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Media Summary

Israeli intelligence warned US of Russian cyber-attacks

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The Mail Online reports that Israeli spies observed Russian hackers in real time as they scoured computers across the globe for the codenames of US intelligence programs. The Russian intrusion, which was detected over two years ago, used anti-virus software manufactured by the Russian firm Kaspersky labs as an “ad hoc global search tool”. Israeli intelligence hacked into the Kaspersky network and upon detecting the Russian intrusion, alerted the US.

The Times and BBC World news online report that the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson intervened last night to try and prevent President Trump from “ripping up” the Iran nuclear deal. Johnson statement made it clear that Britain is aligning itself with its European allies France and Germany. BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme reported the intervention together with details of a phone call last night between PM Theresa May and President Trump. Former UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Former UK Ambassador to the US Peter Westmacott were interviewed on the programme.

The SunIndependent and the Daily Mail all report that six football fans were arrested in Israel after they ran onto the pitch at the end of the World Cup qualifier in Jerusalem.

The Mail Online reports comments by Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman on Tuesday that Lebanon and Syria would constitute “one front” against Israel if war were to break out.

The Mail Online also reports that Israel is to advance plans for nearly 2,000 housing units in West Bank Settlements next week, including 30 homes in the Palestinian-majority city of Hebron.

BBC News Online reports that operations against ISIS have displaced over five million Iraqi’s according to Lise Grande, the UN humanitarian co-ordinator for Iraq. The new figure follows the capture by Iraqi government forces of Hawija, ISIS’s last urban stronghold in Iraq.

Yediot Ahronot leads with new revelations from the investigation into the purchase of submarines and patrol boats from Germany.  The paper quotes then Defence Minister Yaalon who says Netanyahu pressured him to cancel the international tender for the acquisition of naval patrol boats to defend Israel’s offshore gas fields. According to the German paper Die Ziet, Israel requested longer submarines from the German shipbuilders in order to carry a heavier payload of nuclear missiles a further distance with a greater ability of being undetectable.

Israel Hayom lead on the Fox News report that despite the agreement, Iran tried 173 times in two years to purchase illegal technology to proliferate a nuclear bomb and ballistic missiles.

Haaretz quotes Egyptian media that reports alongside the resumption of Palestinian reconciliation, an Israeli delegation also arrived in Cairo to meet with Egyptian officials.

Army radio covers the New York Times report that Israeli intelligence warned US institutions about cyber-attacks from Russia using Kaspersky antivirus software.

Maariv and Haaretz report Defence Minister Lieberman’s comments that the next round of fighting will be a confrontation on two fronts; in the north from Lebanon and Syria and from Hamas in the south, “regardless of where the initial conflict begins or what causes it”.

Yediot Ahronot and Maariv report that a 24 year old Israeli on holiday in Sinai  was arrested by Egyptian police after finding that a bag he carried contained several bullets, apparently left there by mistake from his service days in the IDF. The Israeli consul is working on his release.

Haaretz report the decision of the Belgian government to stop funding two Palestinian schools after they decided to name them after a prominent female terrorist who killed 38 Israelis in 1978 including 13 children.

Yediot Ahronot profiles a group of Israeli Arabs, Druze and Bedouin who are travelling to the US to campaign against BDS.  They are quoted as saying they are happy to represent Israel, they will be hosted by “Students Supporting Israel”.