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Media Summary

08/06/2015

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The Independent and Independent i both report that a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel on Saturday evening. It was the third such attack in the past two weeks and responsibility was again claimed by a Salafist group with loyalty to ISIS, which is seeking to both target Israelis and challenge Hamas’s rule in Gaza. The rocket caused no damage or injuries. The reports both highlight that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday criticised the absence of international condemnation of such rocket fire.

City AM also focuses on comments made by Netanyahu yesterday, as he called for Stephane Richard, the CEO of mobile giant Orange to come to Israel and explain his statement last week in which he appeared to support the company ending its presence in Israel for political reasons. Richard sought to later explain that he does not support a boycott of Israel but simply wished to take a business decision in line with company policy to end involvement in countries where Orange has only a brand and provides no direct services.

The Times online says that aid agencies have criticised Jordan for leaving at least 1,200 Syrian refugees in limbo at its border crossing between the two countries without proper access to basic provisions. The Independent online covers comments made by Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who suggested that ISIS, which controls large swathes of Syria and Iraq, is producing chemical weapons.

The Telegraph includes an interview with Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the UK, who says that Iran’s nuclear ambitions pose a direct threat to the region. He also explained that if the nascent nuclear deal under discussion does not effectively reign in Tehran’s nuclear development, then “all options are on the table” including a Saudi nuclear programme of their own. Meanwhile, the Telegraph also reports that in Iran itself, a delegation from the European Parliament foreign affairs select committee was banned from talking to the media during a visit to the country and told by Iranian officials that they had “no right” to speak to the press.

In the Israeli media, the results of Turkey’s election, in which President Erdogan’s party failed to achieve the overwhelming majority it had hoped for, is a major item in all dailies. Yediot Ahronot, Maariv and Haaretz all describe the poll as a “blow” to Erdogan, while Israel Hayom summarizes “Erdogan won’t be a sultan” as the results effectively scupper his ambition for a presidential system of government. Writing in Maariv, Ben Caspit says that although “the end of Erdogan’s rule is not on the horizon,” the election means that he “understood the limitations of power yesterday.”

Israel Radio news says that Orange CEO Stephane Richard will visit Israel in the near future to explain his comments last week. Richard asked to meet Israel’s Ambassador to France over the issue, but Prime Minister Netanyahu challenged him to personally visit Israel instead.

Maariv highlights the audience reaction to US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew at the Jerusalem Post conference in New York over the weekend. Lew was booed by some sections of the audience as he presented the Obama Administration’s positions on Iran’s nuclear ambitions and other regional issues. Israeli politicians attending the conference including Yuval Steinitz and Yair Lapid condemned the audience response as disrespectful.