News Nosh 8.16.20

by APN 08/16/20
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APN's daily news review from Israel - Sunday August 16, 2020

Quote of the day:

"Everyone understands that the promise of annexation has expired. The dream vanished. No sovereignty and no nada. The parties, the champagne, the pompous statements from that evening at the White House, it’s all for nothing."
--Ben Caspit writes in Maariv that the UAE-Israel normalization agreement means the end of the right-wing dream of West Bank annexation.*


Front Page:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

  • “Are you from Israel, Welcome” - Yedioth correspondent Yaniv Halili in special report from the Emirates (Hebrew)
  • The woman who broke ground - Prof. Ruth Gavison…passed away (Hebrew)
  • “When will you make peace between us?” - Thousands demonstrated against Netanyahu in front of Prime Minister’s Residence
  • Despite the precedence of Halutz: Why we shouldn’t fear a IDF Chief of Staff from the Air Force // Yossi Yehoshua

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

  • In the Emirates they are excited: “We waited for this day”
  • - Senior UA official to ‘Israel Hayom’: You’ll be able to visit in 3-5 months; Source in Bahrain: “We hope to be next”
  • The next visit: With an Israeli passport // Boaz Sharabi
  • Netanyahu’s approach turned the tables // Amnon Lord
  • What about the Temple Mount? One step forward, two steps back // Nadav Shragai
  • The shake-up: A wake-up call to Abu Mazen // Oded Granot
  • Senior US offical in White House: “The sovereignty move was suspended, not cancelled”
  • “The judicial giant”: Prof. Ruth Gavison passed away
  • Peace also in the coalition? “Danger of elections apparently passed”
  • When and how the myth of a divided Israel was invented // Eitan Orkibi
  • Health Ministry Report: Shin Bet tracking located last week about a third of those infected
  • 100 years to the Battle of Warsaw // Polish Prime Minister in a special Op-Ed


Top News Summary:
Thrill, bitterness and disappointment: the Israeli papers described the reactions to the decision to normalize relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel and analysis of what this meant for Israel, demonstrations against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, contradicting reports on the stability of the coalition and whether elections are in the offing and sadness at the passing of the highly regarded judicial expert, Prof. Ruth Gavison, who firmly believed in the idea of a Jewish democratic state (and a Maariv interview with former chief justice Aharon Barak, who explained he disagreed with her on judicial activism on political issues and that he opposed her appointment because she was involved in publicist work, he said) were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.

Surprisingly not making big news was the escalation of the tit-for-tat between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip, which harm the Palestinian residents greatly and the UN Security Council rejection of the US proposal to extend the arms embargo on Iran, much to the embarrassment of the Trump administration and to fury of Netanyahu, who called it ‘scandalous.’ Meanwhile, ‘Israel Hayom’ stressed that a Likud minister said “the threat of elections has probably passed.” Haaretz also reported that, but said that it's temporary: Likud wants elections, but will delay them to gain time to pacify the ultra-Orthodox parties.

Thousands of anti-Netanyahu protesters demonstrated Saturday night across from the Prime Minister’s Residence and hundreds more protested outside his private home in Caesarea, and tens of thousands more protested at bridges and Intersections across Israel, calling for Netanyahu to resign. (VIDEO) (In Hadera, a 20-year-old city resident was detained on suspicion of throwing explosives at protesters in the city's square, Maariv reported.) ‘Israel Hayom’ played down the demonstration, reporting on it on the bottom of page 15. (Oddly, ‘Israel Hayom’ commentator, Eitan Orkibi, insisted there was no division in the nation.)

The demonstrators were not impressed by the Thursday night announcement of the agreement Netanyahu made with the United Arab Emirates to launch full diplomatic ties in return for halt to the annexation of Palestinian Territories. Netanyahu called it a 'historic day.’ Full statement here. (Yedioth/Ynet reported that Netanyahu kept the UAE deal secret from his coalition 'frenemies,’ which included top Kahol-Lavan ministers.)

