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[GerardJan]

APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday May 10, 2018

Quote of the day:
"Whoever deludes himself now into thinking that starving the Iranian people will
cause the Ayatollahs to give up the bomb did not learn a thing from the lesson
of N. Korea."
—Former MK Haim Ramon writes that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s gamble
might boomerang.*
--
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[GerardJan]

GerardJan wrote:
>
> APN's daily news review from Israel
> Thursday May 10, 2018
>
> Quote of the day:
> "Whoever deludes himself now into thinking that starving the Iranian people will
> cause the Ayatollahs to give up the bomb did not learn a thing from the lesson
> of N. Korea."
> —Former MK Haim Ramon writes that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s gamble
> might boomerang.*


APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday May 10, 2018

Quote of the day:
"Whoever deludes himself now into thinking that starving the Iranian people will
cause the Ayatollahs to give up the bomb did not learn a thing from the lesson
of N. Korea."
—Former MK Haim Ramon writes that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s gamble
might boomerang.*

You Must Be Kidding:
“The President isn’t a man, he isn’t a human.”
--Associates of Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev said after President
Reuven Rivlin refused to let her sing the national anthem on the field ahead of
the Israeli soccer final cup game.*
Front Page:
Haaretz

Attack target: Iranian missiles that were aimed at Israel
Revenge on hold // Amos Harel
Trump: “If Iran doesn’t return to negotiations, something will happen”
First wave of sanctions: August
Trump’s problem is not the nukes, but the regime // NYT
Not only Iran will pay the economic price
(Interior Minister) Deri confirms: Discussions with the UN about asylum
seekers, were renewed, Holot detention facility will remain closed
Health Ministry closing psychiatric institution due to defects, and paying
it 1.5 million shekels
The police officer who shot dead a resident of Rahat and lied about it was
reprimanded
How did two young people from Ashdod get involved in the affair of Trump’s
silence money
The Arab communities are filled with historical sites. So why don’t they
get recognized and preserved (by the state)?
1/4 page ad: It is impossible to hide the occupation - Israeli gov’ts
decision to expel the Human Rights Watch researcher…puts Israel in a list of
MIFUKFAKOT states…Instead of hiding the occupation from the world - it needs to
be ended (Joint ad by B’Tselem, Gisha, ACRI, Machsom Watch, Adalah, Breaking
the Silence, Doctors for Human Rights, Rabbis for Human Rights, and many others)

Yedioth Ahronoth

Preventive strikes - After midnight - Another Israeli attack in Syria,
warning sirens in Golan Heights
Dangerous euphoria // Einav Shiff
“What’s the point of living if you only suffer” - Giora Eiland tells about
his dealing with pains after the removal of a cancerous tumor
Subsidized English-language summer school for children in poorer districts
Haifa soccer celebration

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

The frustration and the danger - In Israel, they assess,: even after the
preventative strike in Syria attributed to the IDF - the danger of Iranian
revenge in the north rises due to the frustration following the cancelling of
the nuclear deal (Photos: Burning US and Israeli flags in Teheran, Putin,
Netanyahu and the ‘hope in Moscow, IDF Chief of Staff visits the north)
The price of success // Tal Lev-Ram
Open account // Yossi Melman
The big illusion // Ron Kaufman
The death blow // Yehuda Sharoni
The trophy is red - Haifa won the soccer championships

Israel Hayom

After midnight: Sirens, missile interceptions, and falls in the Golan; IDF
Spokesman: Iranian Quds Force launched 20 rockets at Israel
Stability - no longer the holy of holies // Gershon Hacohen
Despite the tension - the Golan is developing fast
Give Iran the red card // Prof. Eyal Zisser
A call to commentators: Stop mocking // Haim Shine
The Iranian people support Trump // Menashe Amir
Iranian terror - at the expense of the economy // Eran Bar-Tal
Expose - This is how the oral English exam will look (with a computer)
The trophy travels to Haifa
A moment before the (Eurovision) finals, Netta Barzilay is moved: “I’m
proud of the state of Israel”
A gesture ahead of the summit: US Secretary of State Pompeo brought back
three captives from N. Korea
Want a visa to New Zealand? Fly there to pick kiwi
Rabbinical court ruled: Shaming of a divorce-refuser is permitted


News Summary:
At press time for most of the Hebrew newspapers, Israel had not yet shelled in
Quneitra in order to prevent any Syrian or Iranian forces from deploying on the
Golan Heights border (Yedioth did manage to report that and also Haaretz here)
and 20 missiles were not yet fired in response from Syria at Israeli forces in
the Golan, which Israel intercepted and then responded by bombing some 50
military targets all over Syria, in "one of the air force's largest operations
in recent decades.” Today Israel said it attacked five Syrian antiaircraft
batteries and reportedly destroyed all of them after coming under heavy fire.

