Winter comes, to Paris and Jerusalem

Two days after the horrific terror attack in Paris at the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, the Hebrew press is still in shock and tries to put the attack into a larger context.

As part of France’s national mourning, the Eiffel Tower was not lit up as it usually is, and that image makes the front page of both Israel Hayom and Yedioth Ahronoth. “Darkness at the Eiffel Tower,” reads Israel Hayom’s headline, while Yedioth Ahronoth goes with the more poetic, “Darkness in the city of light.”

Israel Hayom sent reporter/columnist Boaz Bismuth to Paris, and he writes that “France has awoken to a new reality.” In addition to reporting on the pain and mourning in Paris, he also speaks to the Parisian Jewish community, who tell him that they’re worried. One person told him that he “wasn’t surprised by the attack; there have been signs for the past 20 years that this could happen, but no one did anything to prevent it.”

The paper also includes a report on the two suspects who remain at large — Cherif and Said Kouachi — saying that, from a young age, the two brothers learned to hate. The short article paints a picture of Cherif Kouachi saying that he worked a number of odd jobs, used his money to buy hashish, and even aspired to be a rap star.

However, he became more interested in jihad after the Abu Ghraib torture scandal in Iraq in 2005. During his 2008 trial for attempting to fight in Iraq, he said that he wanted specifically to attack Jewish targets in France.

Yedioth’s coverage is largely devoted to the reaction of the world to the attack. “Europe in shock,” reads the headline; the article continues to tell how French citizens poured into the streets after the attack to proclaim, “We are not afraid.” However, not all reactions to the incident were peaceful: Mosques around the country were shot at and attacked with grenades.

Yedioth also includes a short article on the hundreds of Israelis who, on Thursday, gathered in front of the French ambassador’s home in Jaffa with signs that read, “Je suis Charlie” (“I am Charlie”). Former president Shimon Peres was at the ambassador’s residence for a memorial service, along with other Israeli politicians like Energy Minister Silvan Shalom, Amir Peretz, Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni.

“France is the front line for Europe’s future,” reads the all-encompassing headline on Haaretz to its two pages of coverage. Included is an op-ed by Anshel Pfeffer who writes that France’s security services must wait for the suspects to make a mistake rather than track them down.

The French police have an almost-impossible task in monitoring the thousands of citizens who have returned from fighting in Iraq and Syria. Adding to the challenge is the freedom of movement within the European Union, with millions of people able to enter France without registration. So instead of knowing exactly where the Kouachi brothers are, they must wait for them to make a mistake.

Winter returns

After a brief respite from the winter news, the weather is the other major story in Friday’s papers. While it’s no Arctic blast, Israel is expected to experience its coldest temperatures in years, according to Yedioth. The barometer is expected to reach -1° C (30° F) in Jerusalem and 2° C in Tel Aviv (about 35° F). Schools are again closed in Jerusalem due to the weather, with more snow forecasted. Rain is expected to pound the rest of the country, and already the Sea of Galilee has risen 7 centimeters (2.75 inches) from all of this week’s rain.

Yedioth also gives some pointers on how to deal with the winter weather, such as keep your home heated to 21-24° C (69-75° F); and give infants and toddlers warm clothes, but don’t bundle them up too tightly as they need to be able to move around. And if you have high blood pressure, or have been drinking alcohol — don’t shovel snow.

You would think that this winter weather would cancel outdoor activities, but not so. Israel Hayom reports that the Tiberias Marathon will still take place on Friday, despite the cold and rain. Over 2,000 people are expected to take part in the 38th annual marathon, which is the event’s largest turnout ever.

If the snow prevented you from getting to work this past week, Israel Hayom may be able to help. The paper has a Q&A section for people wondering if they can still get paid for snow days. Short answer: No, but depending on the contract you have with your employer, you may be able to get some pay. Not helping matters, if you were late for work, or left early due to the storm, your employer doesn’t have to pay you for a full day.

More money, more corruption?

The Yisrael Beytenu scandal keeps on going and going, with Haaretz reporting that 450,000 shekels (about $115,000) was found at the home of the Agriculture Ministry’s director, Rami Cohen. Cohen claims that his holding of the money at his home is legitimate and the paper points out that while he in under house arrest, it isn’t for holding the money.

Instead, his house arrest is for actions at the Agriculture Ministry and his ties to Deputy Interior Minister Faina Kirshenbaum and her scandal. Police suspect that Cohen was given the money for his connections with high-ranking Yisrael Beytenu figures.