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. Israel to build security wall along Jordan border, according to Mideast press reports.
2. Very unprofessional: An “Obama administration official” leaked to CNN that Israel carried out last week’s attack on a Syrian missile base. Jerusalem is furious — eroding Israel’s plausible deniability raises the pressure on Bashar Assad to respond.
Elliott Abrams heaps scorn on the US for a pattern of spilling Israeli secrets, but if you think Abrams is harsh, see how Arieh Golan, the morning news anchor for Reshet Bet radio, reacted (via Israel Matzav).
Meanwhile, Turkey denied allegations it provided Israel with intelligence on the Syrian missile base destroyed last week. For more commentary, see the Jerusalem Post.
3. John Kerry’s off to Egypt and Saudi Arabia to mend frayed relations in an unannounced visit. But AFP notes an unfortunate coincidence of timing. He’s arriving in Cairo the day before Mohammed Morsi’s trial begins:
If Kerry’s Cairo trip goes ahead, the timing is somewhat awkward, with Morsi’s trial likely to inflame further protests by his Islamist backers.
A huge security net is being thrown over the southern part of the city, with some 20,000 police being deployed to guard the police academy where proceedings against Morsi and 14 other defendants will take place.
4. In Praise of the EUMC Working Definition of Anti-Semitism: Israel bashers are trying to discredit the EU’s working definition of anti-Semitism because certain criticisms of Israel are indeed anti-Semitic.
5. Irish Times: Graphically Illustrating Bias: Why does this newspaper openly advocate for an anti-Israel organization?
Israel and the Palestinians
• There were weekend rumors that the Palestinian negotiating team did/would resign in protest of Israeli construction plans in eastern Jerusalem. According to Haaretz, Mahmoud Abbas promised John Kerry the PA wouldn’t pull out of the peace talks in protests.
• An Israeli drone crashed in Gaza. Hamas claims it shot down the aircraft but the IDF says it malfunctioned. Times of Israel coverage.
• South African foreign minister Maite Nkaona-Mashabane’s said Pretoria’s scaling back ties with Israel because she’s “losing sleep” over settlements. Warm milk and focused breathing are helpful when ill-advised people like Nkaona-Mashabane stick their noses into Mideast issues that don’t concern them. Benjamin Pogrund was much kinder:
The direct effect on Israel is likely to be minimal. South Africa will suffer far more. It is struggling with deep seated problems and by reducing contact is depriving itself of opportunities to gain access to invaluable Israeli expertise in areas such as agriculture, use of water, health and education.
• Tunisia was banned from Davis Cup competition for one year. The country’s sporting leadership prevented tennis player Malek Jaziri from playing a match against Israel’s Amir Weintraub. AFP coverage.
• The Gaza border got hot over the weekend. IDF soldiers preparing to demolish the massive terror tunnel came under Palestinian gunfire and detonated an explosive device. The IDF fired back, killing four gunmen. Five soldiers were injured in the incident. More at the Jerusalem Post.
- Why did Hamas ban media coverage of last week’s prisoner release?
- It’s been a few weeks since his last public appearance, but Ayatollah Khamenei’s back . . .
- NSA tracked “high priority Israeli military targets.”
