“Schlaglicht Israel” offers an insight into internal Israeli debates and reflects selected, political events that affect daily life in Israel. It appears every two weeks and summarizes articles that appeared in the Israeli daily press.
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Main topics covered in this Publication:
1. New violence in the West Bank
Co-opting a fetus for their land grab
(…) another proud Jewish settlement will rise, perhaps to be named “Fruit of the Womb” or “Fetal Heights.” How obtuse and insensitive does one have to be to exploit a young mother’s tragedy? But this won’t be the first or, unfortunately, the last instance of settler real estate activists riding on blood to fulfill their nightmare vision. (…) This seems to mean that terror is actually good for the settlements. Blessed terror gives this despicable “enterprise” a boost. If only terror would provide us with more and more steaming pints of blood, and another heaping basket of suffering and bereavement, the settlements will expand, increase and truly flourish. (…) Why, for God’s sake, are male settlers dragging their children and pregnant wives into danger? (…) The settlers, by their own admission, see themselves as emissaries, as functionaries. The vanguard of the occupation. The spearhead sent to expand borders, seize lands, dispossess the natives and make their lives miserable. Or, in slightly less polite language, the settlers are members of a land-theft gang that the world also views as war criminals. You don’t send a boy to do a man’s robbery job. The robber goes alone, so that he alone pays the price — not his young son, nor his pregnant wife.
B. Michael, HAA, 12.12.18
Stopping the wave of terror attacks, before the tsunami hits
(…) the unrest in Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem, which has increasingly escalated over the past few months, has already picked up momentum of painful terror attacks. (…) this violent wave of attacks will continue, and perhaps even worsen over the coming months. (…) The IDF, the Shin Bet and the Israel Police will have to invest massive forces and a great intelligence effort in the West Bank to stop the situation from deteriorating further: from “lone wolf” terrorists who carry out stabbings or car-rammings inspired by successful shooting attacks, to “local terror cells” made up of young Palestinians, from the same family or village, who carry out shooting attacks on IDF soldiers patrolling roads, as well as organized terror attacks, directed by outside elements (…) using weapons and explosives and trying to abduct soldiers. (…) A wave of violence must be broken before it becomes a tsunami. (…) At the same time, it’s important that the IDF makes a significant effort not to disrupt the daily life or endanger the livelihood of Palestinians who are not involved in terrorism, so others won’t be pushed to joining the circle of violence. (…) Now is the time to focus on local cells, likely inspired by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which send money and instructions to its agents in the West Bank from Gaza, Lebanon and Turkey. (…) The real reason for the recent outbreak of violence in the West Bank is the younger generation’s frustration in light of what they see as a dead end, with no future or hope, in all areas of life—which Hamas takes advantage of. Hamas has a clear motive: to create a wave of terrorism in the West Bank to remedy the damage to its image after it agreed to take Qatari money and in return end the war of attrition it has waged against Israel since March. (…) Israel’s security goal should now be to weaken Hamas, while its political-financial goal should be arousing some kind of hope in the younger Palestinian generation. (…)
Ron Ben-Yishai, YED, 13.12.18
PA´s baby killers
(…) Amiad Yisrael was murdered only because he is Jewish. He died so young, at only three days old, that his name was only announced at his funeral. (…) Palestinian social media accounts praised Barghouti as a hero and martyr. Meanwhile, all you hear is a deafening silence from the Palestinian Authority. (…) According to the PA’s pay-for-slay scheme, Shalhevet Pass’s murderer, Mahmud Amru, who is serving multiple life sentences, should be receiving about NIS 10,000 a month, nearly five times the average Palestinian’s salary. There is no other way to interpret this than that PA pays people to murder babies. (…) The US Taylor Force Act bans US aid to the PA until it stops paying terrorists – as a result, the PA lost over $200m. (…) In Israel, a law was approved this year that would have the government deduct the amount paid to terrorists from the taxes and tariffs Israel collects for the PA. Yet Abbas had remained defiant and said he will continue to pay people who murder Jews, babies included. The world needs to reexamine its aid to the Palestinians and realize where their money is going. (…) Are the nations of the world willing to continue their support, even after some of those funds are likely to be used as a reward for murdering a baby? (…)
Editorial, JPO, 13.12.18
Drive-By Shootings and Terrorism’s Tactical Trends