But the interesting part was how differently the papers saw the announcement and the reactions to it. ‘Israel Hayom’ stressed that it was only halted, but not cancelled. The paper quoted a US official who said as much. While ‘Haaretz’ interviewed the UAE Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, who expressed excitement that Israeli’s annexation plans were stopped. “Annexation was our immediate concern.” An Emirati official told Maariv that “it is clear to both sides that the embassy will not be established in Jerusalem.” ‘Israel Hayom’ quoted an unknown person on its front page who said, “We were waiting for this day.” In the article, Israel Hayom’s correspondent in Dubai, Eldad Beck, reveals it was an Emirati diplomat, but does not say her name. “I was surprised by the warmth that an Emirati diplomat showed me over the weekend, after I introduced myself as a journalist for ‘Israel Hayom’ ‘Hello and Sahalan Bick (Arabic for ‘welcome),’ she greeted enthusiastically as I went to talk to her in Arabic. ‘We were waiting for this day, and it has finally arrived,’” she said. Yedioth’s correspondent, Yaniv Halili wrote that at the spice market in Dubai, Emirati men welcomed him enthusiastically upon hearing he was Israeli and another man hugged him and asked to be photographed with him. (Yedioth Hebrew) (UAE's burgeoning expat Jewish community was also excited and Tel Aviv city hall lit up with the UAE flag to celebrate and US Evangelicals celebrated, too, Haaretz+ reported.)

But in the West Bank, both Palestinians and Israeli settlers felt betrayed. The head of the Yesha Settlers’ Council declared, "I will not vote for Netanyahu anymore, he deceived us” and said that the Likud and that Netanyahu "lost it, this is not the same person I knew," Maariv reported. US President Donald Trump said Thursday that “Israel agreed not to annex parts of the West Bank. It is more than taking it off the table – they agreed not to do it. This is a very smart concession by Israel.” But, pro-settler US Ambassador Friedman claimed that 'it's not off the table permanently.” Yedioth Hebrew assumed that the halt to sovereignty is not permanent and reported today that the settlers have a consolation. “Even before the decision to postpone the application of sovereignty, last week, the Israeli Civil Administration in the West Bank convened for the first time since February, and approved a series of transportation plans that connect Binyamin district (in the West Bank) to Jerusalem - and that they will significantly improve problematic road infrastructure in Judea and Samaria.

‘Israel Hayom’ also assumed that West Bank annexation is temporary frozen and reported that “in light of Netanyahu’s decision to freeze the preparation to apply Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, the Basic Law must be immediately changed.” MK Tzvi Hauser (Derech Eretz party) is advancing a bill according to which if it is decided to transfer West Bank settlements to a foreign agent [i.e. the Palestinians - OH], the issue must be passed in a national referendum. (Hebrew)

The Palestinians were furious and disappointed and all the factions were united on this issue. Palestinian President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas called it “a betrayal of the Palestinian cause,” Hamas slammed the deal as a "dangerous and a stab in the back” and Islamic Jihad said it "won’t change the reality of the conflict." On Friday, many Palestinians protested outside Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, tearing up photographs of the Crown Prince of the UAE and trampling on them and setting them on fire. Turkish Prime Minister Tayep Erdogan said he was considering suspending ties with the UAE, Iran called it a ‘treacherous act' and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said it was a favor to Trump to help his election campaign and a betrayal of Islam by the UAE.

But other Persian Gulf countries seem to be in line to do the same as the UAE. White House officials said Oman and Bahrain are next to normalize relations with Israel and so did the Israeli papers said Bahrain was next. The King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa congratulated the two countries. Yedioth Hebrew’s Itamar Eichner said that Israel’s final goal is to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia and that the normalization of relations with Abu Dhabi was a significant milestone along the way in achieving the main goal - normalizing relations with the Saudis  - the most important in the Persian Gulf countries. Even Lebanese President Michel Aoun said: “I don’t rule out an agreement with Israel,” but added that "We have problems with Israel, and we must first resolve them." (Maariv)

The papers also looked at the other fruits of the agreement for Israel. TheMarker wrote that “The fruits of peace will be picked by the Israeli arms industry.” And UAE and Israeli companies have already signed a Coronavirus Research Agreement.


GAZA STRIP: HAMAS - ISRAEL ESCALATION
After the incendiary balloons approved by Hamas kept flying over the Gaza border into Israel over the weekend and Israel kept hitting Hamas targets and then shortened the Gazan fishermen’s zone, and then announced it was blocking Qatari aid to Gaza, and then cut fuel exports to Gaza, which will cut electricity to residents for most of the day, the balloons kept coming. This morning, Israel announced it would close off Gaza's fishing zone entirely, after closing crossings and halting fuel deliveries. Critics say the move is actually not very efficient in that regard, and amounts to collective punishment in a territory with so little economic activity. Maariv's Jacky Khougy explains why this is happening in Commentary/Analysis section below.
 

