Israel and the Middle East News Update Tuesday, August 22 Headlines: • Israel Condemns Finland Terror Stabbing, Expresses ‘Shock’ • PA Threatens to Cut All Funds to Gaza • Israel Threatens to Demolish Bedouin Homes Despite Court Order • Report: US Works to Thwart UN Settlements Blacklist • Israeli General Mocks Abbas for Sending Aid to Venezuela • Netanyahu to Attend West Bank Event on 50 Years of Settlements • Court Orders to Disclose PM's Wife's Employment Records • Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Express Train Line Makes First Test Run Commentary: • The Atlantic: “Benjamin Netanyahu and the Politics of Grievance” - By Natan Sachs, director of the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution • Ynet News: “We're Not Going Anywhere” - By Lior Meiri, one of the founders of 'the New Likudniks' 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 August 22, 2017 Times of Israel Israel Condemns Finland Terror Stabbing, Expresses ‘Shock’ The Israeli Foreign Ministry on Monday expressed “shock” at Friday’s deadly stabbing attack in Turku, Finland. The Israeli government expresses its shock and strongly condemns the terrorist attack in the city of Turku last Friday in which two people were killed and eight wounded,” it said in a statement released Monday. Finland observed a minute of silence on Sunday for the victims of the stabbing attack in the southwestern port city, in what is being investigated as the country’s first-ever terror attack. The Israeli statement went on: “Israel expresses its solidarity with the people of Finland, and sends condolences to the families of those killed and wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.”See also, “Finland struggles to come to terms with terror attack” (Financial Times) Jerusalem Post PA Threatens to Cut All Funds to Gaza PA President Abbas threatened to gradually cut all funding to the Gaza Strip until Hamas agreed to reconcile with Fatah. He declared his intentions during a meeting in Ramallah with Meretz head Zehava Gal- On, whose office later reported his statement. “We transfer $1.5 billion a year [to Hamas in Gaza],” he said, adding that he had already cut 25% of that amount. Abbas is in the midst of a push to regain control of Gaza, a decade after Hamas took over the Strip from Fatah in a bloody coup. He has imposed a series of stiff economic sanctions, including reduced funding for electricity. Abbas told Gal-On that if the situation with Hamas did not change soon, “we’ll gradually reduce our [financial] support to Gaza by 100%.”See also, “Can a $830 Million Construction Project Stop Hamas on the Israel-Gaza Border?” (Ha’aretz) Ha’aretz Israel to Demolish Bedouin Homes Despite Court Order The High Court of Justice has forbidden the demolition of Bedouin homes in the E1 area near Ma’aleh Adumim until it is determined whether they can be legalized. However, the Israeli army’s Civil Administration in the West Bank is threatening to destroy them. A group of Bedouin from Jabal Baba and Bir Al-Maskub are waging a legal battle after the Oversight Subcommittee in Judea and Samaria – a Civil Administration body – threatened to destroy their homes. The group submitted a request last Thursday to declare the Civil Administration in contempt of court, with their lawyer, Shlomo Lecker, asking the court to make it clear that the homes cannot be demolished at this time. Washington Post Report: US Works to Thwart UN Settlements Blacklist The Trump administration is urging the UN not to publish what it calls a “blacklist” of international firms that do business in Israeli settlements on land claimed by the Palestinians for a future state, diplomats and others said. The U.N. Commission on Human Rights voted to approve the database of companies last year, over objections from the US and Israel, which describe the list as a prelude to anti-Israel boycotts. American companies on the list include Caterpillar, TripAdvisor, Priceline.com, Airbnb and others, according to people familiar with it. It is not clear whether the list has been finalized. See also, “US reportedly works to thwart UN list of firms operating in Israeli settlements” (i24 News) 2 Times of Israel Israeli General Mocks Abbas for Sending Aid to Venezuela An Israeli general sharply criticized PA President Abbas on Monday for sending medical aid to distant Venezuela while cutting down on help to the beleaguered Gaza Strip. “We draw the PA’s attention to the fact that traveling from Ramallah to Gaza is only one hour, while the distance between Venezuela and Ramallah is more than 10,000 kilometers,” wrote Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Major General Yoav Mordechai on his official Facebook page. COGAT is the Defense Ministry department in charge of Palestinian civilian affairs. On Sunday, PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki announced they were sending three truckloads of medical supplies to Venezuela, including antibiotics, drugs for the treatment of chronic diseases and “everything necessary for emergencies.” See also, “PA under fire for sending medical aid to Venezuela amid Gaza crisis” (Ma’an) Jerusalem Post Netanyahu to Attend WB Event on 50 Years of Settlements Next Monday Prime Minister Netanyahu plans to attend his first West Bank celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War and the settlement of Judea and Samaria. The Samaria Regional Council, which announced Netanyahu’s attendance, will be hosting and organizing the August 28th event at the Barkan Industrial Park. Ministers and parliamentarians will be among the attendees. This includes Likud ministers Israel Katz, Ofir Akunis, and Tzahi Hanegbi as well as Bayit Yehudi ministers Naftali Bennett and Uri Ariel. The event takes place two weeks prior to the formal governmental ceremony scheduled for September 13th at Kfar Etzion in the Gush Etzion region of the West Bank. Ynet News Court Orders to Disclose PM's Wife's Employment Records The Jerusalem District Court partially accepted the petition put forward by journalist Ben Caspit and ordered the Jerusalem municipality to divulge the scope of Sara Netanyahu's employment as a psychologist in several of the city's education institutions. The court also instructed the municipality to detail the number of hours Mrs. Netanyahu was employed and the time that elapsed between periods she was employed there. Netanyahu herself has claimed the request should be denied due to the personal rivalry between herself and Caspit, which amounts to "persecution" according to her. The petition's sole goal, she said, was to harm her and her husband, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Judge Arnon Darel, however, rejected the claim of any ulterior motives behind the request. See also, “Jerusalem Ordered to Release Data on Sara Netanyahu’s Work History” (Ha’aretz) i24 News Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Express train Line Makes First Test Run An express-train route between Jerusalem-Tel Aviv made its first test run on Sunday, according to a report by Israel’s Channel 2.“This is a fast train which will take 28 minutes to get from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” noted Transporation Minister Yisrael Katz. “This will ensure Jerusalem’s status and will give people the ability to live in it, to set up businesses and will completely change the connection between Jerusalem and the rest of the State of Israel.” The new Jerusalem-Tel Aviv line was tested with a freight train weighing some 1200 tons that was used to help ascertain the strength of the route’s bridges and rails. The freight train was also intended to help stabilize the line’s concrete and tracks. See also, “LONG-AWAITED TEL AVIV-JERUSALEM RAILWAY EDGES CLOSER TO MAIDEN JOURNEY” (JPost) 3 The Atlantic– August 21, 2017 Benjamin Netanyahu and the Politics of Grievance By Natan Sachs, director of the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution • A leader who portrays himself as one of the persecuted, the target of an incessant witch-hunt by the so-called deep state. A liberal media intent on revisiting an election gone badly. And a left-wing political machine supposedly out to get him. This leader, of course, is Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel. • On August 4, Netanyahu’s former chief of staff signed a deal with the Israeli police to become a state’s witness in two criminal investigations in which the prime minister is a suspect. One of the cases involves gifts from billionaires abroad; the other concerns an alleged attempt to negotiate favorable press coverage. Three other investigations involve people close to Netanyahu: his lawyer (a second cousin), a political appointee, and even his wife, Sara. Netanyahu has not been indicted by the attorney general, let alone convicted by a criminal court—that could take months. • And yet, things don’t look good for Bibi, as the leak-happy Hebrew press keeps reporting. The state’s witness, Ari Harow, must provide the goods if he himself is to avoid a prison sentence for suspected bribery and fraud; few know more about Netanyahu’s dealings than him. Netanyahu’s many rivals at home, both within and outside his own Likud party and coalition, have long been preparing for the end of his tenure. Now, they smell political blood. • Netanyahu’s response has been one of defiance. On August 9, Likud party officials and supporters—the Bibi faithful—gathered at a rally in Tel Aviv to voice their support for the prime minister. There, he delivered a message of persecution, railing against the despised liberal media and the even-more despised left-wing. The two, he said, are one and the same.