Today’s Top Stories
1. Despite the absence of diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates, Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev may accompany Israeli judokas at an upcoming tournament in Abu Dhabi. According to Israeli media reports, “Regev’s attendance at the event is contingent upon the necessary security arrangements being made by the Shin Bet security agency and the UAE.”
The competition kicks off on October 27.
2. Hamas’ Gaza strongman, Yahya Sinwar granted his first interview to an Israeli paper, Yedioth Ahronot. Ynet and La Republicca published excerpts of the Q+A with Italian journalist Francesca Borri. Both papers will publish the full interview tomorrow. Coincidentally or not, Sinwar was also extensively profiled by the the Daily Telegraph in a 3,200-word piece worth reading. Here’s the key snippet drawing the most buzz. Draw your own conclusions.
Why did you decide to give this interview now, to an Israeli newspaper no less?
Because now I see a true opportunity for change . . . .
A new war is in no one’s interest, certainly not our interest. Who really wants to confront a nuclear superpower with four slingshots? War doesn’t achieve anything.
Meanwhile, the IDF sent reinforcements to the Gaza border as Palestinian clashes have intensified in recent weeks.
3. Per the JTA, “French authorities reportedly have suspended their insistence on special labeling for West Bank products following a lawsuit alleging that the practice is discriminatory.”
Join the fight for Israel’s fair coverage in the news
In the News
• Qatar agreed to finance fuel for Gaza’s sole power plant:
Gaza now gets around four hours of electricity a day. The Qatari aid, estimated to be tens of millions of dollars, aims to raise the average to eight hours a day.
• Ynet reports that the pollution from burning tires during Palestinian border clashes is creating health risks that Israel can’t ignore:
Residents of Kerem Shalom, and particularly young children, have been suffering from breathing difficulties and vomiting caused by the burning tires smoke.
Representatives of the Environmental Protective Ministry arrived at the community several days ago to carry out several air quality monitoring tests, finding unusually high levels of air pollution both outside homes and inside them . . .
Some of the air pollution is also caused by the crowd dispersal measures the IDF uses against the Palestinian rioters.
• German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visited continued with talks with Israeli leaders, a wreath-laying at Yad Vashem, and an honorary doctorate at Haifa University. More at the Jerusalem Post. On a related note, Minister of Finance and Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz discussed sanctions on Iran and Israeli-German relations with Globes.
• Israel is likely to extend the secrecy of some Independence War documents for 20 more years. Haaretz explains why:
The extension is intended to prevent the exposure of intelligence sources and methods that are still in use today by security forces. The archives also include information that was received from foreign sources under the condition that it would not be released . . .
• Worth reading: The Christian Science Monitor takes a closer look at Palestinian participation in Jerusalem’s upcoming municipal elections. Voters in cities and regional councils across the country go to the polls on October 30.
• “Political leaders in Britain’s Labour Party have been informed by legal counsel that their party’s leader, Jeremy Corbyn, could be hit with U.S. sanctions for his multiple dealings with the terror group Hamas, according to a copy of a U.K. legal review obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.”
• NASA signed a deal with Israel Space Agency for the Jewish state’s first lunar mission.
• The number of women in senior IDF roles continues to climb.
• By royal order, Morocco will introduce Holocaust studies into the country’s education system.
• Bottom story of the day: Thai sex hotel sparks Jewish outrage with bizarre Nazi-themed room decorated with swastikas and huge murals of Adolf Hitler overlooking the bed.
Commentary
• Here’s what else I’m reading today:
– Ron Prosor: Why didn’t we stop funding UNRWA years ago?
– Sean Durns: Once again, the media whitewashes antisemitism around the world
– Ron Ben-Yishai: Iran’s strike in Syria is a warning to the West and Gulf states
– Richard Landes: Revisiting Netzarim Junction and the birth of fake news
– Dave Rich: Jeremy Corbyn has lit a fire of Jew-hate that is now beyond his control
Featured image: by Unsplash/Jean Gerber; Sinwar via YouTube/AP Archive; tires via YouTube/RT; moon CC BY-NC Emmanuel Huybrechts;
For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream and join the IDNS on Facebook.
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