Are 5 Missing Islamic Jihad Operatives in Israel?

Today’s Top Stories

1. Five Islamic Jihad goons are still missing after Israel destroyed a cross-border tunnel from Gaza on Monday. Ynet reports that they may be in Israel and the IDF’s looking for them.

2. Neutrality is Swiss cheesy:

Switzerland’s Defense Ministry has admitted sending staff to test reconnaissance drones in contested land held by Israel – an embarrassing blow for the neutral European country’s status as an honest broker in the Middle East.

 

Swiss officials visited an airfield in the Golan Heights region on three occasions in 2012, 2013 and 2015 to monitor tests of the Israeli-built Hermes 900 aircraft that they are buying for $265 million . . .

 

The officials’ visits, which lasted several days, took place in an area that Switzerland does not recognize as being part of Israel, as it was seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War.

3. Ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrival in London for celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, UK media reports say that British Prime Minister Theresa May will use the occasion to denounce anti-Semitism masked as Israel criticism:

Mrs May will tell the dinner: “There is today a new and pernicious form of anti-Semitism which uses criticism of the actions of the Israeli government as a despicable justification for questioning the very right of Israel to exist . . .

 

Highlighting the UK’s role in pressing for a new international definition of anti-Semitism, she will add: “Criticising the actions of Israel is never – and can never be – an excuse for questioning Israel’s right to exist, any more than criticising the actions of Britain could be an excuse for questioning our right to exist.

 

“And criticising the government of Israel is never – and can never be – an excuse for hatred against the Jewish people – any more than criticising the British government would be an excuse for hatred against the British people.

At @Number10gov, PM @theresa_may tells @netanyahu: "The UK is proud of the role we played in the establishment of the State of Israel" pic.twitter.com/5FLuxceqkj

— Raphael Ahren (@RaphaelAhren) November 2, 2017

4. Balfour Declaration: State or Homeland? If The Independent is going to opine about the Balfour Declaration’s alleged evils, the least it can do is get the facts right. HonestReporting gets a correction.

5. Spotting Fake News on Israel: HR’s CEO, Joe Hyams, discussed fake news and how to spot it in a podcast with Israel360’s Daniel Seligson.

Israel and the Palestinians

• According to Arab reports picked up by the Israeli media, Israeli jets struck targets in Syria, near the Lebanese border, including an alleged weapons depot. Israeli officials declined to comment. See Ynet for more on the nature of the target.

• The IDF raided a pair of Palestinian workshops in Hebron which manufactured guns.

• If you thought that PA control over the Gaza border crossings would lead Egypt to reopen the Rafah crossing to the free movement of Palestinians and goods, don’t hold your breath. CNN notes:

An Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told CNN that Cairo does not yet have a schedule to resume operations at the Rafah crossing, citing security issues. The official added that the situation will be assessed and a timetable released in due course.

• Does Australian ABC News reporter Sophie McNeill really believe the Palestinians would’ve accepted an Israeli invitation to commemorate the Battle of Beersheva? Participating would’ve been too “normalizing” for Ramallah’s tastes.

Around the World

• Israel’s embassy in Australia protested a Canberra Times cartoon critical of the Battle of Beersheba memorials.

• Student petition to suspend anti-Semitic Rutgers professor gains momentum, as swastika appears on campus

• 4 Jewish things you need to know about Catalonia.

• Rocker Nick Cave faces BDS heat ahead of Tel Aviv concerts

• US Jews have disproportionate influence over politics, says ex-British politician with close Trump ties.

• A trove of declassified Osama Bin Laden documents reveal Iran’s secret dealings with al-Qaeda. The Daily Telegraph writes:

A never-before-seen 19-page document purportedly written by a senior member of al-Qaeda details an arrangement between Iran and members of the group to strike American interests in “Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.”

 

In exchange, Shia Iran offered Sunni militants “money, arms” and “training in Hizbollah camps in Lebanon.”

 

Iranian intelligence facilitated the travel of some operatives with visas, while sheltering others.

Commentary/Analysis

• In the last two days, The Guardian’s op-ed section has attacked the Balfour Declaration with a staff editorial, commentaries by Mahmoud Abbas, Hanan Ashrawi and Yasmeen el Khoudary, plus this cartoon from the poison pen of Steve Bell.

But before you accuse The Guardian of unfairly giving a disproportionate soapbox to the Balfour bashers, Ambassador Mark Regev had a letter to the editor published, so everything’s fair and square, right?

Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph published a letter in support of Balfour signed by more than 100 MPs. And Newsweek reprinted President Reuven Rivlin’s speech marking the anniversary.

• Worth reading on the occasion of Balfour 100 . . .

– Henry Kissinger: Balfour gave hope not just to Jews but to mankind
– Ron Prosor: A century of missed opportunities
– Clifford May: The 100-year-old promise
– Martin Kramer: The forgotten truth of the Balfour Declaration
– Alan Abbey, Benjamin Emmerich: Balfour Declaration: A century old and as disputed as ever
– Zev Chafets: The UK stands up for Israel’s right to exist
– Dan Margalit: The barren efforts to revoke the Balfour declaration
– Seth Lipsky: A crucial step in recognizing Jews’ ancient right to their homeland
– Ruth Wisse: When Britain renewed the promise to the Jews (click via Twitter)
– Aviva Klompas: In a year of anniversaries, it’s time to look forward
– Yuval Rotem: Balfour Declaration centennial honors Jewish peoples’ rights in their ancient homeland
– Daily Telegraph (staff-ed): Jeremy Corbyn shows little sign of accepting Israel’s right to exist
– Times of London (staff-ed) Sixty-seven words

Tom Gross discussed the Balfour Declaration with i24 news.

• Here’s what else I’m reading today . . .

– Liel Leibovitz: Ramming attacks were pioneered by Palestinian terrorists
– Avi Issacharoff: Hamas pragmatism in Gaza handover hints at a new future for the Strip
– Amos Harel: Israel has to Egypt to thank for Hamas not retaliating over Gaza tunnel attack
– Oded Granot: Palestinian unity: Hamas’ Halloween costume
– Alex Benjamin: Palestinian leaders need to have ‘that’ Santa conversation with their people
– Bassam Tawil: Gaza Strip: Breeding ground for radical terror groups
– Bernard Avishai: Why Israeli nuclear experts disagree with Netanyahu about the Iran deal
– David Watson: I’m a student at McGill. Our problems with anti-Semitism are far from over

Image of drone CC BY-NC Israel Defense Forces;