furious with alleged Israeli acts - Lebanese parliamentary committee convenes to discuss internal reports, claiming Israeli spy stations cover entire country. (Ynet)
• Security forces close Jerusalem offices of two charities they say are fronts for Hamas - Shin Bet security service says offices serve as Islamist movement's base of operations in the capital. (Haaretz)
• Israeli Islamic Movement leader convicted of inciting to violence - Court decides 2007 speech Sheikh Ra'ad Salah gave in wake of violent protests over Temple Mount excavation was incitement to violence, acquits on other charges. (Haaretz and Israel Hayom)
• Gantz to visit Wannsee Villa on Germany tour - During his three-day stay in Germany, Chief of General Staff Benny Gantz will meet with his German counterpart, visit German military training bases and speak at the Pier 17 Holocaust Memorial in Berlin. (Israel Hayom)
• Five contend to head Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee - Avigdor Lieberman's return to the Foreign Ministry will leave the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee without a leader. Top candidates to replace Lieberman: Tzachi Hanegbi, Yariv Levin, Ofer Shelah, Ofir Akunis and Miri Regev. (Israel Hayom)
• Even before taking office, Lieberman stirs trouble - in South Africa - Avigdor Lieberman, about to be reappointed foreign minister after skirting fraud charges, says Jews should leave South Africa for Israel. (Haaretz)
• Football legend Ronaldo to visit Israel - Retired Brazilian striker to arrive in Holy Land on Sunday as World Cup 2014 ambassador. (Ynet)
• BBC prankster duo fails to fool Israel's embassy in London - Jolyon Rubinstein and Heydon Prowes, who managed to trick David Cameron and the International Criminal Court for their show The Revolution Will Be Televised, just couldn't fool the Israelis. (Haaretz)
• Pakistan ready to give Saudi Arabia nuclear bombs, say experts - Riyadh's instant nuclear option is a clear signal to the West not to be tempted into cutting the Iranians slack. (Haaretz and Ynet)
• West, Iran edge toward 'first step' six-month deal on Iranian nuclear program - Decisive meeting Friday morning between Iranian foreign minister and EU's representative, Catherine Ashton. (Haaretz)
• As Iran eyes deal with world powers, Netanyahu warns of historic mistake - Iran, P51 may begin drafting a nuclear agreement on Thursday or Friday, Iranian foreign minister says. (Haaretz)
• Former MK met with an Iranian official in France - At conference discussing developments in Iran, Doron Avital, a former MK and military commander, met with a Revolutionary Guards general. Avital: "I did not officially represent Israel. I was impressed that there is change in Iran."(NRG Hebrew and Times of Israel)
   

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