Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 16/14 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 1.-15. Oktober Die Themen dieser Ausgabe 1. Schokopudding-Kampagne.............................................................................................................................. 1 2. Schweden und GB planen Anerkennung Palästinas........................................................................................ 3 3. Netanyahu in Washington................................................................................................................................ 5 4. Medienquerschnitt............................................................................................................................................ 6 1. Schokopudding-Kampagne Vor drei Jahren entfachte die Preiserhöhung für Hüttenkäse die Massenkundgebungen für soziale Gerechtigkeit in Israel, diesmal könnte es ein Schokopudding sein. In Berlin kostet ein„Milky“, so das israelische Synonym für Schokoladenpudding mit Sahne, nur die Hälfte, in manchen Läden sogar nur ein Drittel vom israelischen Preis und viele andere Lebensmittel genauso. Die FacebookGruppe„Olim le Berlin“, frei übersetzt:„Wir ziehen um nach Berlin“, lockt zum Wegzug aus der teuren Heimat und löst damit eine heftige Debatte aus . Detached in Berlin (…) No one who has tried to understand the prices paid so that the Jewish people can have a state of their own-- no one who asks where they came from, who they are, and where they are headed-- would ever think to build a home on top of Gestapo basements and spend their Saturdays sailing on the Wannsee lake. No matter how much a Milky pudding costs at the corner market. The Berlin trend presents us as a society with questions: What leads young Israelis to give up life in Israel so easily, and why is it so important to a certain group of them to encourage others to do the same? The answer, which should worry us a great deal, is a broken identity, the identity made up of a connection between our memories of the past and our ambitions for the future. When a person's memories are about himself alone, his ambitions are only for his own future. When a person's memories extend beyond his life back to his grandparents and the memories shared by his community and people, his ambitions are also broader and more inclusive.(…) Almost all our holidays are days of memory, but when these holidays are drained of their content, and Hannukkah, rather than stressing the miracle of a great battle against evil, is reduced to children's festivals and doughnuts, or when Independence Day is nothing more than a family barbecue, it's no wonder that the memories and culture of young Israelis are left without meaning or power. If memory is culture, forgetfulness and ignorance are the opposite of culture. Unfortunately, forgetting and ignorance rule the lives of too many of the young generation and lead them 1

to detachment and narrow horizons. The drifters in Berlin are a chance for us to ask ourselves where we are headed. Amichai Shikli, IHY, 13.10.14 You've left Israel, now leave us alone Tell me, dear emigrants, what are you really interested in? Starting a new life, or giving the old life the finger? Turning over a new leaf or angrily crumpling the old leaf? Leaving Israel for a better future, or in order to wallow in a past which will always look – from the top of your cheap shopping cart in Berlin – worse? Because really, the most amazing thing in the current phenomenon of leaving Israel is the emigrants' inability to leave, to actually leave. To move on without looking back in anger. The Israelis who are leaving now may be leaving with their body, but they are insisting on leaving their tormented soul behind. They are angry and they are throwing it at us.(…) let's conclude that we all envy you. You managed to escape. Your chocolate pudding is cheaper than ours, okay? Now will you leave us alone and move on with your new life? Don't worry about us; we'll start a new life in our graves. Raanan Shaked, JED, 12.10.14 The Milky way (…) Consumer goods, food and housing prices are more expensive in Israel than in Berlin and other cities in Europe and America and salaries tend to be lower.(…) much remains to be done by our go vernment to make Israel a more affordable, attractive place to live. Young people who have already emigrated or are thinking about it need to know that they will get a fair shot at succeeding here. Too much of personal advancement in Israel depends on whom you know, not how much talent you have. Meritocracy has to replace the culture of protekzia (connections). We need to revamp the public sector so that the most talented – not those with ties to the strong labor unions, politicians and senior bureaucrats – are chosen to serve the public. We need to put in place mechanisms in our education system that reward the best teachers and make it possible to fire the worst teachers.More needs to be done to improve competition and reduce the tremendous amount of economic power that is concentrated in the hands of a relatively small number of companies and families. The regulator must get involved where monopolies or oligopolies keep prices artificially high. And where necessary, the regulator must be given more power and autonomy to fight for fairer competition.