As Israelis were still mourning the tragedy of the Ofra terrorist attack, another shooting portended further repercussions. Both attacks were drive-by shootings, which may indicate that the Ofra shooting has spawned a new tactical trend amongst Palestinian terrorists. (…) Two broad aspects should be considered when discussing the development of new tactical terrorist trends. One is the propaganda aspect, and the other is the practical. (…) Hamas must have seen a value in tying its name to the attack. It could be that they sensed the potential of the tactic as a propaganda item. (…) the chronological proximity between the two terrorist attacks’ main events raise concern of influence and inspiration of the first on the second. The “martyrdom” of the Ofra terrorist may have served as a trigger (…). The drive-by tactic has practical elements that allow it to circumvent counter-measures for both stabbing and ramming attacks. (…) Drive-by shootings don’t require its implementor to climb over barriers, physically engage targets, or focus attention on a single target. On the contrary, the presence of multiple soldiers result in a higher likelihood of casualties. The attacker doesn’t need to get close to use a firearm, so the barriers don’t present a hurdle. Additionally, a drive-by is an attack that doesn’t require its implementer to stop, which is often a sudden and abrupt consequence of ramming with a vehicle. A drive-by terrorist would also have a better chance to escape and fight again at a later date. Indeed, neither of this week’s shooters were neutralized at the scene of the attack. The success of this development is the tragic loss of a baby and two young adults, and success invites replication. Drive-by terrorist attacks have shown practical and propagandist value. (…) the events of this week display many warning signs. If drive-bys begin to be featured in terrorist propaganda posters and cartoons, or further drive-bys are conducted, the IDF should begin to implement tactical and technological counter-measures specifically for that tactic. (…)
Michael Starr, TOI, 13.12.18
Hamas is pursuing its endgame
We can’t really be surprised by the wave of terror that erupted in Judea and Samaria this week. (…) The main reason for this wave is Hamas, which is making an immense effort to destabilize the West Bank and encourage terror. (…) The recent string of attacks encourages others to do the same, including lone-wolf attackers who are still under the intelligence radar. Inspiration is an established component of terrorism – certainly for lone-wolf attackers and spontaneous cells without external guidance (…). Israeli leaders seemingly want to avoid collectively punishing the Palestinian population (…) because the Palestinian public is largely uninvolved in terror (…). The concern is that disrupting this fabric could spark widespread clashes and contradict the intended effect. (…) If the attacks persist, harsher steps will be necessary. This, in turn, could lead to increasing friction with the Palestinian Authority, specifically with its security apparatus – which is combating terror – and with the Tanzim (the armed wing of Fatah) which is currently outside the circle of violence. For Hamas, the dream scenario involves Israel dismantling the Fatah government, and Hamas exploiting the opportunity to seize control of the PA. To avoid this landmine, Israel will have to tread wisely, and mostly softly. The demands to launch a large offensive in the mold of Operation Defensive Shield are hollow. (…) Past experience indicates that Israel can stymie a wave of terror with a calculated operational and intelligence-gathering effort. (…)
Yoav Limor, HAA, 14.12.18
Israel Rebranded
(…) The acts of terrorism are not only a tragic and horrible loss of life and suffering for the victims and their families, but for all of us. (…) For decades, Palestinians terrorists have inflicted on Israelis: stabbings, shootings, vehicular rammings, suicide bombings, terror tunnels, missile attacks, and more. But aside from this overt, violent war of attrition, the Palestinians are simultaneously waging a full-blown “marketing war” against Israel for world opinion. In this war of words and propaganda, the Palestinians get rebranded and so does Israel. (…) We are at war. It is a painful physical war from our enemies, where Israelis get killed and wounded in cafes, pizzerias, and at bus stops. But let us not ignore, at our own risk, that it is also a war of words–of perception of the Palestinians and Israel. (…) In a world, where there are so many false notions being throw around and at us, and “fake news” being maliciously circulated against Israel and the Jewish people, hearts and minds are truly what we must capture to solidify our rightful place as not only a nation, but “a light unto the nations.” (…)
Andy Blumenthal, TOI, 15.12.18
2. Protest of women
