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Media Summary

22/12/2014

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The Independent and Independent i include a feature on the continued scars of Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip. Author Kim Sengupta revisits some of those he encountered reporting the summer conflict and concludes that little has been done yet to reconstruct Gaza. He also reports that he visited the Hamas-controlled site struck by Israeli jets over the weekend in response to a rocket fired from Gaza. Having been denied entry, Sengupta comments “there would not have been such restrictions on the media” from Hamas had there been any injuries or deaths.

The Independent i also reports that Israeli police arrested four more members of the extremist anti-Arab group Lehava yesterday, having already arrested several activists of the group last week on suspicion of incitement to carry out violence. The arrests come after three Lahava activists were charged with carrying out a recent arson attack on a Jewish-Arab bilingual school in Jerusalem, which was roundly condemned by a wide spectrum of Israeli political leaders.

The Financial Times reports that there has been a significant thaw in relations between Egypt and Qatar at the behest of Saudi Arabia. Qatar has long been a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliates, which Egyptian President al-Sisi ousted from power in 2013. The rapprochement is an apparent attempt by Saudi Arabia to alter Qatar’s regional outlook.

Both the online editions of the Guardian and Independent cover the execution in Jordan of 11 convicted murderers, ending an eight-year moratorium on the death penalty. Government officials explained that the executions were part of an effort to crack down on crime, with crime rates having increased recently.

In the Israeli media, the main story is yesterday’s announcement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his cabinet that the minimum wage for public sector workers will be increased. It is a move interpreted by Yediot Ahronot and Maariv as cynical electioneering on the part of Netanyahu. Yediot Ahronot’s headlines simply proclaims “Election economics.” Meanwhile, Maariv’s economic affairs commentator Yehuda Sharoni says “It is also doubtful that his [Netanyahu’s] promises will be kept before the elections, and even more unlikely that they will be kept afterwards. But it doesn’t cost anything to make promises.” Both Israel Hayom and Israel Radio news say that Netanyahu’s proposed minimum wage hike could be scuppered for the time being by the election campaign with no Finance Minister currently in office, requiring the ruling of the Attorney General.

Israel Radio news also says that the non-profit organisation Latet will issue a report today into poverty in Israel. The Latet report claims that there are more than 2.5 million poor in Israel, in contrast to a National Insurance Institute report last week which put the number at 1.66 million people and indicated a decrease of roughly 100,000 people living in poverty during the last year.

Also this morning, Israel Radio news covers a statement by the IDF denying Syrian claims that Syrian government forces downed an Israeli unmanned drone over the Golan Heights.