APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday June 1, 2017
Quote of the day:
"Perhaps in ancient Greece it was possible to maintain a democracy while slaves were shackled in citizens’
basements. But since humankind recognized the self-evident truths, that all people have equal rights to life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness – a regime that rules vast numbers of people absent of rights, and does all it
can to perpetuate its rule, is not a democracy."
-- Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard argues that Israel is not a democracy.*
-- Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard argues that Israel is not a democracy.*
Breaking News:
Palestinian Teen Shot After Stabbing Soldier Outside West Bank Settlement
Girl, 16, stabbed soldier at Mevo Dotan guardpost in West Bank and was shot. According to Haaretz and Maariv, the soldier, who sustained light injuries to the stomach, was evacuated to the hospital, and the teen who was in critical condition after being shot in the stomach was being treated on the scene. Ynet reported the opposite and Israel Hayom reported that both were hospitalized. (Haaretz, Ynet, Israel Hayom and Maariv)
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Trump administration considering formulating document of principles for solving core issues
- US expected to leave Paris Treaty for protecting environment
- Trump must decide today whether to renew the order that thwarts transferring the US embassy to Jerusalem
- 90 killed in ISIS attack in capital of Afghanistan
- Businessmen suspects in Deri affair: Owners of Channel 20, Michael and Yitzhak MIrilshweili
- (Culture Minister) Regev threatens to block funding for Israel Festival because of performances with nudity: “They harm the values of the country”
- The law is not enforced and ads for prostitution multiply without hindrance
- The prosecutor in the West Bank said he would enforce the law prohibiting eating in public during Ramadan
- 50 years of lies // Gideon Levy
- The conspiracy of silence (over police brutality) // Yossi Klein
- Obama preserves an unnecessary tradition (of a library dedicated to him)
- After supporting its removal, state to ask to leave the ammonia container
- Gal Gadot crossed the line between being an actress and a star
Yedioth Ahronoth
- The lost time - 30 years after he put a somber mirror up to Israeli society [about the occupation] with his book, ‘Yellow Wind,’ David Grossman is more worried than ever // Interviewed by Sima Kadmon - in Friday's paper
- The nudity storm – Culture Minister Regev tells the Israel Festival management: I won’t fund performances with full nudity
- There is a limit to freedom of speech // Shlomo Pyotrkovsky – opposes funding
- The clothes of the new Miri // Binyamin Tobias – supports funding
- Netanyahu’s camp’s celebration of money squandering – Likud’s comptroller reveals
- Expose - The dictator who helped the Mossad – Manuel Noriega
Maariv
- Transfer of the embassy: Fateful moment
- Fear in Europe: US to withdraw from treaty that fights climate change
- Surprise: Danny Danon appointed Deputy President of UN General Assembly
Israel Hayom
- The day after Deri – Because of the investigation: Shas is preparing for possibility that he will be forced to resign; Senior members of Shas in contact with (former Shas leader) Yishai
- Expose - Our new friend: Warm regards from the South Pacific: The country of the Vanuatu islands recognized Jerusalem
- The legendary fighter who was left with nothing (after paying bills for his sick daughter)
- At the end of a hunt: the suspected hit-and-run driver who killed Nidaa Obeidat, 16, was detained – and escaped
- The Trump-Merkel tension: Opportunity for Germany to fulfill an old dream // Eldad Beck
News Summary:
US President Donald Trump will reportedly sign the waiver that keeps the US embassy in Tel-Aviv breaking his promise to move it to Jerusalem, Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev threatened to block funding for the Israel Festival over two nude performances and the corruption investigation into Interior Minister Arieh Deri continued with Israel Hayom reporting that the Shas party is looking for another leader. Also in the news, the Trump administration is formulating a document on the principles of the core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which could be a basis for negotiations, Haaretz+ reported, hardline Likud former minister Danny Danon was appointed Vice President of the UN General Assembly and will begin his one-year term in September.
Quick Hits:
US President Donald Trump will reportedly sign the waiver that keeps the US embassy in Tel-Aviv breaking his promise to move it to Jerusalem, Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev threatened to block funding for the Israel Festival over two nude performances and the corruption investigation into Interior Minister Arieh Deri continued with Israel Hayom reporting that the Shas party is looking for another leader. Also in the news, the Trump administration is formulating a document on the principles of the core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which could be a basis for negotiations, Haaretz+ reported, hardline Likud former minister Danny Danon was appointed Vice President of the UN General Assembly and will begin his one-year term in September.
