Today’s Top Stories
1. Islamic State claimed credit for twin terror attacks in Tehran as gunmen and suicide bombers stormed Iran’s parliament building, taking hostages, and also the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the spiritual leader of the Iranian Revolution.
According to Iranian reports cited by the Western media, at least 12 people were killed and 39 people injured in the two attacks. Parliament was in session at the time; the siege there lasted about three hours. Iranian officials said a third attack was thwarted without elaborating.
So far, news services like CNN, BBC and wire services stress that the casualty figures haven’t been independently verified or if the number of dead included any of the terrorists.
If confirmed, this would be Islamic State’s first attack in Iran. It’ll be interesting to see if Tel Aviv city hall lights up in solidarity with Tehran like it has for Manchester, Orlando, Egypt, Russia, etc.
Last thing Iran needs now -after Iranians voted for openness- is an excuse for hardliners to securitize the internal atmosphere.#Tehran
— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) June 7, 2017
2. As the Qatari crisis escalated, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir demanded Qatar end its support of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Jubeir added that Qatar was undermining the Palestinian Authority and Egypt in its support of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
“We don’t think this is good. Qatar has to stop these policies so that it can contribute to stability in the Middle East,” he said.
The crisis widened as Jordan, Mauritius, Mauritania, Yemen the Maldives and one of Libya’s three rival governments cut or scaled down relations with Qatar. (UPDATE: Mauritius clarified it has not severed ties with Qatar).
3. Will Qatar sacrifice Al Jazeera? CNN, BBC and UAE-based columnist Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi have me going hmmmmm.
Qatar's Emir first gesture of good will likely be the shutting of Al Jazeera TV network entirely, which could happen in months if not weeks.
— سلطان سعود القاسمي (@SultanAlQassemi) June 5, 2017
Israel and the Palestinians
• Israel may deduct ‘martyr’ payments from funds it transfers to the PA each month, the Times of Israel reports:
The bill, which is on the agenda for Sunday’s meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, would see Israel cut around NIS 1 billion ($285 million) from the tax revenues it collects for the Palestinians and hands over to them — equivalent to the amount that Ramallah pays to terrorists and their families.
• Jordan is considering banning Wonder Woman, with critics emphasizing lead actress Gal Gadot’s previous service in the IDF. Unlike Lebanon, however, Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. Ynet coverage.
• If these jokers had murdered Israelis, they’d be set for life.
Report: President Mahmoud Abbas suspends salaries of 8 Fatah legislators who have been criticizing him.
— Khaled Abu Toameh (@KhaledAbuToameh) June 6, 2017
• US Ambassador Nikki Haley arrived in Israel for a three-day visit. Today, she met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin, and called the UN a “bully.”
• Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn is visiting Israel. Africa News reports that one particular agenda item in Desalegn’s talks with Israeli leaders was his role in helping Israel obtain observer status in the African Union.
Desalegn also met with Israel’s Ethiopian community, and toured Jerusalem’s Old City — including the Western Wall, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
#Ethiopia's PM Hailemariam Desalegn on official visit to Israel. Met with @PresidentRuvi & visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem's old city. pic.twitter.com/A0xmqHkkJt
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 5, 2017
• Palestinians passed up chance to debate Israelis at International Criminal Court’s moot court competition in The Hague, reports the Times of Israel. A team from Birzeit University withdrew rather than debate a team from Hebrew University. The Hebrew U. team eventually finished the competition in ninth place.
“This was in line with the university’s commitment toward the Boycott and Divestment Sanctions Campaign (BDS),” Birzeit said in the press release, which was posted on the university’s website but later made unavailable.
• The Media Line takes a closer look at anti-Israel rhetoric coming out of Jordan.
• Ethiopian immigrants arrived in Israel after an eight-month break in airlifts. The Times of Israel was on hand for some emotional family reunions at Ben Gurion Airport. Airlifts have been stymied by politics, bureaucracy and budget constraints
There are approximately 9,000 Jews in Ethiopia with family in Israel who are waiting to emigrate.
Families waiting for relatives they haven't seen in 13 years pic.twitter.com/0Oh6epCygK
— Melanie Lidman (@melanielidman) June 6, 2017
• Amnesty International‘s marking the 50th anniversary of the Six Day War with a call to Britain to ban imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements. The Independent led the cheerleading.
• Restaurants in the Jordanian city of Aqaba are refusing to serve Israeli vacationers.
Around the World
• Sears department store to pull ‘Free Palestine’ clothing from site amid complaints:
“These items were being sold by a third-party seller via the Sears Marketplace,” said the statement, which was sent to JTA Tuesday afternoon. “Given the feedback we’ve received, they are being removed.”
The statement added that Sears felt it had been “unfairly singled out on this issue,” as similar items are available for purchase from other companies, such as Amazon and Walmart.
• Accusations of anti-Semitism fly as election poster gives Theresa May shiny Star of David earrings.
Labour campaign poster in Bristol. Star of David earrings photoshopped on Theresa May. The word Balfour. Worrying times if you're Jewish. pic.twitter.com/NP3IGmFT83
— Gillian Lazarus (@GillianLazarus) June 6, 2017
• Jewish Chronicle: A 16-year-old Jewish girl beaten up by a gang of youths shouting anti-Semitic epithets was then left bleeding in an Edgware park for hours when police failed to respond.
• British police are treating arson attacks on two kosher restaurants in Manchester as ‘antisemitic hate crimes’
Commentary/Analysis
• In a pair of meaty interviews, the Fathom Journal discussed the Six Day War with Michael Oren and Nidal Foqaha.
• Plenty of commentary examining the Six Day War from various angles . . .
– Yossi Klein Halevi: Still stuck between May and June of 1967
– Tamara Coffman Wittes: How the Six-Day War led to the Arab Spring
– Yohanan Plesner: How Israeli society has changed since the Six Day War
– Michael Oren: How the was safeguarded Israel as Mideast’s democratic anchor
– Lela Gilbert: Remembering a time of miracles
– Sara Yael Hirschhorn: Before the war, these American Jews were leftists — now, they’re Israeli settlers
– Yedidia Stern: How the Six-Day War built a messianic strain still in Israeli politics
– Shibley Telhami: The 1967 war’s effects on Palestinians still reverberate
– Father Raymond de Souza: The Six Days War shaped 50 years of history
– Michael Mandelbaum: 1967’s gift to America
– Hisham Melhem: The Arab world has never recovered from the loss of 1967
– Ghassan Charbel: Ambassadors of the dark
– Dr. Gabriel Glickman: Rewriting the Six-Day War
– Greg Myre: 50 years on, US presidents still seek elusive peace to 6-Day War
– Seth Mandel: The literary left’s anti-celebration of Jerusalem’s liberation
– Jeff Jacoby: Israel’s victory in Six-Day War astonished the world
• Here’s what else I’m reading today . . .
– Amos Harel: As Qatar crisis backs Hamas into a corner, Israel fears another round of violence in Gaza
– Ron Kampeas: Arab countries are turning on Qatar. What does it mean for Israel?
– Gil Troy: Ambassador Haley, the modern Moynihan
– Alan Dershowitz: A new tolerance for anti-Semitism
– Avi Benlolo: Canada must follow Europe’s example and do more to combat anti-Semitism
Featured image: CC BY-NC Roland Scheerer;
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