When most of the newspapers went to print, they were explaining that late
Tuesday night, Israel had attacked a small convoy in Kisweh, carrying missiles
which ‘sources’ said were meant to be immediately launched on Israel. That
‘preventive strike’ was the main story along with the meeting between Israeli
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin in which
Netanyahu hoped to get Putin’s okay for freedom of action against Iran in Syria,
and the victory of Hapoel Haifa over Beitar Jerusalem soccer team for the state cup.

Meanwhile, in the fallout over the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal,
France said the deal is ‘not dead’ and that talks were slated with Tehran. US
President Donald Trump warned Iran against resuming its nuclear program while in
Iran, hardline Iranian MPs burned the US flag and Iranian banks were in turmoil.
Israeli Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz said, "If the Iranian regime
collapses, Iran will be our biggest ally in the region.” (Maariv)

Quick Hits:

Israel expels pro-BDS Human Rights Watch official - Omar Shakir, Israel and
Palestine director for Human Rights Watch, is ordered to leave country in 14
days for supporting boycotts against Israel. Shakir: Israel aims to muzzle
dissent. HRW: Israel tries to suppress criticism of its human rights record.
(Israel Hayom and Ynet)
Settler gets 15 years in prison for killing Palestinian, 13 years later -
Yehoshua Elitzur, Jewish convert from Germany, was convicted in 2005 of killing
Sael Jabara al-Shatiya, but fled the country before the sentencing; after being
caught in Brazil and extradited to Israel, court finally sentences him. (Ynet,
Times of Israel and Maariv)
Likud gains political strength as US pulls out of Iran deal, poll finds -
Channel 2 poll: Current Likud-led coalition would number 66 Knesset seats if
elections were held today • Strong showing reflects public confidence in PM
following U.S. nuclear deal announcement, decisiveness against Iran taking up
positions in Syria. (Maariv and Israel Hayom)
International efforts being made to prevent Gaza escalation ahead of US
embassy move - International negotiators are trying to mediate between Hamas,
Israel in order to prevent an escalation on Gaza border fence as 'March of
Return' campaign climaxes with opening ceremony for US embassy in Jerusalem. (Ynet)
Hamas leader: Next week's protests will be 'decisive' - Hamas leader in
Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, vows that he and other top officials were "ready to die
along with tens of thousands" in violent border fence protests • Sinwar says
Hamas rejected international proposals to stop weekly border riots, despite
violence. (Israel Hayom)
Palestinian government condemns early release of Elor Azaria - In March
2016, Azaria was caught on video footage killing an incapacitated 21-year-old
Abd al-Fattah al-Sharif, who was lying on the ground. Azaria was found guilty of
manslaughter, and sentenced to 18 months in prison, but received a four-month
reduction of his sentence from Israeli army chief of staff, Gadi Eisenkot. (Maan)
"It's a double celebration”: (‘Shooting soldier’) Elor Azaria celebrates
his brother's wedding - The Azaria family celebrates twice: the wedding of their
son Adir and the release of Elor, after serving half of the sentence imposed on
him. Among the hundreds of guests were activists who fought for his release.
(Maariv)
Palestinian brothers and mother detained by Israeli forces in predawn raids
- Israeli forces detained at least 15 Palestinians during predawn search and
detention raids on Wednesday. Meanwhile in Qalqiliya city, brothers Mahmoud and
Qassi Nael Mwafi and their mother were detained by Israeli forces. (Maan)
Israeli naval forces open fire on Gaza fishermen - No injuries were
reported. The fishermen said they were forced to head back to shore afterwards
“in fear for their lives.” (Maan)
Israeli bulldozers raze lands in southern Gaza - Witnesses told Ma’an that
four Israeli military bulldozers entered dozens of meters into the town of
Khuzaa and razed and leveled lands across from the “Camps of Return,” set up by
Palestinian protesters along the border. (Maan)
Abbas reiterates commitment to two-state solution in meeting with Chilean
president - Speaking alongside Chilean President in Chile, Abbas said his
government would only consider future peace negotiations based on existing
