Today’s Top Stories
*** Breaking news *** As this roundup went to press, Israeli media reported that three Israelis were stabbed — one fatally — at the entrance to Alon Shvut, a settlement in the Gush Etzyon area south of Jerusalem. The terrorist was killed by a security guard.
1. Iran, Russia to Sign Nuclear Plants Deal on Tuesday
2. Israeli soldier stabbed in a Tel Aviv terror attack. The assailant, 18-year-old Nur al-Din Abu Hashya, from the Askar refugee camp in Nablus, was caught after a brief chase. The unidentified soldier is in critical condition.
3. Shurat HaDin filed war crimes charges against Mahmoud Abbas in the International Criminal Court. The suit holds him responsible for rockets fired at Israel by Fatah-affiliated thugs. The Jerusalem Post explains:
The basis of the allegations is reports of Fatah-affiliated armed groups firing significant numbers of rockets on Israel from Gaza during this summer’s Gaza war along with Hamas, who fired most of the rockets.
The NGO argues that Abbas is vicariously liable for the Fatah armed groups’ actions as its leader, though it recognizes that publicly Abbas opposed the rocket fire.
4. The Independent Misleads Over “430-Mile Israeli Brick Wall”: The world marks the anniversary of the end of the Berlin Wall and a Palestinian stunt draws an inaccurate comparison with Israel’s security barrier.
5. U.S. Airstrikes on ISIS and the Media’s Double Standard: Airstrikes on ISIS vs. Operation Protective Edge — what to make of the media’s inconsistencies?
6. BDS “Successes” Now Liabilities: The boycott movement’s “victories” prove BDS has no idea how to help Palestinians, only how to hurt Israel.
7. Vote for This Year’s Dishonest Reporting Award: It’s that time of the year. Nominate this year’s worst news service or journalist and make your voice heard.
Israel and the Palestinians
• YNet rounds up yesterday’s Israeli Arab demonstrations, including a near-lynching in Tayibe, and a one-day general strike.
• Arabic billboard in Nazareth calls for running over Israelis.
• Hamas reportedly arrested a suspect in the string of bombings of Gaza’s Fatah officials.
• Two Palestinians were wounded and another four have disappeared after the Israeli navy fired on a boat it said was involved in smuggling. AFP coverage.
• Long read of the day: The New Yorker‘s top editor, David Remnick interviews President Ruby Rivlin.
• A light-hearted moment between Sheldon Adelson and Haim Saban has Eli Lake wondering, Would Pro-Israel Billionaires Really Buy the NY Times?
Saban also lamented the fact that Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos purchased the Washington Post. “It would have been nice for you and I to buy the Washington Post,” Saban told Adelson. He called the $250 million that Bezos paid, “bupkis.”
Adelson responded that he then wished he knew it was for sale. “Why don’t you and I go after The New York Times?” he asked Saban.
“Maybe you and I can,” Saban replied. “But I have tried and I have failed.”
Commentary/Analysis
• Worth reading: Israeli journalist Haviv Rettig Gur got op-ed space in the Irish Times.
‘Why are Israelis moving right-ward at the ballot box even as they move left-ward in their views on the conflict? In two words: bitter experience’.
• Australian federation officials deconstruct the BDS movement in one of the clearest, no-nonsense takedowns I’ve seen in awhile. Don’t get hung up on the Australian politicians triggering Peter Wertheim and Alex Ryvchin’s Canberra Times op-ed.
• Daniel Barenboim calls for Germany to pressure Israel. Not music to my ears, but not much of what I read in The Guardian‘s Comment is Free section is.
• For more commentary/analysis, see Jackson Diehl (Obama’s bet on Iran),
Rest O’ the Roundup
• President Obama sounded pessimistic about the likelihood of reaching an agreement with Iran, telling Face the Nation‘s Bob Schieffer:
“The question now is are we going to be able to close this final gap so that they can reenter the international community, sanctions can be slowly reduced and we have verifiable, lock-tight assurances that they can’t develop a nuclear weapon. There’s still a big gap. We may not be able to get there,” Mr. Obama said.
• Israeli media picked up on a report that the US and Iran are already talking about restoring diplomatic relations if nuclear talks succeed. Although the State Dept. denies this, an anonymous Iranian told the Times of London:
“One possibility is an umbrella office for US trade. An alternative is a cultural office, purely for academic exchanges,” the adviser said. “There is a real desire among moderates to bring US business and investment back to Iran.”
For security reasons, however, American diplomats will not return to Tehran.
Featured image: CC BY-NC flickr/Maureen Sill; Adelson CC BY-NC-SA flickr/the7eye.org.il; Saban via YouTube/Democast
For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream and join the IDNS on Facebook.
