Today’s Top Stories
1. The US threatened to cut financial aid to the Palestinian Authority and the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees if Palestinian leaders don’t return to peace talks. The US is the largest donor to both the PA and the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA); in 2016, Washington gave $368.4 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) while providing around $300 million to PA annually. That’s why a tweet by Donald Trump and comments by US Ambassador Nikki Haley will be sparking debate in Ramallah and various policy circles. This New York Times snippet on carrots and sticks summed up the nature of the debate:
In threatening to cut off aid to the Palestinians, Mr. Trump seemed to suggest that the United States has invested that money for future consideration at peace talks. But past administrations viewed aid to the Palestinians — more than $5 billion since the mid-1990s — as a way to keep the volatile situation from blowing up further, as it has in the past during two intifadas, or violent uprisings.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/948322497602220032
2. Israeli security forces said they uncovered an Iranian intelligence operation in the West Bank. They said Mohammed Maharma, of Hebron, was instructed by handlers in South Africa to open a computer store as a front for intelligence-gathering, recruit people for a terror cell to carry out a suicide bombing and shooting attacks, and was even offered training in explosives. More at Ynet and Haaretz.
Particular emphasis was placed on the task of recruiting Israeli citizens, especially journalists due to their access to sensitive places inside Israel such as official governmental areas.
3. The protests in Iran continue, with everything from the price of eggs to foreign funding of terrorism to the deaths of at least 20 protesters all becoming hot-button issues. Take your pick of coverage: from CNN, The Wall Street Journal or Times of Israel.
Iran’s Spending on Foreign Conflicts Raises Protesters’ Ire https://t.co/3IFDOFnxLZ via @WSJ
— WSJ Middle East (@WSJMidEast) January 3, 2018
Meanwhile, Jerusalem Post’s Seth Franzman speculates on Twitter: Why is there little to no coverage of the Iran protests in the New York Times?
Four days of International edition of the NYT, not one story on #IranProtests on the front page. How is this possible? Today and yesterday's paper doesn't even have a story inside it that I can find @JSchanzer @LeeSmithDC @BenWeinthal pic.twitter.com/EMU7EdsBOw
— Seth Frantzman (@sfrantzman) January 3, 2018
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4. An op-ed in The Independent about Ahed Tamimi changes facts to make a point. Even in an opinion piece, that’s simply not OK.
Israel and the Palestinians
• Worth reading: I liked this Los Angeles Times ‘splainer on Jerusalem’s status.
• The Jerusalem Post‘s Lahav Harkov has a bone to pick with New York Times coverage of the new Jerusalem Law.
In the simplest terms: On Monday, it was illegal to divide Jerusalem. On Tuesday, it was legal.
• The Media Line takes a closer look at Iran’s endgame in Gaza.
Around the World
• French tax authorities denied a recent Globes report that a special department had been set up to investigate Jewish tax evasion, especially individuals using Israel as a tax shelter.
• Delta Airlines sued for discrimination against Jews, Israelis
• Witch-hunted anti-Semitic UK Labourites are witch-hunting each other. You’ll probably have to read this lead two or three times to make sure you’re clear which witch is which.
A campaign group that was set up to protest against the expulsion of Labour Party members for alleged antisemitism has expelled some of its own members who it says are antisemitic.
Commentary
• Here’s what else I’m reading today . . .
– Ben-Dror Yemini: In a foolish decision, Likud gave BDS a valuable gift
– Jagdish Singh: An Indian embassy in Jerusalem, please
– Larry O’Connor: NY Times makes big bucks selling high-end tours to Iran while defending authoritarian regime
– Andrew Silow-Carroll: How do you define anti-Semitism? It’s complicated.
– Melanie Phillips: Where to draw the line on true free speech
– Jonathan Tobin: The US can’t be silent on Iran
Featured image: CC BY-NC-ND Maria Biblik;
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