Quick Hits:

  • Netanyahu to Attorney General: You Cannot Bar Me From Appointing Judges - AG issued opinion saying that Netanyahu had a conflict of interest, Netanyahu responds accusing him of same. (Maariv and Haaretz+)
  • Lawmaker says he told Netanyahu before asking to nix judge in his case - Shlomo Karhi (Likud) admitted he notified the prime minister before he demanded one of the judges in Netanyahu's corruption trial be disqualified for a conflict of interest, after saying he hadn’t. (Haaretz)
  • 'Nothing changes': Palestinians report attacks by Israeli settlers on West Bank villages; Settlers also attacked Police - Meanwhile, Border Police forces were attacked in the settlement of Yitzhar for the second day in a row. (Haaretz+)
  • Israel attacked 1,000 Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria since 2017 - 4,200 missiles used in attacks, which destroyed a third of Syria’s anti-air systems and a quarter of missiles aimed at Israel. (Haaretz+)
  • Expose: Courtesy of Yisrael Beiteinu party, you don’t have to be Israeli to hold an Israeli passport - Contrary to police warnings, the party demanded a change in the law that placed restrictions on obtaining an Israeli passport. The data that lit all the red lights, and brought the various parties together about two weeks ago to consult, were clear and unequivocal: it turned out that a high percentage of immigrants from the former Soviet Union countries,  and more than half the Russian immigrants, take advantage of a loophole in Israeli law, come to Israel, get a blue and white passport, turn around and leave the country. (Maariv)
  • Police Clash With Jaffa Protests Amid Ongoing Dispute Over Construction on Muslim Burial Ground - Last week, Israel’s top court issued an interim order to halt construction on the site of the 18th century cemetery. (Haaretz+)
  • For first time, joint military exercise with German Air Force - Israeli, German air forces to hold historic joint drill over German soil and a joint flyover over the site of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre and the city of Dachau, where the Nazis established their first concentration camp in 1933. (Israel Hayom)
  • Israel’s Top Pirate Streaming Website Goes to War for Bibi - The head of the site Sdarot – who prefers to remain anonymous to stave off possible prosecution – tells Haaretz how leftists persecute both his business and Netanyahu. (Haaretz+)
  • Coronavirus Israel Live: Cabinet Further Limits Crowds at Restaurants - Health Ministry calls to avoid northern hot spot■ Passengers returning from 'green' countries no longer have to self-isolate ■ Israel confirms more than 90,000 cases ■ More than 100 dead in the West Bank. (Haaretz)
  • Many Israeli Health Care Workers Reluctant to Get Coronavirus Vaccine, Survey Says - Only 61% of nurses and 78% of doctors say they would be willing to get vaccinated, with safety being the biggest concern, according to survey taken in April. (Haaretz+)
  • 'Some rabbis are not cooperating with health directives' - Coronavirus coordinators Professor Ronni Gamzu expresses frustration with some of the Haredi community in radio interview. Health Ministry reports that Shin Bet phone tracking has identified 27% of carriers, but also cites errors. (Israel Hayom)
  • Israeli Court Rules Children Can't Officially Have Three Parents - Court overturns decision to allow egg donor to be registered as a third parent, which the attorney general opposed. (Haaretz+)
  • Seeking to limit polygamy, Israel makes it harder for Bedouin women to buy land - Women will have to provide proof of their status to show they're not in a polygamous marriage. (Haaretz+)
  • Central Israeli City Bars Women From Event Against AG's Anti-segregation Order - Despite women complaining about the events, the Ramle mayor said that 'these isolated events are held in many cities ... it’s nothing new,’ (Haaretz+)
  • Israeli Demonstrators Break Into Kibbutz to Swim in Stream - Protesters claim the Asi Stream is a natural resource that should be enjoyed by all, not just kibbutz residents. (Haaretz+)
  • Temperature in Israel will rise 4 degrees by 2100 if climate change not curbed, study shows - When changes are examined only for the summer months, estimates are that average temperatures may rise by as much as six degrees, study shows. (Haaretz+)
  • Lebanese have little hope blast probe will lead to truth - Teams of investigators in Beirut are joined by French forensic police, FBI agents will likely play a role too. (Agencies, Haaretz)


