Everything you need to know about today’s coverage of Israel and the Mideast. Join the Israel Daily News Stream on Facebook.
Today’s Top Stories
1. Uh-oh: A UN peacekeeping official confirmed to the Times of Israel that Syrian rebels stole a number of their vehicles, including “at least two sophisticated armored personnel carriers.” What could troublemakers do to Israel with these babies? Use your imagination:
The RG-31 Nyala is a South African-made, mine- and IED-resistant eight-metric-ton behemoth capable of carrying up to 10 men, and has a price tag of approximately $670,000, according to analyst estimates. According to a Canadian news report from 2005, the Nyala is “virtually indestructible” and is “designed to be able to resist two simultaneous blasts from anti-tank mines.”
2. Jerusalem Post: A terrorist responsible for the deaths of 38 Israelis was appointed adviser to Mahmoud Abbas. Hussein Fayyad was a commander of Fatah terrorists who carried out the 1978 Coastal Road massacre. With 38 Israelis killed and 71 injured,it was the deadliest Palestinian terror attack to date.
3. Study confirms more politically correct left-wing groupthink at the BBC. The Daily Mail explains:
The BBC gives too much weight to pro-immigration voices and ‘almost totally ignores’ the negative social impact of multiculturalism, a new study has claimed.
The corporation suffers from left wing ‘groupthink’ that prevents its journalists from challenging institutional bias and results in pro-immigration ‘propaganda’, according to the research published yesterday.
It was also accused of downplaying’ violence by Islamists while being happy to criticise Christianity and report on the activities of other violent extremists.
See the New Culture Forum’s full report (pdf format).
Israel and the Palestinians
• Daily Telegraph: Israel’s chief peace negotiator, Tzipi Livni, made some frank, politically incorrect, observations about Mahmoud Abbas and his ability to deliver peace:
Addressing foreign diplomats and journalists, Mrs Livni – who also serves as justice minister in Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet – likened any agreement with Mr Abbas to a signed cheque on an empty bank account because he does not control the Gaza Strip, which is run by the Islamist Hamas movement.
She also acknowledged doubts over Mr Abbas’ legitimacy in the West Bank – which his Fatah movement controls – because he has not held elections for several years.
• Israel’s ready to re-engage the UN Human Rights Council, reports the Times of Israel.
• Headline of the Day:
Dutch province wants Israeli tech, BDS be damned
• For commentary/analysis of the peace process, see a NY Times staff-ed, and Matthew Kalman — who sees parallels between John Kerry’s shuttle diplomacy and the bankruptcy of the pioneering Israeli electric car company, BetterPlace.
- Austria to withdraw its Golan peacekeepers if Britain arms Syrian rebels.
- IDF jeep “captured” in Qusair came from a Hezbollah museum.
- International forces in Jordan drill for Syrian intervention.
