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. America re-elects Barack Obama. The Times of Israel rounded up reactions from Israeli and Palestinian officials. More Israel-angles at the Washington Post.
2. The IDF’s concerned that terrorists will take advantage of Syria’s chaos to launch attacks on Israel. YNet writes:
The bullet which hit an Israeli regiment commander’s jeep on the border fence in the Golan Heights on Monday serves as another reminder of the explosive situation on the Israel-Syria border.
3. Reuters: Bahrain blames Hezbollah for a string of explosions that killed two in Manama.
Israel and the Palestinians
• A Jerusalem panel discussion on Norwegian anti-Semitism got awfully heated. The Times of Israel describes how the sparks flew:
Hanne Nabintu Herland, a historian of religion, bestselling author and self-described “social pundit,” accused Norway of being “the most anti-Semitic country in the West” and attacked the government in Oslo for “biased support for only the Palestinian views.” Representing the Norwegian Embassy in Tel Aviv, deputy head of mission Vebjørn Dysvik rejected the claims yet admitted that his government had work to do regarding anti-Jewish sentiment within Norwegian society. He also said that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and 1978 invasion into Lebanon — which he said was “not Israel’s finest hour” — contributed to a mainly negative view of Israel among ordinary Norwegians.
Last month, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe issued a report arguing that Norwegian anti-Israel attitudes were fueling anti-Semitism.
• AP picked up on an Israeli tender to build 1,200 settler homes, calling it a warning to the PA:
While construction would take months to begin, officials indicated that the timing of the tenders was meant to signal to the Palestinians that they should consider the possible consequences of their plan to ask the U.N. General Assembly later this month to upgrade their status to non-member observer state.
• US judge dismisses Hamas financing suit against Arab Bank
• A Financial Times staff-ed (click via Google News) weighs in on the Palestinian statehood push.
