Everything you need to know about today’s media coverage of Israel and the Mideast.
A Pentagon war simulation is leaked to the NY Times — what’s the message to Israel? Is there any truth to reports of Russian forces operating in Syria? And what did Catherine Ashton say to anger Israeli officials?
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Israel and the Palestinians
• Don’t hold your breath waiting for the UN to dismiss Khulood Badawi for her false photo tweet. According to the Jerusalem Post:
Western diplomatic sources said the UN was coming under counter-pressure from Palestinian and Arab circles not to “succumb to Israeli pressure” and fire Kuhlood Badawi . . .
Meanwhile, HonestReporting’s CEO Joe Hyams looks at the bigger picture. He writes about the Blood Libel 2.0 in The Times of Israel:
For every Badawi, there are thousands of militant anti-Semites, armed with keyboards (and little else above the waist). A fair few of them serve institutions and NGOs; others work in public positions and welfare offices.
All will closely watch how Badawi’s case plays out.
If you haven’t already done so, sign HonestReporting’s petition calling on the UN to dismiss Badawi.
• The UN cancelled Hamas official Ismail al-Ashqar’s address to the UN Human Rights Council. UN Watch describes what happened next:
Al-Ashqar did not speak before the HRC plenary session, but rather to a virtually empty room . . .
• EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton compared the massacre of Jewish kids in Toulouse with “what is happening in Gaza.” Israel demands a retraction, but Ashton denies any parallel. Here’s what Ashton said:
“When we think about what happened today in Toulouse, we remember what happened in Norway last year, we know what is happening in Syria, and we see what is happening in Gaza and other places – we remember young people and children who lose their lives.”
• Some reactions to Peter Beinart’s suggestion that BDS limit itself to settlements.
- Jeffrey Goldberg: Economic war against Jews is distasteful.
- Michael Oren: You can’t have peace without Palestinian commitment to two-state solution, irrespective of boycotts.
- Richard Silverstein: Beinart is “Liberal Zionism writing its own requiem.”
- David Frum: This is what happens when liberals partner up with movements led by illiberal radicals. A familiar trap.
- Ami Eden: “It will no longer be about whether boycotting other Jews is kosher, but about which Jews we should be boycotting.”
- Peter Reitzes: Force the PA to return to the peace talks — boycott Palestinian goods.
BTW, Beinart responds to some of the above.
• The charge that the IDF mistreats Palestinian minors really has legs. The Independent picks up on the latest NGO report. We addressed this issue here and here.
