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Media Summary

France to prosecute returning ISIS fighters

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The Times and Telegraph report on French pledges to prosecute and jail suspected jihadis returning from Syria. The Times reports that Christophe Castaner, the French Interior Minister, signalled a break with the government’s refusal to take back jihadis held by Kurdish forces in light of the imminent departure of US troops from the coalition fighting Islamic State. “There are currently people in prison who are being held because the Americans are there and who will be freed,” he said. “All those who return to France will be prosecuted and put before judges . . . Some have already returned and have been imprisoned.” French media reported that about 130 French jihadis were expected in the coming weeks but officials would not confirm the figure, which was attributed to intelligence officials. Up to 1,700 French citizens made up the largest contingent of European recruits with ISIS in Syria and Iraq from 2014. Several returned to stage terrorist attacks in France and Belgium in 2015 and 2016. Until now, France had accepted only the return of children born to French women who travelled to the self-proclaimed Isis caliphate.

The Guardian includes a letter from fifty figures within the creative industries, arguing that: “The BBC should press for Eurovision to be moved from Israel”. In May, the BBC intends to screen Eurovision 2019 from Israel. The letter reads: “The European Broadcasting Union chose Tel Aviv as the venue over occupied Jerusalem – but this does nothing to protect Palestinians from land theft, evictions, shootings, beatings and more by Israel’s security forces” and concludes that: “The BBC is bound by its charter to “champion freedom of expression”. It should act on its principles and press for Eurovision to be relocated to a country where crimes against that freedom are not being committed.” The letter is signed by figures including Vivienne Westwood (fashion designer), Peter Gabriel (musician) and Mike Leigh (writer and director).

Reuters reports that US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a legislative amendment on Tuesday urging the United States to keep troops in Syria and Afghanistan, as President Donald Trump’s administration moves towards withdrawals of American forces after years overseas. McConnell said that Islamic militant groups in the two countries continue to pose a “serious threat” to the United States and he had introduced an amendment to a broader Middle East security bill urging a “continued commitment” until al Qaeda, Islamic State and other groups are defeated.

The BBC reports that the Palestinian Authority has condemned Israel’s decision not to renew the mandate of a foreign observer force in the divided West Bank city of Hebron. The Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) has deployed unarmed civilians for more than 20 years to report on human rights violations. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the observers of “acting against” his country. Palestinians said Israel was showing contempt for international agreements. Saeb Erekat, of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, called on the UN to deploy a permanent international force across the occupied West Bank in response.

The Independent reports that Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is set to host leaders from Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia in a key meeting of the Visegrad group, sparking outcry against the premier for courting Europe’s most right-wing politicians, many of whom have been accused of being antisemitic. It comes a year and half after Netanyahu participated in one of the last summits of the four nations which took place in Budapest. Israel will host the next V4 group meeting on 18 February in Jerusalem, the first time it will take place outside of Europe. Netanyahu’s opponents have voiced concerns over allegations leaders like Hungary’s four-time Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Poland’s Mateusz Morawiecki have made antisemitic statements in the past. Many also see his wooing of these figures as part of plan to fight EU decisions on issues concerning the Palestinians and Iran. Yair Lapid, head of centrist party Yesh Atid and one of Netanyahu’s most boisterous opponents, said on Twitter that it was part of the embattled premier’s drive to drum up support ahead of the impending Israeli elections, which will take place in April, overshadowed by three potential corruption cases against the Israeli leader. “The summit set for February includes a prime minister who passed a law that humiliates the memory of Holocaust victims and a prime minister who publishes antisemitic materials,” Lapid wrote.