(…) The vast majority of us are not contemplating emigration. Our families and friends are here, so are most of our business contacts. We feel comfortable with Israeli culture, we want to live among Jews, we would feel alien living anywhere else, and we have chosen to tie our destinies with that of the Jewish people. But it would be a mistake to take for granted – or take advantage of – the fact that most of us are here for better or for worse. We have an obligation to improve the socioeconomic situation here in relation to other Western countries. (…) Editorial, JPO, 06.10.14 Berlin'exodus': Social protest lite (…) Some Israelis long to settle in Berlin, or to go there and have a good time. That is their own affair. Most of them are imbued with a strong Israeli selfawareness, a sociological matter that awaits study. As opposed to Germany, Israel has a kibbutz mentality. Social control is the mode of existence. Now the gigantic gossiping herd is tut-tutting in online comments and Facebook posts to the tune of the media’s flute. When“yerida,” leaving Israel, was taboo, they even left New York’s large Israeli expa triate community alone. The collective tut-tutted and shut up. The era of the taboo is over. Nothing real may be said because everything may be said. The taboo on Germany has also vanished, so they do a little“Berlin panic.” Food really is inexpensive there, though in Israel that is another worn-out balloon of protest, a lighter version of a taboo- breaker.“Sens ational news.” Lots of doing nothing over the Internet. “Milky sanctions,” protest-lite, sponsored by the state channel. We are leaving for Berlin, threatens the oedipal pro test slogan:“Dad, Mom, you’re yucky. If you don’t give us a good life, we’re lea ving.” Lapid and Netanyahu, alas, do not care about missing young people – or about the empty city squares in Israel. Yitzhak Laor, HAA, 15.10.14 2. Schweden und GB planen Anerkennung Palästinas Am 5. Oktober kündigte Schweden als erstes EUMitglied eine Anerkennung des Staates Palästina an. Kurz darauf sprach sich auch das britische Parlament für die Anerkennung Palästinas aus. Allerdings ist das Ergebnis für die Regierung nicht bindend. Die Entscheidungen stehen im Zusammenhang mit dem Stillstand im israelischpalästinensischen Friedensprozess. Israel und die USA warnten stets vor einseitigen Schritten. Die 2

Gründung eines palästinensischen Staates könne nur Ergebnis von Friedensverhandlungen sein, heißt es in Jerusalem. Annoying, but worth listening to (…) We shouldn't fret too much about resolutions that call for the establishment of"Palestine."(…) what matters is how this effects day-to-day foreign policy.(…) That Britai n is a force to be reckoned with is an established fact. Unlike some unimportant Latin American countries, it does not seek to bully Israel. And despite the similarities on the question of Palestine, it should not be compared to Sweden, who has only moderate influence on European policy. Britain is on a league of its own. That is why whenever Westminster makes a controversial move, however small, this generates concern among Israeli policymakers.(…) Israel should keep calm and carry on. It should not attribute this resolution to the rising numbers of Muslims in the kingdom(although this claim is not unwarranted). Israel should not speak ill of the world's first parliament. The U.K. has been a good friend, and the benefits of the bilateral relations are undeniable, despite occasional disagreements. Israel should make sure its response is polite, in British terms. Rather than just making its case, it should listen to the sound of the Big Ben, which can often serve as a harbinger of a historical shift. Only the merits of the resolution should be rejected, not Britain itself.(…) Dan Margalit, IHY, 15.10.14 The UK vote (…) the very fact that a major Western European nation’s parliament has granted Palestine diplomatic recognition could result in a snowball effect. Had the vote gone the other way, those politicians in Britain and elsewhere, who insist on a negotiated settlement that includes a Palestinian commitment to end the conflict and who believe that unilateral recognition of Palestine only makes Palestinians more intransigent and violent, would have been strengthened. Passage of the motion, in contrast, legitimates the position that Israel is to blame for the conflict and that Palestinians are the weak side, in need of international support for their cause. Admittedly, this position – that Israel is the aggressor in this conflict and the Palestinians are its victims – is gaining popularity in Europe.