Nach dem gewaltsamen Tod von zwei jungen Mädchen forderten rund 30.000 Demonstrant_Innen in Tel Aviv einen besseren Schutz für Frauen. Die Teilnehmer_Innen der Protestaktion trugen Plakate mit der Aufschrift “Das Blut von Frauen ist nicht billig” und: “Wir werden getötet und die Regierung schweigt.” Zahlreiche Firmen unterstützten die Aktionen, indem sie den Frauen frei gaben. Die Organisator_Innen der Proteste forderten von der Regierung, einen im vergangenen Jahr angekündigten Aktionsplan zum Kampf gegen Gewalt gegen Frauen umzusetzen, der umgerechnet 60 Millionen Euro kosten würde. Allein in diesem Jahr wurden mindestens 24 Frauen ermordet. Viele hatten zuvor die Polizei darüber informiert, dass sie um ihre Sicherheit fürchteten. In Jerusalem spritzten Demonstrant_Innen rote Farbe auf eine Straße, auf der Schilder mit den Namen getöteter Frauen lagen. In Tel Aviv stellten Aktivist_Innen rund 200 rot gefärbte Paar Schuhe auf als Symbol für das Blut der Opfer. Israels Regierungschef Benjamin Netanyahu erwägt nun den Einsatz von elektronischen GPS-Ortungsfesseln bei Männern, die im Verdacht der häuslichen Gewalt stehen oder deswegen schon einmal verurteilt wurden. Mit den Fesseln soll festgestellt werden könne, ob sich die Männer an die gerichtlichen Auflagen halten und auf Abstand zu ihren Opfern bleiben. Auch die Opfer selbst hätten damit eine Möglichkeit der Kontrolle.
Why the government can´t deal with violence against women
(…) I don’t believe that another parliamentary committee of inquiry on the subject of violence against women is what is needed to resolve the problem. Back in 1995-6, toward the end of the term of the 14th Knesset (…), the newly formed Knesset Committee on the Status of Women (…) sat as a committee of inquiry to examine the question of the murder of women by their spouses. (…) The findings (…) are as relevant today as they were more than 20 years ago, when the number of such murders (…) was not much smaller than today. (…) The committee’s conclusions and recommendations were not much different from those of subsequent reports and recommendations (…) what is required is not another committee, whether parliamentary, ministerial or even national, but action based on the reports of past committees. These invariably include recommendations for steps to be taken to protect women from violence and murder, and to deter and punish violent men who direct their violence and murderous instincts against women of all ages and backgrounds. (…) Unfortunately, it doesn’t look as though the problem of violence against women is anywhere near being dealt with effectively and Netanyahu is certainly not the man to do the job. Israel needs a government that is truly committed to human welfare in general and that of women in particular. Our current government isn’t.
Susan Hattis Rolef, JPO, 02.12.18
Enough is enough: domestic violence must end
Perhaps this is the kind of protest that should have erupted a long time ago. A protest that’s popular, noisy, and manages to engage not only women but the country as a whole. (…) If it had seeped into the subcounseness of the policemen (…) that a 13-year-old girl wouldn’t call the police for no reason—we would not have parted with her so soon. Sagai dialed the number of the police call center because she was afraid of her mother’s former boyfriend, who had arrived at their apartment to collect his belongings. By the time the police arrived, he was already gone. The teenager told the officers that everything was fine, but beneath the surface there was great fear. Going into details was all the police had to do in order to get to the bottom of the problem. Perhaps they would have tried to locate the ex-boyfriend, and warn him to stay away from the family. Maybe then he would have let go, who knows. (…) It’s not just the police that needs a shake-up. We, too, have to change our attitude. (…) it’s important for women to rebel. Taking to the streets is a must—dressed in black, with banners, on the city streets, outside police stations, everywhere. “The first women’s protest in Israel” is a very important event, but it is also important for men to participate in this campaign. We all have to put our foot down and shout “Enough!”
Oded Shalom, YED, 03.12.18
A cry against contempt for women’s lives
(…) Not only women’s organizations should be leading this fight. It belongs to all Israeli citizens. (…) The Knesset actually had an opportunity to prove that it is the address for dealing with this ongoing tragedy, but its members, male and female, chose to vote against establishing a parliamentary investigative committee on the subject of femicide in Israel. Parliamentary discipline is more important than human lives. (…) There are 200,000 physically abused women in Israel, and this figure will not change unless the government wakes up. (…) Two weeks ago, the Council for Higher Education approved gender separation on campuses. With a deceptive cover of pluralism and a desire to integrate Haredi men into the workforce, the Council for Higher Education is denying the fact that separation only prepares the ground for the exclusion of women down the road. The High Court of Justice, which is supposed to be the beacon of equality in Israel, also failed. By a majority of two justices, the status of women was pushed back last week. The court reinforced built-in discrimination in the religious courts when it decided not to intervene in the religious court ruling by which a woman has no right to half of marital property if she “cheated” on her husband. (…) Women’s lives are not cheap, and a country that calls itself democratic cannot continue perpetuating institutional inequality that has fatal consequences for women.
