Israel and the Middle East News Update

Tuesday, December 20

Headlines:

 France Postpones Paris Peace Conference to January  Netanyahu Sees Opportunity for 'Historic Changes' With Trump  Trump’s Transition Official: Friedman as Envoy is Clear Message of Change  PM: we Condemns ‘Brutal’ killing of Russia’s Ankara Envoy  Netanyahu Planning Unprecedented New Construction during Trump Reign  MKs Aim to Oust MK Ghattas for Allegedly Aiding Terrorists  Netanyahu slam Lapid: 'He's a Left Winger'

Commentary:

 Washington Post: “Trump’s Choice for Israeli Ambassador is a Danger to American Lives”  By Richard Cohen, contributor at the Washington Post  Yedioth Ahronoth: “More and More Land, Less of a State”  By Nahum Barnea, Senior Contributor at Yedioth Ahronoth

S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace 633 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20004 www.centerpeace.org ● Yoni Komorov, Editor ● David Abreu, Associate Editor

News Excerpts December 20, 2016 JTA France Postpones Paris Peace Conference to January France has postponed a planned international peace conference in Paris until January. The meeting of foreign ministers as part of the Paris peace initiative had originally been scheduled to be held in Paris on Dec. 21. It was to be a follow up of a similar meeting was held in Paris in June. Neither Israeli nor Palestinian representatives were invited to that meeting. “After nearly a year of efforts, France will hold during January an international conference bringing together all the states attached to (seeking) peace,” French Ambassador to the United Nations Francois Delattre said Saturday in a statement issued by the country’s foreign ministry, Reuters reported. Rumors that the conference would be postponed circulated earlier in the week.

Ha’aretz PM Sees Opportunity for 'Historic Changes' With Trump Donald Trump’s presidency will enable Israel and the United States to advance joint moves on several diplomatic and security issues that weren’t possible under U.S. President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said at several closed meetings over the past two weeks, according to a senior cabinet minister. The minister, who asked to remain anonymous, said Netanyahu’s great expectations of Trump stemmed from what Mossad chief Yossi Cohen heard from Michael Flynn, whom Trump has nominated as his national security adviser. Since then, Netanyahu has said repeatedly that their meeting with Flynn was excellent, and that what they heard from him constituted a “turning point” in American foreign policy toward Israel and the broader Middle East in particular, the minister said.“ There’s an opportunity here,” the minister quoted Netanyahu as saying. “We can effect historic changes.” See also, “In Trump, Netanyahu Sees a Leader to Emulate” (Ha’aretz)

Jerusalem Post Transition Official: Friedman is Clear Message of Change Donald Trump’s nomination of David Friedman as his ambassador to Israel sends a message to the world that “we are going to look at things anew,” Becky Norton Dunlop, a senior official in Trump’s transition team, said on Monday. Dunlop, who is the deputy to Ed Feulner, the senior adviser on the Trump transition team for policy and personnel, pointed out that although it was very rare for presidents-elect to make ambassadorial nominations before inauguration, Trump has only named two: to Israel and China. He did so, she said, “Because both of those countries are areas of great concern.” See also, “ Trump’s Israel envoy pick shakes up American Jewish status quo” (Times Of Israel)

Times of Israel PM: we Condemns ‘Brutal’ killing of Russia’s Ankara Envoy Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Monday assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, calling the murder of Andrey Karlov a “stark reminder” of the need for unity in the face of terrorism. “Israel condemns the brutal assassination of Ambassador Andrey Karlov this evening in Ankara,” a Monday night statement from the prime minister said. “We send our deepest condolences to his family and to the Russian people.” “The murder of a diplomat serves as a stark reminder of the need for the civilized world to come together in fighting the forces of terrorism.”

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Ha’aretz Netanyahu Planning New Construction during Trump Reign Netanyahu made his strongest statement in years on Monday in favor of construction in Judea and Samaria, giving hope to settler leaders that massive construction will begin when Donald Trump replaces Barack Obama as president of the United States. Netanyahu told 60 Minutes last week that he was looking forward to working with Trump on a two-state solution. But sources close to the prime minister said that neither Netanyahu nor the incoming president see West Bank construction as a hindrance to the creation of a Palestinian state. Speaking at a Likud faction meeting on Monday, Netanyahu boasted of the success of the deal reached with residents of Amona that will allow more than half of them to remain on the hilltop in a different location. He told the faction that Amona was just the beginning. “We will continue to strengthen and develop settlements, and I want to make clear: There is not, nor will there be, a government that gives more support to settling and cares more about settling than this government we in the Likud lead,” he said. “This will continue.” See also, “ Israel's prime minister welcomes Trump presidency” (60 Minutes)