Features:
Three Kids Were Shot in the Head in East Jerusalem in 10 Weeks, and No One Knows Why
Gunfire may have come from PA side of fence; residents wonder whether the perpetrator would have been found had victims been Jewish. (Haaretz+)
These Settler Farmers Are All About Peace and Love – Just Don't Mention Land Theft
With its groves of trees, wading pools and peacocks, Omer’s Farm stands opposite a site we visited recently, where Palestinians trying to build a new village are being sabotaged by settlers. A conversation with its owners. (Haaretz+)
15 Years After Israeli Pullout, Many Palestinians Still Barred From Reaching Their Land
The settlement of Homesh was evacuated 15 years ago, but local Palestinians say the settlers’ presence is actually worse than it ever was. (Hagar Shezaf, Haaretz+)

Top Commentary/Analysis:
 Netanyahu gave up on annexation. Will his voters now give up on him? (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Even a fool won't believe the Israeli leader's claim that backing off of West Bank annexation as part of UAE deal is merely temporary.
The Iranian threat and U.S. disengagement work in Netanyahu's favor (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) As Trump keeps pushing to reduce U.S. military presence in the Middle East, the UAE finds Israel to be a powerful ally in their battle against Iran's imperialist aspirations while providing Netanyahu a ladder to climb down safely from his annexation promises.
Made Peace in Dubai? Now Make Peace With the Palestinians (Haaretz Editorial) Twenty-six years after signing a peace agreement with Jordan and more than 40 years after the peace agreement with Egypt, another Arab country joins those ranks, and there is hope that others will follow. The agreement was not meant to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The basic stipulation it contains – either annexation or peace with the UAE – does not present a road map or timetable to advance the diplomatic process. But Netanyahu, who sees in the agreement only business opportunities, must not regard it as an exemption from dealing with the Palestinian-Israeli crisis.
UAE’s Unique Leverage Over Israel Buried Annexation to Enable Normalization (Daniel B. Shapiro, Haaretz+) The UAE-Israel deal is great news for the United States. This is how the Emiratis, and Jared Kushner, helped Netanyahu climb down from his annexation talk – and how Israel won an outsized diplomatic payoff.
UAE treaty part of a much bigger game (Dr. Eran Lerman, Israel Hayom) Israel is a key player in the crisis currently unfolding in the eastern Mediterranean Sea basin.
This peace of his (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth Hebrew) The agreement is good news for two good reasons. One is the third normalization agreement that Israel has signed with an Arab state, and the first with one of the Gulf states. It has historical significance both in regional terms and in internal Israeli terms. Second, it removes from the agenda the idea of annexation. The right-wing in Israel will have to recalculate its trajectory, as it was forced to recalculate a trajectory after the peace agreement with Egypt.
An agreement without the Palestinians (Ben Dror Yemini, Yedioth Hebrew) Admittedly, the main theory that collapsed is the one that led John Kerry: If you do not make peace with the Palestinians, Israel will become an isolated state. This theory did not collapse Thursday, but the agreement with the UAE is another nail in its coffin. The Israeli left has enthusiastically adopted this theory. It's time to recalculate your route.
Israel's Deal With the UAE Spells New Conditions for Ties With Arab States (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The agreement links Israeli annexation of the West Bank to negotiations with Palestinians. It also gives the green light to Bahrain, Oman and Qatar to advance their own private deals with Israel.
The UAE-Israel peace deal: Walk over Talk (Yoram Ettinger, Israel Hayom) Israel's regional posture of deterrence and global high tech prominence motivates the leaders of the Middle East to see it in a different light.
In UAE Deal, Netanyahu Trades Imaginary Annexation for Real Life Diplomacy Win (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) PM shows peace with Arab states can be achieved at no real cost for Israel.
A wake-up call for Abbas (Oded Granot, Israel Hayom) One would think that the breakthrough peace deal between the UAE and Israel would inspire the Palestinian leader to rise above rejectionism. But that is unlikely to be the case.
Israel-UAE Normalization Deal Reveals Failure of Palestinian Diplomacy (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Palestinian President Abbas is paying the price for his decision to cut ties with the UAE, but now that the threat of Israeli annexation has receded, will Palestinian cooperation with Israel resume?