Quick Hits:
- Study: 'The occupation costs Israel tens of billions of shekels' - Adva Center reports that decades of exerting military control over the territories has cost Israel NIS 55 billion between 1988 and 2015; '"Maintaining the occupation" is a very expensive business that harms economic growth and the raising of the overall standard of living,' says researcher behind report. (Ynet)
- Finance minister holds rare meeting with Palestinian PM - Moshe Kahlon meets with Rami Hamdallah in Ramallah and reportedly presents him with proposed confidence-building measures • Civil-economic steps are said to be part of U.S. push to resume Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. (Israel Hayom)
- Young Diaspora Jews asked to 'pledge allegiance to Jewish nation' in Jerusalem ceremony - Western Wall ceremony usually reserved for Israel soldiers, leading critics to ask if 'bizarrely contrived loyalty oaths' are best way to connect young Diaspora Jews to Israel. (Haaretz+)
- Wave of cancellations hits Tel Aviv LGBT film festival due to BDS pressure - Following South African director John Trengove’s withdrawal over the weekend, other overseas guests have dropped out of the event running from June 1-10. (Haaretz+)
- Israel praises Norway and UN for withdrawing funds from West Bank center named for terrorist - The women's center was named for Dalal Mughrabi, who led the 1978 massacre on a highway near Tel Aviv that killed 37 civilians, many of them children. (JTA, Haaretz and Israel Hayom)
- Netanyahu says he won't meet foreign leaders who meet NGOs critical of Israeli army - Statement follows PM's controversial snubbing of Germany's foreign minister over meeting with left-wing groups B'Tselem and Breaking the Silence. (Haaretz+)
- After pressure from Israel, Denmark reexamining donations to Palestinian NGOs - Netanyahu had asked visiting Danish foreign minister to look into funding of NGOs involved with BDS. (Haaretz)
- 50 years and counting: Declassified docs show not much changed since Six-Day War - As the Six-Day War's 50th anniversary nears, declassified documents outlining the post-war debate in Israel reflect that very little about the discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has changed. (Agencies, Ynet)
- UN: Decrease in number of Palestinians killed in incidents - A report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian Territories states that in 2016 there was a 37% decrease in the number of Palestinians killed in incidents with the security forces. (Ynet)
- After 84 Years, Israel Rescinds Government's Ability to Shut Down Newspapers - New law says Press Ordinance of 1933 caused 'serious harm' to freedom of expression and was out of touch with developments in media since them. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli Bedouin protesters take to streets against domestic violence against women - Claiming the police and social welfare authorities are not properly addressing the issue, dozens of demonstrators call for an end to what they call 'a conspiracy of silence' on violence against women. (Haaretz)
- Israeli university faculty protest expansion of gender-segregated programs - Academics upset by initiative to encourage Haredi enrollment, which would prevent female lecturers from teaching male ultra-Orthodox students. (Haaretz+)
- Naor presses justice minister to approve her choice for next Israeli Supreme Court president - Ayelet Shaked 'wants conservative justices, and if she doesn’t get that she won’t rush to announce the presidential appointment,' source tells Haaretz. (Haaretz+, Yedioth/Ynet) and Israel Hayom)
- IDF urged to cease mandatory (religious conversion) information seminars for non-Jews - Despite rights groups telling IDF that its policy of instructing non-Jewish soldiers to attend information seminars about the fast-track ‘Nativ’ conversion course ‘encroaches on their privacy, sends a humiliating and degrading message that they are B-class citizens and inferior soldiers,’ IDF defends policy, it is only raising awareness. (Ynet)
- New IDF training facility to simulate combat with Hezbollah - Military plans to build five training compounds as part of plan to upgrade soldiers' training • Golan Heights facility to offer troops urban and tunnel warfare training • Plan said to turn military infrastructure into "something completely different." (Israel Hayom)
- Israel successfully tests rocket propulsion system, ministry says - A projectile propelled by the system is launched from the Palmachim Airbase in central Israel and successfully completes its mission, the Defense Ministry says. Israel previously tested similar systems in 2013 and in 2015, both tests hailed as successes. (Israel Hayom)