Ynet News

MKs Aim to Oust Ghattas for Allegedly Aiding Terrorists MKs were asked to sign a petition requesting the removal from Knesset, under the Suspension Law that was passed last summer, of MK Basel Ghattas (Joint List), who is suspected of smuggling 12 cellular phones to convicted terrorists serving out their prison sentences. The petition was helmed by Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Minister of Environmental Protection Ze'ev Elkin (Likud). "The criminal process will take a very long time," said Elkin, referring to the upcoming investigation. "There is no reason that he (Ghattas—ed) should continue to serve in the Knesset all this time, receive a paycheck from the public and take advantage of his immunity and status to support terrorism. Let's put an end to this." See also, “Israeli Arab Lawmaker Suspected of Smuggling Phones to Palestinian Security Prisoners” (Ha’aretz)

Ynet News Netanyahu slam Lapid: 'He's a Left Winger' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heaped criticism on Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid Monday during a Likud party conference for apparently refusing to sign a petition calling for a discussion to be held on the suspension of MK Basel Ghattas (Joint List), who is being summoned for investigation on suspicion of smuggling cellphones to Palestinian prisoners in Israel. “I heard that Yair Lapid instructed members of his party not to sign a document calling for the convening of a discussion for removing Ghattas from the Knesset,” Netanyahu said in reference a petition currently being spearheaded by MK Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Minister of Environmental Protection Ze'ev Elkin (Likud) to invoke the Suspension Law that was passed last summer. “It doesn’t surprise me. It is disappointing. It isn’t surprising because this is a left-wing man who heads a left-wing party.”

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Washington Post– December 19, 2016 Trump’s Choice for Israeli Ambassador is a Danger to American Lives By Richard Cohen, contributor at Washington Post

 In the machinery of the Holocaust, in the places where Jews and others were murdered by the millions, certain prisoners were compelled or volunteered to help the Nazis in the arduous business of genocide. These people were called kapos, reviled by Jew and Nazi alike, and few of them survived. The word, though, lives on, its origins obscure but its meaning clear: the vilest human being imaginable. This, though, is what David Friedman called members of a liberal Jewish group. Friedman is Donald Trump’s choice of ambassador to Israel. Really.  There is more. Friedman has called President Obama an anti-Semite. This is not merely a calumny, it is an absurdity, evidence of an unsound mind and, if I may, just a bit of racism. Friedman has also linked Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton’s former aide and a Muslim, to the Muslim Brotherhood. This accusation ranked very high on The Post’s list of most outrageous campaign lies.  Friedman for months has been saying that he would be Trump’s choice for the Israel post. Until now, his diplomatic experience has been limited to representing Trump as his bankruptcy lawyer, virtually a life-time sinecure. His appointment likely has the support of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, who had the wisdom to be born rich and who, apparently on account of his being an observant Jew, has been given the Israeli-Palestinian portfolio. Trump says Kushner will bring peace to the region, you will be relieved to know.  From Trump, the naming of Friedman is a double insult. Trump has offended the liberal Jewish community, which didn’t support him anyway. This is a community that in general opposes additional West Bank settlements, favors a two-state solution and has little in common with the religious or nationalist zealotry of the settler movement.  But the insult to the Arab world may be of more consequence. Friedman not only supports additional settlements and seems opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state on the West Bank, but also wants to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv, where it has been for decades, to Jerusalem. But Israel’s annexation of all of Jerusalem following the 1967 war has never won international recognition. American policy has always been that moving the embassy can only be done as part of an overall agreement. That agreement is not even close.  A traveler in the West Bank or, for that matter, anywhere in the Arab world, is bound to see posters of Jerusalem. It is where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven and only Mecca and Medina exceed it in holiness. If the United States moves its embassy to Jerusalem, the Arab world would take it as a slap in the face. The Islamic State will use it as a recruiting tool. Violence is almost certain to erupt — possibly another intifada. People will die — Israelis and Arabs, certainly, and probably Americans too. Friedman has been a frequent visitor to Israel. He appears to know nothing, though, about the region. It’s not yet clear if Friedman is speaking for himself or for the incoming Trump administration. But he has been a longtime

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associate of Trump’s and so it’s logical to think he and the president-elect see eye to eye on Israel. He certainly has Trump’s proclivity for invective, insult and ugly lies and he seems to embody Trump’s desire to throw everything in the air and challenge conventional wisdom. Sometimes that’s a good thing. In the Middle East, it can cost lives.  Friedman has aimed his kapo insult at J Street, a liberal Jewish organization that favors a two- state solution and has opposed the settler movement. These positions, while eminently reasonable, are anathema to right-wing Israelis and their American Jewish counterparts. They, however, are a minority — both of Israelis and American Jews. For Friedman to have likened J Street to “worse than kapos” is more than just a revolting insult. It takes moderation off the table. It delegitimizes what has been American policy and the desire of the mainstream American Jewish community. Friedman is hardly a diplomat. He’s a zealot with a political potty mouth.  The Senate will get a crack at Friedman. This is a nomination that must be rejected. He is a danger to peace in the Middle East, to American lives, to moderation and to civil discourse. As for his kapos crack, Friedman cannot repudiate it because he has both said it and written it. If the Senate approves his nomination, it will have endorsed calling Jewish liberals and moderates the equivalent of those who helped the Nazis. I can think of nothing worse.

