Today’s Top Stories
1. Israelis came out in the thousands to lay to rest the four soldiers killed in yesterday’s Palestinian truck ramming attack in Jerusalem. The four soldiers were Lt. Yael Yekutiel of Givatayim, Cadet Shir Hajaj of Maaleh Adumim, Cadet Shira Tzur from Haifa, and Cadet Erez Orbach from Alon Shvut. All four received posthumous promotions. Haaretz notes that Tzur and Orbach also held US citizenship.
Another 17 soldiers were wounded, including one in life-threatening condition.
The terrorist’s family lauded Fadi al-Qunbar for the attack and said he wasn’t a member of Hamas and had never served time in prison.
Shir 22, Shira 20, Erez 20 and Yael 20. RIP. pic.twitter.com/r2MRPOWKsx
— Sacha Roytman Dratwa (@SachaDratwa) January 8, 2017
2. As Hamas and Fatah feud over responsibility for Gaza electricity, Palestinians living in the Strip are forced to make due with as little as three hours of electricity a day. The Times of Israel reports rising discontent.
Join the fight for Israel’s fair coverage in the news
3. A journalist’s dogged examination of the 1973 assassination of an Israeli diplomat in Maryland has rekindled the interest of US investigators.
The FBI is re-opening its investigation of the murder of Col. Yosef Alon after reporter Adam Goldman had an unexpected correspondence with Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, the Venezuelan terrorist better known as Carlos the Jackal currently imprisoned in France. Nobody ever claimed responsibility for Alon’s murder.
Colonel Alon was a decorated pilot who had flown dozens of missions in Israel’s 1948 War of Independence and helped found the country’s formidable air force. He had been sent to Washington in 1970 for a three-year stint to help make sure that his country had the most up-to-date military weapons, such as F-4 Phantoms, that Israel needed.
Colonel Alon, 43, a father to three daughters, was killed a month before his tour was to end.
In the News
• In one of his final reports to the UN Security Council before stepping down as UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon expressed concern that Iran may have broken an arms embargo by sending missiles and other weapons to Hezbollah. Reuters got a look at the confidential report.
• Following his death on Sunday, a lot of headlines described former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani as “moderate.” Tweet of the day goes to Sohrab Ahmari, who doesn’t put up with it. Between the Iranian and Western political systems, moderate has vastly different meanings.
https://twitter.com/SohrabAhmari/status/818224657782501379
Other tweets that made me go hmmmm: @FridaGhitis, @MeirJa, @ianbremmer, @AnshelPfeffer, @yaacovlozowick, @nikahang, @mdubowitz, @AssafMoran
• Worth reading: Stephen Pollard unpacks Al Jazeera’s manufactured scandal involving the Israeli embassy in London.
After six months of secret filming, this is all Al Jazeera could come up with – the stupid bragging of two junior aides with close to zero influence.
Commentary/Analysis
• Here’s what else I’m reading today . . .
– Molly Livingstone: 4 dead and my Arab friend says ‘He’s not a hero, he’s a zero’
– Yoav Limor: Copycat terrorism
– Ron Ben-Yishai: Truck ramming attack inspired by Ramallah, imitated Berlin
– Avi Issacharoff: The tensions fueling terror attacks haven’t gone away
– Reuel Marc Gerecht: Israel protects PA from Islamist wave
– Jennifer Oriel: Let’s say goodbye to a UN that hates the free world
– Times of London (staff-ed): Soldier in the dock
Featured image: CC BY-NC Smadar Shilo-Marcus with modifications by HonestReporting
For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream and join the IDNS on Facebook.
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