Reuters and the Guardian report on the official launch of Benny Gantz, the former Israeli Defence Forces Chief of Staff’s election campaign. Reuters reports that Gantz vowed on Tuesday to pursue peace-making and clean government in swipes at the premier, but did not rule out forming a coalition with him. Gantz criticised what he described as a “divisive” leadership that was detached from the people, too concerned with hanging on to power and too loose with its tongue on matters of security. “The mere notion that in Israel a prime minister can remain in office while under indictment is ridiculous,” Gantz said at a launch party timed to coincide with the evening TV news. Appealing to hawkish voters, Gantz took a tough stance on Iran and its allies in Lebanon and Gaza: “In the difficult, violent Middle East no one pities the weak and only the strong prevail.” But mindful of Israeli moderates, Gantz also said: “The government under my leadership will pursue peace and will not miss a chance to effect a regional change.”

The Independent reports that a UN official investigating the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was unable to examine the Saudi consulate where he was killed despite requesting access to the crime scene, prompting Turkish officials to add pressure on Riyadh. The UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Agnes Callamard, arrived in Turkey on Monday for a week-long visit to kick off her investigation of the murder. She told journalists she sought to enter the consulate in Istanbul where Khashoggi was murdered but has not been given permission to do so. “We are respectfully calling on the authorities to give us access at some stage,” she said, according to news agencies, conceding that she had submitted her request “quite late” and was willing to allow Saudi authorities time to respond. But Turkish officials demanded she be allowed in. “The fact that this rapporteur has not been accepted in is scandalous,” Omer Celik, spokesperson for Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development party, said in a television interview. “It is an approach that shows there is no cooperation and something is being concealed.”

Reuters reports that according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) , the country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a telephone call from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday to discuss progress on resolving the war in Yemen and other regional issues. “The Secretary-General of the United Nations expressed his gratitude for the Kingdom’s support in pushing for positive results in the dialogue between the Yemeni parties,” SPA reported. It was unclear if the call discussed an international inquiry led by the UN investigator on summary executions, Agnes Callamard, who has begun a week-long investigation in Turkey into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on the 2 October.

Reuters reports that Republican and Democratic US lawmakers will try again to pass a resolution ending US support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, with a greater chance of success than when a similar measure passed the Senate last month. Republican Senator Mike Lee, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who caucuses with the Democrats, as well as Democratic Representatives Ro Khanna and Mark Pocan, planned a news conference for Wednesday to introduce the legislation.

The Israeli media is dominated by analysis of Benny Gantz’s first major campaign speech. The speech is on the front pages of leading dailies Yediot Ahronot, Maariv and Israel Hayom, and is the lead in Haaretz.

Yediot Ahronot leads with the analysis of its leading political commentator Nahum Barnea, who praises the speech, and expressed surprise at the charisma shown by Gantz. Maariv’s headline is a quotation from the speech: “A government without masters and servants.” Its leading commentator Ben Caspit, a high profile biographer and critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, writes: “Gantz underwent his first real political baptism of fire yesterday successfully … He embraced everyone: right, left, secular, Haredim, Arabs, Jews, Ashkenazim, Sephardim.”

The Pro-Netanyahu Israel Hayom predictably highlights criticism of the speech, reporting its contents under the headline: “Gantz Speech: Left, Right, Left”. Its front page trails two critical commentaries, including one from Haim Shine under the headline “Hollow slogans”, another by Amnon Lord under the headline, “Gantz is a marketing plot”, though it also trails a commentary from Yossi Beilin under the heading, “The speech of a reasonable man.”

Haaretz’s analysis is led by its editor Aluf Benn, who also praises the speech, declaring: “Israel needs a leader who won’t lose his cool under fire. And Benny Gantz is more convincing than the others about his ability to meet his challenge.”

In other news, the papers report a planned protest by Ethiopian Israelis in Tel Aviv this afternoon against police violence.

Yediot Ahronot also finds space on its front page to cover the ransacking of a synagogue in Jerusalem – a story also covered by broadcast news on Tuesday evening.

Kan radio reports that a Kuwaiti newspaper has reported that six Arab foreign ministers will meet in Jordan tomorrow to discuss normalisation with Israel as part of creating an anti-Iran alliance in the Middle East.