Today’s Top Stories
1. The International Atomic Energy Agency decided to end its probe of Iran’s past nuclear activities, paving the way for the implementation of the nuclear accord and the beginning of sanctions relief. See Wall St. Journal coverage via (Google News) and Reuters. In Jerusalem, Israeli officials denounced the watchdog’s decision as “political, not practical.”
2. German prosecutors charged two men with “planning a massive act of violence” targeting Israel’s embassy in Berlin. The pair, both of Palestinian descent, were apparently inspired by Islamic State.
3. Egyptian war planes have been using Israeli air space in recent weeks, YNet reports:
The Egyptian aircraft bombed IS targets mere kilometers away from the Israeli border, in the vicinity of El Arish and Sheikh Zuweid in the northern Sinai. Entry into Israeli airspace did not result in any clashes with Israeli planes, presumably because of prior coordination.
4. Media: Palestinian Terror and Israeli Responses Are Morally Equivalent: Are Palestinian stabbings and car-rammings morally equivalent to Israeli counter-measures?
Israel and the Intifada
• Last night, two Palestinians tried to ram their cars into IDF soldiers during an arrest operation in the Kalandiya refugee camp. Both drivers were shot and killed. Yesterday afternoon in Modiin, an Arab construction worker in Modiin attacked his Israeli boss and a Palestinian co-worker with a hammer. Police say the attack was terror, and not criminal.
Also yesterday, a Palestinian woman acting suspiciously was arrested in Jerusalem. She confessed to police she planned to carry out a stabbing attack with a large screwdriver found in her purse.
• The European Union, especially Sweden’s foreign minister, faces a new credibility problem over plans to label products from West Bank settlements. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the EU would appeal a European Court of Justice ruling that annulled a 2012 EU-Morocco trade deal.
The court ruled that the agreement shouldn’t apply to Western Sahara, a disputed, mineral-rich territory that has been controlled by Morocco since 1976. More background at the Wall St. Journal (via Google News). The legal action was taken by the Algerian-backed Polisario Front.
• The PA Minister of Education accused a visiting delegation of Australian politicians of asking “rude” questions to Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah. The Guardian writes:
SBS reported the group had asked the prime minister about the naming of schools and venues after terrorists and education practices, but it is unclear which members had asked those questions.
• YNet picked up on a UN-sponsored conference in Indonesia that accusing Israel “ethnic cleansing” in an official UN press release.
Since Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem in 1967, it had implemented a comprehensive policy to deepen its control over the city by weakening Palestinian presence and ties there. In Jerusalem, a policy of ethnic cleansing was pushing Palestinians out of the city. Since September, the situation had erupted.
By the way, a Ban Ki-moon statement was read at the conference asserting that Palestinian stabbing and car-ramming attacks are “bred from nearly five decades of Israeli occupation.”
• With Israel dealing with Palestinian incitement on social media, a German agreement with Google, Facebook, and Twitter deserves notice.
Germany: Web giants pledge to delete hate speech in 24 hours
Mideast Matters
• According to a confidential UN report seen by Reuters, an Iranian missile test in October violated a UN Security Council resolution.
• As the US deals with protecting itself from Islamic terror, the Washington Post reports that Democrats are worried the Obama administration will lose focus on Iran.
While there are provisions in the deal to “snap back” sanctions if Iran violates the accord, they worry that smaller steps — such as ballistic missile tests in contravention of U.N. Security Council resolutions — could establish a bad precedent.
Around the World
• Argentine prosecutor asks court to reopen investigation of Alberto Nisman’s death. The prosecutor, Raul Plee, accuses ex-president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of covering up Iran’s ties to the AMIA bombing. JTA coverage.
• Why is Hungary building a statue of a World War II-era anti-Semitic politician?
Commentary/Analysis
• Here’s what else I’m reading today . . .
– Ehud Yaari: Hamas and Islamic State: Growing cooperation in Sinai
– Aviva Klompas: Terror’s evil new tenor
– Elliott Abrams: Don’t fold on UNESCO
– Gil Troy: Fair and balanced
– Emily Shire: The creepy anti-Israel dolls for kids
– Eyal Zisser: IAEA: All carrots, no sticks
Featured image: CC BY JD Hancock with additions by HonestReporting; Berlin CC BY-ND Dennis Skley; shouting CC BY-NC-SA truthout/Lance Page adapted from Carlo Nicora, Graham Holliday
For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream and join the IDNS on Facebook.
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