(…) It goes something like this: Land lies at the heart of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians – specifically Israel’s“occup ation” of the West Bank and Gaza. If Israel were to give up its control over this land, the conflict would come to an end. Therefore, if Britain and other nations were to coerce Israel to retreat by unilaterally recognizing Palestine within the 1949 Armistice Lines, they would bring about an end to the conflict. However, this reasoning is wrongheaded(…). The truth is though that if Palestinians had put their support behind leaders because of their ability to build, not because of their reputations as fighters; if they had demanded a government free of corruption that protected the rights of Palestinians, instead of one that glorifies terrorists and incites against Israel; if they had insisted on moving on with their lives instead of dwelling on a narrative of self-victimization, there would have been peace long ago. It is not too late for them to change course. But by recognizing “Palestine” as it is now, Britain’s parliament is choos ing(…) to unfairly place the blame for the conflict on Israel’s shoulders while ignoring the Pa lestinians’ role in perpetuating it. Editorial, JPO, 10.14.14 It’s the settlements, stupid (…) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is right. He’s right to argue that viable Palestinian statehood can only be achieved through negotiation and compromise with Israel. He’s right to worry that giving an independent Palestine full sovereignty in the violent, unstable Middle East exposes Israel to potential existential threat.(…) Netanyahu’s right(…) to stress that Hamas remains avowedly committed to the destruction of Israel.(…) Netanyahu’s right, if not to equate Hamas with Islamic State, then certainly to underline their common perversion of religion, disrespect for human life, and brutality.(…) Netanya hu’s right about all of that, and it just doesn’t matter. Because as the latest installment of Israel’s debilitating dispute with its essential American ally underlined, as the new Swedish government’s d eclared policy confirmed, and Monday’s British House of Commons debate hammered home, those vital arguments don’t resonate the way they need to in the Western world. They are not merely overshadowed, but sometimes eclipsed, by the issue of settlements. Their credibility is undermined by the issue of settlements. And thus crucial support for Israel is eroded by the issue of settlements. Even some of its best friends are falling deaf to Israel, to an Israel with l egitimate, existential concerns.(…) Netanyahu is also right to argue that each time a Sweden promises recognition for Palestine, or a British parliament urges such recognition, they reinforce Palestinian maximalist positions on the parameters of such a state, and thus stave off a successful resolution of 3

Israeli-Palestinian two-state negotiations. But an ever-growing proportion of the international community just doesn’t care about that anymore, so fed up is it with the constant expansion of settlements. For how, runs the subtext, can Netanyahu credibly protest against unilateral pro-Palestinian political activity, how can he expect to be heeded, when his Israel is unilaterally remaking the facts on the ground? David Horovitz, TOI, 14.10.14 A note to the Swedes There are those who argue that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas represents an"irreplaceable, one-time opportunity." They assert that if Israel signs a peace agreement with the"rais"(president), this would obligate the Palestinians for all time. But anyone monitoring the situation in Judea and Samaria can see that support for Hamas, Abbas' rival, is skyrocketing, and that the prevailing sentiment favors the annihilation of Israel. In order for peace to be made, the sides must desire it. If a peace agreement was signed with Abbas, not even his sons would honor it. They say that the demand for right of return for Palestinian refugees under U.N. Resolution 194 is still valid.(…) The rais refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state because of his obligation to the"neglected" Israeli Arabs, and his plan to destroy and flood the"apartheid state" with Palestinians under U.N. Resolution 194.