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Media Summary

Lord Howard challenges Netanyahu over Gaza deaths

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The Guardian and Channel 4 News report that former Conservative Party leader Lord (Michael) Howard confronted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday in a question and answer session at the Policy Exchange think tank, over Israel’s recent killing of more than 100 Palestinians, demanding to know why the country’s defence forces used live ammunition to curb the protests. Responding to the sharp, unexpected question, Netanyahu said he was looking for new technological solutions to prevent protesters scaling the fence separating Gaza from Israel. He insisted the protesters were either paid civilians or Hamas members.

BBC Two’s Newsnight presenter Evan Davis interviewed Netanyahu while he was here in London. In the interview, Netanyahu said he is not seeking to persuade European powers to abandon the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran because it is already “dead”. He further argued that the deal would collapse “because of the force of the economic sanctions of the United States” that would be reinstated in the coming months.

BBC News Online and the Daily Mail via AP report that Israel has accused Iran of fuelling recent violence on the Gaza border that has seen more than 100 Palestinians killed amid protests and riots. Israeli military aircraft dropped leaflets on Gaza on Thursday, warning Palestinians not to approach the border fence for their own safety. The leaflets urged people not to become “a tool” of the militant group Hamas, which dominates Gaza, alleging that its agenda was driven by Iran. Fresh protests are planned for Friday. It will be the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and also al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in Iran, when demonstrations are held against Israel.

The Independent and the Daily Express report that Netanyahu has threatened to carry out direct military strikes targeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime unless all Iranian forces are withdrawn from Syria. The Syrian leader was “no longer immune, his regime is no longer immune. If he fires at us, we will destroy his forces,” he declared speaking at a question and answer session at the Policy Exchange think tank. This was the first time that Israeli government officials have stated that the Assad regime would be punished for the presence of Iranian forces, which have been fighting Isis and Islamist rebels.

The Mirror published a travel review of Israel, focusing on “Israel’s surprising side, with beaches, beer and bikes”. The report also covers the recent Giro d’Italia cycling race.

The Independent reports that the US is seeking to forcibly deport an American citizen accused of being a member of Isis from his current detention in Iraq to Syria, court documents have revealed. A federal court notice filed in the US District court in Washington late on Wednesday noted that the Pentagon plans to return the unidentified “enemy combatant” to Syrian territory, despite his objections, in the next 72 hours.

The Guardian reports that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is removing 71 of its international staff from Yemen, citing a series of incidents and threats by groups trying to turn the organisation into a pawn in the three-year civil war.

Buzzfeed UK reports that Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell has written an angry email to the newspaper’s staff after his latest piece, showing Palestinian medic Razan Al-Najjar burning in an oven between UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Netanyahu, was not published. In an email Bell sent on Thursday morning, first reported by HuffPost, the cartoonist hit back at what appeared to be internal claims that his cartoon played on antisemitic tropes and was associated with “Nazi-related nonsense”.

The Israeli media focus on the potential violence on the Gaza border today.  Yediot Ahronot says: “The IDF is preparing today on all fronts for all scenarios—from a mass rush by thousands of Palestinians at the fence, through terrorist infiltration and hundreds of incendiary kites, to rocket fire at Israel.” The paper also reports the IDF Spokesperson’s Office has addressed the Gaza Strip residents in Arabic, in an attempt to prevent Hamas from scoring propaganda points from the death of the paramedic Razan al-Najar, who was killed near the fence last week. The paper further speculates “demonstrators might dress up as Nazi concentration camp inmates today in order to try to provoke the IDF soldiers.”

Maariv sees the “kite terrorism” as indicative of the confrontation between Israel and Hamas.  Describing it as “simple measures, which are light years away from Israel’s mighty technological capabilities—Hamas has been posing a complex diplomatic and military challenge to Israel.” Maariv concludes that, “Hamas has understood clearly the message from Israel that it does not wish a confrontation, but nevertheless it has chosen to engage in brinksmanship. But even patience and a policy of restraint have their limits. As public criticism against the nature of Israel’s response to the terrorism from Gaza expands, our political echelon has increasingly less room to manoeuver.” Israel Hayom report that the Israel Air Force (IAF) has drilled this week in both northern and southern Israel with hundreds of aircraft, simulating attacking hundreds of targets in the Gaza Strip within a short time and giving aid to ground operations. IAF sources said that the drills were a success and that they were ready for any task required.

Maariv leads with an exclusive political story that former IDF chief of staff, Benny Gantz, has been engaged in talks with the Zionist Union over the past months and may soon join the party. According to the report, Gantz and Zionist Union Chairman Avi Gabbay are close to reaching an agreement that will make Gantz the party’s candidate for Prime Minister, while Gabbay will remain party chairman. Polls conducted by the Labour Party have reportedly shown that it is expected to receive about 15 seats in the next election and if Benny Gantz were named its candidate for Prime Minister this could rise to 25 seats.

Kan Radio News reports the police in Jerusalem are prepared for the last Friday of Ramadan prayers on the Temple Mount. Dozens of police and Border Police are deployed in the Old City and the surrounding area. For the last three Fridays tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank have entered Jerusalem to pray.

There is continued coverage of the cancellation of Israel Argentina match. Yediot Ahronot  includes a poll; 50 per cent of respondents think that the game was cancelled because Argentina capitulated to Palestinian pressure, while 38 per cent think that it was because Israel politicised the event. 58 per cent said they were displeased with Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev’s performance, and 32 per cent said they were pleased. Haaretz and Maariv reports Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie confirming that the game was cancelled because it had been relocated to Jerusalem. While Maariv notes Likud ministers and MKs yesterday criticised Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev for her handling of the affair.  Regional Cooperation Minister Tzahi Hanegbi is quoted saying: “The less political involvement there is in matters unconnected to the government, the better. The government should not be managing football matches.”

Maariv includes striking warnings on the state of Israeli democracy from former President of the Supreme Court, Aharon Barak, who gave a lecture yesterday at the Hebrew University. “I did not anticipate the rise of non-liberal democracy in Israel. Israel is undergoing a process in which non-liberal elements are taking over our constitutional democracy. There is concern that we are at the start of a slippery slope. Israel’s constitutional democracy is abandoning the restraining elements of checks and balances and is becoming the tyranny of the majority and the dictatorship of the majority,” he said. He concluded his speech with a call to fight for the values of democracy against the non-liberal democracy taking root in the Knesset. “We cannot take democracy for granted, and in order to safeguard it, we must fight for it: because ultimately, if we do not protect our democracy, democracy will not protect us.”