February 24 2020 Bennett’S Big Brag by Ben Caspit, Contributor to Ma’Ariv

Israel and the Middle East News Update

Monday, February 24

Headlines:

• Israeli Strike in Syria After Gaza Rocket Barrage at South • IDF Closes Roads, Schools near Gaza Border Amid Ongoing Tensions • Lieberman: PM sent Mossad Chief to Qatar to 'Beg' for Hamas Financing • Israel Confirms 2nd Coronavirus Case Among Former Cruise Passengers • South Korean Nationals to be Airlifted Home • A Week to Election, Polls Show Netanyahu Pulls Ahead of Gantz • Pope Cautions Against 'Unfair' Middle East Peace Plans • Sanders Won’t Attend AIPAC: ‘Gives Platform to Express Bigotry’

Commentary:

• Washington Post: “One Group of Israelis is Benefiting from the Endless Cycle of Elections: Campaign Advisers” - By Ruth Eglash, Washington Post reporter • Ma’ariv: “Bennett’s Big Brag” - By Ben Caspit, contributor to Ma’ariv

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

News Excerpts February 24, 2020 Ha’aretz Israeli Strike in Syria After Gaza Rocket Barrage at South Islamic Jihad confirmed early Monday morning that two operatives were killed in Israeli airstrikes on targets belonging to the organization in Syria. Israel Defense Forces struck targets in the Gaza Strip and Syria on Sunday night after Islamic Jihad fired a barrage of rockets into southern Israel in response to the death of an Islamic Jihad operative believed to be laying an explosive device along the Gaza security fence."Israeli fighter jets struck Islamic Jihad terror targets south of Damascus, as well as across the Gaza Strip," the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said in a statement, adding that a fighter jet struck an Islamic Jihad cell while it was preparing to fire rockets at Israel. See also, “Israel Strikes Militants in Syria and Gaza After Clash Over Body at Border” (New York Times)

Jerusalem Post IDF Closes Roads, Schools near Gaza Border Amid Ongoing Tensions The IDF has put in place blockades along the Gaza border fence, in light of the ongoing tensions in the area, an IDF spokesperson announced early on Monday morning. In a statement, the spokesperson said: "In light of the situation, the IDF decided to block routes and areas adjacent to the Gaza perimeter fence. The areas and roads that are blocked are all agricultural access roads west of Highway 232, and the following roads will also be closed in both directions: road 4 - from Zikim Junction to the intersection of Kibbutz Nir Am; route 34 - from Yad Mordechai Junction to Kibbutz Erez; and road 232 - from Levelsim Junction to the junction of Kfar Gaza." See also, “Israel strikes Gaza after over 20 rockets pound south” (TOI)

I24 News Lieberman: PM sent Mossad Chief to Qatar to 'Beg' for Hamas Financing PM Netanyahu ordered Mossad chief Yossi Cohen and other senior figures within Israel's security establishment to go to Qatar to convince the Gulf state's leadership to continue their periodical payments to Hamas, Yisrael Beytenu party chief Avigdor Lieberman claimed on Saturday. “Two weeks ago the head of Mossad and the head of Israel Defense Forces' Southern Command paid a visit to Qatar on the express instructions of Netanyahu, to beg the Qataris to keep giving money to Hamas after Qataris said they would stop sending money on March 30,” the politician told a local TV news show. See also, “Mossad Chief Visited Doha, Urged Qataris to Continue Gaza Financial Aid” (Ha’aretz)

Time of Israel Israel Confirms 2nd Coronavirus Case Among Former Cruise Passengers A second Israeli has been diagnosed with the coronavirus after returning to the country from Japan, where he spent two weeks quarantined on a cruise ship where the disease had rapidly spread, the Health Ministry said Sunday. “The patient is in isolation and under observation,” the ministry said in a statement. The Health Ministry stressed that the patient, who is being treated at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, did not contract the virus in Israel. The first case in Israel was announced on Friday. The two were among 11 Israelis allowed off the Diamond Princess ship in Yokohama, Japan and flown home after initially testing negative. All were placed in isolation for a 14-day period. See also “ Israel to quarantine 200 South Korean tourists for coronavirus” (Ynet News)