international resolutions. (Maan)
**Incident at the soccer cup finals: (Culture and Sports Minister) Regev
wanted to go on the field and sing the national anthem, President Rivlin
rejected that - Before the opening of the important game at Teddy Stadium, the
sports minister demanded to shake the players hands and sing the national anthem
on the field, but President Rivlin did not agree and threatened to go home if
she did. Sources close to Regev: “The President isn’t a man, he isn’t a human.”
(Maariv)
State Comptroller: communities near conflict zones lack resources -
Communities near Gaza and beyond the Green Line, classified as 'near conflict
zones' for funds allotment, have yet to receive allotted funds aimed at keeping
them safe and secure, State Comptroller says. (Yedioth/Ynet)
Government allocates $16M for digs near Old City of Jerusalem - Work to
focus on area between the City of David and Mount Zion, including the
fortifications at the Gihon Spring. Excavation of Western Wall tunnels to be
completed. Culture Minister Miri Regev: Excavations will reveal the history of
the Jewish people. (Israel Hayom)
Border Policewoman lightly hurt from stone-throwing near Abu Dis - Rioting
breaks out near Border Police base in Etzion Territorial Brigade after a pipe
bomb was thrown at the base; two Palestinians suspected of throwing the stones
that hit the policewoman arrested. (Ynet)
Another cancellation: Paul McCartney announced that he would not come to
Israel to receive the Wolf Prize - The legendary British musician who was a
member of the Beatles was due to arrive in Israel and receive the prestigious
2018 prize, but announced: "I can not come because of timetables.” (Maariv and
JPost)
Israeli Embassy in Egypt marks first Independence Day in years - Since
attack on embassy in 2011, Israeli events in Cairo have been low-profile.
Ambassador David Govrin praises Egyptian authorities for ensuring celebration
could take place. Arab countries no longer see Israel as an enemy but as a
partner, he says. (Israel Hayom and Ynet)
Israeli American Council marks Israel's 70th anniversary - Some 18,000
people flock to Independence Day gala in Los Angeles, the largest such
celebration to be held outside Israel. CEO Shoham Nicolet: Israel is a miracle.
We should celebrate it every day, not just once a year. (Israel Hayom)
Israel, Cyprus, Greece push East Med gas pipeline to Europe - PM Netanyahu
meets with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Cypriot President Nicos
Anastasiades in Nicosia. Leaders discuss pipeline project to connect Israel to
Europe's power grid, Iranian threat. Netanyahu: We are building a great
alliance. (Israel Hayom)
Jordan urges political solution to rid Mideast of nuclear arms - Visiting
Germany, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warns of "dangerous
repercussions" if the entire Middle East is not free of weapons of mass
destruction • "We all need to work together in making sure we solve the
conflicts of the region," he says. (Israel Hayom)


Features:
Inside the ‘BDS Dossier’ That Led to the Deportation of an American Human Rights
Activist From Israel
A ministry’s report on the director of Human Rights Watch in Israel offers a
rare glimpse into how far into a person’s past the government is prepared to go
as it investigates activists it deems a threat to the state. (Dina Kraft, Haaretz+)
“I was marked”
10 months after ‘The prisoners of the occupation,’ a play she wrote based on
testimonies of Palestinian security prisoners was rejected from being performed
at the Acco Festival, Einat Weitzman went on a crowdsourcing campaign and
declares: “If I don’t find a theater that will agree to run the show, I will
rent a private hall and even present it under the skies. (Ruti Kadosh, Maariv
Magazine supplement, p. 13, May 8)
Did Trump's Israel Envoy Support a Radical-right Kahanist Group?
David Friedman headed a foundation that was quite generous to a movement whose
leaders are anti-gay and support the expulsion of Palestinians from the West
Bank. (Hilo Glazer, Haaretz+)
Exodus from Egypt
How did the bourgeousie Jewish community life appear in the middle of the 20th
century? New research, based on hundreds of family photos from that period, puts
light on the annual holidays in Alexandria, on the status symbols and on the
decision not to photograph Muslims or to film holidays. (Ilana Stutlander,
Maariv Magazine supplement, p. 6-7, May 6)