In the West, they believe that the Israeli right-wing received a death blow from the agreement with the United Arab Emirates (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) The heads of Western delegations to the UN are satisfied with the peace agreement, but suggest not to exaggerate its importance and especially to beware of the volatile nature of Trump, who for an agreement with Bahrain may charge a heavy price. “He (the president) can demand from Israel tomorrow or in a month in exchange for an agreement with Bahrain a very painful concession to the Palestinians, that will anger many,” a senior Jewish official in a community affiliated with the right-wing said in a conversation with me. “From the point of view of local politics, the timing of the agreement and its publication is good and beneficial for Trump and Netanyahu. It instills a positive, pleasant and comfortable factor into their campaigns," the senior official said. "But I suggest they both be careful and not hang a lot of hopes and expectations on improving their status on the internal fronts," he said. The deputy head of a Western delegation to the UN agreed with this assessment. According to the senior diplomat, Trump will not receive more Jewish votes in the upcoming elections following the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Once Again, the U.S. Saves Netanyahu From Himself  (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The UAE deal is historic – and at home, Netanyahu made sure only he could take the credit.
Israel-UAE deal sends message to hostile countries (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) There were those on the Left who tried to dwarf this feat but the treaty with the United Arab Emirates changes the rules of the regional game and sends a clear message to Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah, as well as Turkey.
Israel-UAE deal clears annexation muddle. But not for everyone (Noa Landau, Haaretz+) As Netanyahu lauds 'historic agreement,' the UAE gets international applause and Trump gets to flaunt a peace deal, the only ones left out are the Palestinians.
The agreement with the United Arab Emirates has many benefits for Israel and the region - and a view about elections (Avi Benayahu, Maariv) he new agreement paves the way for other similar arrangements and is a resounding slap in the face to Iran and its metastases in Syria, Lebanon and elsewhere. This very event can be a great opportunity to open a dialogue and trust-building measures with the Palestinians, even if it is long and difficult. And also: Netanyahu has already decided to evade the trial in any way. Kahol-Lavan did their best, but now they must be part of the "Front for the Salvation of Israel.” I think that despite everything, Kahol-Lavan is still a governmental alternative to Netanyahu. It must not blink, and if it is required to go to the polls, it must do so with its head held high and try to establish the “Front to Save Israel" with all the forces that think Netanyahu should be replaced, bring the country back to sanity and peace and reconciliation, and stop divisions among the people. And yes - such a front should include the Arabs of Israel.
UAE Is Normalizing Relations With Israel. Lebanon Should, Too (Khalaf Al Habtoo, Haaretz+) The old ways of hatred and wars have gained us nothing. Joining the new path of Arab-Israeli peace and cooperation would strengthen the Palestinians – and it would be a big win for Lebanon, too.
*Everyone understands that the annexation has dissipated. What is left is to extract something from the rubble (Ben Caspit, Maariv) If we disconnect from the background noise, then the announcement of a roadmap towards normalization between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is excellent news. But the background noises are there, and do not bode well for Netanyahu. He gained a few points in the center-left, which likes agreements with Arabs, but lost more points in his right-wing base. The reason is simple: everyone understands that the promise of annexation has expired. The dream vanished. No sovereignty and no nothing. The parties, the champagne, the pompous statements from that evening at the White House, it’s all for nothing. Instead we received a vague statement from the UAE about contacts opening up in a few weeks for a “road map” that would lead to normalization. And to remove any doubt, in this statement and also in a parallel statement by the Saudi leader Muhammad bin Salman, emphasis was placed on the main thing (for them): the annexation was halted. It was and is no more.
UAE and Israel: A match made in heaven (Martin Oliner, Israel Hayom) The agreement creates opportunities for cooperation in agriculture, tourism and technology, which is needed more than ever during the health and economic crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gantz needs to disband the (government) now and go to the polls (Ben Caspit, Maariv) Now it is already clear: the budget is the excuse that Netanyahu uses to escape his trial. The criminal suspect's attempt to take over the legal world should be stopped by the alternate prime minister.
Confucius, the Party Is Over (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) Strangely, but not independently, someone decided last week without any warning that the Palestinians became humans again. Thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank filled the beaches of Tel Aviv and Netanya. They entered without a permit through breaches in the separation barrier, under the army’s watchful eyes. Television screens were full of images of nice, Arabic-speaking Palestinians who were ready to allay our fears about them and prove that they had just come to enjoy themselves. They have brainwashed us for so many years about dangerous creatures who were born to blow themselves up among us, and suddenly they fill the beaches without anything happening. It’s as if someone changed the settings on Israel’s geopolitical software, from which moment the Palestinians ceased to be an existential threat. Instead of warning the world about the spread of extremist Islamism, the right has moved on to warnings about control by the Chinese virus, be it the coronavirus or 5G technology.