Ynet News South Korean Nationals to be Airlifted Home After all flights to their country were suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak, South Korean nationals will be airlifted out of Israel from Monday at the expense of the Israeli government. Israeli and South Korean airliners will participate in the airlift that will transport the South Koreans stranded in Israel on direct flights to Seoul. Medical officials will monitor the health of passengers before they board. The planes will then return to Israel and undergo a process to disinfect them. Airport authorities said the Korean Air passengers who could not board their flight home over the weekend because of the government's decision to bar entry of non-Israelis from South Korea will be able to leave Sunday on connecting flights. The hundreds of South Koreans have been held in a secluded tented area in the airport. See also “18 Koreans infected with coronavirus after pilgrimage to Israel” (The Korea Times)

Ha’aretz A Week to Election, Polls Show Netanyahu Pulls Ahead of Gantz Netanyahu's Likud party is projected to win a narrow lead over Benny Gantz's Kahol Lavan in next week's election, according to two polls published Sunday by Channel 12 and Kan public broadcaster. Neither party is predicted to secure a parliamentary majority, indicating no clear end to Israel's unprecedented political deadlock. According to Channel 12, Netanyahu's Likud is expected to win 34 seats while Kahol Lavan is expected to win 33 seats. A poll by Channel 12 from last week predicted Gantz would win 35 seats and Netanyahu 33. Sunday's Kan poll predicts 35 seats for Likud and 34 seats for Gantz in the March 2 election. The third largest party in both polls is the Arab-majority Joint List, predicted to win 14 seats according to Kan and 13 seats according to Channel 12. See also “ Likud passes Blue and White in polls” (JPost)

AP Pope Cautions Against 'Unfair' Middle East Peace Plans Pope Francis has cautioned against "unfair" solutions aimed at ending the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. In a speech Sunday during a visit to the Italian southern port city of Bari to reflect on peace in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, Francis lamented the many areas of war and conflict, including in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Francis spoke of "the still unresolved conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, with the danger of not fair solutions, and, thus, presaging new crises." The pope didn't cite any specific proposals. A new U.S. peace plan would let Israel annex all of its settlements along with the strategic Jordan Valley. It would give the Palestinians limited autonomy in several chunks of territory with a capital on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

Times of Israel Sanders Won’t Attend AIPAC: ‘Gives Platform to Express Bigotry’ Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders said Sunday that he would skip the upcoming American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference. The Vermont senator said the pro-Israel lobby’s annual confab, which draws top Israeli and US officials, provided a venue for other leaders to disparage Palestinians. “The Israeli people have the right to live in peace and security. So do the Palestinian people,” Sanders tweeted. “I remain concerned about the platform AIPAC provides for leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights. For that reason I will not attend their conference.” It was not clear which leaders Sanders was referring to. See also “Sanders won't attend AIPAC conference, accuses it of providing platform for 'bigotry'”

Washington Post – February 23, 2020 One Group of Israelis is Benefiting from the Endless Cycle of Elections: Campaign Advisers

By Ruth Eglash, Washington Post reporter

• Fatigued Israeli voters will return to the polls once again March 2 amid a deepening political crisis that appears to have no clear resolution. Yet, there is one group in Israel that is arguably benefiting from the cycle of do-over elections — campaign advisers and managers.Despite the challenge of drumming up new strategies, slogans and video clips to entice voters, those working with Israel’s political parties and candidates have found themselves gainfully employed for most of the past year. • In Israel, a year of political limbo is exacting a toll. “It’s definitely been demanding and challenging, but I have also gained a lot of valuable experience,” said Srulik Einhorn, the chief creative director and strategic consultant to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party election campaign. Einhorn has worked with Netanyahu’s team through all three elections, not only perfecting his craft but also building a name for himself in a relatively small and competitive industry. “I now know what works and what does not work,” he said. “And from one election to the next, I have sharpened our messaging and our unique methods of data gathering, segmenting, targeting and implementing them in very precise ways.” • It’s not an easy task in the age of social media, where the public is perpetually inundated with information and attention spans are forever shrinking, particularly when it comes to a political battle that has been stuck in a frustratingly repetitive scenario for more than a year. • Polls published this week show that this third round of voting is likely to produce almost identical results to the first round in April and the second round in September. In April, Likud and the opposition Blue and White alliance won 35 seats each. And in September, Likud got 32 seats, while Blue and White had 33. Neither party had enough to seats to form a government. • With no political party expected to draw enough votes for a parliamentary majority of 61, and no political bloc being large enough to form a coalition government, many Israelis think they could find themselves facing a fourth election if nothing dramatic happens in the next few months. “The thing is that voters rarely switch sides, so our main goal is not only to increase our base of voters but also to get people to go out and vote,” said Einhorn, who between Israeli elections works as a campaign adviser in other countries. “The key issue is that the public’s attention span is super low, and we have to penetrate through all the stimuli that surrounds them.” • Einhorn said that the focus is on sharp, short online videos “that voters just can’t ignore.”“We stay motivated because of Netanyahu,” said Topaz Luk, the prime minister’s head media adviser and strategist, explaining how the prime minister’s campaign and information advisers have kept on through multiple rounds of elections. “He is an energy bomb and always wants to find new ways to tell the story. The Israeli media does not present his achievements, so we use social media to show what he has been doing, and we are always finding new and creative ways to tell the story.” • For the team surrounding Netanyahu’s political rival, Benny Gantz, who leads the centrist Blue and White alliance, the strategy has been to challenge the long-serving Israeli leader. Benny

