Today’s Top Stories
1. Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom called for a probe of “extrajudicial killings” of Palestinians by Israelis. She was referring to about 130 Palestinians killed mostly while carrying out stabbing attacks, car-rammings, shootings, or in violent street clashes.
Israeli officials across the political spectrum denounced Wallstrom; a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement described her comments as “irresponsible and delusional” and would only “encourage violence and terrorism.”
The diplomatic drama played out as a delegation of Swedish defense and business officials visited to learn how Israel deals with terror.
2. Iran released 10 US sailors who apparently strayed into Iranian waters. The Daily Telegraph live-blogged the affair.
3. The United Methodist Church placed five Israeli banks on a blacklist of companies its pension board will not invest in. According to the New York Times, the five “were among 39 companies from several countries that have been excluded from the pension board’s portfolio for not meeting its Human Rights Investment Policy guideline.”
Israel and the Intifada
• The Israeli Air Force struck a terror cell planting a bomb along the Gaza border.
• Tel Aviv terrorist Nashat Melhem was buried overnight in Arara in what YNet described as a “low key” funeral attended by 80 people. Government officials were concerned that the funeral would escalate into clashes. More at the Times of Israel.
• Bungled headline of the day, courtesy Reuters: You have to read the article to find out that the first Palestinian tried to stab a soldier near Hebron, the second Palestinian was among Bethlehem rioters throwing firebombs at IDF soldiers, and — oops — there’s no mention of a third Palestinian. According to the Jerusalem Post, the third was also killed trying to stab soldiers in the Hebron area.
• I’m glad to see Associated Press pick up on the story of Ayman al-Aloul, the Palestinian journalist who was jailed and tortured by Hamas for more than a week before being released. Al-Aloul is employed by a an Iraqi TV station. Although Al-Aloul says otherwise, how can the experience not effect his work?
But after nine days in jail, al-Aloul says he won’t be writing about politics anymore. He said a painful experience that included beatings and being forced to sit uncomfortably in a tiny chair has made him a “new man” and that he will now focus on less controversial topics like sports, food, literature and fashion.
“I’ve decided not to talk about the general situation anymore,” al-Aloul said in an interview at his home Tuesday, a day after he was released. “The experience I went through was very difficult.” . . .
Al-Aloul said his new reticence would not affect his work as a reporter for an Iraqi TV station, which he described as straight news reporting and not “opinion-making.”
• The Jewish Chronicle reports that British police opened an investigation into someone who called a BBC radio show and made an anti-Semitic rant for 13 minutes. (Here’s a recording.)
The caller, referred to as “Andy from St. Margaret’s”, told BBC Radio London host Simon Lederman that “Zionists” were “trying to control us more and more and more” and that Britain was dominated by “the Jewish financial system”.
A police spokesman reported: “Police in Barnet are investigating an allegation of antisemitism made by a caller to a London Radio talk show on Tuesday, 22 December 2015.
“No arrests have been made. Enquiries are ongoing.”
• Not so great moments in Palestinian unity: Hamas and the PA are still at loggerheads over who should control Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Jerusalem Post coverage.
• A group of Palestinian hackers who go by the name AnonGhost have teamed up with Islamic State hackers (who go by the name Caliphate Cyber Army). The partnership is now called Ghost Caliphate, and, although its latest video threatens Jews and “Crusaders,” the PLO seems more alarmed than anyone else. A PLO spokesman explained why to Newsweek:
“The Palestinian cause embraces universal values of freedom and justice,” Xavier Abu Eid tells Newsweek . “Daesh terrorists have even burnt Palestinian flags. Nobody could support Daesh and the just cause for Palestine’s freedom and independence at the same time.”
• President Obama delivered his last State of the Union address last night. Tovah Lazaroff‘s take is our tweet of the day. ‘Nuff said.
For those who weren't paying attention, Obama didn't mention Israelis or Palestinians in the State of the Union Address.
— Tovah Lazaroff (@tovahlazaroff) January 13, 2016
Around the World
• The first delivery of food and medicine in three months arrived in the besieged Syrian town of Madaya. Aid workers described to Reuters malnourished civilians, especially children “some of whom were little more than skeletons and barely moving.” UN investigators trying to document war crimes are interviewing residents.
• After a Jewish teacher in Marseille was attacked by an Islamic teenager wielding a machete, the Jewish community is torn over whether it’s safe to wear a kippah (skullcap). More on the debate at The Local and the BBC. Meanwhile, a French Jewish politician was found stabbed to death in a possible anti-Semitic attack.
• British aliyah rose 25% last year.
• Spain, Germany, and Greece all dropped legal proceedings against Israeli officials over the Mavi Marmara incident.
• Israeli on Russian train mistaken for Islamic State terrorist by passenger confusing Hebrew with Arabic.
The man, an IDF reservist traveling from Moscow to see his wife and children who were staying with relatives in Cheboksary, was eventually cleared and allowed to continue on his journey, according to the report. The female passenger who reported him claimed to be embarrassed by the mistake and authorities apologized for the mishap.
• As Turkey reaches out to Israel, Jewish groups move to embrace rival Greece.
Commentary/Analysis
• Here’s what else I’m reading today . . .
– Ingrid Carlqvist: Sweden’s walking diplomatic disaster
– Manfred Gerstenfeld: The Associated Press has a clear and dangerous anti-Israel bias
– Elior Levy: Abbas fears an internal intifada
– Dan Margalit: European anti-Semitism is growing
Image: CC BY-NC HonestReporting, Thomas Hawk; Mavi Marmara CC BY-SA Free Gaza movement;
For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream and join the IDNS on Facebook.
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