Israel and Middle East News Update

Friday, May 7

Headlines: ● Lapid: Israel Has Had Enough Hate and Needs Unity ● Negotiations on Unity Government Begin ● Palestinians, Israeli Settlers Scuffle in East Jerusalem ● European Countries Urge Israel to Halt Settlement Expansion ● PM to Dismiss US Objections to Building Beyond Green Line ● Israeli Spymaster Visits Bahrain to Discuss Mideast Security ● Report: Saudi Arabia to Reopen Damascus Embassy ● Egypt & Turkey Seek to Overhaul Ties With Talks on Libya

Commentary: ● Yedioth Ahronoth: “Clashes in Sheikh Jarrah’’ - By Elior Levy & Gilad Cohen

● Yedioth Ahronoth: “Mandate and Punishment’’ - By Sima Kadmon

S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace 1725 I St NW Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006 The Hon. Robert Wexler, President News Excerpts May 7, 2021 Ynet News Lapid: Israel Has Had Enough Hate and Needs Unity In his first speech as prime minister designate, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid called for unity, saying Israel has had enough of internal divisions and hostility. "We have had enough anger, we have had enough hate, we have had enough fighting," said Lapid, who was tapped by President Reuven Rivlin to try to form the next government. Lapid said he was trying to form "a complex government, but one that will have a simple goal: to get us out of this crisis. From the coronavirus crisis, from the economic crisis, from the political crisis, especially from the crisis within us, within the people of Israel." Lapid said he was committed to the coalition outline of parity and rotating premiership he has proposed to Yamina leader Naftali Bennett, whose seven Knesset seats he needs to form a majority government. Dig Deeper ‘‘Declaring Support for Bennett, Yamina MKs Allege Strong Likud Pressure to Defect’’ (Times of Israel)

Jerusalem Post Negotiations on Unity Government Begin Coalition negotiation teams of Yesh Atid and Yamina convened formally to form a new government. Both teams want to reach an agreement as soon as possible, sources in the parties said after the meeting. But a meeting between Lapid and Bennett has not yet been set. Lapid singled out Bennett, Blue & White leader Benny Gantz, New Hope chairman Gideon Sa’ar, Labor head Merav Michaeli, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman and Meretz chairman Nitzan Horowitz. Lapid blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his attacks on the party leaders trying to replace him. Netanyahu made a point of meeting the leaders of his political camp. The Right bloc leaders vowed to go to the opposition rather than join a government led by Bennett. Dig Deeper ‘‘Israel's Never-Ending Political Crisis’’ (Ynet News)

Associated Press Palestinians, Israeli Settlers Scuffle in East Jerusalem Palestinians and Israeli settlers hurled rocks and chairs at each other in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in east Jerusalem before Israeli police moved in to separate them, arresting at least seven people. The violence broke out where dozens of Palestinians are at risk of being evicted following a long legal battle with Jewish settlers trying to acquire property in the neighborhood, which is just north of Jerusalem’s Old City. Pro-Palestinian protesters have been meeting for nightly iftars (the meal held after breaking the daylong fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan) at long tables set up outside. Settlers set up a table and awning across the street. They were joined by Itamar Ben- Gvir, the leader of a far-right party with roots in a violent anti-Arab extremist group. protesters on both sides hurling rocks and chairs at each other, and Palestinians tearing down the awning, before Israeli police moved in. There were no reports of serious injuries. Dig Deeper ‘‘15 Arrested in Fresh Clashes in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah Neighborhood’’ (Times of Israel) 2 Al-Monitor European Countries Urge Israel to Halt Settlement Expansion The governments of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom are urging Israel to call off plans to construct more Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. They warned the move “will cause further damage to the prospects for a viable Palestinian State” and “undermines efforts to rebuild trust between the parties, following the positive resumption of Israeli-Palestinian cooperation.” Israel has given the green light for a 540-unit development beyond the Green Line in Har Homa, a neighborhood situated between East Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Israel has also awarded contracts for some 1,200 housing units in the nearby Jewish neighborhood of Givat Hamatos. The Palestinians envision the Gaza Strip and West Bank as part of a future state, with East Jerusalem as its capital. More than 440,000 Jewish settlers currently live in the West Bank on territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war. Dig Deeper ‘‘Shin Bet: PFLP Diverted Millions in European Humanitarian Aid to Finance Terrorism’’ (I24 News)