Editorial, HAA, 04.12.18
Israeli women took to the street. But where were all the men?
(…) When women’s protests become truly unpleasant — when women fight not only for their right to not be murdered, but also for a real slice of control and leadership — will we see more men who consider women’s protests an assault on them, an existential assault? Will men really agree to give up their ancient privileges, to which, out of habit and superiority, they are simply, utterly blind? No offense to the noble men who did come to the demonstration, but it was impossible to ignore either the decisive female majority, or their type. (…) most of the men there were typical left-wing protesters. The women who were there were also mostly the obvious suspects known from liberal demonstrations, some of the few rays of light lately: Jewish, well-heeled and well-groomed women, apparently from Tel Aviv or the center of the country. Truly weak women don’t have the time, the strength or the breath to protest their situation. They have to survive. Still, we shouldn’t discount the achievements of this impressive protest, which began as the initiative of three young women who went with their heart and still managed to force the distress of women onto the Israeli agenda (…) the square was full. And it was full of the energy of power, of success and of achievement. And because this was a women’s protest, the energy thermometer was different. There was no uncontrollable excitement or confrontational passion to burn the house down. You could feel a kind of slightly sad but powerful quiet. Like a quiet motor that refuses to declare itself working with an ostentatious roar. The quiet of a woman at work.
Ravit Hecht, HAA, 05.12.18
After this week’s national protest against femicide, women in Israel can dream
If there has been a concrete accomplishment in Israel from the #MeToo movement, it has been the demonstration of solidarity and caring that Israeli women have shown in their demand that the government mount a real battle against gender violence. Women shed their usual passivity and took to the streets (…) as a group, overcoming embarrassment and advocating for change. It was like the period in the United States when women fought for their rights, like places and times in which masses of women demanded and obtained the right to vote and equal civil rights, in a way that had never happened before in Israel. (…) Israeli women see communal issues, the need for reconciliation or national unity among various population sectors, or national security issues, or economic change, or a host of other issues as taking precedence over women’s needs and interests. As a result, it is only a handful of committed, “professional” feminists who are usually the ones to speak out against harm to women and in support of their rights. And “ordinary” women, even if they are social activists, act to further social causes that do not involve gender. (…) The mass, popular mobilization of Israeli women from all of the country’s population groups and regions to protest growing gender violence constitutes a dramatic break from the usual pattern. (…) Ordinary Israeli women are no longer shy about defining themselves as women and of demanding their rights as such. Women have taken to the streets and have expressed solidarity with “their sisters” – women from every population sector, age and status, who have fallen victim to male violence. (…) It’s sweet to dream about solidarity. And if many women join the dream, it will become reality. As we know, every great act begins with a dream.
Orit Kamir, HAA, 06.12.18
3. Army discovers Hezbollah tunnel
Northern exposure
(…) Israel does not share a common border with Iran, but it does share a border with Iran’s proxies. That border in the North is being breached. Hezbollah, working on Iran’s behalf, has apparently been building tunnels in Israeli sovereign territory for the past few years. The purpose of these tunnels (…) is clearly not peaceful. (…) Israel cannot afford to be complacent about the threats facing the country. (…) Hezbollah’s terror tunnels stretching into Israel’s North cross a red line. Israel has not only the right but the duty to act to defend itself.
Editorial, JPO, 04.12.18
The Israeli dilemma in Lebanon
Every few months, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah makes a point of warning Israel not to attack Lebanon and make all sorts of threats. (…) While normally one could say that Nasrallah’s threats serve an internal propaganda purpose, the most recent declarations appear to indicate that Hezbollah believed an Israeli strike was imminent.