SUMMARY: From Trump, the naming of Friedman is a double insult. Trump has offended the liberal Jewish community, which didn’t support him anyway. This is a community that in general opposes additional West Bank settlements, favors a two-state solution and has little in common with the religious or nationalist zealotry of the settler movement. But the insult to the Arab world may be of more consequence. Friedman not only supports additional settlements and seems opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state on the West Bank, but also wants to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv, where it has been for decades, to Jerusalem. But Israel’s annexation of all of Jerusalem following the 1967 war has never won international recognition. American policy has always been that moving the embassy can only be done as part of an overall agreement. That agreement is not even close.

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Yedioth Ahronoth– December 19, 2016 More and More Land, Less of a State The settlement in the territories is the most significant, influential enterprise established in Israel in the past 50 years. On the way, it crushes the foundations of statehood laid by the founding generation.

By Nahum Barnea, Senior Contributor at Yedioth Ahronoth

 There are two arguments in favor of the battle waged by the Amona outpost settlers against the government and against the settlement establishment. The first is discrimination. Indeed, they are being discriminated against.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu complained last week that he has to evacuate Jewish invaders, while Arab invaders build their homes undisturbed. This was a groundless argument, of course. No one is stopping the government from demolishing Arabs’ homes which were built illegally, neither within the Green Line nor beyond the Green Line. Arabs definitely do not get the following (and I quote Netanyahu from Sunday’s cabinet meeting): “We have held dozens of discussions, we have brought many proposals, some of them outside the box, very creative proposals. We have done it out of love for the settlement. It’s as simple as that. We have done the maximum.”  The discrimination is in comparison to other settlers. Amona’s residents are rightly asking why are they being forced to relocate, while the residents of the neighboring settlement of Ofra, who also live on land that belongs to others, remain in their homes; why isn’t the state planning to evacuate thousands of settlers whose legal status is no different than their own status; why is it confronting families who settled there in good faith and not prosecuting the politicians, government workers, jurists and officers who initiated the establishment of their outpost, even though they knew the land was private, and maintained and funded it over the course of years.  The Amona settlers are not among the radicals in their sector. They did not join a murderous underground, as some of the leading founders of Ofra did. They did not build yeshivot which support the Kahane doctrine, and they did not start a cell of “price tag” criminals. Their anger at being discriminated against is understandable.  The second argument is transparency. The settlement enterprise in the territories was based from its onset on a mutual “wink” between the settlement establishment leaders and the government’s arms. The former established facts on the ground, and the latter secretly legitimized and funded. The man who knew more than anyone else how to maneuver his way through this system was veteran settler leader Ze’ev Hever (Zambish). The network of connections he weaved extends from prime ministers to Civil Administration officers and Justice Ministry attorneys. On the way, he bred dozens of Zambishes in his image, changing the face of history.  The Amona settlers are fed up with lies. The Zambishes offered them all kinds of solutions with a “wink,” which were concocted in utmost discretion, not just outside the box – but also outside the law. Until Sunday, at least, they said no. Even if they eventually give in and spare

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Netanyahu the difficult images involved in a forcible evacuation, their rejection of the culture of lying is worthy of appreciation.  Justice Ministry officials, from the attorney general downwards, who took part in this humiliating process, are deserving of no appreciation. Nothing would have happened to them had they said: We are refusing to take part in this scandal. We get paid to protect the law, not to abuse it.  The settlement in the territories is the most significant, influential enterprise established in Israel in the past 50 years. As the years go by, it gives us more and more land—and less of a state. On the way, it crushes the foundations of statehood laid by the founding generation— the authority of the law, the dignity of the government, the purity of arms, the ambition to live in a Jewish and democratic state.  Amona and its settlers are not the enemy. They are a milestone, a footnote, in a path led by others. As a passionate politician once said, we are on the verge of the abyss, and now we will shall take one big step forward.

SUMMARY: Justice Ministry officials, from the attorney general downwards, who took part in this humiliating process, are deserving of no appreciation. Nothing would have happened to them had they said: We are refusing to take part in this scandal. We get paid to protect the law, not to abuse it. The settlement in the territories is the most significant, influential enterprise established in Israel in the past 50 years. As the years go by, it gives us more and more land—and less of a state. On the way, it crushes the foundations of statehood laid by the founding generation—the authority of the law, the dignity of the government, the purity of arms, the ambition to live in a Jewish and democratic state.

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