Bibi has only two minor requirements: choose the gatekeepers himself and bend Gantz again (Ron Kaufman, Maariv) It's really petty on the part of Gantz not to give up also this time, so he will give up. All over the world, defendants determine who will run the law enforcement establishments, so why should it be different for us?
Netanyahu is in full-on election mode, driven by his present and future anxieties (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Even Benny Gantz realizes that the rotation that would make him prime minister will never happen. The only question is the date of the next election.
Netanyahu's grip on power is a danger not only to Israeli society, but also to the Zionist project (Nadav Haetzni, Maariv) If Benjamin Netanyahu has any patriotism left from his youth, it must lead him to retire from the leadership of the state. Anyone who wants to return the governance to the Knesset its government must show Netanyahu the door…It is clear to everyone that the current government is a disaster. The internal catch-22 that prevails in it does not allow the Israeli ship to continue sailing anywhere. It is far beyond the issues of budget and lack of governance. Far beyond the medical and economic crises, which must be managed in a harmonious and optimal manner. This is the basic trust of the citizens in the government, the same social contract that enables the very existence of society and its institutions. No matter who started and who is right, what matters is that this government was formed in sin, after Netanyahu failed to form a harmonious government with Avigdor Lieberman and the right-wing, for personal reasons, regardless of ideology. Thus, instead of resigning in his failure, Netanyahu preferred to form a trapped, conflicting, inflated government that is devoid of any ability for joint action.
Netanyahu’s Marshall Plan: Let the Country Burn (Yossi Levy, Haaretz+) No election is in the offing before the second half of 2021. While everyone keeps guessing about what will happen in November 2020, Netanyahu has his sights on November 2021. When it comes to worrying about the future or holding on to his seat through the use of assorted tricks and shticks, no one can compare to Netanyahu in farsightedness. This is in contrast to the future of this country, where he suffers from an advanced cataract, or is it willful blindness?
The coalition agreement will be reworded, to Netanyahu's satisfaction (Anna Barsky, Maariv) If this week there are still citizens left in the State of Israel who believe that the budget is the problem due to which we may go to the polls again, they should get rid of the illusion as soon as possible and recognize the reality. It’s true, Binyamin Netanyahu is thinking about elections. He thinks, for example, about when to announce a run for office and when exactly he should get out of the game in the best way possible so that all the cards will remain in his hands. These questions are asked daily on Balfour Street and also in the Prime Minister’s Office. But not only there, they are also asked in other high and important chambers. According to the Balfour assumption [Netanyahu family - OH], the High Court decided to deliberately stall in order to reach a period when, according to the coalition agreement, that if Netanyahu is disqualified as the alternate prime minister, he will not be caretaker prime minister until the election and will be forced to vacate the Balfour residence. Without anyone reminding the prime minister and his associates that they were the ones who approved the coalition draft agreement.
Don't Stand Idly by as Netanyahu Incites Against Public Servants (Ravit Hecht, Haaretz+) Another election round now appears a most likely scenario, but even that won’t extract Israel from the political dead end it’s in. What neither side succeeded in doing three times is not likely to be achieved on the fourth.
Postponing the indictments against Netanyahu until the end of his term is the right thing to do (Michael Kleiner, Maariv) Israeli law today makes it possible to do the natural and necessary thing in order to normalize the political conduct until (the Netanyahu trial) and to allow the trial to take place in due course. Too bad it's not on the agenda.
The Netanyahu Crime Syndicate's Open Season on the Legal System (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) To understand what the crime syndicate that has taken over this country is after, one must first understand the goals of the man who leads it. The criminal defendant bunkered down in Balfour Street has three goals: to remain prime minister, to cancel his trial and to prevent the truth from coming out about the so-called steel shares and submarines affairs (which could result in charges that are much more serious than those in his current trial).
