Today’s Top Stories
1. Never again? While Syrians starved to death, a UN master plan for saving lives was revised by Damascus, allowing Assad to “edit the truth” of the civil war. According to Foreign Policy:
The United Nations, after consulting the Syrian government, altered dozens of passages and omitted pertinent information to paint the government of Bashar al-Assad in a more favorable light . . .
By comparing the final document to an earlier draft that was obtained by Foreign Policy, it is evident that 10 references to “sieged” or “besieged” areas, such as that in Madaya — the town in southwestern Syria that saw 23 people die of starvation over several months before the arrival of a U.N. aid convoy in mid-January — were removed. Gone was any mention of the program to clear mines and unexploded ordnance, such as the “barrel bombs” the regime drops indiscriminately on populated areas. Gone were all mentions of Syrian relief groups that shepherd the aid to civilians in rebel-held areas.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicated that the alterations were made at the behest of the Syrian government.
2. Immigration authorities in Hong Kong apparently intend to deport the controversial French comedian Dieudonne, who was detained at the airport immediately upon arrival.
The South China Morning Post reports that Hong Kong’s refusal was in response to complaints from the Israeli and French consulates. Two of his shows were cancelled as a result. Dieudonne M’bala M’bala is known for anti-Semitic and racist remarks. AFP notes:
Hong Kong’s immigration department said it would not comment on individual cases. However, in a statement in response to questions about the case, it said it was “committed to upholding effective immigration control by denying the entry of undesirables”.
3. Does the closing of Al Jazeera America mark a change in Qatar’s approach to influencing the Mideast? People who talked to Reuters sure think so.
Sheikh Tamim, who succeeded his father Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani in 2013, prefers a different role for Qatar and more conventional forms of “soft power” like trade and investment, diplomats say.
As a result of this, support for the entire Al Jazeera operation, which includes Al Jazeera English and Al Jazeera Arabic, Doha-based but editorially separate entities, is in question, they say.
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Israel and the Palestinians
• A Palestinian stabbed an Israeli at a gas station near the West Bank settlement of Givat Zeev. Bystanders overpowered the teenage suspect. The victim — a 36-year-old man — was hospitalized in serious condition with numerous stab wounds.
• Hoping to identify “lone wolf” terrorists, Israel will invest in technology to gather intelligence on Palestinian incitement on social media. More at the Jerusalem Post.
• Is Hamas recruiting for terror Palestinians with permits to enter Israel? Officials are threatening to shut all border crossings with Gaza.
• Tweet of the day goes to Ahron Shapiro:
ICYMI: Haaretz: Israel had 18-month silent settlement freeze pic.twitter.com/Zay8XTs5Yn
— Ahron Shapiro (@AhronRShapiro) January 28, 2016
Around the World
• ‘It’s just pure hate‘: Philanthropist Paul Bronfman on why he withdrew support to Toronto’s York University over a Palestinian mural.
• Two Jewish schools in Florida were closed for a day after receiving bomb threats. The two schools — one in Maitland, near Orlando, the other Palm Beach Gardens — sent their students home early after a caller told the schools he wanted to hurt as many children as possible, according to Orlando’s WFTV News.
• Ayatollah Khamenei aired Holocaust denial video on international Remembrance Day. Watch the video at MEMRI. More on the story at the Times of Israel.
Commentary/Analysis
• Here’s what else I’m reading today . . .
– David Horovitz: Rather than despair at the awfulness of terror
– Jonathan Tobin: Is It ‘Human Nature’ to Kill Jews?
– Boaz Bismuth: Another UN disgrace
– Harsha Kakar: Why India is getting closer to Israel
– Jonathan Capehart: Show of anti-Semitism at an LGBT conference should bring change
– Gary Rosenblatt: Tough love, times two
– Giulio Maria Terzi: Moderate Iran is a fantasy
Featured image: CC BY-SA tedeytan; Dieudonne via Dieudonné Officiel;
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