Today’s Top Stories
1. It looks like Hamas’ next supreme leader will be Ismail Haniyeh. According to Asharq al-Awsat, Haniyeh — who currently runs Gaza — has the inside track to replace Khaled Mashaal. But there’s a catch: Haniyeh will have to move to Qatar in order to freely travel on behalf of Hamas.
Several officials from the movement were extensively working with Egyptian leaders and other Arab officials to secure the exit of Haniyeh from the Gaza Strip along a delegation of pilgrims to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Haniyeh was expected to leave the strip to Egypt, and then to Saudi Arabia last Saturday or Sunday.
Who will replace Haniyeh as Gaza’s de facto prime minister? And what does all this mean for Israel, for the Islamic State jihadis getting chummy with Hamas, and for so-called Palestinian unity efforts?
Ismail Haniyeh left #Gaza strip through #Rafah crossing to Saudi Arabia for #Hajj in Mecca pic.twitter.com/54AR3J0dxK
— Elior Levy • אליאור לוי (@eliorlevy) September 5, 2016
2. Jordanian opposition lawmaker: BDS is a threat to the entire Mideast. Here’s shadow commerce secretary Abed Almaala in his own words:
Let me be clear: BDS is a reckless act of hatred that threatens the security and stability of not only Israel, but also my country, Jordan, and the entire Middle East . . .
BDS, admit it: You are racists and anti-Semites.
Your activities are a threat to Jordan, and it is my mission as Jordan’s shadow commerce secretary to enhance, expand, strengthen and promote trade between my country and Israel . . .
We Arabs have boycotted Israel for 70 years. Where has it gotten us? We are light-years behind Israel in technology and the economy. We will stop this in Jordan and begin learning from our Israel friends.
3. The death toll rose to four as rescue workers continued searching for survivors of yesterday’s collapsed parking garage in Tel Aviv. YNet describes the scene of emergency crews amidst the rubble.
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Israel and the Palestinians
• Russia has proposed hosting a face-to-face meeting between Mahmoud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu under the auspices of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Bibi’s considering the idea. As for Abbas, it initially wasn’t clear if his answer is yes, no, or only with preconditions. Abbas later said he agreed to a Sept. 9 meeting but that Netanyahu had asked it be postponed to a later time.
Whatever Uncle Vladimir has up his sleeve must be deflating for the French peace initiative. Stay tuned . . .
• An IDF patrol along the Gaza border came under gun fire from the Strip. According to the Jerusalem Post, “There were no casualties from the attack, and the soldiers likewise returned fire on a known Hamas position.” Later in the day, the IDF retaliated with tank fire on Hamas positions.
• I like this about Israel:
Knesset Debate About Work on Jewish Sabbath Postponed Due to Muslim Holiday
Around the World
• Ahead of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to the Netherlands today, former Dutch prime minister Dries van Agt said, “War criminal” Netanyahu should be tried in Hague. According to the JTA, van Agt has a history of similar comments:
Van Agt, who in 2012 said Jews should have had a state in Germany instead of the Land of Israel and who in 2008 spoke at rally in Rotterdam that featured a speech via satellite by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, spoke about Israel’s prime minister this Monday during an interview with the NPO 1 public television channel.
• Administrators are sticking their heads in the sand over a spate of Holocaust-denying leaflets being distributed at a number of Australian universities, according to BuzzFeed.
Vice chancellors from each uni have met affected students, but told them they don’t want to give oxygen to the discrimination by directly acknowledging the material is anti-Semitic.
This decision has left many student associations frustrated.
• Your daily dose of deja vu:
Livingstone repeats Hitler claims: Board of Deputies calls for his expulsion from Labour
Commentary/Analysis
• Columnist Ruth Dudley Edwards urges fans of Glasgow Celtic to review their history of the Mideast conflict before waving Palestinian flags at future matches.
It suits most Arab countries to encourage generation after generation to think themselves helpless victims of Israel, leave them to rot in camps mainly supported by the West and feed them anti-Jewish hate.
There are some tens of thousands of refugees still alive, but UNRWA lists five million. All these unfortunate people — most of whom never to have set foot in Israel — are encouraged to believe that some day they will be “repatriated” through what is known as the “right of return”, and overnight will destroy Israel.
How many of Celtic’s politically-activist flag-waving Green Brigade have a clue about any of this?
• Here’s what else I’m reading today . . .
– Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser: West must insist Palestinians change their narrative
– Seth Lipsky: Has US closed gates of justice for victims of Palestinian terror?
– Ofir Haivry: Evacuate UN from East Talpiot
Images: Putin via Kremlin.ru; Amsterdam CC BY-SA Denis Polyakov;
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