The time has come to get the house in order in places where there are "gatekeepers" (Haim Misgav, Maariv) The general feeling of disgust from the judicial system in all its parts, reached a new peak, also in terms of the lack of public trust. If judges discuss matters of associates - what will the mosses of the wall say? When the Attorney General, for example, blatantly and condescendingly, in the opinion of many, responded to the Prime Minister's letter in which he lamented that there was no appropriate response to threats against him and his family and complained about the sexual dishonoring of his wife which went without response from law enforcement establishment, quite a few people thought he crossed a red line. A crossing that requires, perhaps, a different approach to the job itself.
Open Season on Netanyahu's Prosecutor (Haaretz Editorial) Deputy State Prosecutor Liat Ben Ari, the chief prosecutor in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial, has been the focus of the assault on the law enforcement system in recent weeks. Ben Ari was marked by Netanyahu’s supporters as the main target for blatant personal attacks, demonstrations outside her home, journalistic inquiries and mudslinging. The reason is simple: She’s doing her job.
Every year anew, Israel turns to Qatar and urges it to continue streaming dollars to Gaza (Jackie Khougy, Maariv) Jerusalem became addicted to Doha's financial aid. If it stops, the IDF will have to provide the answers. And what lies behind Hamas' current balloon attack?…The communities in the Gaza Strip periphery this week faced an attack by incendiary balloons and explosives, which were initiated by Hamas leaders to achieve a clear and immediate goal. During the peak days, close to 30 balloons were set off towards these communities, and most of them set the fields alight. Israel closed the Kerem Shalom commercial goods crossing, and the balloons increased. Israel reduced the fishing space, and the attacks continued. Yesterday it decided on a particularly sharp step - stopping the fuel for the power plant in the Strip. This means that within a day or two, the electricity flow to homes will decrease to a few hours a day. With the fires that break out in the fields of the communities, the Israeli population is still able to live. After all, it's not a rocket that shuts down life in an instant and makes anxious families stand next to the walls of their bomb shelter rooms. But in the power of the balloons can cause both sides to go in this direction, towards this very thing, an armed escalation. In Gaza, every balloon has an address and every fire has a father. The current attack was conducted by top Hamas leaders. They are not concerned that Israel will escalate the situation and react severely. They are even interested in it, so that they will be given an excuse to upgrade the attack to rockets. Then Israel will sink into the dangerous days of battle, in which hundreds of thousands will sit in shelters, and in order to strive for a ceasefire, it will give what Hamas leaders ask of it anyway in talks with the Egyptians. This is the goal, and these are the means. Hamas' demand from Israel these days is mainly to open the gates, which will allow them to produce money with their own hands and stimulate the shaky economy. But why the violence? We said that in talks Israel refuses their requests. For example, to give permits to export more goods abroad or to Israel, or to employ workers in Israel, as was done on the eve of the days of the eve of the corona outbreak. At that time, more than 5,000 Gazans entered Israel, and each of them earned 400 to 500 shekels a day. This cash together made an income of several million shekels a month, and flowed oxygen into the Gaza Strip economy. A combination of circumstances allows them to launch an attack now. They are under (Israeli) siege for 14 years, which has caused a severe economic recession. Corona came and exacerbated the situation even further. They got control over corona…All of these issues met the hot weather, and with it a short-lived opportunity. Within a few weeks the conditions the heatwave will ease, and the fields will not ignite so easily. Time is pressing. The events of the past week have nothing to do with the Qatari financial support. Doha promised the transfer of dollars till the end of the year. The Qataris put in the money, as promised, and pledged it till the end of the year. Their support is divided into three. They pay hundreds of thousands to needy families, $100 each; they inance the construction of public projects, most importantly, a 3,000-unit residential neighborhood in Khan Yunis; And they are taking care of operating the power plant. Diesel fuel that from the Israel Electricity Authority acquires with Qatari money, ensures the power station operates and guarantees an average of about 20 hours of electricity per day per household. Doha is the only Arab supporter of the Gaza Strip in recent years, so it depends on Israel's goodwill. According to the agreement between them, every Qatari dollar will receive Israeli consent before it is transferred to the Gaza Strip. The Qatari millions hold the Gaza population above water, giving it minimal stability, bothecurity and societal. The head of the Mossad worked with the Qataris to ensure their continued support for Gaza next year, as well. Seemingly, this is a lucrative deal. With hard work, and with the help of the Egyptians, the Hamas leadership has learned the hard way that it is better to abandon the rocket barrages and adopt a policy of harassment against Israel, especially with incendiary balloons. Israel, on its part, has reduced the armed threat, and does not pay a single penny out of pocket. Au contraire. The Israeli economy enjoys the revenues from the sale of diesel fuel. But this deal also has a price: Qatar is stabilizing the Strip, thus contributing to relative calm from the south. But it does not owe anything to Israel or to Hamas. If they want, it will pay. If they don’t want, they will not pay. Meanwhile, Israel has become addicted to Qatari aid, and has no adequate solution for the day when the Emir decides to stop it. On this day, the Hamas leadership will demand it from Israel, and the relative stability achieved through hard work may be undermined. Every child in the Gaza periphery communities will tell you - Hamas has its own style of claiming what is due.