(…) Clearly, neither Israel nor Hezbollah are interested in another war, but recent developments on the Israel-Lebanon border indicate that, given the simmering tensions there, a major flare-up is only a matter of time. (…) Israeli decision-makers face a complex dilemma. Hezbollah is believed to be in possession of 150,000 advanced projectiles – far more advanced than anything Hamas has – and Nasrallah repeatedly boasts they are capable of striking any target anywhere in Israel. (…) Lebanon (…) is plagued by serious political turmoil that sees Prime Minister Saad Hariri (…) and Nasrallah constantly lock horns. Given Hezbollah’s considerable political clout in the Lebanese parliament, Nasrallah is the real master of the Lebanese domain and there is no one there who can stop him. This is why defense officials believe that an Israeli operation in Lebanon – even a limited one – would not necessarily meet a measured response by Hezbollah, making the potential for a full-scale war, which would expose the Israeli homefront to thousands of missiles, far greater.
Oded Granot, IHY, 04.12.18
Diggin up Hezbollah´s dirty work
(…) Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure, like that of Hamas – its ugly twin in Gaza – is supported at great expense by Iran. Both terrorist organizations have a history of kidnapping and murdering Israeli soldiers and citizens. (…) The terror tunnel revealed this week (…) could be even more sinister than those the IDF has blocked from Gaza, aimed at penetrating communities in the Negev. (…) there was no initial response – let alone a condemnation – from UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov. Surely the UN envoy couldn’t have been left speechless by evidence of Hezbollah’s ongoing aggression? Perhaps the UN feels uncomfortable at criticizing the proxy of Iran, whose funds were boosted in 2015 by the nuclear deal. (…) If UNIFIL is watching Hezbollah but not capable of acting on what it sees, it might as well train its binoculars on the skies and watch the birds instead. By doing nothing, it is aiding the terrorist organization. (…) along with the tunnel infrastructure, Israel is dealing with the ongoing influx of Iranian arms to Hezbollah – including precision-guided missiles. (…) Hezbollah’s tunnels don’t so much cross a redline as dig deep under it – waiting for the day that a large force of armed terrorists could suddenly burst out of the ground in Israeli sovereign territory. Tehran might be thousands of miles away, but Iran’s forces and proxies are right on the doorstep, trying to break in without being detected. (…)
Liat Collins, JPO, 06.12.18
Israel faces complex decisions on Lebanon
The Hezbollah cross-border tunnel (…) is likely to become a pilgrimage site in the next few weeks as (…) foreign diplomats and journalists, will all flock to see it. This is a golden opportunity for Israel to call out Hezbollah on the international stage (…). The extensive evidence Israel has and is now distributing to governments and media outlets worldwide is indisputable and is very embarrassing not only for Hezbollah but also for the Lebanese government and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, as both were adamant that the group was not operating near the Israeli border. Still, Israel would be wise not to expect the U.N. to revise Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War and imposed various restrictions on all parties involved. (…) The real potential for a flare-up will surface after all the tunnels are exposed and the IDF gears up to destroy them, as Israel will have to decide whether to destroy only the parts of the tunnels that are Israeli territory or whether to step over the border and eliminate their origins on Lebanese soil. (…) The main issue here is deterrence, or what risk would Israel be willing to take given the near-certain need for military action against Hezbollah’s precision-missiles facilities.
Yoav Limor, IHY, 06.12.18
What does Hezbollah want?
(…) Hezbollah is not Hamas, not only in terms of its strength and armaments (…) but first and foremost in its degree of justification. Hamas is fighting for a just objective – freedom for Gaza and liberty for the Palestinians. (…) Hezbollah, by contrast, is operating from a sovereign and flourishing state. (…) Hezbollah has no grounds or justification for threatening Israel, nor does it have any chance of destroying the Jewish state. By threatening Israel it is undermining those who have the right and the obligation to battle it and those who express solidarity with the Palestinian people. The tunnels in the north serve the Israeli propagandists, who insist that all the Arabs want to throw the Jews into the sea, and that it doesn’t matter what Israel does, it will be under threat forever. (…) Hezbollah is giving Israel excuses for arming itself to the hilt, and for inciting its residents to hate Arabs even more and to lose faith in a diplomatic solution; it is also giving the West, and in particular the United States, another pretext for supporting Israel blindly. (…) tunnels that threaten the Galilee and another war with Lebanon are the wrong moves in the wrong direction.