(…) Abbas is a partner in a government that is planning and attempting Jewish genocide. He is currently part of a unity government with Hamas, which is committed to killing every last Jew as per Chapter 7 of its charter, and has been working for years to murderously fulfill this commitment. Even now, after Hamas was defeated, Abbas refuses to lend his hand to demilitarizing the Gaza Strip in spite of the Oslo Accord obligations. When Abbas asked the West to help him boycott Israel and seize a chance to establish a Palestinian state without peace negotiations he quoted the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish:"We Palestinians suffer from an incurable disease called 'hope.'" All signs point to this"hope" being hope for Jewish genocide and the extermination of Israel. Dr. Reuven Berko, IHY, 6.10.14 Stockholm's syndrome (…) Sweden is not alone. It is only a trailblazer. European countries may very well follow its lead, one by one. Of course, they are likely to sound equivocal statements along the way, very much like Sweden. Two steps forward, one step back. There are multiple factors that contributed to this European posture: Muslim immigration; a lack of understanding when it comes to Hamas and al-Qaida and their extremism and Israel's conduct. Israel is partially at fault because it has often demonstrated a lack of sensitivity when it comes to its policies in Judea and Samaria. The government can hunker down or show some flexibility, but it must always be cognizant of the sentiment on the world stage and the court of public opinion. Dan Margalit, IHY, 06.10.14 An enemy by any other name (…) Many have expressed shock and ‎ confusion over the fact that Sweden's new center-left government has ‎ decided to recognize the state of Palestine, thus making it the first major ‎ European country to do so. But those of us who are familiar with Sweden's political ‎ landscape know that this move has been a long time coming. ‎ The now-ruling Social Democrats are a party with a long history of proPalestinian and ‎ anti-Israeli sentiments and a seemingly never-ending flexibility toward anti‎ Semitic attitudes within the flock: from former Prime Minister Olof Palme's ‎ close friendship with Yasser Arafat and his comparisons between Nazi ‎ Germany and Israel to the infamous Malmo Mayor Ilmar Reepalu's anti‎ Zionist policies.(…) The Swedish decision to reco gnize the state of Palestine may seem like a ‎ thoughtless stunt from a land of little consequence, but it speaks to a larger ‎ trend with grave consequences for us all. As the anti-Semitism of yesterday ‎ dresses up as the anti-Zionism of tomorrow, the latter gains political ‎ momentum to do what the former never could. The coalition of cial ‎ Democrats, Greens and the Left Party was elected not in spite of ‎ these policies but because of them. They are now not attempting a coup but ‎ merely fulfilling a promise. Annika Hernroth-Rothstein, JPO, 07.10.14 Swedish mistake Stefan Löfven, Sweden’s recently elected prime minister, did not waste time.(…) Taking a pro Palestinian stand fits well with Swedish society’s tendency to avoid public conflict and strive for unity. The vocally pro-Zionist movement in Sweden is minuscule. The pro-Palestinian camp, made up of leftists and the fast-growing Muslim community, is much larger. Also, many Social Democratic constituents are pro-Palestinian. Recognizing a Palestinian state resonates with Swedes who tend to see the Palestinians as an oppressed minority.(…) By re cognizing a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 Ar4

mistice Lines, Sweden and other nations are taking sides in a complicated and protracted conflict. The EU, the US and most countries of the world support the right of the Palestinian people to selfdetermination. They maintain consuls-general in Ramallah. The details of a peace agreement must, however, be agreed by the sides in an atmosphere of mutual recognition. Both sides must undergo a process of reconciliation. Forcing an agreement on them would simply set the stage for the next conflict. (…) If Löfven goes ahead with his plan, Sweden would be the first major European country to follow in the footsteps of the Soviets. That would hardly be befitting Sweden’s liberal, tolerant ideals. Editorial, JPO, 5.10.14 3. Netanyahu in Washington US-Präsident Barack Obama traf Anfang Oktober zum ersten Mal seit dem Scheitern der israelischpalästinensischen Friedensverhandlungen im März mit Ministerpräsident Benjamin Netanyahu zusammen. Obama kritisierte Israels Entscheidung für den Aus- und Neubau von Siedlungen in Ostjerusalem. Er appellierte an Netanyahu, eine Friedenslösung voranzutreiben und neue Tragödien, wie den Gazakrieg im Sommer, zu verhindern. Netanyahu zeigte sich vielmehr besorgt über das iranische Atomprogramm und warnte vor vorschnellen Lockerungen der Sanktionen. Obama has given up on Netanyahu (…) Obama chided Netanyahu for Israel's decision to increase its construction in south Jerusalem. "What is your vision for peace?" the president asked angrily."Such acts only cast doubt on Israel's desire for peace." It had to be said, not only because the American government is opposed to construction in