Today’s Top Stories
1. The US has announced that it will cut $200M in foreign aid to Palestinians. While the AP did mention that the Palestinian government spends money on its “Martyr’s Fund” to encourage terrorism, the AP (and much of the media) failed to mention that the amount is $403M annually, more than enough to make up for the $200M withdrawn by the US.
The AP also neglected some critical context: that this move is partly in response to the Palestinian government paying rewards to the killers of Americans, such as Taylor Force, and that the funding cut enjoys wide bi-partisan support from Congress via the Taylor Force Act.
HR’s Daniel Pomerantz debated the topic with PLO executive committee member Mustafa Barghouti on i24 News last March. Here are a few highlights:
2. Senator John McCain has passed. He is remembered as defender of Israel, and a principled hero.
The Jewish people forever remember our friends and will forever remember John McCain. Champion of justice, defender of freedom, hero and patriot, and lover of Zion. I was honored to know and work with him. All Israelis, like all Americans, will cherish his memory and miss him.
— Michael Oren (@DrMichaelOren) August 26, 2018
3. FIFA has banned the head of Palestinian soccer from attending matches for a year for inciting hatred and violence toward Lionel Messi as part of a campaign to stop Argentina’s national team playing in Israel.
Israel and the Palestinians
• Despite pressure from BDS groups, singer Lana Del Rey will not cancel her performance in Israel.
• PM Netanyahu presented the defense cabinet with a budget proposal for the IDF, which entails a significant increase in spending.
• US set to announce it rejects Palestinian “right of return.“ The “right” of return is not actually a legal right but a claim by Palestinians to allow all refugees and all their descendants to settle in Israel.
The administration is also preparing to cap the number of recognized Palestinian refugees at half a million – about a tenth of the UN’s number. Both of these moves are in line with the international standards applied by the UN to all refugee groups in the world other than Palestinians.
For further explanation of the topic see this video we produced:
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Mideast Matters
• The U.N. political chief called on Israel Wednesday to ensure that urgently needed humanitarian supplies for the Gaza Strip are not “held hostage to political and security developments.”
• After US strikes in Syria result in civilian casualties, the world seems to be taking the concept of human shields a little more seriously. The Wall Street Journal points out that Israel has been dealing with this problem all along.
Around the World
• Despite some talk that President Trump was looking to make Israel “pay a price” for the embassy move (in negotiations with Palestinians) national security advisor Bolton says this is not the case.
• Amidst a torrent of claims of antisemitism, British Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn defends saying ‘Zionists’ don’t understand English culture. And speaking of antisemitism, you may notice we are no longer writing it as “anti-Semitism” (with a hyphen). Why? This article from Times of Israel explains.
• Corbyn’s antisemitism just keeps popping up: a Jewish woman asked police to intervene after she was called ‘a piece of s***’ at a meeting hosted by Jeremy Corbyn in Parliament that has been described as “antisemitic.” Among other highlights, one speaker said “Israel go to hell.”
• Jewish delegates at next month’s Labour Party conference will be given bodyguards as fears grow for their safety amid the raging antisemitism that has come to characterize the party.
In addition to the news, there is also a plethora of analysis on Corbyn’s antisemitism this week, here are just a couple options among many: 1 and 2.
Commentary/Analysis
• While many Palestinians support terrorist attacks against Israel, mental health issues or personal distress are the main motivators prompting lone wolf attackers to act and seek a martyr’s death, a study by Israel’s Public Security Ministry has found.
• From Aleppo to Ben-Gurion: a Syrian refugee’s journey to Israel.
• As the Syrian war draws to a close, the real question is what Israel and Iran do now.
• Here’s what else I’m reading today . . .
–Nasrallah Presents Hizbullah’s Perception of Confrontation with Israel – Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Dr. Shimon Shapira
–Facing Reality about the Palestinian Refugees – Alon Ben-Meir
–Hamas Activities in Turkey Against Israel – Omer Dostri
Featured image: CC BY Jon S;
For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream and join the IDNS on Facebook.
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