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Media Summary

23/11/2015

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The Telegraph, Times, Independent i, Sun and the online edition of the Independent all cover a knife attack carried out yesterday by a Palestinian man in the West Bank which killed a 21-year-old Israeli woman. The stabbing took place at the Gush Etzion junction, which has been a particular target during the current wave of violence which has now seen 20 Israelis killed since the start of October. The Sun also reports two additional attempted stabbings in the West Bank yesterday, both of which were foiled by alert locals and security forces. In both cases, the attacker was killed at the scene.

The Metro and the online edition of the Financial Times both cover a weekend spat over a decision by the flagship German department store KaDeWe to remove from their shelves a number of Israeli wines produced in the West Bank. The move followed the European Union’s recent decision to implement separate labelling of West Bank goods. However, following criticism from Israel’s government and elsewhere, KaDeWe apologised for insensitivity, reversed its decision and the products have been restored.

The Financial Times says that Russia is looking to export around £13 billion worth of arms to Iran, while the Times reports that the likes of Shell, BP and Total have all expressed their interest in concluding oil contracts in Iran. Meanwhile, the online editions of the Guardian and Telegraph both report that an Iranian court yesterday handed an unspecified prison sentence to Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian for alleged spying, in a case which has attracted worldwide criticism.

The Times says that ISIS is digging in at its de-facto capital of Raqqa in Syria, in preparation for a potential large-scale battle. However, the article says that military experts believe it would take up to 50,000 troops to defeat ISIS in Raqqa. Writing in the Guardian, Ian Black says that sectarian differences in the Arab world and internal rivalries in countries such as Iran will hamper international efforts to combat ISIS. However, the Guardian online says that a growing number of MPs look likely to support Prime Minister David Cameron’s call to extend air strikes to Syria. Meanwhile, the Telegraph includes a feature on the recent escape of Aleppo’s last Jews, ending a 3,000-year Jewish presence in the city.

The Guardian includes a feature on a successful solar power plant in Rwanda, which has been pioneered by Israeli company Gigawatt Global.

In the Israeli media, Maariv, Haaretz and Israel Hayom all focus on yesterday’s terror attacks, especially the murder of 21-year-old Hadar Buchris who had just returned from a trip to India and was fatally stabbed at the Gush Etzion junction as she waited for transport. Yediot Ahronot provides a slightly different slant, headlining protests by residents of Gush Etzion, who say that they have no security. Israel Radio news this morning reports that the IDF has blocked access to Gush Etzion for Palestinian workers in light of the recent large number of attacks there.

Maariv reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has effectively ended any speculation over bringing the opposition Zionist Union into a national unity government. He yesterday assured Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett that the government would not be expanded at their expense. Writing in Maariv, Ben Caspit comments that, “the third Intifada began and right now he [Netanyahu] needs to minimize opposition from the right that could syphon off his traditional ‘base.’ The base that wins elections for him every time.”

Israel Radio news reports that a rocket from the Gaza Strip was fired at southern Israel this morning, landing in an open area of the Eshkol region without causing any injuries or damage.