Times of Israel PM to Dismiss US Objections to Building Beyond Green Line Netanyahu has repeatedly dismissed objections made by the Biden administration over Israeli expansion in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, according to a Channel 12 report. Three times since the beginning of April, US officials reached out to the Prime Minister’s Office to express their opposition to Israeli steps beyond the Green Line. The first appeal came after an Israeli planning committee advanced 540 new units in Har Homa. The objection was issued by the chargé d’affaires of the US embassy in Jerusalem, Jonathan Shrier. Netanyahu dismissed the concern, according to the report. Senior National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan raised similar concerns over both construction approvals in East Jerusalem as well as in the West Bank. Netanyahu retorted that “Jerusalem is not a settlement, but the capital of Israel,” the report said. A third message by the US was sent on Wednesday expressing concerns in of Sheikh Jarrah, where ultranationalist Jewish groups are seeking to evict dozens of Palestinians from their homes. In that exchange as well, American concerns were said to have been dismissed.

Associated Press Israeli Spymaster Visits Bahrain to Discuss Mideast Security The head of the Mossad intelligence agency visited Bahrain for talks with officials, the Bahrain state- run news agency reported. The trip came amid heightened tensions in the region over Iran and followed Israel’s recent deal to normalize relations with the island kingdom. The brief statement carried by the news agency said only that Yossi Cohen met with Bahrain’s heads of national intelligence and strategic security to discuss “the most prominent security topics, regional developments and issues of common interest.” It did not elaborate. Indirect talks between the US and Iran over a return to Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which former President Donald Trump abandoned, are now gaining traction in Vienna. Israel and Gulf Arab sheikhdoms have voiced concern over a generous American rapprochement with Iran that doesn’t address Iran’s ballistic missile program and support for regional proxies, in addition to its nuclear program.

3 Ynet News Report: Saudi Arabia to Reopen Damascus Embassy Saudi Arabia has decided to reopen its embassy in Damascus as it seeks a rapprochement with Syria, Jordanian newspaper Rai el Youm (Today’s Perspective) reported. According to the report, a Saudi delegation arrived in Damascus in a diplomatic visit. Riyadh's messengers reportedly liaised with several senior Syria officials, including President Bashar al-Assad and his senior advisor and close confidante Ali Mamlouk. Riyadh is said to be looking to restore its ties with Syria, an ally and client state for Iran, Saudi Arabia's regional arch-nemesis. The two countries severed ties in 2012 as Syria's civil war escalated and Assad turned to help for Iran, while Riyadh supported the anti-regime forces. Saudi and Iranian officials held direct Iraqi-mediated talks in a bid to ease tensions between the two foes, a senior Iranian official and two regional sources said. The regional source said the meeting focused on Yemen, where a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been battling the Iran- aligned Houthi group since March 2015. The talks were the first significant contact between the two countries, which cut their ties in 2016 after Riyadh executed 47 people, including a prominent Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

Reuters Egypt & Turkey Seek to Overhaul Ties With Talks on Libya Egypt and Turkey held talks on the conflict in Libya, where they back competing factions, on Syria and the security situation in the eastern Mediterranean, in a push to rebuild their fractured relations. The discussions, held over two days and led by deputy foreign ministers, were the first high-level public talks for years between the two powers, who fell out over issues including opposing positions on political Islam and maritime borders. Turkey has been striving to mend fences with several US- allied Arab states including Egypt. Egypt has so far responded cautiously to Turkish overtures. Turkey is ready to hold a tripartite meeting between Turkish, Egyptian and Libyan officials to agree on disputed issues in Libya including the presence of foreign fighters, two Egyptian intelligence sources said. The Turkish delegation told Egyptians that Ankara could not hand over Muslim Brotherhood leaders wanted by Egypt, adding that most of those leaders had now legalized their residency in Turkey, the sources said. Relations between the regional powers have been tense since Egypt's army toppled a democratically elected Muslim Brotherhood president close to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in 2013.