- Culture minister threatens to defund top Israeli culture festival over nudity - Miri Regev cites ‘the basic values of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state,’ but the festival notes that it warns about any nudity, which in any case takes place in closed venues. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- 'Conditioning funding on shows beyond Green Line is reasonable' - In High Court, state defends Culture Ministry's decision to withhold funding from cultural bodies that do not perform in Judea and Samaria • Civil rights group claims the new funding criteria infringe on artistic freedom of expression and conscience. (Israel Hayom)
- Settler leader scolds Cabinet for handing over Area C territories - After the Security Cabinet decided last week to grant a concessions package for the Palestinians which included permits to construct in Area C territories in the West Bank, Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan criticizes the government decision to give away territories for no rhyme or reason, devoid of public transparency. (Ynet)
- i24News channel set to broadcast in Israel - The channel, whose studios are located in the port of Jaffa and broadcasts Israeli and Middle Eastern news in English, Arabic and French around the world, will also be launching in Israel. (Ynet)
- Former Irgun member, minister and IDF general Mordechai Tzipori passes away - Tzipori, who died age 92, participated in some of Israel's most significant operations; the former Irgun fighter dug escape tunnels from British detention, served as a general, became a minister in both Menachem Begin's governments, and participated in the planning of Israel's lightning obliteration of Iraq's nuclear reactor. (Ynet)
- (West Bank-Jordan) Allenby crossing to be upgraded, operate around the clock - A new terminal will be added to the crossing, which connects the West Bank and Jordan, and advanced technologies will be integrated into it; the upgrades are set to cost NIS 450 million. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Jerusalem’s Arab population growth slowly decreases - Researchers at the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies now say that Jerusalem's population per capita growth has remained steady since 1967, and that due to factors like modernization and education, the worry that the city will have an Arab majority in the future no longer holds water. (Ynet)
- Israel's East Jerusalem cleanup won’t include areas beyond separation barrier - Some 140,000 Palestinians live in these neighborhoods, where sanitation levels are extremely poor. (Haaretz+)
- PM's home renovations cost NIS 350,000 in taxpayer money - After PM Netanyahu's remark to US Pres. Trump, that the budgetary oversight is so austere that the walls of the Prime Minister's Residence were only painted in honor of Trump's visit, it comes out that the paint job cost NIS 350,000. (Ynet)
- Poll: 70% of Palestinians admit prisoners' hunger strike failed - Survey conducted by Palestinian news agency Maan finds only 16.5% of those asked believe Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike succeeded in meeting most demands • Israel Prison Service: Longest hunger strike in Israel's history ended without negotiations. (Israel Hayom)
- Palestinian prisoners threaten to renew hunger strike if demands not met - Jailed terrorist who organized the recently ended 41-day Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike announces establishment of monitoring committee of prisoners to ensure that unspecified agreements with Israel Prison Service are upheld. (Israel Hayom)
- Palestinian Authority Threatens Jail Time for Breaking Ramadan Fast, Stoking Social Media Furor - Palestinian officials insist ruling was nothing new, but announcement sets off a backlash on social media supporting the separation of religion and state. (Haaretz+)
- Fleeing Hamas' Harsh Rule in Gaza, Thousands of Palestinians Seek Refuge in Athens - Ayman was imprisoned by Hamas for his cartoons, Naji was tortured and Osama became an expert on escape. Now they find that in Greece it’s easier to be Syrian than Palestinian. (Zvi Bar'el in Athens, Haaretz+)
- Iran to Resume Financial Support to Hamas, Report Says - Iran's Revolutionary Guard representatives met with Hamas officials in Lebanon to mend rift caused by their supporting opposite sides in Syrian civil war. (Haaretz)
- Jordan warns Israel of deteriorating ties over 'extremist' visits to al-Aqsa - In a curt letter to the Israeli embassy in Jordan, the Jordanian government blasts 'extremists' defiling the al-Aqsa mosque and warns Israel that ties between the two are becoming strained. (Ynet)
- Lebanon Bans Wonder Woman Because of Israeli Star Gal Gadot - Lebanon considers Israel an enemy country; public release screenings were cancelled a few hours in advance. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- ISIS Fighters Prepare for 'Final Stand' in Mosul's Iconic Mosque - Grand al-Nuri Mosque, where ISIS leader al-Baghdadi declared caliphate in 2014, has been sealed off, residents say. (Haaretz)