the territories, but also because for Obama it was a slap in the face. It was barely hours before the meeting, initiated by the Prime Minister of Israel, that the White House learned that the Netanyahu government had approved further construction. At the bottom line, Obama, like the advisers surrounding him, has been freed from any illusions he might have had regarding Netanyahu. The president has recently been heard to say more than once that Bibi has not disappointed him given that he really had no expectations of him. Obama knows Netanyahu is not interested in reaching a peace agreement that will end the occupation, and there is no connection between his rhetoric about a commitment to the two-state solution and his willingness(or rather, unwillingness) to actually do something to ad vance this vision.(…) Both leaders realize that they cannot change one another. But now they just have to sail the ship together somehow. Orly Azoulay, JED, 3.10.14 Netanyahu´s U.S. trip reveals the damage he caused to Israel´s standing (…) Netanyahu’s r emarks at the start of the meeting, in which he paid lip service to his continued commitment to a two-state solution, were of no avail. Given his government’s policy – which is partly reflected in the construction of this new neighborhood of Givat Hamatos, whose goal is to prevent any possibility of dividing Jerusalem – nobody can seriously believe any longer that Netanyahu wants to resolve the conflict.(…) One after the other, the masks are being torn off. Netanyahu is not(and apparently never was) aiming for a two-state solution; his actions prove it. And the world, including the United States, is losing patience in the face of Israel’s policy of deception and its failure to propose a ny alternative. Granted, America continues to support Israel automatically, both diplomatically and militarily, but the damage caused by Netanyahu’s policies keep growing and they will ultimately sabotage the practical aspects of Israel’s relationship with Washington as well. A government that is suspected by the UN secretary general of committing war crimes and whose policies are termed poisonous by the White House is a government that is doing enormous harm to Israel. Editorial, HAA, 03.10.14 Obama and Netanyahu's new Middle East Judging from the little that has emerged from the meeting, both leaders are convinced a new Middle East has emerged. It may be totally different than the transformation former President Shimon Peres envisioned in his book, but it is nonetheless a new reality. It is also a more dangerous region, one that presents a common enemy to Israel and the moderate Arab states that accept the U.S.'s leadership. But this is a high-risk, high-reward situation. Perhaps this is what Netanyahu was referring to when he talked about the need to"think outside the box." But Netanyahu must realize that thinking outside the box would not keep the Palestinians out of the peace process, as their future depends on it. The latest round of talks may have ended but that does not preclude further negotiations. Perhaps former cabinet minister Yossi Beilin was right when he said 5

that this dead end could produce a feasible interim agreement.(…) Dan Margalit, IHY, 01.10.14 Home-grown lies (…) Why does an Isra eli leader have to apologize for the fact that Jews are constructing homes in their capital, and this, after an Israeli organization took the effort to snitch on its government? Yes, I know, it is an unspeakable crime to have Jews build in their own capital. Have we gone mad? The U.S.'s reaction was hardly a surprise. It was also ridiculous. Of course, the murderous forces of destruction in our region stopped everything they were doing so that they could listen to what the U.S. State Department had to say: that having Jewish settle in east Jerusalem would"poison the atmosphere." Mr. Obama, you have got it all wrong. The world waited 2,000 years for the Jewish people's return to Zion. This has served America's interests as well. Fighting Islamic State is only one way to make this region less turbulent. The other, and the most consistent method, involves helping this return to Zion and helping the Jewish people consolidate their presence in their eternal capital.(…) As for the"Jewish settlement" in the predominantly Arab neighborhood of Silwan-- do I need to remind you that this is the biblical City of David? I can't think of any other place on earth where Jews' rights on the land are greater. (…) Dror Eydar, IHY, 03.10.14 4. Medienquerschnitt Über die Geberkonferenz zum Wiederaufbau der zerstörten Häuser im Gazastreifen und die Notwendigkeit neuer Verhandlungen Rebuilding Gaza, not Hamas (…) As unlikely as it may seem, the post-Protective Edge era could see a reinvigorated Palestinian Authority and a weakened Hamas. It is not beyond the realm of possibility, despite the slim chances of that scenario. But is there anyone out there who genuinely believes Hamas will let Abbas monitor its activities in Gaza?