Today’s Top Stories
1. PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah survived an assassination attempt this morning. His convoy was rocked by a roadside bomb shortly after entering Gaza through the Erez checkpoint. Hamdallah was accompanied by PA General Intelligence chief Majed Faraj. Neither were harmed, but several security guards and bystanders were lightly injured. Details at Haaretz, Ynet and the Times of Israel.
There were no claims of responsibility for the attack; Fatah holds Hamas responsible while Hamas blamed Israel.
Hamdallah’s visit — arranged months ago — included the opening of a waste water treatment plant and meetings with Hamas leaders on reconciliation, which went on as scheduled.
2. President Donald Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, replacing him with CIA director Mike Pompeo. Take your pick of coverage from the Washington Post, New York Times, CNN and Wall St. Journal (click via Twitter).
It’s not yet clear what the shift means for the White House’s Mideast peace efforts, but Pompeo has a hawkish history on Israel and Iran. Trump also nominated CIA deputy director Gina Haspel for the top job at Spook Central.
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3. According to Turkish media reports, the PA plans to file a complaint at the International Criminal Court in the Hague against Trump and Netanyahu over the president’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Israel and the Palestinians
• The Times of Israel takes a closer look at who was responsible for triggering the violence aboard the Mavi Marmara in 2010. This is in light of Facebook comments by Free Gaza spokesperson Greta Berlin that recently surfaced blaming one of the pro-Palestinian activists, Ken O’Keefe, for sparking the melee by seizing an Israeli commando’s gun. Berlin’s comments were posted to a closed Facebook group called “Palestine Live,” which British activist David Collier unearthed.
The Mavi Marmara was part of a flotilla of ships trying to break the Israeli maritime blockade of Gaza. Ten Turks were killed clashing with Israeli naval commandos aboard the Mavi Marmara, leading to a rupture in Israeli-Turkish relations.
• Israel will broadcast the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Arabic for free, “breaking a Qatari monopoly on World Cup coverage in Arabic that has proved unaffordable for many in the Middle East.” The Jerusalem Post explains:
With Qatar’s BeIN Sports demanding that fans pay $45 per household to watch the World Cup in Arabic, a subscription proving unaffordable for many in the region, millions of Middle East soccer fans are likely to turn to Israeli coverage as a free alternative.
The tournament begins on June 14.
• If you’re wondering about the slow pace of restoring bilateral Israeli-Jordanian ties, it’s because King Abdullah is caught between his government, his people, and regional realities, reports The Media Line.
• Worth reading: The Religion News Service takes a deeper look at the still-festering tax spat between Jerusalem’s city hall and church officials.
Window into Israel
• The Israeli coalition crisis is coming to a head, with the possibility of a Knesset vote tonight on the first draft of a compromise bill on Orthodox army conscription. The legislation is opposed by the Israel Beitenu party and its leader, Avigdor Liberman. Also in the pipeline for tonight is an opposition bill to dissolve the Knesset and go straight to new elections. More at the Times of Israel and a JTA ‘splainer.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders claim Netanyahu is “coordinating” with Liberman in order to go to early elections.
• Jerusalem’s deputy mayor arrested in a new corruption affair. Meir Turgeman, who announced plans to run for mayor in municipal elections in October, was arrested along with five other people on Monday.
Turgeman is suspected of receiving illicit benefits in exchange for promoting other people’s interests.
• For commentary on the domestic scene, see Amnon Straschnov, David Horovitz, Gil Hoffman, Zehava Galon, Herb Keinon and Moran Azulay.
Commentary
• Here’s what else I’m reading today . . .
– Sen. Lindsey Graham: The most unnerving visit to the Middle East in a long time (click via Twitter)
– David Rothkopf: Trump’s abrupt new romance with Kim leaves Netanyahu hurting, and stranded
– Elliott Abrams: US “National Security Leaders” adopt the Palestinian narrative
– Yossi Melman: Will Israeli Arab youth be tempted to join ISIS in the Sinai?
– New York Daily News (staff-ed): No more pay-to-slay: Pass the Taylor Force Act to curb terror
– Melanie Phillips: Labour can’t see its cesspool of antisemitism
Featured image: CC BY-SA Johnny Silvercloud; Pompeo via YouTube/C-Span; World Cup CC BY Wikimedia Commons/Danilo Borges;
For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream and join the IDNS on Facebook.
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