Gideon Levy, HAA, 06.12.18
Stop playing into Hezbollah’s hands
The operation to eliminate Hezbollah’s terror tunnels, which Israel launched last week, is further testament to the IDF’s superiority in the fields of technology and intelligence gathering, leaving no stone unturned in Lebanon. It is also a blow to Hezbollah, not only because it was caught off guard and embarrassed, but mainly because the tunnels were supposed to be the terrorist organization’s “judgement day” weapon that it hoped would help it win the next war. (…) it is regretful to note that in this arena, unlike the technological and intelligence arenas, Israel hasn’t been very adept. Instead of projecting power and fortitude and menacing Hezbollah for grossly violating our sovereignty, Israel focused on playing up an image of formidability in the eyes of its own public, thus playing into Hezbollah’s hands. What a shame. (…) Hezbollah is an enemy capable of hitting Israel hard, and it shouldn’t be underestimated. But (…) Hezbollah is wary of Israel, and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, hasn’t dared show his face in public for more than a decade. The organization could still try sending dozens of fighters into Israel to seize control of an army outpost or a few homes. It can also rain a deluge of missiles on Israel. But Israel, if it wants to badly enough, can conquer every last inch of Lebanon. Every child in Lebanon knows this; ergo the fear in Lebanon and inside Hezbollah as well over another war – a fear that most Israelis aren’t aware exists. (…) the public must be imbued with a sense of invulnerability, alertness and readiness, but not to the point of perpetual panic. This is the secret to quickly and decisively winning the next fight. The moment Hezbollah sees that its efforts to scare the Israeli public into pressuring the government to making concessions, have failed, victory will be achieved.
Eyal Zisser, IHY, 10.12.18
4. Selection of Articles
Netanyahu must resign
The recommendation by the police and the Israel Securities Authority that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, be charged with bribery in the Bezeq-Walla case, also known as Case 4000, joins existing recommendations to indict Netanyahu in Case 1000, the lavish-gifts case, and Case 2000, the Yedioth Ahronoth quid-pro-quo affair. In light of these three recommendations to indict him for bribery, it is inconceivable that he remain in office. (…) The crimes with which the police recommend charging Netanyahu and his wife are extremely serious. (…) The attempt by members of Netanyahu’s Likud party to minimize the gravity of the police recommendations is a badge of shame for Likud. (…) When garden-variety criminals deny the charges against them and lash out at the police and the legal system, it’s understandable. But such behavior is completely unacceptable from the prime minister, who is attacking agencies of the very government he heads. The aggressive, inflammatory, slanderous responses by Netanyahu and those close to him prove that when it comes down to a choice between his own welfare and that of the country, he prefers his own. The only decent and responsible thing for Netanyahu to do is resign immediately. (…)
Editorial, HAA, 03.12.18
Raja Zaatry has a right to be deputy mayor of Haifa
It’s no surprise that Benjamin Netanyahu joined the mission that Interior Minister Arye Dery took on: barring Raja Zaatry, leader of the Hadash party in the Haifa City Council, from serving as deputy mayor — a paid position. (…) Netanyahu has always benefited electorally from inciting against Arabs, portraying them as a fifth column and as supporters of terrorism. (…) Zaatry has denounced Zionism, asserted that Hamas and Hezbollah aren’t terrorist organizations and declared their resistance to the occupation legitimate. Netanyahu said he asked Haifa Mayor Einat Kalisch Rotem to cancel the appointment of “a deputy mayor who supports Hezbollah and Hamas, which have declared their intention to destroy the State of Israel.” But even if Zaatry’s remarks are not music to Jewish Israeli ears, the attempt to reduce them into support for a battle to destroy Israel is demagogic and hypocritical. Zaatry is an Israeli Palestinian, and the two components of his identity are embroiled in a bloody conflict. (…) Zaatry’s political views, however difficult they may be to hear, are legitimate. If his opponents had any legal basis for disqualifying his candidacy on account of them, they would have done so before he was elected. (…) Arab citizens have the right to elect their own representatives. Zaatry was appointed democratically, as part of a coalition agreement, and there’s no legal justification for disqualifying him. (…)
Editorial, HAA, 12.12.18
HAA = Haaretz
YED = Yedioth Ahronoth / Ynetnews
JPO = Jerusalem Post
IHY = Israel HaYom
TOI = Times of Israel
GLO = Globes
Published: December 2018
Responsible:
Dr Paul Pasch,
Head of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Israel
Editors:
Susanne Knaul
Judith Stelmach
Homepage: www.fes.org.il
Email: fes@fes.org.il