Gantz had two shots to oust Israel’s Netanyahu. He hopes the third time is the charm. Blue and White’s chief political consultant Israel Bachar speaks of “the legitimacy campaign,” focusing on the fact that Netanyahu faces prosecution on criminal charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, and questioning the prime minister’s legitimacy to continue leading the country. • On Tuesday, the Justice Ministry announced that Netanyahu’s trial would start March 17, which is two weeks after the election. Two days later, after pressure from Likud lawmakers, state prosecutors said they would instruct Israeli police to investigate any wrongdoing by a now bankrupt cybersecurity company formerly owned by Gantz.The legitimacy campaign, a stand against corruption, has helped to boost Gantz’s Blue and White from a novice political faction to the largest political party, but it was unclear, with these developments just over a week before the vote, whether the party has advanced enough to break the stalemate. • The slogans of both parties have been simple in this third round, with Blue and White urging voters to “Move Forward” and choose something new. Posters showing Gantz beside Netanyahu display the message “Looks after himself” next to the image of Netanyahu and “Looks after Israel” next to the image of Gantz. Netanyahu and other Likud members repeat one mantra: Gantz will never get enough seats to form a government without support from the Arab parties, a concept that is widely unpopular in Israel for religious and security reasons. • Bachar, who previously worked with Netanyahu, said he did not think the country would have a fourth general election and was optimistic that the public would turn out to vote this time in numbers similar to the last two rounds — both of which drew close to 70 percent of the electorate. “Israelis like to complain; it is part of any culture. But in the end, our national sport is politics,” he said, acknowledging that running three campaigns in a short period was challenging. “Every profession has its challenges,” Bachar said. “But I am in this business because I have a passion for political psychology.” • Netanyahu’s party could break Israel’s political deadlock by dumping him. Why won’t it? Political commentator Aviv Bushinsky said that a year of electioneering had benefits and drawbacks for those working on the campaigns. “Firstly, everyone is tired, and much less money is being spent on the campaigns this time around,” he said. “If you compare the amounts being spent now to the first and second rounds, there is a much lesser amount this time for sure.”But at least, said Bushinsky, who previously worked with Netanyahu, a year of nonstop work under extraordinary conditions would reflect well on the campaign advisers’ résumés.

Summary: With no political party expected to draw enough votes for a parliamentary majority of 61, and no political bloc being large enough to form a coalition government, many Israelis think they could find themselves facing a fourth election if nothing dramatic happens in the next few months. “The thing is that voters rarely switch sides, so our main goal is not only to increase our base of voters but also to get people to go out and vote,” said Einhorn, who

between Israeli elections works as a campaign adviser in other countries. “The key issue is that the public’s attention span is super low, and we have to penetrate through all the stimuli that surrounds them.”

Ma’ariv – February 24 2020 Bennett’s Big Brag By Ben Caspit, contributor to Ma’ariv

