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. What’s the state of the peace process? Martin Indyk’s taking another shot of salvaging the peace process by meeting (again) with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators. Take your pick of Jerusalem Post or Haaretz coverage.
2. Israel officially pulled the plug on the fourth prisoner release after Abbas stepped up moves for international recognition. More at the Jerusalem Post.
3. Is the Obama administration reining in John Kerry and re-evaluating its efforts to mediate the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks? See the Wall St. Journal (via Google News) and the Washington Post on the White House’s “reality check time.” If the chatter was meant to be taken as a threat to Jerusalem and Ramallah to break the impasse, it failed, according to the Times of Israel.
4. Two-Faced Tutu and the Fight for Free Speech: When it comes to an academic boycott of Israel, archbishop says free speech is for me, not for thee.
5. If you find the Israel Daily News Stream helpful, please support HonestReporting‘s Passover fundraising campaign.
Israel and the Palestinians
• Israel strikes targets in Gaza after rocket attack
• Someone’s got some ‘splaining to do. The PA disavowed an outrageous list of preconditions for peace talks to resume leaked to the media.
• The Israeli government’s mulling sanctions against the PA, including withholding tax revenue.
• Get ready for Palestinian prisoners to launch another hunger strike.
• MEMRI: When it comes to the “right” of return and recognizing Israel, Abbas has different messages for Palestinians and Israelis.
• No surprise here: Amnesty International gave a thumbs up to Palestinian unilateralism, and is even encouraging the PA to join the International Criminal Court.
• Hamas to launch new satellite TV channel
• Here’s an example of the NY Times being too pro-Israel for some readers. Public editor Margaret Sullivan weighs in on an article blaming the Palestinians for the peace impasse.
• Engage reacts to a Harriet Sherwood commentary on BDS.
• For more commentary/analysis, see the Jerusalem Report (PA doesn’t have a realistic Plan B), Raphael Ahren (how the blame game might play out), The Tower (the PA’s already in violation of 11 treaties Abbas just signed), Jodi Rudoren (peace outweighed by “process”), and Palestinian tycoon Munib al-Masri (Israel as a Jewish state).
See also Khaled Abu Toameh, Charles Krauthammer, Barak Ravid, Yoram Ettinger, Boaz Bismuth, Peter Beaumont, AFP, and the Financial Times (click via Google News). Last but not least, cartoonist Jimmy Margulies weighs in.
Rest O’ the Roundup
• Iran’s reformers include more than one former hostage-taker. The Lede rounds up the links.
• Israeli Air Force adapts tactics to deal with increased UAV threat.
• Former MK convicted of contacting foreign agents. While serving in the Knesset with the Balad party, Said Nafa met in Syria with the secretary general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC). YNet coverage.
(Image of satellite via Wikimedia Commons)
For more, see Thursday’s Israel Daily News Stream.