Commentary/Analysis:
There Is No Opposition in Israel (Haaretz Editorial) The risk of ideological
decay threatens Israel more than posing difficult questions or alternative idea
at tense times.
Dangerous euphoria (Einav Shiff, Yedioth) The feeling that Israel has in the
last week has a specific name: euphoria. As long as the danger of war gets
closer and becomes more real, so the feeling that nothing really bad will happen
spreads all around. Because of that, we must be sure to remember that one of the
incarnations of euphoria is smugness and complacency. The frequent warnings
about the home front not being prepared are neutralized by the blowing
statements of the senior politicians. The political discourse stopped giving the
citizens tranquilizers and moved to giving it stimulants. The habits of denial -
the greatest Israeli start-up of them all - is charging a fee in what is called
‘life itself’…And no, it’s not a tiring story about yes, Bibi or no Bibi.
Because the other two prominent people in the opposition, Yair Lapid and Avi
Gabbay, are not different from him in thos issues. They both like to brag that
they are hawkish on security issues more than him, from the understanding that
most of the Israelis - also those that don’t necessarily connect to the style -
see the prime minister as an experienced diplomat and security man….There is no
alternative to the dramatic moves that are taking place around us. We are
marching to where they tell us, and hoping it’ll be okay or not terrible. It’s
possible it will be that way. It’s possible it won’t. Are you willing to
participate in the experiment?
Israel and the U.S. Are Triggering a Risky, Unnecessary War of Choice in the
Middle East (Daniel Levy, Haaretz+) But neither Israel's prime minister, nor
other regional U.S. allies, have any assurances America will stick around to
manage the dangerous fallout from the Iran deal's implosion.
A new regional order (Prof. Abraham Ben-Zvi, Israel Hayom) The U.S. withdrawal
from the Iran nuclear accord could deepen the rift between Washington and its
traditional allies in Europe, who tried to convince it to remain in the deal. It
also has significance for other players, from Israel to North Korea.
Dumping Iran Deal May Well Spur Regime Change. But It Could Be Trump's Regime.
Or Bibi's (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) It may be time for both men to consider
why 'be careful what you wish for' is such a useful cliche.
The Iranians acted hastily, both sides will try to contain the events (Yossi
Melman, Maariv) It is clear that the Netanyahu and Putin talks held in Moscow
contribute to Israeli restraint. Sources in the country understand that it is
forbidden to harm the Assad regime, whose existence the Kremlin sees as a
supreme interest.
A preemptive strike in Syria (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) Even if Iran had no
intention of launching missiles at Israel on Tuesday, the alleged Israeli strike
came along and conveyed the following message to the Iranians: You raised the
likelihood of an attack on Israel, so we’re raising the threat level, despite
the tensions.
The Iranians entered a frontal confrontation with Israel in a clear position of
inferiority (Tal Lev Ram, Maariv) At the end of the night of fighting and the
exchange of blows, it seems that this is a chapter in a confrontation that
escalates and has not really ended. Iran will now look for the IDF’s weak spots
in the area of the fence.
*Bibi’s nuclear gamble - the return of the bomb? (Haim Ramon, Yedioth) Netanyahu
boasts that his campaign brought about the sanctions against Iran. Indeed, the
sanctions harmed Iran’s economy. But they didn’t slow the race to an Iranian
nuke, rather they turned them into being more determined. Whoever deludes

himself now into thinking that starving the Iranian people will cause the
Ayatollahs to give up the bomb did not learn a thing from the lesson of N. Korea.

