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Media Summary

29/06/2015

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The Guardian, Independent, Independent i and the online edition of the Telegraph all cover the ongoing final round of talks in Vienna between Iran and the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) to conclude a long-term agreement over Tehran’s nuclear programme. With discussions having taken place over the weekend, Iran’s Foreign Minister has returned home to take instruction before returning and negotiations look almost certain to extend beyond tomorrow’s deadline. It is thought that several outstanding major issues remain, including the sequence of sanctions relief and the level of inspections.

The Financial Times says that Israel has been used as a significant transit route for Turkish cargo to reach Jordan and elsewhere, with Syria too dangerous for such a journey. However, there has been a slowdown in Turkish traffic lately, due to competition from Egypt. Nonetheless, the article says that Israel is potentially an important transit route for goods, should Israeli relations with neighbours in the region improve.

The Guardian online includes an op-ed by senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who argues that the European Union (EU) should reconsider its relations with Israel, due to alleged Israeli aggression and human rights violations. Erekat suggests that the EU review its association agreement with Israel and also ban some Israeli products.

In the Daily Mail, Dominic Lawson reviews the Queen’s visit to Bergen-Belsen, but criticises the fact that no member of the Royal Family has yet visited Israel, in what he describes as a de facto ban attributed to “Foreign Office Arabists.”

The Metro, Independent and the online edition of the Guardian all cover a report by the Jerusalem-based think tank, Jewish People Policy Institute, which says that today’s global Jewish population stands at 16.5 million and is approaching pre-Holocaust numbers. The growth is in part put down to burgeoning birth rates among Jews in Israel.

The Telegraph online says that according to the Syrian Observatory on Human Rights, ISIS has executed more than 3,000 people in Syria during the last year.

In the Israeli media, the top story in Yediot Ahronot, also covered prominently in Maariv and Israel Hayom, is Israeli naval forces preparing for a Gaza-protest flotilla to approach waters patrolled by Israel, restricting access to Gaza. The restrictions are in place to prevent weapons and related materials from being smuggled into Gaza. Those aboard the protest vessels include MK Basel Ghattas of the Joint Arab List and former Tunisian president Moncef Marzouki. Israel Radio news reports this morning that naval commandos boarded one of the vessels overnight in a swift and peaceful operation. The boat is now being escorted to Ashdod. Three other ships which were part of the flotilla turned back to port.

Both Haaretz and Maariv report that talks between Iran and the P5+1 powers over Tehran’s nuclear development have been effectively extended beyond their deadline tomorrow. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that even at this late hour, it is not too late for the world powers to strike a better deal.

The top story in Israel Hayom and Haaretz is today’s Knesset vote on a deal approved by the government with the two main investors in Israel’s off-shore natural gas industry. The details of the agreement have not yet been made public, but critics say the government has been too generous in granting private investors control over the country’s natural resources. The Antitrust Authority also opposed the deal and the government is now seeking permission from the Knesset to circumvent its authority. Today’s Knesset vote is expected to be tight.