The Headlines: Jews will have to take loyalty oath
> Netanyahu has decided that the proposed loyalty oath for naturalized citizens, to Israel as a “Jewish and democratic” state, will also apply to Jewish immigrants. Previously, the proposal was intended for non-Jews only. This revision seems unlikely to sway opponents, while perhaps producing new types of resistance (from ultra-orthodox parties).
> Israel will commemorate today Prime Minister Rabin, assassinated in 1995 by an extreme right-winger, because of his involvement in the Oslo accords with the Palestinians. 15 years later, few young Israelis remember the circumstances (Yedioth) and some in Rabin’s own party (Ma’ariv) want to move away from his commemoration.
> The director of the Interior Ministry was arrested and is facing corruption charges.
The Sidelines: Who wants peace
> The negotiator on Israel’s behalf refused to accept a document from the Palestinian side regarding “core issues” (such as borders, Jerusalem, refugees), despite the fact that these were supposed to be the issue under negotiation (Ha’aretz).
> Netanyahu doubts the Palestinian leaders’ desire for settling the conflict (Yisrael Hayom).
> The Palestinians are planning to ask the UN Security Council to rule that all settlements are illegal under international law.
> A new bill will require that certified tour guides hold Israeli citizenship. The bill is meant to outlaw Palestinian tour guides from East Jerusalem, because they do not represent Israel’s national interests in the best way. Under the present law, one such guide has already been disciplined for severely criticizing Israel while guiding a tour.
> The chief of staff refuses to allow other officers to testify before the Israeli committee investigating IDF response to the Gaza flotilla.
> A soldier was sentenced to five month in prison for stealing money during the Gaza flotilla raid.
> A bill that would slightly stiffen reporting requirements on NGOs that receive funding from foreign governments passed another hurdle [Heb] in the Knesset (IH). It is unclear whether the final version of the bill will include reporting requirements for private donors from abroad, or whether it will remain in its current form, which clearly targets and discriminates against human rights organizations.
> The pathological institute is once again accused of egregiously mishandling the departed’s remains.
> Defense Minister Barak’s (Labor) wife is willing to pay a fine for employing an illegal migrant worker, but it may be too late to end the investigation that way.
> Netanyahu is supporting a bill that would require a Knesset chair to wait for two years before running for the (largely ceremonial) presidency. This is payback for the current chair, and member of his own party, Reuven Rivlin, for standing up to him on issues ranging from parliamentary independence to the loyalty oath bill (Ha’aretz).
> A judge was severely reprimanded for making anti-gay comments.
> The government opposes a bill that would increase transparency and regulation of a government committee which decides which medical services will be covered under the National Health Insurance Law (Yisrael Hayom).
> Construction companies accuse the government of doing nothing to stop rising housing prices, because it benefits from higher tax revenues (Ma’ariv, Asakim).
> The army will no longer be able to dismiss female officers because of their pregnancy. Other employers are already prevented from doing so (Yedioth).
> A new mobile library will serve the Negev Bedouin (Yedioth, 24 Hours).
The Bottom Lines: Settler Violence
> Settler violence during the Palestinian olive harvest is the worse in years, according to IDF sources. Maybe it has something to do with the facts that destruction of Palestinian trees has gone completely unpunished for the past five years (97 complaints, 0 indictments)? (Ha’aretz).
> A settler that was gravely injured by the police during an illegal protest against the demolition of an illegal outpost will receive a 110,000$ in compensation (Ma’ariv).
