Today’s Top Stories
1. Haaretz: Russia threatened to veto US and Israeli moves against Hezbollah last week as the UN weighed extending and expanding UNIFIL’s mandate:
However, during the negotiations over the wording of the resolution, significant portions endorsed sought by the United States and Israel were removed, chiefly the direct reference to Hezbollah as conducting prohibited military activity in southern Lebanon that is in violation of Resolution 1701. It was Russia that ensured all mention of Hezbollah was omitted . . .
One Israeli official said the Russians’ conduct attests to the closeness between Russia and Hezbollah as a result of the coalition they formed with Iran to help Bashar Assad’s regime survive in Syria. The official also said that because of Russian interests in Syria and its joint military activity with Hezbollah against ISIS and Syrian rebels, the Russians gave Hezbollah diplomatic cover in the UN.
2. Knesset members outraged at UN funding legal aid for terrorists.
3. International Committee of the Red Cross head Peter Maurer visited Gaza, where he asked the Strip’s top Hamas chief, Yahya Sinwar to let him visit the Israelis being held in Gaza. Ynet coverage.
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4. Video: Why Did Israel Build a Security Barrier? HR In a Minute: Some call it a fence, a wall or a barrier. It’s been the subject of heated argument and countless news stories. So why did Israel build it? HonestReporting explores the issue.
Israel and the Palestinians
• The Palestinian Authority arrested the chairman of a Hebron-based radio station. Ayman Qawasmeh had called on PA President Mahmoud Abbas and PA PM Rami Hamdallah to resign on the air.
In a fit of frustration, Qawasmeh on Thursday called on Abbas and Hamdallah to resign after the IDF raided his radio station in Hebron and confiscated equipment, accusing them of failing to protect PA -controlled areas in the West Bank. An IDF spokeswoman said security services raided the radio station because it was inciting violence, a charge that Qawasmeh has denied.
Meanwhile, Abbas’ crackdown on free speech in the West Bank has gotten so bad, even The Guardian picked up on it.
• The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which is running for seats in the German parliament (!?), lashed out at the Israeli media, as well as Israeli and German politicians who are seeking to ban the PFLP in Germany. More at the Jerusalem Post.
• Judge Esther Hayut was approved as Israel’s next Supreme Court chief justice. She replaces Chief Justice Miriam Naor who is due to step down later this year. In this photo, the two judges posed with Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked.
#JustWondering what @lsarsour has to say about #women in top #Israel justice positions https://t.co/Jg2ThprgwE pic.twitter.com/44IvEoB2qH
— Pesach Benson (@PesachBenson) September 5, 2017
• According to IDF assessments, Hezbollah is spread too thin in Syria and is too economically strapped to start a war with Israel right now.
Around the World
• Germany is marking the 45 anniversary of the Palestinian terror attack on the 1972 Munich Olympics with a permanent memorial to the 11 Israeli athletes and German police officer killed. In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Ankie Spitzer, whose fencing coach husband was among the murdered Israelis, shared her memories of the attack and the fight the Israeli families put up to get the memorial.
• Ryerson U. students are looking for answers over a professor’s ‘anti-Semitic’ tweets.
• Canada’s largest private sector union adopted a pro-BDS motion “to support the use of BDS tactics to target ‘sectors of Israel’s economy and society which profit from the ongoing occupation of the OPT (occupied Palestinian territories).'” Unifor represents 310,000 workers in a wide of array job sectors from media, manufacturing, education and more.
• Israel plans to send $1 million in aid to the Houston Jewish community. “The money would be transferred through Israel’s consulate in Houston and would go toward repairing and rebuilding local schools, synagogues and Jewish community centers damaged by tropical storm Harvey.”
Commentary/Analysis
• Here’s what else I’m reading today . . .
– Rear Adm. Oded Gour-Lavie (Res.): Israel as a regional, maritime superpower, part II
– Tovah Lazaroff: Has North Korea emboldened Iran?
– Amb. Alan Baker: Hijacking the laws of occupation
– Moshe Arens: Lessons learned from Hezbollah
– Yoram Ettinger: Unmasking the UN
– Smadar Perry: When Nasrallah strikes a deal with Syria
– Hani Nasira: ISIS, ‘Hezbollah’ deal reveals hidden agendas
Featured image: CC0 Pixabay; Houston via YouTube/Highway Victim;
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