4 Yedioth Ahronoth – May 7, 2021 Clashes in Sheikh Jarrah By Elior Levy & Gilad Cohen ● Tension is rising in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Jerusalem. Riots took place last night, for the sixth evening consecutively, in the East Jerusalem neighborhood, against the backdrop of the intention to evict Arab families from the neighborhood. Dozens of Arab and Jewish residents threw stones and chairs at each other and a vehicle was torched. Police and Border Police forces deployed in the area to serve as a buffer between the rioters, and arrested seven rioters for disturbing the peace and attacking police officers. Earlier in the day yesterday, MK Itamar Ben Gvir of the Religious Zionist Party set up a tent in the neighborhood, putting up a sign in it “Office of MK Itamar Ben Gvir.” The rioters threw stones and objects at the tent. ● Along with this, the spokesperson of the Islamic Jihad military wing, Abu Hamza, issued a statement in which he commented on the tension in Sheikh Jarrah. “We call upon our people in Jerusalem and the West Bank to rebel against the Zionists, to renew the vehicle ramming attacks and stabbing attacks at the roadblocks and to shoot without hesitation on all streets where the soldiers and herds of settlers are located,” he said, “the awakening in Jerusalem and the shooting attack at the Zaatra roadblock (Tapuah junction) reflect the extent to which our people are connected to the holy places. We remind the army and the cowardly settlers that every criminal action compounds the score that they will pay, and dearly. Time will demonstrate this through our rifles and rocket launchers.” ● According to the ruling of the Jerusalem District Court, based on the Legal and Administrative Matters Law of 1970, Palestinian residents who have been living for decades in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood are required to vacate their homes in favor of Jewish residents. The current case pertains to eight families, seven of which have appealed to the Supreme Court. Yesterday another hearing on the matter was held by the Supreme Court, at the conclusion of which Justice Daphne Barak-Erez set another hearing on the matter for this coming Monday. The situation in Sheikh Jarrah and the Israeli decision to build in Har Homa have led to a series of international condemnations. A joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain said: “We urge the Government of Israel to reverse its decision to advance the construction of 540 settlement units in the Har Homa E area of the occupied West Bank, and to cease its policy of settlement expansion across the Occupied Palestinian Territories. ● Settlements are illegal under international law, and threaten prospects for a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If implemented, the decision to advance settlements in Har Homa, between East Jerusalem and Bethlehem, will cause further damage to the prospects for a viable Palestinian State, with Jerusalem as the capital of both Israel and a Palestinian State. This move, alongside settlement advancement in Givat HaMatos and continued evictions in East Jerusalem, including in Sheikh Jarrah, also undermines efforts to rebuild trust between the parties.” 5 Yedioth Ahronoth – May 7, 2021 Mandate and Punishment By Sima Kadmon ● It’s not a compromise—that was Lapid’s motto last night, speaking at a press conference for the first time as the person with the mandate to form the government. And no, it’s not just to avert a fifth election, but rather because this is what the State of Israel needs now. An Israeli unity government. Or as Bennett would have phrased it had he been the one holding the mandate: a national emergency government. What was most striking in the speech was Lapid’s genuine wish not to resemble Netanyahu. As if, throughout all these years, he had observed the prime minister’s actions, and mainly his words, and had told himself—not that, I don’t want that. That was also his first promise: without defamation, without sewing division, without stooping low. ● A unity government in the full sense of the word, including in the style of its conversation. It was no coincidence that he refrained from referring to what Netanyahu had said the evening before, when he called the government of change “a dangerous left- wing government.” Presumably, this angered the Yesh Atid chairman as much as it angered many more than the million people who voted for “anyone-but-Bibi.” It angered any sane person