• Big Media’s pumped for the possibility of a new Israeli government resuming peace talks with the Palestinians. But this important Wall St. Journal op-ed (click via Google News) raises a big caution sign. You can picture Natan Sharansky whispering in Reuel Marc Gerecht’s ear:
But further negotiations without elections first among the Palestinians—and where acceptance of the Jewish state is on the winning ballot—will only further empower Islamic fundamentalists. The rising Islamist wave that has accompanied the Arab Spring should end the illusion that the Jewish state can be integrated into the Middle East through territorial concessions to nondemocratic regimes.
• Great Tim Marshall takedown of Big Media’s pre-election pseudo-prognosticating:
The mistreatment of Palestinians is widely documented by the foreign media, but it sometimes forgets that a lot of the sources of their treatment are Israeli NGOs working in tandem with Palestinians.
This means they ignore the broad liberal strain ever present in Israeli society.
Because they miss that, they further miss the role of domestic politics and political thinking on economics and social issues.
• Nicholas Sarkozy channeled his inner Andrew Dice Clay. This is a real Daily Mail headline.
• Residual commentary on the Sunday Times toon tempest. Daniel Finkelstein (Times of London) and David Weinberg (Israel HaYom) were worth reading. The Independent published two commentaries. I’ll agree to disagree with Ian Burrell, but Matthew Norman just irritated me.
• In a NY Times op-ed, George Bisharat says it’s time for Palestinians to drag Israel to the International Criminal Court.
Iranian Atomic Urgency
• Israeli space expert Tal Inbar says Iran’s monkey launch was a phony publicity stunt of no concern. He told the Times of Israel:
Inbar, head of the Space and UAV Research Center at the Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies, explained that the primate-bearing rocket was an unguided projectile that reached a maximum altitude of 120 kilometers (74 miles).
Assuaging fears that the space launch was indicative of Iran’s military technological abilities, Inbar said that there was “no connection between [the unguided, suborbital rocket] and Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities.”
• A Washington Institute report (pdf) warns of a resurgence of Iran-Hezbollah terror. I’m glad to see that AP picked up on the story because A) it’s an imp0rtant story and B) the wire service used the word terror in its headline.
Arab Spring Winter
• Worth reading: Is a pre-emptive strike on Syria’s WMD legal? Spoiler alert: It depends . . .
• A NY Times op-ed asks if Syria will bleed Hezbollah dry. I’ll be disappointed if it doesn’t.
Militarily and politically, Hezbollah has much at stake in the Syrian conflict, but it is risking even more by attempting to save a pariah regime that may not be savable. The group has incurred hundreds of losses against Syrian rebels, including its valued special forces. Hezbollah cannot outmatch rebel manpower . . .
Rest O’ the Roundup
• Imagine the outrage if Israel did this:
France to expel radical imams within days: minister
• While women in army combat units is new to the US, The Guardian talked to one woman who serves in the Caracal, the IDF’s special mixed-gender unit.
(Image of jet via Flickr/Israel Defense Forces, caution via Flickr/twicepix)
For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream.