- Russia Launches Missile Strike on ISIS Targets From Mediterranean - Russian military warns Israel, Turkey and United States ahead of cruise missile strike, launched from warship, submarine on ISIS near Syria's Palmyra. (Haaretz)
- Qatari Emir's Tone on Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah Infuriates Gulf Allies - Feud shakes the anti-Iran front Trump has been trying to set up. Qatar denied report of emir's remarks. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Donald Trump's Hebrew Translator Laments His Hollow Words - 'I would feel better translating for a president that did not offend about half of the American people,' says Merav Rozenblum. (Haaretz)
- U.S. Synagogues Experience 'Trump Bump' as Congregants Turn to Prayer, Activism - Jews across the United States, even cynical millennials, are increasingly looking for solace and answers in the age of Trump. (Haaretz+)
- U.S. Vice President Pence to Speak at Fundraiser in Honor of Sheldon Adelson - Pence has become Trump administration's most senior representative to the Jewish right-wing in the U.S. (Haaretz+)
Features:
‘We will become a minority in Israel’: Six-Day War cabinet minutes released
The theme of almost every sentence from the secret cabinet meetings on the future of the territories following the stunning Israeli victory echo in today’s political discourse; ‘We must not return an inch of land,’ Minister Begin stated, while Defense Minister Dayan called for a military rule in the West Bank; Minister Sapir’s comment reflected the dilemmas that remain in the heart of Israel’s political debate 50 years later: ‘We can win a war and then be in a constant battle which is worse than a war.’ (Amir Alon, Yedioth/Ynet + VIDEOS and PHOTOS)
Former Panama dictator's secret ties to Israel
Manuel Noriega, who died earlier this week, had close ties to senior Mossad officials and the agency's special ops commander Mike Harari. For years, the despot leader aided in countless top secret Israeli intelligence operations, which would not have gone ahead without his help. (Ronen Bergman, Yedioth/Ynet)
Life After the Nakba: Palestinian Literature Looks Inward
Young Arabic-language writers in Israel are tackling the Palestinian predicament from their own point of view, exploring ‘life itself’ rather than obsessing about the occupation. (Janan Bsoul, Haaretz+)
Peres and Rabin's reconciliation letter
Yedioth Ahronoth publishes the story of the 'reconciliation document' agreed upon and signed between Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres just before the former's assassination; the two quarreled constantly about power sharing arrangements and policy before brokering agreement via Giora Eini. (Shimon Shiffer, Yedioth/Ynet)
When an embattled Israel called them in 1967 they came, and never left
'The Six-Day War is what clinched the deal for me': Five Jewish immigrants from English-speaking countries look back on 50 years, in hope, satisfaction and disappointment too. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Fifty Years, Fifty Lies (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) It began with the question of what to call the West Bank and Gaza. On Israel Radio it was decided to use the term 'temporarily-held territories.' This was lie No. 1.
Left in the provincial dust: A summary of Trump's visit to Israel (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) It was enough to hear about the heartbreaking shabbiness of the Prime Minister’s Residence's kitchen or watch Sara Netanyahu’s hyperactivity during the US president’s visit to feel embarrassed at the impression our representatives gave during his time in Israel.
How to Shame Facebook Thugs (Emilie Moatti, Haaretz+) Why shouldn’t the hate they disseminate pursue them as well, so that at every job interview or date this becomes the first content that comes up on a Google search?
Nakba: The source of Arab-Israeli conflict (Asaf Romirowsky, Yedioth/Ynet) UNRWA's success has been in transforming itself into the guardian of Palestinian refugees' isolation, preserving the uniqueness of their identity as an entity that cannot be assimilated into any Arab country, but only into what is perceived as Palestine.
*Israel Is Not a Democracy (Michael Sfard, Haaretz+) A democracy doesn't deny millions their civil rights, plunder their land and resources and deprive them of independence and of a say in their future.
Consolidating vision and reality (Zalman Shoval, Israel Hayom) President Trump's approach to the Middle East has been welcomed by all sides, but it remains to be seen whether his vision fits in with the region's complex reality.
Inside Every Islamist Is a Latent Bezalel Smotrich (Salman Masalha, Haaretz+) They are both waiting for the propitious moment to begin their campaign of conquest. They both dream of the day when 'the army will know what to do.'
