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Media Summary

Fallout from Lieberman appointments rocks Israeli politics

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The fall-out from Avigdor Lieberman’s impending appointment as Israel’s new defence minister is covered by the Independent online. Although an agreement for Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party to join the coalition is yet to be finalized, former-Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon resigned from the Knesset over the prospect and Lieberman’s hard-line position has been highlighted in the media. The Independent online covers comments by Israel’s former-Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who warned that the new-look government sows the “seeds of fascism,” while former-Defence Minister Moshe Arens termed it “a turning point in Israel’s political history”.

The Times and the online edition of the Telegraph both report that Hamas is planning to publicly execute thirteen people via firing squad, who are said to have taken part in murders linked to robberies in the Gaza Strip, which Hamas controls. The Times says that the public executions come as Hamas “tries to reassert its authority amid a rise in crime”.

The online editions of the Guardian, Independent, Telegraph and Financial Times all report that ISIS said it carried out suicide bomb attacks in the northern Syrian coastal towns of Tartous and Jableh, which are thought to have killed at least 140 people. The area is considered an Assad stronghold, relatively untouched by the five-year civil war, while Russia maintains a large naval base at Tartous.

The Daily Mail carries further apparent revelations over Labour MP Naz Shah’s anti-Israel activity. Shah was last month suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation, following revelations that she made comments via social media which suggested that Israel “relocate to the United States”. She since apologised for her comments. However, the Daily Mail says that among her anti-Israel activity at the time of her comments, Shah carried a mock ‘coffin’ at one protest and helped storm a McDonalds in Bradford.

In the Israeli media, the latest developments in the talks to bring Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party into the coalition is covered prominently in Yediot Ahronot and is the top item in Israel Hayom. The remaining sticking point appears to be disagreement between Lieberman and Kulanu head, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon over the demand to boost pensions, especially for those from the former-Soviet Union, who have not accumulated significant savings following their immigration. Israel Radio news says that agreements have nonetheless now been reached and are likely to be approved by Kahlon and representatives of Yisrael Beitenu and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud Party this morning. However, writing in Yediot Ahronot, Sima Kadmon reflects nagging doubts over the protracted talks, saying “an agreement is going to be reached in the next day or several days. How can we be so sure?”

The top story in both Yediot Ahronot and Haaretz is the State Comptroller’s annual report, which is due to be released this afternoon. It will include a section devoted to the so-called ‘Bibi Tours’ episode, referring to allegations that during his time as finance minister and a regular MK between 2003 to 2005, Netanyahu double billed travel expenses abroad and accepted travel costs for his family as gifts. The case was already investigated by the Attorney General, but Yediot Ahronot says that State Comptroller Yosef Shapira believes that the probe was deliberately dragged out in order to ensure that it exceeded the statute of limitations.

Israel Radio covers a sharp exchange yesterday on the opening day of the Knesset’s summer session, between Netanyahu and opposition leader Isaac Herzog, in the wake of their collapsed coalition talks last week. Netanyahu insisted that he remains willing to take courageous steps for peace with Israel’s neighbours, while Herzog accused him of slamming the door on change and opting for a radical coalition.

Meanwhile, Jerusalem Post reports that a Palestinian woman yesterday attempted to stab Border Police officers at a checkpoint north of Jerusalem and was shot dead. The day before, gun shots were fired at a school bus near the West Bank community of Tekoa. No injuries were reported.