( …) Israel's contribution should be in the form of a moderate, reconciliatory and cautious policy that would encourage Abbas to return to the negotiating table and abandon his anti-Israel campaign at the U.N. and his efforts to take Israel to international tribunals and have it boycotted. Israel must make it clear that the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip tops its humanitarian concerns and that providing such relief would serve both sides. But this should not involve renewed rocket attacks on the Gaza-area communities and then on Tel Aviv, nor should this enable Hamas to dig more tunnels that would let it attack Israeli kibbutzim. The conference's success depends on Egypt. Just how far is it willing to go to make sure Hamas does not capitalize on the world's generosity? For the sake of Gazans, Abbas should make sure Hamas' leaders-- former Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Mashaal-- are sidelined. Kerry has an important role to play. He should make Abbas pressure Hamas and the unity government to embrace the Quartet's conditions for a new round of talks. If Kerry fails to do that, he should make it abundantly clear that the Palestinians are to blame for the stalled peace process. If Kerry fails to initiate a peace process to complement the donors conference, the funds will go to waste. Dan Margalit, IHY, 12.10.14 Zur Frage der Relevanz einer Zweistaatenlösung Israeli binationalism is old news It’s a judgment-day weapon: the binational state. The left warns against it as if it were a national disaster, a near- holocaust; the right, meanwhile, won’t even recognize it as a possibility.(…) For nearly all Israelis, binational is the end of the story.(…) It’s hard to believe how the denial and repression machine succeeded even in this – in depicting the binational state as being in the future. Around six million Jews and nearly five million Palestinians(Israeli Arabs and West Bank Palestinians) live under one government, in one state, and it’s not binational? (…) For 47 years it has been totally binat ional.(…) It is true that Israel has never dared to formally annex all its occupied territories and to extend civil rights to its non-Jewish inhabitants. But that does not make it any less binational, and the claim to be temporary has long since expired. True, there is a shocking gap between the rights of the two nations, but that too doesn’t make it any less binational. A Palestinian in Hebron and a Jew in Tel Aviv are subject to the same government, even if that government is democratic for the Tel Avivian and dictatorial for the Hebronite, and even if the former government is civilian and the latter military. The source of its authority is the same: The Jewish government in Jerusalem decides the fate of both. The Palestinian Authority has less freedom of action than a regional council. (…) Any further discussion of two states is nothing 6

but a way to kill even more time, in order to further entrench the occupation. With more than half a million settlers and zero trust, it’s a lost cause. Israelis, Palestinians and the world must draw their conclusions from this. The only question still open is what kind of state it will be: a binational democracy, or binational with an apartheid regime.(…) Gideon Levy, HAA, 05.10.14 Zur ungerechten Verteilung öffentlicher Ressourcen für Stadt- und Regionalverwaltungen Time to share the wealth in Israel (…) Dimona and the Tamar Regional Council are a fine example of the distorted way in which the state distributes municipal wealth. Tamar occupies an area of 1.7 million dunams – 10 times the area of Dimona, which has twice the amount of people. Included in the regional council are factories(…), beaches, tourist attractions and hotels, and Tamar rakes in municipal taxes to the tune of NIS 80 million a year – annual income of more than NIS 60,000 per resident. Neighboring Dimona's income from municipal taxes is just NIS 1,600 per resident. Most of the workers at the factories and hotels attached to Tamar are Dimona residents; in other words, the Dimona residents are contributing to the generation of this wealth by the regional council, but are excluded from the bursting coffers.(…) This intolerable discrepancy with respect to the allocation of incomegenerating land and assets does not exist in the Negev alone, but all throu ghout Israel.(…) This e xtreme divide is the result of an indifferent government policy that condemns citizens from various communities to a life of structured inequality. How is it that such a distorted policy can be so openly implemented for so many years? It all started with Labor Party precursor Mapai's land politics, which gave preference to agricultural settlements over development towns; and the Likud picked up the baton in choosing through its long years in power to perpetuate this absurd distributi on.