Everything you need to know about today’s coverage of Israel and the Mideast. Join the Israel Daily News Stream on Facebook.
Today’s Top Stories
1. This week’s withdrawal and confused redeployment of Hamas squads along the Gaza border to prevent rocket fire was the result of a rift within Hamas, according to documents obtained by YNet.
2. The UN’s resident Israel-basher and 9/11 truther, Richard Falk, is nearing the end of his term as the Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories. Hillel Neuer previews “the rogues gallery of anti-Israel activists and academics” clamoring for the job.
The UNHRC’s rules are clear: only Israel gets investigated, only Israel gets condemned.
3. Mohammed Javad Zarif’s having a rough day. Just follow the bouncing ball:
- Iranian Foreign Minister Lays Out Condition for Iranian Recognition of Israel.
- Iranian FM in hot water for taking softer tone on Israel
- Iranian FM denies reports hinting at recognition of Israel if conflict with Palestinians settled
4. Comments and the Roar of the Crowd: How to thank Scarlett Johansson? And what the heck does BDS stand for anyway?
5. NY Times’ Tom Friedman Calls BDS the Third Intifada: Is a peaceful two-state solution really the endgame of the boycott movement’s activities?
6. What’s Behind the Recent Success of the Dutch BDS Movement? A guest post by Yochanan Visser explaining Dutch divestment decisions.
7. HR Reader Gets NY Times Letter Published: Jason Levinson is on a roll.
Israel and the Palestinians
• SodaStream CEO David Birnbaum went toe to toe with Oxfam’s Ben Phillips on BBC Newsnight. Oxfam did not look good because when Jeremy Paxman pressed him on the issue, Phillips wouldn’t straight up say that it would be better for the factory to be gone and the plant’s Palestinians unemployed.
• PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah presented a draft budget of $4.2 billion, with a deficit of $1.3 billion. If the PA wants to cut its deficit, it could stop paying civil servants to do nothing in Gaza, end stipends for terrorists, and tackle corruption.
• Israel busted a Palestinian terror cell planning to open fire on guests in a Jerusalem wedding hall.
• Gotta like PassNotes‘ funny take on Roger Waters and Scarlett Johansson.
• For more commentary/analysis, see Khaled Abu Toameh (why Jordan’s resisting Kerry’s peace proposals), Jonathan Schanzer (Israel’s qualitative military edge ain’t what you think), Investor’s Business Daily (Kerry’s diplomacy), Jake Wallis Simons (Oxfam funding BDS), Joe Klein (American Studies Association boycott) and a NY Post staff-ed’s withering take on US peacemaking efforts.
- Just how deeply has Erdogan’s anti-Semitism penetrated Turkey?
- When Europe speed-dates Iran, sanctions are just an afterthought.
- Foreign press in Egypt is running scared.
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