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. A senior Israeli security official confirmed to Time that A) Israel launched yesterday’s airstrike B) along the Lebanese-Syrian border against C) a Hezbollah convoy delivering advanced surface-to-surface missiles. Hezbollah brought things full circle by vowing revenge for the attack it yesterday denied.
The Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, and Amos Harel all analyze the airstrike and possible Hezbollah responses.
2. What energy crisis? Hamas may have discovered a natural gas field off the coast of Gaza. And according to AFP, Gazans are increasingly turning to solar power.
On one hand, I don’t want to see Hamas derive benefit from any offshore reserves. But on the other hand, anything that helps lessen Gaza’s dependence on Israel is good news. Let’s see how this unfolds.
3. The JTA reports that Ukrainian Jews are laying low amid the surrounding turmoil. Acting president Oleksander Tuchynov promised to do everything he can to protect the Jewish community, according to YNet. See also Anshel Pfeffer‘s take on the dilemma of Ukrainian Jewry.
4. BDS: You Can’t Fight for Justice With Hypocrisy: BDS supporters who aren’t anti-Semitic are aware of the anti-Semitism permeating the movement.
5. Israel Apartheid Week is a major part of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. See HonestReporting’s Fighting BDS on Facebook for updates and strategies on how you can fight back against the apartheid slur.
Israel and the Palestinians
• For the first time, Scarlett Johansson spoke out on the SodaStream controversy. The Daily Mail picked up on an interview the actress gave to Dazed & Confused, due to be published in full tomorrow.
• I’m flagging the Irish Independent for today’s misleading headline. The word “outrage” is a bit sensational — the outrage really stems from the Knesset debate over the Temple Mount more than the police response to the Palestinians who rained rocks and firecrackers on Western Wall worshippers.
The paper would have been more informative had it shed more background on the Knesset’s contentious discussion, which was the context for the scene at the Temple Mount. But that would have meant foregoing a sexy headline for something more, uh, accurate, like these examples:
- Knesset Temple Mount debate raises hackles in Arab world
- Knesset holds volatile discussion on Temple Mount sovereignty
• For more commentary/analysis, see the Middle East Forum (the politics of the Palestinian “right” of return), Vijeta Uniyal (Indian Friends of Israel weighing in on BDS), former ambassador Michael Oren (Times of Israel interview), and Lilac Sigan (Hamas obstructionism).
Rest O’ the Roundup
• In case you’re wondering, Marc Israel Sallem explained to the Jerusalem Post the story behind his viral photo of Benjamin Netanyahu and Angela Merkel. (Despite the Israeli amusement, Germans were indifferent.)
A shell-shocked Sellem said late Tuesday night that he hadn’t intended for the photo to cause an uproar.
• For more commentary/analysis, see Michael Ignatieff (diplomacy with Syria needs force).
(Image of lightbulb via Pixabay/Nemo)
For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream.
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