who refuses to view people like Yair Golan, Omer Bar-Lev, Ram Ben Barak, and yes, Merav Michaeli and Nitzan Horowitz—as dangerous to the country. How desperate does someone have to be to incite and to call parties that in the not-distant past were partners in your government, dangerous? ● The goals of this government, as Lapid promised, should not come as a surprise. He chose to focus on matters that all the partners can agree on: the coronavirus crisis, the economic crisis and the domestic crisis. Not a single word about controversial issues. His faith in his partners—Bennett, Saar, Gantz, Michaeli, Liberman and Horowitz—is real. Lapid is someone who believes in people. Even if he has learned to be more guarded—he is not paranoid. Despite everything he went through with Bennett—the Yamina chairman talking to both sides up until the last moment—Lapid believes in Bennett. Naftali doesn’t lie, he told me. He has never once deceived me. But not all his partners in the coalition for change think the same way. They often stress how right they were when they refrained from endorsing Lapid in the first round, when the Lapid-Bennett axis was still not ready. ● Had they endorsed Lapid, most likely Netanyahu would still have the mandate. In retrospect, they were right. And yet, even though they now hold the mandate—they are on edge. Rightly so. Everything is still open. It’s true that Netanyahu has been greatly weakened. Someone who already had the mandate and who has since released all the rabbits in his hat—is like Samson after being shorn by Delilah. A mandate is not a good gift. You receive a great deal of power, you control the process, you appoint the Arrangements Committee—which gives you a big advantage—but the clock is ticking. With every day that passes, the tools that you have grow weaker and increase the pressure on you. By the third week, you’ve become vulnerable to pressure, and by the fourth and last week—you are willing to concede things that you never thought possible. 6 ● Once, in one of the negotiations that Elkin oversaw to form a coalition, he told everyone: think about what you would be willing to give on the last day of the mandate and rush to finalize that now, at that price, because on the last day, you will agree to a lot more. There were most likely two big explosions between Netanyahu and Bennett. The first was when Bennett was certain that Netanyahu had promised him two years [as prime minister] and then Netanyahu retracted and publicly announced that it would be for only one year. The second was when it was agreed that the Likud would endorse Bennett to the president, on condition that he not use the mandate to form a government of change. Most likely the recordings of Ayelet Shaked that were made public incensed the Balfour Street residents, mainly what she said about the Netanyahu couple, as resembling dictators. What is funny is that the recordings came from the Merkaz Harav Yeshiva, from a meeting that Shaked held with the director, Rabbi Yaakov Shapira, and the principal. The leaks were intended to reveal Shaked’s reservations to forming a coalition of change and not to hurt her, but the focus, of course, became what she said about the house on Balfour Street. ● The negotiations between the parties in the pro-change bloc are going to be complicated. The concerns are many: that Bennett’s party will break up or will cause difficulties for Bennett during the negotiations; the ideological gaps that cannot be bridged; the disagreements over ministerial and committee chair positions. Throughout, there will also be Netanyahu’s attempts to find defectors in Yamina, to try to cause strife in the party, to win over Bennett or Shaked. And the Yamina chairman—and there is no doubt about this in the pro- change camp—will continue his negotiations with Netanyahu just as he held negotiations with Lapid when Netanyahu held the mandate. Speed, that is the most important factor in this story. If Lapid is unable to form a government quickly, he will be vulnerable to every possible difficulty. And if he doesn’t do this before his mandate expires—then in the 21 days following, if the UAL and Yamina agree to support a direct election bill, the Likud will be able to replace the Arrangements Committee and promote the bill. As someone put it this week, after celebrating the end of the mandate [referring to the British Mandate], now we’re waiting for the Balfour Declaration.

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