Everything you need to know about today’s media coverage of Israel and the Mideast.
Note to readers: There will be no Israel Daily News Stream on Sunday.
Israel’s push for an Olympic minute of silence gains traction. Iran may have transferred hundreds more centrifuges to Fordow. Will Big Media make South Tel Aviv Israel’s next Beit Shemesh?
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Israel and the Palestinians
• Jewish News One (JN1) and the European Jewish News picked up on the UK Press Complaints’ absurd ruling that Tel Aviv can be called Israel’s capital following HonestReporting’s formal complaint. Here’s the JN1 video:
• Today’s Lead Screed goes to Yousef Munayyer. In a NY Times op-ed, he spuriously charges Israel with discriminating against the Palestinians and its own Arab citizens. See HonestReporting’s response.
• Sean Gregory (Time) makes a good case for a minute of silence in honor of Israel’s Munich massacre victims:
Rather than airbrush the tragedy away on its 40th anniversary, the IOC could truly do its part in “educating young people” by giving parents a chance to explain history, and the world’s geopolitical realities, to their children while watching the opening ceremonies.
Plus, it just feels like the right thing to do. A moment of silence wouldn’t be politicizing the Games. Rather, it would be remembering a human tragedy.
Columnist John Rash (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) echoes Gregory’s argument. And writing in The Commentator, British MP Bob Blackman adds his support too.
• Reuters looks at the difficult situation of Gaza fishermen unable to sail beyond a three-mile limit enforced by the Israeli navy. Reuters offers up one brief paragraph explaining the reason for the fishing restrictions. But considering the word count of 1,319 is longer than usual for these kinds of dispatches, it’s fair to ask for better balance. A paragraph acknowledging — for example — The Victoria, The Francop, etc. would be in order:
Gaza has been under Israeli blockade since Islamist Hamas forces seized control in 2007, ousting those of the rival Fatah forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel says it must maintain the blockade to prevent arms and military materiel reaching Hamas.
• Khaled Mashaal’s meeting with Jimmy Carter in Cairo today, where the ex-president is monitoring elections. Maan News writes:
Mashaal will brief Carter about the situation of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and the status of reconciliation talks between Palestinian factions.
