Today’s Top Stories
1. A cease-fire in southern Syria near the borders with Israel and Jordan went into effect today. The deal was brokered by the US and Russia and got a cautious Israeli endorsement. According to media reports, Jerusalem and Amman had been consulted by both Washington and Moscow over several months to allay concerns that Iran will try to set up a permanent presence along the border. Various cease-fires in Syria failed to take hold. The Jerusalem Post explains the theory behind this one:
The ceasefire for southern Syria is meant to keep all forces pinned to their current positions, said Jordan’s government which participated in the talks.
This would prevent further advances by forces under Iran’s command, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia.
More at AP and the Times of Israel.
2. The UN Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passed a resolution declaring Hebron’s Tomb of the Patriarchs to be a Palestinian world heritage site endangered by Israel. In a secret ballot, 12 countries approved the resolution while three opposed and six abstained.
The Times of Israel explained Israeli anger especially at the not-so-secret voting process. Ynet reported that one Arab ambassador astonishingly apologized to Israeli Ambassador Carmel Shama-Hacohen for not voting against the resolution over the ballot’s lack of secrecy. Haaretz explained what happens next:
The resolution that was proposed by the Palestinians includes two main clauses. The first asserts that Hebron’s Old City and the Tomb of the Patriarchs are Palestinian heritage sites, and will be registered as such in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The second asserts that the two sites are to be recognized as being in danger, meaning that each year UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee will convene to discuss their case.
Israel responded by cutting $1 million from its UN funding to build a museum of Jewish heritage in Hebron, and advanced plans for a tourist center with historical displays in the City of David, just outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City. Two other “Palestinian” world heritage sites are Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity and the stone terraced landscape of Battir.
Seth Frantzman lays out five reasons the UNESCO vote matters.
The #Jewish people's glorious history in #israel started in #Hebron.No @UNESCO lies and FAKE HISTORY can change that. Truth is eternal????
— Emmanuel Nahshon (@EmmanuelNahshon) July 7, 2017
3. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the deadliest attack on Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai in two years. On Friday, 26 soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing and ambush near the Gaza border town of Rafah. Israeli officials, per the Times of Israel, claimed four of the terrorists were former Hamas members. Asharq al-Awsat adds:
If the reports that Palestinians participated in the attack were true, Hamas will be in hot waters especially after it had pledged to monitor the borders. In addition, Egyptian army’s reports that extremist members from Gaza were part of attacks against Egypt will be confirmed.
Sources close to the matter in Gaza stated that despite intensified measures taken by Hamas, some extremist members are able to leave Gaza and join ISIS in Sinai.
4. Sky News Misleads on Hebron Holy Site: The Tomb of the Patriarchs was built by Muslims? Really?
5. Do Israel Supporters Promote Anti-Arab Hate Crimes? Shame on James Zogby for plumbing the depths of a baseless smear.
6. HR Success: Newsweek Apologizes, Retracts Two Biased Articles: Israel is Israel, and it no longer backs Al-Qaida-allied jihadists in Syria.
Israel and the Palestinians
• Jerusalem Post: Gaza sewage forces closure of Israeli beach.
With dwindling electricity supplies unable to power the Strip’s already meager wastewater treatment infrastructure, raw sewage is flowing not only through the channels in Gaza, but also to the Israeli beaches of Ashkelon and the Nahal Hanun riverbed.
• I know Hebron’s important to Islam, but I’ve never seen it ranked up there with the three holy cities of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Yet The Independent‘s Bethan McKernan writes:
The city is regarded as the second most important site in Judaism, and one of Islam’s four holy cities.
Thanks to UNESCO and papers like The Independent, it won’t be long till Tel Aviv, Haifa, Tiberias, Beersheva, Ashkelon, and Eilat become part of Islam’s top 10 list of holy cities.
• South Africa’s ruling party wants to downgrade the country’s embassy in Israel to an “interests office.” The move came at the African National Congress’ national policy conference, the Times of Israel reports:
Anti-Israel activists celebrated the move, while Israeli officials shrugged it off as a political policy recommendation that may never actually be implemented by the government.
• Reuters takes a closer look at the improving ties between Hamas and Egypt and their implications for Palestinian politics. The Guardian does likewise, with more emphasis on the role of Mohammed Dahlan, the PA’s former Gaza strongman.
• Holland’s Prime Minister slammed Israel for dismantling solar panels in a West Bank village. The Dutch government provided $600,000 for the panels, which were put up without Israeli permission in the village of Jubbet al-Dhib.
In recent years, Israel has cracked down on illegal Palestinian structures funded by the European Union. Under the Oslo Accords, Israel is responsible for administration and security of Area C of the West Bank, where Jubbet al-Dhib is located. In 2015, the Daily Mail exposed how EU funding for the illegal structures violated international law.
• Jordan Valley farmers hit back at BDS
• According to French media reports picked up by Ynet, Iran is building two missile factories in Lebanon, and they’re said to be 50 meters underground to protect from Israeli airstrikes.
• Good news: There’s 13 percent more gas off Israel’s shores than previously thought. More at UPI.
• Poland to buy US Patriot system with Israeli-made missiles. You read that right.