In Ayoob Kara’s appointment, Netanyahu giving media the finger (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) Appointing the delirious Kara as communications minister is like appointing Incitatus, Caligula’s horse, as a consul. It seems like a joke on all of us, and primarily on the media which the prime minister despises, in a bid to show who’s boss.
For Jerusalem’s Police, Jews Defending Palestinians Are Human 'Garbage' (Ori Weisberg, Haaretz+) When the police officer wrenched back my arm I couldn't tell if it was breaking. I screamed in pain. Now I am more sure than ever of the need for more direct action for equality between Jews and Palestinians.
American plan is to deal with northern Samaria first (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) As part of the big package deal with the Arab world, the Trump administration has raised the idea of transferring lands from Area C to Area B. With his current coalition, however, Netanyahu will likely find it difficult to deliver the minimum that the US has promised the Arabs.
From words to action: There is no solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue without a solution to Jerusalem (Uri Savir, Maariv) Trump's visit only showed how divided the city is into two parts. Alongside the lip service that politicians are paying to the capital, it is necessary for leaders to understand that there is a problem here that requires a political solution.
Respect the Seniority Principle at the Supreme Court (Haaretz Editorial) Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked is trying to dictate who future justices will be, but the current system prevents harmful infighting at the court.
The forecast is cloudy with some bright spots (Ed Kashi, Yedioth/Ynet) American photojournalist Ed Kashi holds photo workshops with Jewish and Arab high school students in Israel, from Jisser A-Zarka to Acre, Kiryat Gat, Kfar Saba and Rahat. These are his thoughts from the experience.
Trump Is a Hazard (Uzi Baram, Haaretz+) The U.S. president has no worldview and thinks only in slogans, while Netanyahu is putting off deciding between the Saudis’ peace efforts and his rivals to his right.
Arab leaders did plan to eliminate Israel in Six-Day War (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) During the 1967 war, Israel seized Egyptian and Jordanian operational documents with clear orders to annihilate the civil population. Nevertheless, different academics are distorting the facts in a bid to turn the Arabs into victims and Israel into an aggressor. Here’s the real story.
And Israel's Attorney General Remains Silent (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) Avichai Mendelblit acts as if he’s fending for Netanyahu both in the offices of criminal investigation and on the street outside the PM’s Residence.
A Zionist Dream Jump-starting Israel Into the 21st Century (Dan Ben-David, Haaretz+) Israelis are proud of their improvisational abilities, but that’s no way to run an entire country. Patchwork policies are no substitute for a vision that specifies where we want to go and a strategy detailing how to get there (Part I of III)
The theme of almost every sentence from the secret cabinet meetings on the future of the territories following the stunning Israeli victory echo in today’s political discourse; ‘We must not return an inch of land,’ Minister Begin stated, while Defense Minister Dayan called for a military rule in the West Bank; Minister Sapir’s comment reflected the dilemmas that remain in the heart of Israel’s political debate 50 years later: ‘We can win a war and then be in a constant battle which is worse than a war.’ (Amir Alon, Yedioth/Ynet + VIDEOS and PHOTOS)
Former Panama dictator's secret ties to Israel
Manuel Noriega, who died earlier this week, had close ties to senior Mossad officials and the agency's special ops commander Mike Harari. For years, the despot leader aided in countless top secret Israeli intelligence operations, which would not have gone ahead without his help. (Ronen Bergman, Yedioth/Ynet)
Life After the Nakba: Palestinian Literature Looks Inward
Young Arabic-language writers in Israel are tackling the Palestinian predicament from their own point of view, exploring ‘life itself’ rather than obsessing about the occupation. (Janan Bsoul, Haaretz+)
Peres and Rabin's reconciliation letter
Yedioth Ahronoth publishes the story of the 'reconciliation document' agreed upon and signed between Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres just before the former's assassination; the two quarreled constantly about power sharing arrangements and policy before brokering agreement via Giora Eini. (Shimon Shiffer, Yedioth/Ynet)
When an embattled Israel called them in 1967 they came, and never left
'The Six-Day War is what clinched the deal for me': Five Jewish immigrants from English-speaking countries look back on 50 years, in hope, satisfaction and disappointment too. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Fifty Years, Fifty Lies (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) It began with the question of what to call the West Bank and Gaza. On Israel Radio it was decided to use the term 'temporarily-held territories.' This was lie No. 1.