Netanyahu defeated the pundits (Amnon Lord, Israel Hayom) The prime minister has
closed the door on Israel's traditionally slow, cautious policy on Iran. Israel
has enough clout in the international arena to make its positions clear.
It isn't too late to stop the Gaza insanity (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) Seeing
next week’s escalation in the strip as inevitable, Israel and Hamas are busy
calculating the expected death toll from the border riots. An Israeli
willingness to give a dialogue a chance may be the only way to stop what will
likely turn into the next war in the Strip.
Of Rabbits and Arabs (Kobi Niv, Haaretz+) People are dying like flies in Gaza,
like plastic ducks at an amusement park shooting gallery- while MK Jelin
complains about dead rabbits.
The attempt to get it all left Iran empty-handed (Dr. Ronen A. Cohen, Maariv)
Even today, Tehran is moving in a number of channels, trying to achieve quick
achievements and to establish facts on the ground. If it had been smart enough,
it would have given up some of her pretensions.
The president who stopped playing by the old rules (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet)
Trump is the exact opposite of Obama: The former president questioned America’s
greatness, its righteousness, its pretension to serve as an example to others.
Trump questions nothing. His gut feeling about America’s status may be a more
efficient foreign policy tool than Obama’s scholarly doubts.
To Be a Palestinian Documentary Filmmaker in Israel (Ibtisam Mara'ana Menuhin,
Haaretz+) Despite Israel being a powerhouse of political documentaries – most of
them are directed by white, Jewish and generally privileged filmmakers – no
matter how sensitive and morally attuned they are.
The illusion of security: Twelve years after the Lebanon War, the home front is
still abandoned (Ron Kaufman, Maariv) No real step was taken to protect the
residents of the north in particular, and the residents of the country in
general. The armored personnel carriers are not a solution for today's missiles,
which include hundreds of kilograms of explosives.
Israel’s message to Tehran: An unusual IDF order and a ‘preventive strike’ (Ron
Ben-Yishai, Ynet) The alleged Israeli attack on a base used by Iranian militias
near Damascus, and the earlier order to open bomb shelters in the Golan Heights,
may have been an attempt to make it clear to Iran’s moderate camp, led by
President Rouhani, that the Revolutionary Guards are adopting a policy that
could harm their country at this sensitive time.
The ball is in Iran's court (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) Trump's announcement has
created an opportunity for Iran to retaliate over the alleged Israeli strikes on
its military assets in Syria, but it does not want war and will have to play its
hand very carefully.
Settlements Are Not the Periphery (Noa Osterreicher, Haaretz+) Wait a second;
the settlements and the periphery will share the same slice of the budgetary
pie? That’s where I started to get suspicious.
In the ayatollahs' offices, there was utter astonishment: the bastard had
changed the rules (Meir Uziel, Maariv) So what? They ask there, what’s happening
with this Trump? We were sure that everyone in the West was innocent. Suddenly
it turns out that the United States has a president who is not willing to work
for the whole world.
Iran's Entrenchment in Syria Set Back Months After Most Extensive Israeli Strike
in Decades (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Israel thwarted Iran's revenge attack, struck
dozens of Iranian military sites. Tehran could still use its big gun, Hezbollah,
but is likely to reconsider its policy. Israeli politicians' arrogance poses a
danger.


Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in
Jerusalem.
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Copyright © 2018 Americans for Peace Now, All rights reserved.
You are on the list because you signed up at www.peacenow.org

Our mailing address is:
Americans for Peace Now
2100 M St. NW,
Suite 619
Washington, DC 20037

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[GerardJan]

APN's daily news review from Israel

Friday May 11, 2018

Quote of the day:
"In my opinion, reaching an agreement with the Palestinian Authority is an
Israeli national interest and we have to aspire attain it...Since August 25,
2014, all Gazan factions have withheld from shooting into Israel and maintain
the state of calm...As we all know, we are witnessing the quietest period we've
had in two decades."
--Former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen said during a security conference in Herzliya.

Number of the day:
30.
Only 30 out of the total 86 foreign ambassadors serving in Israel have accepted
the Foreign Ministry’s invitation to the reception marking the U.S. embassy’s
move to Jerusalem.
You Must Be Kidding:
A policeman who shot and killed a young Bedouin man and then lied about it
during the investigation has received no punishment, only a reprimand from the
police. Only when presented with ballistic evidence proving he shot Sami
al-Ja’ar, a 21-year-old from Rahat, did he admit that a low-trajectory bullet
had “slipped out.”