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Media Summary

11/09/2015

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Yesterday’s meeting between Prime Minister David Cameron and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu at 10 Downing Street is covered by the Telegraph, Independent, Daily Express, Evening Standard and City AM. In particular, they highlight that Netanyahu emphasised his willingness to resume talks with the Palestinians without preconditions. The two leaders also discussed the dangers of militant Islam, ISIS, the situation in Syria and Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

The Financial Times online reports that Netanyahu sharply criticised a non-binding vote yesterday by the European Parliament in favour of separate labelling for goods produced in Israeli settlements beyond the pre-1967 borders. Israeli leaders believe that such measures only complicate the prospects of peace and are concerned that it could be a precursor to a wider boycott of Israeli goods. The Financial Times online also notes that SodaStream has moved its factory from the West Bank to southern Israel, although the company says that the move has been in the works for several years and is not a political decision.

The Guardian online covers a United Nations (UN) General Assembly vote yesterday which approved flying the Palestinian flag alongside other non-member observer states. Palestinian leaders hailed the vote as a step towards full UN membership. Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor said that the General Assembly would “vote to declare the Earth flat if the Palestinians proposed it.”

The Times, Independent i and the online edition of the Guardian report comments made by Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon, which appeared to confirm American and NATO assessments that Russia is deploying troops in Syria to support the Assad regime. Specifically, Ya’alon said that Russia is establishing a limited presence, an air base near Latakia.

City AM covers comments made by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who said that Iran won’t negotiate with the United States beyond nuclear issues. The Evening Standard reports that US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has said that she would not let Iran break the rules over the recent nuclear deal.

The Guardian online says that Mordechai Vanunu, a former worker at Israel’s Dimona plant, who revealed secrets about the site in the 1980s was handed seven days of house arrest yesterday after he gave an interview to Israel’s Channel Two in breach of the conditions for his release from prison several years ago.

Both the Independent i and Metro cover the development of a low-cost stethoscope by a Palestinian doctor in the Gaza Strip, using a 3D printer.

In the Israeli media, Yediot Ahronot leads with comments made by Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon yesterday over the investigation into the arson and murder of three members of a Palestinian family in the West Bank several weeks ago. Jewish extremists are suspected of having carried out the deadly attack and Ya’alon is quoted as saying that the identities of the perpetrators are known but that prosecutions have not been brought yet so as not to expose intelligence sources.

Yesterday’s European Parliament vote on the separate labelling of West Bank goods is covered by Israel Radio news and Maariv, which describes a “furore” in Israel as a result of the vote. Israel Radio news notes that the vote was condemned by the opposition Zionist Union, which said that such an initiative would simply economically hurt Israelis and would do nothing to promote peace.

The top story in Israel Hayom, also covered by Maariv and Yediot Ahronot is the continuing reports of a Russian and Iranian military presence in Syria, as both Moscow and Tehran look to prop up the Assad regime. Writing in Yediot Ahronot, Alex Fishman summarizes, “While the Americans are making do with words and symbolic aerial action, the Russians and the Iranians have decided to take action and to forcibly protect their interests in the Middle East.”