Today’s Top Stories
1. Islamic terrorists struck France, Tunisia, and Kuwait this weekend, killing a combined 66 people. The French suspect, Yassin Salhi, was allegedly involved in an anti-Semitic attack in 2012.
2. As the deadline for the Iranian nuclear talks ticks down to June 30, press reports say negotiators will indeed stay past the date. Significant obstacles remain for negotiators in Vienna, especially inspections, sanctions relief, and political challenges from key players. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Mohammed Javad Zarif, flew back to Tehran for instructions and is expected to return on Monday.
ABC News and NBC News lay out where the talks stand. So does Matt Lee, in far fewer words.
3. According to Haaretz, the Gaza flotilla is down to one ship after Greek authorities ordered two of the boats to turn back for undisclosed reading. The Marianne, a Swedish vessel, is expected to reach Gaza’s coast on Monday night or Sunday morning.
4. Your Weekend Headline Fail: Either AFP doesn’t take headline writing very seriously, or someone at this French wire services wants to demonize Israel.
Israel and the Palestinians
• The Times of Israel picked up on New Zealand media reports on Wellington’s latest efforts to push Mideast peace forward.
• To Israeli ire, the Vatican signed a formal treaty with “the state of Palestine.” New York Times coverage.
• Lt. Col. Peter Lerner clears the air about today’s sirens in the Golan.
• It would be one thing if Dutch Socialists shot down a feel-good sister city arrangement between Amsterdam and a settlement. But members of the Amsterdam city council blocked an effort to twin the Dutch capital with Tel Aviv, which is very much inside the Green Line. The JTA adds that the Socialists rejected a compromise twinning Amsterdam with Tel Aviv and Ramallah.
• Prisoner dies in PA police custody in Bethlehem
• Turkey condemned Israel’s deportation of several Turkish journalists and NGO workers who were denied entry into Israel at Ben Gurion Airport. Reuters explains why Israel turned away seven of the nine Turks:
An official from Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, said those denied entry were suspected of having links to Hamas . . .
• Here we go again: Workers at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs are going to start work sanctions to protest poor pay and working conditions. According to YNet, here’s what this means for you:
Foreign Ministry employees in Israel and abroad were instructed by the union to stop sending communications, issuing passports, offering political and administrative assistance, and more.
• Gaza may be without cellular phone service after Hamas moved against the strip’s only mobile phone service was accused of tax evasion.
• Truth is stranger than The Onion. I’m not making this up.
Mideast Matters
• Iranian-Americans set up lobbying arm to counter pro-Israel groups
• The US State Department issued its annual report on human rights around the world. Iran doesn’t come out looking so good. More at the Washington Post.
• How Iranian oil tankers keep Syria’s war machine alive
New Bloomberg analysis of tanker movement suggests Iran has sent about 10 million barrels of crude to Syria so far this year—or about 60,000 barrels a day. With oil prices averaging $59 a barrel over the past six months, that’s about $600 million in aid since January.
• The threat of Iranian missiles is proving to be a windfall for US defense contractors. Foreign Policy reports that the Gulf States are opening their wallets, especially for missile defense systems.
• The Christian Science Monitor looks at the impact of a nuclear deal on world oil prices.
• Looks like The Guardian discovered terror. Funny how the T-word’s never used when Israelis are victims . . .
Commentary/Analysis
• Assad and Hezbollah are inciting the Golan Druze, hoping an incident will draw Israel into the Syrian civil war. Although Golan Druze ambushed an IDF ambulance and lynched an injured Syrian, Israel was smart enough to stay out, argues Tony Badran.
• Over at The Guardian, Saeb Erekat whines that the EU is breaking its own rules by maintaining good relations with Israel.
• Former European Parliament member Struan Stevenson on Iran developing inter-continental ballistic missiles, which the White House conceded last year should be left out of a nuclear deal:
History has repeatedly demonstrated that countries that wish to undertake the vast expense and risk the international criticism of developing intercontinental ballistic missiles do so because they intend to arm their missiles with nuclear warheads and become nuclear powers. The Iranian missile programme makes no military, political or economic sense unless viewed in this context. Signing a nuclear pact with Iran on 30th June would therefore be a major mistake, which could have fatal consequences for countries in the zone and for world peace.
• Here’s what else I’m reading this weekend . . .
– Robert Fulford: What’s Israel supposed to do? Ask the UN for help?
– Yonah Bob: PA war crimes charges aren’t really about Gaza
– Giora Eiland: Being right about the Gaza war report isn’t enough
– Melanie Phillips: Time to call out NGOs aiding UNs Israel pogrom
– Benny Avni: UN charges Israel with war crimes — is the US next?
– David Makovsky: The key to averting another Gaza war? Egypt
– Bassam Tawil: Behind the French “peace initiative”
– Guy Bechor: Is France betraying Israel in favor of Qatar?
– Calev Myers: Expose UNRWA’s absurdity
– James Acton: Iran needs to come clean with what, not why
– Ray Takeyh: How to Promote Human Rights in Iran
Image: CC BY flickr/Mo Riza; typewriter CC BY-NC-ND flickr/Allen Skyy
For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream and join the IDNS on Facebook.