Left in the provincial dust: A summary of Trump's visit to Israel (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) It was enough to hear about the heartbreaking shabbiness of the Prime Minister’s Residence's kitchen or watch Sara Netanyahu’s hyperactivity during the US president’s visit to feel embarrassed at the impression our representatives gave during his time in Israel.
How to Shame Facebook Thugs (Emilie Moatti, Haaretz+) Why shouldn’t the hate they disseminate pursue them as well, so that at every job interview or date this becomes the first content that comes up on a Google search?
Nakba: The source of Arab-Israeli conflict (Asaf Romirowsky, Yedioth/Ynet) UNRWA's success has been in transforming itself into the guardian of Palestinian refugees' isolation, preserving the uniqueness of their identity as an entity that cannot be assimilated into any Arab country, but only into what is perceived as Palestine.
*Israel Is Not a Democracy (Michael Sfard, Haaretz+) A democracy doesn't deny millions their civil rights, plunder their land and resources and deprive them of independence and of a say in their future.
Consolidating vision and reality (Zalman Shoval, Israel Hayom) President Trump's approach to the Middle East has been welcomed by all sides, but it remains to be seen whether his vision fits in with the region's complex reality.
Inside Every Islamist Is a Latent Bezalel Smotrich (Salman Masalha, Haaretz+) They are both waiting for the propitious moment to begin their campaign of conquest. They both dream of the day when 'the army will know what to do.'
In Ayoob Kara’s appointment, Netanyahu giving media the finger (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) Appointing the delirious Kara as communications minister is like appointing Incitatus, Caligula’s horse, as a consul. It seems like a joke on all of us, and primarily on the media which the prime minister despises, in a bid to show who’s boss.
For Jerusalem’s Police, Jews Defending Palestinians Are Human 'Garbage' (Ori Weisberg, Haaretz+) When the police officer wrenched back my arm I couldn't tell if it was breaking. I screamed in pain. Now I am more sure than ever of the need for more direct action for equality between Jews and Palestinians.
American plan is to deal with northern Samaria first (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) As part of the big package deal with the Arab world, the Trump administration has raised the idea of transferring lands from Area C to Area B. With his current coalition, however, Netanyahu will likely find it difficult to deliver the minimum that the US has promised the Arabs.
From words to action: There is no solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue without a solution to Jerusalem (Uri Savir, Maariv) Trump's visit only showed how divided the city is into two parts. Alongside the lip service that politicians are paying to the capital, it is necessary for leaders to understand that there is a problem here that requires a political solution.
Respect the Seniority Principle at the Supreme Court (Haaretz Editorial) Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked is trying to dictate who future justices will be, but the current system prevents harmful infighting at the court.
The forecast is cloudy with some bright spots (Ed Kashi, Yedioth/Ynet) American photojournalist Ed Kashi holds photo workshops with Jewish and Arab high school students in Israel, from Jisser A-Zarka to Acre, Kiryat Gat, Kfar Saba and Rahat. These are his thoughts from the experience.
Trump Is a Hazard (Uzi Baram, Haaretz+) The U.S. president has no worldview and thinks only in slogans, while Netanyahu is putting off deciding between the Saudis’ peace efforts and his rivals to his right.
Arab leaders did plan to eliminate Israel in Six-Day War (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) During the 1967 war, Israel seized Egyptian and Jordanian operational documents with clear orders to annihilate the civil population. Nevertheless, different academics are distorting the facts in a bid to turn the Arabs into victims and Israel into an aggressor. Here’s the real story.
And Israel's Attorney General Remains Silent (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) Avichai Mendelblit acts as if he’s fending for Netanyahu both in the offices of criminal investigation and on the street outside the PM’s Residence.
A Zionist Dream Jump-starting Israel Into the 21st Century (Dan Ben-David, Haaretz+) Israelis are proud of their improvisational abilities, but that’s no way to run an entire country. Patchwork policies are no substitute for a vision that specifies where we want to go and a strategy detailing how to get there (Part I of III)
Interviews:
Status symbols: Hero of Ammunition Hill battle is ready to return it for peace
In a special project, fifty years after the Six Day War, Ma'ariv correspondents met with the people who were the symbols of war. Correspondent Yaakov Bar-On met with Yaakov (Yaki) Hetz, now 71, who said the sentence, "I just wanted to go home safely," which was put in the song about the battle for Ammunition Hill, which is over the Green Line in E. Jerusalem and where he fought and for which he received a medal of courage. (Interviewed by Yaakov Bar-On in Maariv)
Journalist: What does it do to you today when you hear outside parties questioning our sovereignty in Jerusalem, including Ammunition Hill?
