Today’s Top Stories
1. The European Commission formally approved labeling “settlement products” from the West Bank. I was impressed with this Reuters snippet:
Two elements of the EU decision have particularly enraged Israeli officials. They see the measures as an effective boycott of Israel and say other cases of long-standing occupation, such as Morocco’s seizure of Western Sahara, are not treated in the same way.
The EU dismisses the suggestion of a boycott, pointing out that it is not telling consumers what not to buy. Those who do not want to buy Israeli settlement goods probably already avoid them, and those that support the settlements may now more actively seek out settlement produce.
The question of a double-standard is harder for the EU, which has struggled with the question of Western Sahara in the past. When it comes to goods from northern Cyprus, seized by Turkey in 1974, the EU calls it “an internal issue.”
You can read the full European Commission guidelines. More on angry Israeli reactions at the Jerusalem Post.
2. A busy day for Prime Minister Netanyahu who addressed the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly (see video or transcript) and visited the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, where he discussed the latest Mideast developments (here’s the video).
But the day’s more interesting moments came at the Center for American Progress, a think tank aligned with the Democratic Party. Interviewed by Neera Tanden (and taking audience questions), Bibi discussed US-Israel relations, the peace process, Iran, and Syria. A frank discussion worth watching.
Among the takeaways: the PM hasn’t ruled out a unilateral West Bank withdrawal, admitted his Election Day warning of Arabs voting “in droves” was a mistake, and he said he sees no solution for Jerusalem and the Temple Mount for now.
3. Visiting London Mayor, Boris Johnson, came face to face with the uglier side of the Palestinian conflict. An Israeli reporter was banned from covering Johnson’s meeting with the Palestine Business Women’s Forum in Ramallah. (Noga Tarnopolsky was covering Johnson’s visit for the Jewish Chronicle).
And because the mayor had blasted boycotters of Israel as “foolish” and “corduroy-jacketed academics,” a West Bank charity cancelled its meeting, and Johnson curtailed his day over security concerns.
4. A Loop de Loop of Violence: Loops and cycles are a polite way for lazy New York Times journalists to really say, “C’est la vie.”
5. “Frail, Moral Minds:” Dennis Prager’s Challenge to Oxford: When the media fails to report on the disproportionate intent of both sides, casualty figures become meaningless.
Israel and the Intifada
• The uncle of the two boys who stabbed a security guard on Jerusalem’s light rail claimed police planted the knife. But security footage shows the kids on the attack.
• Druze columnist says Israeli-Arab press to blame for incitement to violence against Jews. You can read Daniel Salameh’s full critique in Hebrew at nrg.
According to Salameh, the anti-Israel invective is not only being promoted in mosque sermons or social media posts, but rather “right under our noses” in the Israeli-Arab media . . . .
In his piece, Salameh asserted that though expressing opinions and taking sides is legitimate, “When [media outlets] present an entire community, daily, with one-sided and distorted facts which portray terrorists as heroic, sensitive and humane martyrs,” they make hate and violence inevitable.
• Evergreen headline of the day, courtesy AFP:
Around the World
• European court upholds Dieudonné’s conviction for incitement.
• Death sentence imposed on F. Glenn Miller Jr. in Kansas City hate crime killings.
• Five Virginia men arrested for plotting attacks on Jews and blacks.
• Poland’s newly-appointed defense minister was condemned over Jewish conspiracy theory:
Macierewicz told listeners to Radio Maryja in 2002 that he had read Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a pamphlet that purports to be a Jewish plan to control the global economy and media, but which has been exposed as a hoax.
He acknowledged there was debate about the pamphlet’s authenticity, but told a listener: “Experience shows that there are such groups in Jewish circles.”
Macierewicz is a bit nutty: In 1992, while serving as Interior Minister, he accused Lech Walesa of having collaborated with the Communist secret police.
• Scottish parliamentarian Sandra White apologized for “accidentally” retweeting a noxious anti-Semitic cartoon. Earlier this year, she put forward a motion for Scotland to recognize Palestinian statehood. The retweet was removed from White’s feed, but you can see Charles Edward Frith‘s original tweet.
Commentary/Analysis
• Worth reading:
The rise of the child terrorist
• Shocked at Yale and Mizzou? Pro-Israel students have lived with intimidation for years, notes William Jacobson.
• I’m pleasantly surprised and impressed that the Los Angeles Times published a condensed version of Daniel Polisar’s noteworthy look at “What ordinary Palestinians think about Jews, Israel and violence.” You can see the full version (no paywall) at Mosaic.
• Here’s what else I’m reading today . . .
– Dan Diker: Europe’s settlement product labeling hurts Palestinians, not Israelis
– Dan Margalit: EU labeling: A grim omen
– Gil Troy: Zionism as racism – The Palestinians’ foundational lie
– Orly Azoulay: Netanyahu learned his lesson
For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream and join the IDNS on Facebook.
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