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. Despite Western efforts, Abbas accepted Salam Fayyad’s resignation after months of political in-fighting. The Jerusalem Post already looks ahead to possible successors:
However, Palestinian sources mentioned two names as possible candidates: Muhammad Mustafa, head of the PLO’s Palestine Investment Fund, and Rami Hamdallah, president of An-Najah National University in Nablus.
A Haaretz analysis says Fayyad was a victim of his own success. See also the Washington Post and NY Times.
2. The IDF’s operating in Syria (reportedly in non-combat capacity) now that Assad’s army has abandoned the Golan. Israeli officials haven’t denied the possibility to the Global Post:
A senior Israeli source told GlobalPost that wounded Syrian rebels who have received medical care in Israel “are transported across the border only once they are positively identified and receive initial emergency medical treatment while still on the other side,” meaning on Syrian soil.
This indicates a much higher level of activity by Israel in rebel-held lands than has previously been acknowledged. It also is a sign that Israel is willing to put some of its own personnel in significant peril in order to retain some semblance of order at the national boundary line.
3. Turkey busted Al-Qaida plot to blow up an Istanbul synagogue, the US embassy, and a museum. See NY Times coverage.
4. 4 Thoughts on “The World’s Largest Outdoor Prison”: A dispatch from Gaza breaks out the violins.
5. Student Group Visits HR International Headquarters:
“Before this lecture, I didn’t understand how powerful the media is,” said Carmella.
Want to bring students over to HonestReporting for a presentation? Contact [email protected] for more info.
Israel and the Palestinians
• A Human Rights Watch report blasted Hamas for not investigating the deaths of seven alleged collaborators in November — one of whose bodies was dragged through the streets of Gaza. AP, BBC, AFP and UPI picked up on the story.
• Israel’s trying to deport hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner Samer Issawi.
• Here is how not to endear Egypt to Gaza smuggling tunnels:
Egyptian border guards on Wednesday detained four people suspected of planning to smuggle weapons and blueprints of Egyptian security buildings into the Gaza Strip, an Egyptian security official said.
• The PA’s irritated that Canadian FM John Baird met Tzipi Livni in her office, which is located on the politically incorrect side of the Green Line. Nabil Shaath got Globe & Mail op-ed space to grumble:
We hope Canada will return to its historic path of respect for international law, human rights and international consensus.
• My goodness, the U. of Manitoba’s student union stripped Students Against Israeli Apartheid status as an official club. According the National Post:
The motion bars SAIA from receiving student union funding or using activity space in student-union controlled buildings.
The motion was adopted despite an opinion by the student union’s lawyer, who argued that it could leave the union open to litigation.
• Maan News: 110 Palestinian families have fled Syria for Gaza.
- Israel’s political in-roads in the Balkans haven’t escaped the attention of Iran and Hezbollah.
- Anti-Semitic Swedish politician resigns.
- Did the BBC deliberately mislead and endanger a group of students to get a story?