(…) And Gideon Sa'ar? Well done to him for taking a little from two wealthy regional councils to give to very poor municipal authorities; bear in mind, however, that because of this supplement they are set to receive, the Interior Ministry in the future will be reducing the grants they currently get. In other words, what the Interior Ministry has arranged for them today, the Interior Ministry will take back from them tomorrow. Yael Tzadok, JED, 2.10.14 Zu Ebola und IS ISIS is pandemic Two viruses have simultaneously attacked the globe: One is Ebola, the other is the Islamic State group, otherwise known as ISIS.(…) There is no other choice, the virus needs to be terminated.(…) This time, the victim was a British citizen from Manchester, Alan Henning, 47. A cab driver by trade and father of two. Henning was in Syria after having heeded the call of his friend Kasim Jamal, a Muslim cab driver also from Manchester, who suggested that Henning act on his kindness and love of the Arab world by volunteering for a humanitarian organization as a truck driver. Henning had been inside Syria four times. Four times he volunteered his time to help the people there.(…) British Prime Mi nister David Cameron was appalled at the beheading of yet another British national."Anyone in any doubt about this organization can now see how truly repulsive and barbaric it is," he said. And to think that the world allowed this organization to grow in strength in such a short period of time before finally waking up: Since the end of 2013, ISIS combatants have conquered strategic cities like Fallujah, Raqqa and Mosul. They have seized control of one-third of Iraq and Syria. They have recruited countless volunteers from across the globe to their ranks-- even from faraway Indonesia-- and there are currently thousands of Europeans fighting at their side. ISIS is extremely adept at utilizing online social media. Not only do they know how to commit suicide, they also know how to fight. Ebola is a rare disease, infamous for its high death rate of between 50 and 90 percent. The virus known as Islamic State does not give a person even the slightest chance of survival. Boaz Bismuth, IHY 5.10.14 Das israelische Erziehungssystem und Schritte zur Privatisierung Outsourced away: Israel's education system The Israeli education system is parceling out its assets and its responsibilities, and the vacuum it has left behind is being filled by private organizations, some of them commercial enterprises, using the method of“putting patches on patches.”(…) The privatization of the educational system could have led to better achievement, higher efficiency and budgetary savings. But the way it is being carried out today, at the same time the Education Ministry shirks its responsibility and commitments to students and parents – the damage is greater than the bene7

fits. In general, parents pay more and in return they receive educational services on a lower level from contract worker teachers employed under disgraceful conditions.(...) Editorial, HAA, 6.10.14 Über die palästinensische Einheitsregierung und Probleme bei der Umsetzung False display of unity Whatever the solution to the conflict may be, Israel has an interest in there being a single Palestinian ruling body.(…) the establishment of the Palestinian unity government earlier this year was good news, and it would be a mistake for Israel to boycott or cut off ties with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas over this.(…) But there is a catch. The Palestinian"consensus government" was established without solving the serious disagreements between the two main Palestinian political movements: the nationalist one and the Islamist one. The issue of the payment of salaries to security personnel in Gaza, a"technical" problem that almost seems fit for adjudication in a labor court system, could flare up at any moment. These are 17,000 people, affiliated with Hamas, who are, in effect, a militia hostile to the Palestinian Authority and Fatah. Another problem, even more fundamental, is Hamas' insistence on retaining its arms and ammunition.(…) If Hamas remains effectively in control of Gaza, under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority, this is a false display of unity, stemming entirely from the budget problems in which Hamas finds itself mired.(…). Yossi Beilin, IHY, 14.10.14 HAA= Haaretz JED= JediothAhronoth/ Ynetnews JPO= Jerusalem Post IHY= Israel HaYom TOI= Times of Israel GLO= Globes Veröffentlicht im: Oktober 2014 Verantwortlich: Dr. Werner Puschra, Leiter der Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Israel Redaktion: Susanne Knaul Judith Stelmach Homepage: www.fes.org.il Email: fes@fes.org.il 8