News Update - November 18

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http://www.centerpeace.org ** Israel and the Middle East News Update ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Wednesday, November 18 ------------------------------------------------------------ Click here for a printer-friendly version. (http://centerpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/November-18.pdf) Headlines: * Arabs in Israel Fear Outlawing Islamic Movement Is Just the Beginning * Israel Versus Europe, Blocking Action Against Labeling * U.S. Ambassador to Israel Warns Against ‘Bi-National Outcome’ * Jewish, Arab Birthrates in Israel Now Almost the Same * Netanyahu Hints at Annexation of the West Bank * Likud MK: Jordan, Israel Can Fight ISIS Together * Israeli Arabs Planned to Join ISIS * IAF Commander: Israel Will Continue to Eliminate Regional Threats Commentary: * Ma’ariv: “Misunderstanding Arab Israelis” - By Alon Ben David, Senior Correspondent, Israel Channel 10; Aviation Week * Ha’aretz: “What Israel Must Do About ISIS” - By Merav Michaeli, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Member, Knesset ** Ha'aretz ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Arabs in Israel Fear Outlawing Islamic Movement (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203508) Just Beginning ------------------------------------------------------------ The decision to outlaw the Islamic Movement’s came as no surprise to the Arab community; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers have been pushing for a long time. But the decision’s timing and the perceived motives behind it have lit warning lights in Arab society as a whole. They believe that the outlawing is persecution intended to blame the government’s security-related and diplomatic failures on the Islamic Movement, which has been waging the “Al-Aqsa is in danger” campaign for over a decade under the watchful eye of law enforcement. Anyone who knows politics in Arab society knows full well that the Islamic Movement does not act randomly; every one of its institutions and actions is closely overseen, all in accordance with Israeli law. See also, “Erdan: Benefits Outweigh Risks in Islamic Movement Ban” (Arutz Sheva) (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203538#.VkyAnt-rTfY) ** Yedioth Ahronoth ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Israel Versus Europe, Blocking Action Against Labeling ------------------------------------------------------------ Israel is fighting back in response to the decision of the European Commission to label goods made beyond the Green Line. The political echelon has decided on a series of measures against 16 of the 28 member states of the European Union, which urged the EU foreign affairs chief last April to move ahead with the labeling. This refers to Britain, France, Spain, Denmark, Ireland, Croatia, Malta, Holland, Sweden, Portugal, Slovenia, Italy, Luxembourg, Austria, Belgium and Finland. See also, “EU MP: Labeling Decision a Mistake” (Arutz Sheva) (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203530#.VkyCJt-rTBI) ** Jerusalem Post ------------------------------------------------------------ ** US Ambassador to Israel Warns Against ‘Bi-National Outcome’ (http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/US-ambassador-to-Israel-warns-against-bi-national-outcome-434502) ------------------------------------------------------------ U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro addressed the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference on Wednesday warning that inaction on the Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic front could potentially lead to a "bi-national outcome" threatening Israel's future as a Jewish, Democratic state. Shapiro said that the prospects of a two-state solution were discussed earlier this month between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. "We're realistic to recognize that a two-state solution won't occur during the remainder of the Obama administration," Shapiro said. "We may not even get to a situation where we have negotiations." ** Times of Israel ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Jewish, Arab Birthrates in Israel Now Almost the Same (http://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-arab-israeli-birthrates-almost-even-out/) ------------------------------------------------------------ Over the past decade, the birthrates among Israel’s Jewish and Arab populations have come close to parity, a far cry from the major gap recorded a decade ago, according to figures released by the Central Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday. At the end of 2014, data showed that, on average, Jewish Israeli women could be expected to give birth to 3.11 children, compared to 3.17 children among Arab Israeli women. At the beginning of the 2000s the figures stood at 4.3 children on average for Arab Israeli women and just 2.6 for Jewish Israeli women. See also, “New Report Shows Dramatic Birth-Rate Shift: Arab, Jewish Fertility Rates Practically Equal” (Algemeiner) (https://www.algemeiner.com/2015/11/17/dramatic-birth-rate-shift-in-israel-arab-and-jewish-fertility-practically-equal/) ** Times of Israel ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Netanyahu Hints at Annexation of the West Bank (http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-hints-at-possible-annexations-in-west-bank/) ------------------------------------------------------------ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at the possibility of an Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank. “There’s all sorts of unilateral moves and sorts of directions. Wait and see. And they’re not necessarily in the direction that people think,” he said, refusing to elaborate. Netanyahu first raised the notion of unilateral steps last week, when asked about plans to prevent Israel from becoming a binational state. “Unilateralism…I supposed that’s possible too, but it would have to meet Israeli security criteria and that would also require broader international understanding than exists,” he said at an event in Washington (http://www.timesofisrael.com/pm-unilateral-w-bank-pullout-possible-i-suppose-if-security-conditions-met/) . Later, his aides clarified he was referring to unilateral steps to improve Israel’s position on the ground—not unilateral withdrawals in the West Bank. ** Arutz Sheva ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Likud MK: Jordan, Israel Can Fight ISIS Together (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203541) ------------------------------------------------------------ The best way to fight ISIS, according to Druze MK Ayoub Kara (Likud), is for Israel to ally itself with other countries in the area that are trying to keep the Islamist terror movement at bay. And the best country in the region to ally with, said Kara, is Jordan. This, despite the ongoing anti-Israel comments (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203052) , resolutions, praise of terrorists and other actions taken by Jordanian government officials against Israelis in recent months. “Strengthening ties with Jordan is the best answer to the ISIS threat,” said Kara on Tuesday. ** Ynet News ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Israeli Arabs Planned to Join ISIS (http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4727587,00.html) ------------------------------------------------------------ Seven residents of Jaljulia, an Israeli Arab town near Kfar Saba, were arrested for planning to join and fight for the Islamic State in Syria, the Shin Bet revealed Wednesday morning. Seven residents of Jaljulia, an Israeli Arab town near Kfar Saba, were arrested for planning to join and fight for the Islamic State in Syria, the Shin Bet revealed Wednesday morning. Salah was also a resident of Jaljulia and on the same night of his flight, Shin Bet and police operatives arrested two of his brothers for aiding him in his successful attempt to reach Syria. See also, “Shin Bet Arrests Five Israeli Arabs Planning to Join ISIS in Syria (Ha’aretz) (http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.686826) ” ** Jerusalem Post ------------------------------------------------------------ ** IAF Commander: Israel to Continue Eliminating Regional Threat (http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/IAF-commander-Israel-will-continue-to-eliminate-regional-threats-434501) ------------------------------------------------------------ The Israeli Air Force will continue to eliminate threats as it sees fit, Major General Amir Eshel, Israel Air Force Commander, said during The Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference on Wednesday. Eshel was referring in his speech to "the whole spectrum of regional threats and organizations along Israel's border". He explained that the main instability in the region is caused by Shiites organizations. "They may have global aspirations, but for now they are primarily a regional issue, even though events like the attack in Paris shows they want to operate worldwide". ** Ma’ariv – November 18, 2015 ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Misunderstanding Arab Israelis ------------------------------------------------------------ By Alon Ben David The decision to outlaw the northern chapter of the Islamic Movement reflects a misunderstanding of the streams in Arab Israeli society and very little thought and judiciousness. Precisely at a time when the Islamic Movement is on the decline and the Arab Israeli public is keeping its distance from the conflict with the Palestinians, along comes this decision and again raises the status of the Islamic Movement while uniting the Arab public around it. The Islamic Movement is indeed an anti-Israel organization that is responsible for a good part of the incitement relating to the Temple Mount, which ignited the current wave of terrorism. But whereas in its good days the Islamic Movement was able to bring tens of thousands of demonstrators to its rallies, today it can barely bring 10,000. Traditionally, and up until a few weeks ago, the GSS’s position was that it would be wrong to outlaw the Islamic Movement. The GSS officials explained that it was better to monitor a movement whose activity was open, and that it had sufficient capability to cope with the members involved in incitement or in other illegal activity. For years, the GSS also explained that the Islamic Movement, like the Muslim Brotherhood, had its basis in providing public services: kindergartens, youth clubs, frameworks for the elderly, and of course, mosques. Anyone who wants to weaken it has to compete with it in doing the same: instead of an Islamic kindergarten, it must provide a state kindergarten, one that has all the equipment and furnishings. You can count on the parents to know which kindergarten to send their children. But the politicians wanted to do something, and the GSS adjusted its position to them and provided them with an opinion that made it possible for them to outlaw the Islamic Movement. As of yesterday, we saw how the Arab public, all at once, rallied behind the Islamic Movement and glorified it. And this happened precisely at a time that the Arab public in Israel had taken a few steps back from the violent conflict with the Palestinians. True, two terrorists came from among the Arab Israelis, but in the main, the public feels more solidarity with the trend of integration as exemplified by Nazareth Mayor Ali Salam, rather than with the factionalism and incitement of Sheikh Raed Salah. If anyone thinks that outlawing the Islamic Movement will end its activity, they should think again. As of yesterday already, the Islamic Movement’s website had another name and obviously it will find a way to get around the new legislation. Spirit cannot be put behind bars and faith is not uprooted by means of laws and regulations. Alon Ben David is an Israeli television and print journalist. He has been covering Israeli military affairs for more than 25 years for Israeli and international media outlets and is currently senior defense correspondent for Israel Channel 10 and Middle East correspondent for Aviation Week. ** Ha’aretz – November 18, 2015 ------------------------------------------------------------ ** What Israel Must Do About ISIS (http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.686719) ------------------------------------------------------------ ISIS well understands that the Internet and social media have become key in the battle for hearts and minds. By Merav Michaeli It was the Islamic State’s 9/11. Far fewer wounded, fortunately, but in terms of the effect – the shock, the magnitude of the strike and its symbolism, the precise planning and production, the creativity and operational capability – it was 9/11. ISIS has shown over the past few months, as former CIA chief David Petraeus said six months ago, that the greater threat to the West today is not Iran but ISIS. Iran is a state. Its regime has men and women for whom it is obligated to care. ISIS has no obligations to anyone. The term “military deterrence” is meaningless when it comes to this organization. That does not mean that ISIS does not have to be dealt with by military means. It certainly does. Moreover, the difficult decision has to be made to launch a ground operation to take over the oil fields of which ISIS has taken control, which are the main source of its economic power, and to liberate the cities and villages where it holds women prisoner and tortures them, and forces men to fight with it. But ISIS draws its greatest power from its amazing ability to enlist forces. This ability stems from the canny use it makes of the Internet in general and social media in particular. ISIS has created a kind of live, ongoing Hollywood series – a fantasy of adventure and excitement, heroism and justice, reverberating effects and of course, success and victory. This is how it enlists more and more young men (and a few young women, too) who do not really understand what they are getting into, but on the computer, and especially in light of their hopeless lives, it looks tempting. The Western world must understand that social media are a key battlefield for ISIS and so it is there – in the digital world, in the arena of hearts and minds – that a key portion of the battle against it must take place. Every war is a war for hearts and minds, but in this particular war they are a particularly significant component. And you don’t change minds only by military means. Minds can be changed by diplomatic means – in this case, by intensive work on the Internet battlefield. New and creative thinking is needed here about how to operate on the Internet. Western countries must understand that this is not just a “platform”; it is a weapon, most of which is in their hands. After all, it is not the Muslim world that invented YouTube and Facebook and a good many of the servers through which these networks operate; the Western world did. Creative psychological efforts must be invested in this battle. The fact must be internalized that the Web is not just an important intelligence tool – it is an active means of fighting to change hearts and minds. To wage this battle, a large, strong, well-organized coalition must be formed that closes ranks around the decision to fight tooth-and-nail for the core values of civilization, which place human beings, not God, in the center. This battle must be led by faith in human rights, not metaphysical directives. It must be a coalition that resolves to fight for the values of liberty and equality, even if it does not always have fraternity within itself. This coalition must aspire to include Arab countries that fear ISIS and want to root it out, perhaps even more than we do. But it should also take advantage of the timing, and turn the crisis into an opportunity to draw a clear line and make unequivocal demands: Saudi Arabia cannot continue funding reactionary Muslim education in various countries, which lays the groundwork for molding ISIS members. Qatar cannot go on giving them money. This is an opportunity to cause these countries to understand that they cannot have their cake and eat it too. Israel must also decide whether it is part of this coalition, because to participate it is not enough to warn of the dangers of ISIS and cooperate on intelligence. Israel must decide whether it wants a border with a country that can become a partner in the coalition against ISIS or whether it wants to live without a border alongside a hothouse for ISIS terror. The Shin Bet security service continues to note that the source of Palestinian terror is despair and frustration on a personal and national level. If we do not move ahead toward an agreement that resolves the Palestinian problem, the frustration and despair will lead to assistance to ISIS terror across the border. Netanyahu, as usual, is busy creating a false impression and propaganda that presents a parallel between Palestinian terror and ISIS, although he knows well that it is not the same terror. But if Israel continues to insist on leaving the situation in the territories as it is, it is with its own hands establishing ISIS terror and the responsibility for that is Netanyahu’s. Today more than ever, ISIS is turning an agreement with the Palestinians into an important strategic component of Israel’s security. To be part of this war against ISIS, part of the Western world, part of this coalition, Israel must move forward on a political agreement with the Palestinians. Merav Michaeli is a member of the Knesset for the Zionist Union. She is Chair of the Caucus for Female Knesset Members, and is a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. ============================================================ S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace 633 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20004 For comments, please contact us at ** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . ** www.centerpeace.org (http://www.centerpeace.org) 2015 S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, All rights reserved. YOU ARE RECEIVING THIS EMAIL BECAUSE YOU SIGNED UP FOR OUR NEWS UPDATES. ** unsubscribe from this list (http://centerpeace.us7.list-manage2.com/unsubscribe?u=232a4a45176fccacab865e520&id=929d521884&e=a7f9100a75&c=ca69bc3533) ** update subscription preferences (http://centerpeace.us7.list-manage1.com/profile?u=232a4a45176fccacab865e520&id=929d521884&e=a7f9100a75)