15 year later, it's time to accept the disengagement from Gaza (Alon Ben David, Maariv) Gaza is wrong if it believes that that in the corona era there is never any attention and money available for it. Israel is wrong if it thinks it can hold two million Gazans in a cage forever.
The ICC holds Hezbollah's future in its hands (Itzhak Levanon, Yedioth/Ynet) After almost 15 years of investigations into the assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri in Beirut, the International Criminal Court's special tribunal faces a choice that has major ramifications for the terror group and the beleaguered country.
Ex-general's ambitious plan to make Israel great again (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) A team of experts, led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, lays out a sweeping strategy for the challenges facing Israel, from ailing health services to regional economic development.
Israel Looks to Open Its Skies for Travel. It’s Playing With Fire (Amos Harel, Haaretz+)  Huge economic interests are involved in the decision, and livelihoods depend on it. But a rushed process could backfire.
Will Kamilla Harris be the one to end the Trumpism era? (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) It is an exaggeration to say that the choice of Harris as the Vice Presidential candidate will guarantee Joe Biden a victory in the presidential election. It makes sense to conclude that this promotes his chances of defeating Donald Trump and being elected president in November…She is a loyal supporter of Israel.  During the early stages of the Democratic primaries, Kamilla Harris tried to stand out as Biden's fierce critic. In the televised confrontations, she attacked her colleague and accused him of supporting laws that enshrined segregation practices between white and black children while he was a senator. But after retiring from the Democratic race, she became an ardent supporter of him and appeared at election rallies in his favor. Unlike President Trump, who insults and mocks his critics, Biden has proven that not only does he not hold a grudge against those who attacked him - but that he greatly appreciates her skills. "Kamilla is a fearless fighter for the little man, and is one of the best public figures this country has," he wrote in a Twitter post announcing her election. For the Jewish community in the United States, Harris' appointment is good news, especially for the large and leading liberal wing of the community. "This is a great choice," says Erik Yoffe, the leader of the Reform community. “Kamilla is moderate and rational on local and pro-Israel issues, maintains close relations with the AIPAC lobby, is a loyal supporter of Israel, opposes annexation and supports a two-state solution. When it comes to Israel, it is where the community stands. The day that it was announced that she was chosen was a happy day.” Other senior Jewish officials also expressed satisfaction over her being chosen. They noted that Harris visited Israel in 2017 and even had a long conversation with Prime Minister Binaymin Netanyahu. They added that her husband is Jewish, a lawyer by profession. But Harris does not share these details with the public, and in general she avoids talking about her family. The media enthusiasm of her choice will subside in the coming days. The corona virus is still raging in the US and shows no sign of weakening, and the cloud of economic recession is darkening and obscuring life. Biden-Harris' campaign is awaiting the difficult weeks. The twosome will have to prove that they are not only nice and peaceful, but also able to convince millions of Americans that voting for them guarantees an end to the Trumpism era and the beginning of four normal years in the White House. It's not as simple and easy as it seems.
In surprise visit, Greece tries to enlist Israel in its gas war with Turkey (Noa Landau, Haaretz+) Israel sought praise for new tourism agreement, but the real purpose of the Greek foreign minister's visit lies in a disputed zone in the Mediterranean Sea.
Israel Thwarted a North Korean Cyberattack on Its Defense Industry. But Other Sectors Remain Vulnerable (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) A new paper warns that as Israel’s ports become more computerized, they’re more exposed to danger.

Interviews:

'The best defense is a good diplomatic offense,' says new Israeli envoy to US
"As a boy, I didn't dream of becoming a minister, I dreamed of a heroic struggle for Israel in the international arena." Gilad Erdan is on a mission and he doesn't plan on allowing anything to stop him. (Interviewed by  Naama Lanski in Israel Hayom)

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

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