fbpx

Media Summary

11/12/2014

[ssba]

The death of a Palestinian Authority (PA) Minister yesterday, following a confrontation with Israeli forces in the West Bank is covered by the Guardian, Telegraph, Financial Times, Independent i, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror and Evening Standard. It was unclear exactly what caused Abu Ein’s death, which came shortly after he and a group of protestors were turned away from attempts to plant olive trees near an Israeli settlement. Television footage reveals a scuffle with Israeli forces at the scene, although Abu Ein suffered from a number of ailments. Nonetheless, according to the Times, Abu Ein’s death prompted senior Palestinian official Jibril Rajoub to threaten that the PA will end its security cooperation with Israel in the West Bank. The Independent says that PA President Mahmoud Abbas is under pressure to take meaningful action.

The Independent, Independent i and the online edition of the Guardian all cover comments made by Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon to a group at a Jewish seminary, which were leaked to the press. Ya’alon said that settlement construction in the West Bank had slowed due to American pressure, but that the Obama administration “won’t be around forever.”

The Telegraph includes analysis of Israel’s nascent election campaign, suggesting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s grip on power is “looking increasingly precarious.” Labour and Tzipi Livni’s Hatnuah Party yesterday agreed to unite under a joint electoral list, which polls predict would be the Knesset’s largest faction. Meanwhile, Netanyahu faces the prospect of a leadership challenge within his own Likud Party, with popular former-Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar mulling his possible candidacy.

The Times online says that in Syria, President Assad’s forces are continuing to drop chlorine bombs on civilian areas. The article claims that international concern with ISIS has allowed Assad’s forces to commit such acts relatively unnoticed.

In the Israeli media, this morning’s top story is the announcement yesterday evening by Labour leader Isaac Herzog and Hatnuah head Tzipi Livni that their two parties will unite under one electoral list. Surprisingly, it emerged that the two leaders agreed to rotate the prime ministership should they form the next government. It is a move widely seen as a concession by Herzog to Livni. The merger is the top story in Yediot Ahronot, Israel Hayom, Maariv and Haaretz. Both Sima Kadmon and Ben-Dror Yemini in Yediot Ahronot praise Herzog’s decision to rotate the top job. Kadmon says “it definitely inspires respect,” while Yemini suggests that “Herzog managed yesterday, possibly for the first time in his career, to present himself as a leader,” thanks to “a leader’s decision of the first order.”

In both Maariv and Haaretz, the death yesterday of Palestinian minister Abu Ein is a major item too. Israel Radio news says that Prime Minister Netanyahu has sent a message to PA President Mahmoud Abbas pledging that an investigation into the incident will take place. Meanwhile, Israel Hayom, Haaretz and Israel Radio news all report that the IDF will beef up its West Bank presence in anticipation of possible violence following yesterday’s events.

Israel Hayom and Israel Radio news both highlight yesterday’s Likud Central Committee vote which approved Netanyahu’s proposal to bring forward the date of the party’s leadership primary, which will also see a poll for the Likud electoral list take place on the same day. Israel Hayom declares the vote a “decisive victory for Netanyahu,” whose authority in Likud had appeared under threat.