Today’s Top Stories
1. A Palestinian was killed while stabbing an IDF soldier. As usual, Reuters and The New York Times claim that according to Palestinians, the attacks are due to frustration over lack of progress toward a peace process, but ignore the statements that Palestinian leaders communicate domestically: such as encouraging such stabbing to “defend” against unsubstantiated threats to the Al Aqsa mosque. Other studies have shown that common motivations for stabbings by young Palestinians relate to domestic violence at home, desires for revenge or “suicide by soldier” as a response to domestic troubles.
2. Israel has already offered its assistance to Italy after it suffered a destructive earthquake yesterday, with the death toll rising to 247 so far. Meanwhile, some experts question whether Israel is itself ready for such a natural disaster.
3. High levels of Anti-Semitism have made Paris public schools essentially off-limits to Jewish children.
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Israel and the Palestinians
• After a prolonged investigation, Israel has cleared several soldiers who were under investigation for certain attacks that took place in the Gaza war of 2014. The New York Times analysis focused on how mistakes by Israel may have caused avoidable civilian deaths but, predictably, the report placed no scrutiny on the role of Hamas.
• Hamas and Fatah, the two largest Palestinian political parties, are hotly competing on social media in order to win over voters ahead of upcoming local elections in Gaza.
• In the wake of strikes out of Gaza against Sderot and a strong Israeli response against Hamas targets the other day, the United States issues a travel warning against US citizens entering Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel calls off its alert for residents of southern Israel. There seems to be some confusion as to whether we are expecting an escalation of hostilities or not.
Mideast Matters
• Egyptian beach volleyball Olympian Doaa Elghobashywas was horrified that an Israeli holding a flag unexpectedly entered the background of her photograph. Says Elghobashywas,
I swear to God I didn’t know anything about the flag. There will never be peace between me and these people in my life. These people are dirty to a level that they didn’t let me see the flag.
It’s unclear exactly whether “these people are dirty” was a reference to Jews, Israelis, or just people who hold flags. Nor is it clear what she meant by “there will never be peace” given that Israel and Egypt have had a peace treaty since 1979.
In any event, it reminds me of a similar incident last year: when a Lebanese beauty queen was harshly criticized for having been photographed standing with her Israeli counterpart. The Lebanese contestant later said that the Israeli contestant had “photo-bombed” her, meaning that she had unexpectedly jumped into the photo at the last moment, without permission. All of this is in the context of an Olympics in which an Egyptian Judo contestant refused to shake hands with his Israeli opponent, and a Lebanese team refused to share a bus with Israelis.
‘There will never be peace between me and these people in my life,’ says Doaa Elghobashy after Israeli-flag-clad woman invades selfie
Source: Israeli photobomb angers Egyptian Olympic volleyball player
Around the World
• Earlier this year, students at Kings College in London “protested” a presentation on campus by former Israeli Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon, by storming the stage and engaging in a physical altercation. This week, one of the students was found guilty of “assault and beating” and ordered to pay a fine of 100 pounds.
• According to U.S./Europe: Assad may have kept some chemical weapons. Will this affect international strategy in Syria?
Commentary/Analysis
• According to the Wall Street Journal’s Aaron David Miller, as US influence in the Middle East decreases, Iran is working to fill that vacuum with increased regional clout.
• Will Assad’s bombing of Kurds affect U.S. strategy in Syria?
• Here’s what else I’m reading today . . .
– Los Angeles Times: A variety of letters to the editor on the role of Tikun Olam (healing the world) among American Jews
– Wall Street Journal: Bret Stephens examines the budding alliance between Iran, Russia and Turkey
– JCPA: King Abdullah of Jordan emphasizes that Jordan, and not Palestinians, is responsible for Arab interests in Jerusalem
Featured image: CC BY-NC-SA Ed Yourdon via flickr with additions by HonestReporting
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