Yaakov Hetz: "In the War of Attrition, I understood that wars are not the solution, that an agreement has to be reached. Here, the land has no significance and with this understanding I was exceptional in that with all my being I was a Paratrooper, but in my views I was like the (famed anti-occupation professor) Yeshayahu Leibovitz."
Journalist: Meaning you are prepared to return even Ammunition Hill, for which you almost sacrificed your life?
Yaakov Hetz: "I think that a peace arrangement is more important than territories, but on the other hand, there is no Arab leader, including Abu Mazen, who will sign a peace agreement with us, they know that if they go for it, they will be killed."
Journalist: And as for Ammunition Hill?
Yaakov Hetz: "I'm not worried about it. It looks like the Palestinians realize it will remain in our hands. In the end, there are people on both sides, which was expressed in a very moving meeting that we had on the hill with Jordanian fighters who fought against us in 1967. They are grandfathers like us. They said they had nothing against us: 'Arrange the matter with the Palestinians and we will be friends,' they promised."
Fighting Male Politics Means Fighting the Occupation, Feminist Catharine MacKinnon Says
In Israel, the author of the new book 'Butterfly Politics' talks to Haaretz about her 40 years intervening for social equality through law. (Interviewed by Eetta Prince-Gibson, Haaretz+)
1,000 days in Hamas captivity
On Saturday, Abera Mengistu will have spent 1,000 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza. His family still knows nothing of his situation. Soccer player and social activist Imaye Taga met with Abera's family for a heartbreaking interview about the ceaseless worrying and the hurt they feel at the fact both the government and majority of the public seem to have forgotten all about their son. (Interviewed by Imaye Taga in Yedioth/Ynet)
Status symbols: Hero of Ammunition Hill battle is ready to return it for peace
In a special project, fifty years after the Six Day War, Ma'ariv correspondents met with the people who were the symbols of war. Correspondent Yaakov Bar-On met with Yaakov (Yaki) Hetz, now 71, who said the sentence, "I just wanted to go home safely," which was put in the song about the battle for Ammunition Hill, which is over the Green Line in E. Jerusalem and where he fought and for which he received a medal of courage. (Interviewed by Yaakov Bar-On in Maariv)
Journalist: What does it do to you today when you hear outside parties questioning our sovereignty in Jerusalem, including Ammunition Hill?
Yaakov Hetz: "In the War of Attrition, I understood that wars are not the solution, that an agreement has to be reached. Here, the land has no significance and with this understanding I was exceptional in that with all my being I was a Paratrooper, but in my views I was like the (famed anti-occupation professor) Yeshayahu Leibovitz."
Journalist: Meaning you are prepared to return even Ammunition Hill, for which you almost sacrificed your life?
Yaakov Hetz: "I think that a peace arrangement is more important than territories, but on the other hand, there is no Arab leader, including Abu Mazen, who will sign a peace agreement with us, they know that if they go for it, they will be killed."
Journalist: And as for Ammunition Hill?
Yaakov Hetz: "I'm not worried about it. It looks like the Palestinians realize it will remain in our hands. In the end, there are people on both sides, which was expressed in a very moving meeting that we had on the hill with Jordanian fighters who fought against us in 1967. They are grandfathers like us. They said they had nothing against us: 'Arrange the matter with the Palestinians and we will be friends,' they promised."
Fighting Male Politics Means Fighting the Occupation, Feminist Catharine MacKinnon Says
In Israel, the author of the new book 'Butterfly Politics' talks to Haaretz about her 40 years intervening for social equality through law. (Interviewed by Eetta Prince-Gibson, Haaretz+)
1,000 days in Hamas captivity
On Saturday, Abera Mengistu will have spent 1,000 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza. His family still knows nothing of his situation. Soccer player and social activist Imaye Taga met with Abera's family for a heartbreaking interview about the ceaseless worrying and the hurt they feel at the fact both the government and majority of the public seem to have forgotten all about their son. (Interviewed by Imaye Taga in Yedioth/Ynet)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.