Poland demanded the Israeli interceptor missile, which was developed with Raytheon and is marketed in the world under the name “SkyCeptor,” because of its better performance compared to the American Patriot interceptor and its considerably lower price, which stands at only 10 percent of the price of the American counterpart—$450,000 compared to $4.5 million.
• Just wait till the boycotters see this tidbit from Cycling News.
The 2018 Giro d’Italia will start in Jerusalem and become the first Grand Tour to begin outside of Europe, Cycling Weekly has learned . . .
The plan is for a Giro big start based around the holy city of Jerusalem. After a possible time trial to kick off the race on May 5, it would continue with two road stages, one to the south, and one possibly ending in Tel Aviv.
Around the World
• Jewish Chronicle: In a UK House of Lords debate, peer and former BBC chairman Lord Michael Grade blasted his former channel’s news service for “anti-Israel bias.”
• Mennonite Church USA voted to divest from companies it says benefit from “Israeli occupation” of the Palestinians.
• I suppose scheduling gay pride events on Jewish holidays is a more polite, way of keeping offensive Jewish stars away from LGBTQ events like one coming up in Durham, North Carolina, right?
NC Pride organizers apologize over Yom Kippur conflict
• London mayor calls on UK home secretary to fully ban Hezbollah. Move comes in response to Hezbollah flags flown at recent Quds Day rally. More at the Jewish News.
• British police are investigating a Muslim activist who claimed London’s Grenfell Tower fire victims were murdered by Zionists. Nazim Ali, a director of the Islamic Human Rights Commission was speaking at an Israel-bashing Quds Day rally days after the massive fire.
At least 80 people were confirmed killed in the conflagration; police say the final death count may not be known for months.
• Former Australian Prime Foreign Minister Bob Carr has been quietly pushing the Australian Labor Party to adopt more pro-Palestinian positions. The Australian takes a closer look in articles one and two, along with related analysis and background.
• A documentary taking a critical look at the avid Israel-bashing of former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters was overdue. The Observer picked up on journalist Ian Halperin‘s soon-to-be-released video, Wish You Weren’t Here. There’s a trailer on YouTube, though I had problems with the sound quality.
In preparation for the documentary, Halperin interviewed leaders in the South African anti-apartheid struggle. They found Waters’ comparison to Israel offensive and demeaning to their people’s suffering.
“I’ve met Mandela,” said Halperin. “I’ve met all the leaders who fought to liberate South Africa. Waters doesn’t know what he’s talking about. South Africans are insulted by his claims. You can argue with some of Israel’s policies, no problem. But to call for a universal boycott of Israel is deplorable, baseless and unfounded. It’s an anti-Semitic attack.”
Commentary/Analysis
• The Syrian ceasefire’s on my mind . . .
– Seth Frantzman: Who wins and loses from Syrian cease-fire deal?
– Zvi Bar’el: Israel will have to live with Russian dominance on its border
– Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi: Israel’s relations with the Syrian rebels: An assessment
• Plenty of commentary to chew on from the Israeli and Indian press over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit.
– Raphael Ahren: Modi visit shows Israel can improve foreign ties even without a peace process
– Khinvraj Jangid: Ideological convergence, not just business, drives India-Israel ties
– Palki Sharma Uphadhyay: Israel and India’s not-so-secret friendship
– Sadanand Dhume: India gives Israel a firm embrace (click via Twitter)
– Ron Kampeas: Here’s why Israel and India’s leaders couldn’t get enough of each other
– Harsh V Pant: India’s pro-Arab stance was never rewarded by the Arab world
– Herb Keinon: Modi visits without once publicly saying ‘Palestinians’
– Dr. Yoav Fromer: Israel-India relations were born in Oslo
– Yaakov Katz: Where’s the diplomatic isolation?
– Marc Schulman: Why Modi was so welcome in Israel
– Tunku Varadarajan: Modi and Netanyahu begin a beautiful friendship (click via Twitter)
– Hindustan Times (staff-ed): India-Israel ties are no longer hostage to idealistic concerns
– The Hindu (staff-ed): Modi reaffirms special ties
• Here’s what else I’m reading this weekend . . .
– Tovah Lazaroff: UNESCO’s Hebron vote just the opening Palestinian salvo against Israel
– Annika Hernroth-Rothstein: Pawns and patriarchs
– Avi Issacharoff: Dahlan’s grand plans for Gaza’s revival threaten to sideline Abbas
– Robert Fulford: If the Palestinians care about peace, why do they pay salaries to terrorists?
– James Mendelsohn: Closing the loophole: time to clip Hizballah’s ‘wings’
– Jonathan Marks: The Mennonites divest!
– Nadav Shragai: Selective ‘documentation’
– Manfred Gerstenfeld: The German media and the demonization of Israel
Featured image: CC BY-ND Mark Shahaf; Rutte CC BY-NC-ND European Council; Giro d’Italia via Wikimedia Commons; Roger Waters CC BY-NC-ND Aktiv I Oslo.no; Indian palm CC BY Yogesh Mhatre;
For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream and join the IDNS on Facebook.
Before you comment on this article, please remind yourself of our Comments Policy. Any comments deemed to be in breach of the policy will be removed at the editor’s discretion.