• Once upon a time it used to be the Arabs who would fulminate, brag, self-aggrandize and threaten, whereas we would quietly go about winning. The Voice of Thunder from Cairo [a Hebrew language Egyptian propaganda station that operated in the 1950-60s] reported that Tel Aviv was in flames while the IDF was actually in the process of sweeping through the Sinai Peninsula. The Arab leaders would threaten, scream, inveigh and curse us in every dialect and language while we advanced and established facts on the ground. • But in the interim, Twitter was invented. Anyone reviewing the feed from Defense Minister Naftali (Popeye) Bennett since yesterday morning might have thought that we’d just returned from Entebbe with the passengers from the hijacked plane, or that we’d just conquered (once again) the Temple Mount. The problem is that when all was said and done, all we had was the body of an Islamic Jihad terrorist that was caught on one of the teeth of an Israeli bulldozer and within seconds turned into a viral video on social media. • But Bennett isn’t one to miss a golden opportunity of that kind. He finally had the victory image that he’s wanted from the moment that he first sat down in the defense minister’s seat in the Kirya. “We won’t be stopped,” Bennett informs us with his daily campaign tweets. Yesterday we finally understood why that was so. Regrettably, there isn’t a responsible adult around to walk up to the defense minister in the morning and to bring him back down to earth: there’s nothing to brag about, Naftali. Islamic Jihad terrorists need to be killed and their bodies shouldn’t be returned. The gratuitous thing here is the malignant bragging, the pathetic showing off on Twitter and the public humiliation. Because anyone who piggybacks on a body in the morning ends up with dozens of rockets on the south at night. Those are the rules of the game that Binyamin Netanyahu’s fifth government hasn’t been able to change, and even Twitter hasn’t helped achieve that. • The defense minister and his band of Twitter cheerleaders yesterday lost the last vestiges of their self-control. Bennett tweeted, Ayelet retweeted, “Roni Sassover” added an insight of her own, and the feed suddenly was bursting with uproarious cheering and applause from every direction. We’ve won! It was worth ousting Bogie Yaalon, banishing Avigdor Liberman and even replacing Binyamin Netanyahu. Three thousand years of Jewish history have waited for the modern Bar Kochba [the leader of a failed rebellion against the Romans in the second century], Naftali Lionheart, so that we might finally abuse a dead body on live television. • Orit Perlov, a scholar with the INSS whose field of expertise is social media in the Arab world, wrote on Twitter the following sane comment: “I very much hope that the television stations will be responsible enough not to broadcast the body being dragged by a bulldozer in Gaza. That can be reported super professionally without airing the video. It’s liable to lead to a wave of revenge [attacks] in the form of stabbing/ramming attacks on soldiers in Jerusalem/West Bank. Gratuitous in my opinion.” • Lest there be any doubt, this column wasn’t written by a Peace Now activist. Islamic Jihad terrorists are marked by death. The malignant terrorism in the Gaza Strip needs to be rooted out. The problem is that the Netanyahu-Bennett government has no intention of doing that. With one 6

hand they dispatch the Mossad director and the OC Southern Command to Qatar to beg to continue the protection payments to Hamas while, with the other hand they “attack workshops” or real estate in Gaza and then play themselves up on Twitter as big heroes. In the current state of affairs, it was clear to everyone (except Bennett) that the body incident was going to force Islamic Jihad to retaliate powerfully so that everyone would know once again that Israel only understands the language of force. If that were to have led to a change in Israeli policy and to a belated keeping of the promise that Netanyahu made to topple the Hamas regime and to root out terrorism in Gaza—that would have been worth it. But it is only going to lead to a bit more bragging, a few more “powerful” strikes by the IAF, dozens of rockets that are fired in retaliation, another round of fighting that will keep a million Israelis within running distance of their bomb shelters, without any end in sight to that cycle. If that is the situation, there’s no cause for bragging, Mr. Defense Minister. A little humility wouldn’t hurt here. • Bennett is a sad story. He’s a talented, hard-working man who used to be stately. He has been trying to compensate for his own groveling before Netanyahu by putting on a phony show of strength in dealing with terrorism. The problem is that there is nothing of substance behind that show, except maybe for Bezalel Smotrich, who also speaks out in defense of that same new-old policy. Things that we see from here we didn’t see from over there; there’s no point going into the Gaza Strip just now; we’re on the eve of an election; we’ll act after the election; or we just don’t feel like it. • That has left hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens being held hostage. A little boy asks his mother to watch over him while he goes to the bathroom. Parents and children who are celebrating Family Day find themselves terrorized by rocket fire. The workers at the Hosen Centers [which provide emergency emotional counseling and support] have continued to beg for their salaries. But hey, people with a criminal record for cannabis use will have their records expunged!

Summary: Bennett is a sad story. He’s a talented, hard-working man who used to be stately. He has been trying to compensate for his own groveling before Netanyahu by putting on a phony show of strength in dealing with terrorism. The problem is that there is nothing of substance behind that show, except maybe for Bezalel Smotrich, who also speaks out in defense of that same new-old policy. Things that we see from here we didn’t see from over there; there’s no point going into the Gaza Strip just now; we’re on the eve of an election; we’ll act after the election; or we just don’t feel like it. That has left hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens being held hostage. A little boy asks his mother to watch over him while he goes to the bathroom. Parents and children who are celebrating Family Day find themselves terrorized by rocket fire. The workers at the Hosen Centers [which provide emergency emotional counseling and support] have continued to beg for their salaries. But hey, people with a criminal record for cannabis use will have their records expunged!