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Media Summary

US to decide on Syria response within 48 hours

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The Financial Times, the Guardian, the IndependentBBC News OnlineLBC Radio the Times and BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme all report on the American and international responses to the chemical weapon attacks in Syria. US President Donald Trump has condemned the “heinous” deadly chemical weapon attack on a Damascus suburb and said he will decide within the next 24 to 48 hours whether to launch a military reprisal against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Speaking to reporters as he convened his cabinet, Trump said: “We cannot allow atrocities like that”, adding that he had “not much doubt” about who was behind the poison gas attack in Douma that killed more than 48 people and affected hundreds more. When asked if military action was a possibility, he said: “Nothing is off the table … If it’s Russia, if it’s Syria, if it’s Iran, if it’s all of them together, we’ll figure it out, and we’ll know the answers quite soon. So we’re looking at that very, very strongly.”  The Guardian published a column by Simon Tisdall which argues that “after Douma, the west’s response to Syria’s regime must be military”. The Times reports that PM May is under pressure from her ministers to assist any US action in Syria.

The Times, the Daily Mail, Independent, BBC News Online, the Guardian, Channel 4 News and ITV News report on the suspected involvement of Israel in the recent airstrikes in Syria. The Syrian government and its ally Russia have blamed Israel for a deadly attack on a Syrian military airport. Monday’s attack hit the Tiyas airbase, known as T4, near the city of Homs. Observers say 14 people were killed. Israel, which has previously hit Syrian targets, has not commented. Syria initially blamed the US for the strike. The incident comes amid international alarm over an alleged chemical attack on a Syrian rebel-held town. The Daily Mail reports that US officials have today revealed that President Donald Trump knew Israel was going to attack a Syrian airbase in a raid that killed 14 people. Two sources told NBC News that Israel carried out the strikes and that Washington was informed in advance. The Independent report says Russia received no warning from the Israeli government. The Guardian has published a column by its Diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour which argues that “Israel has launched countless strikes in Syria, but what’s new is Russia’s response”. It further argues that “Israel has become concerned that Russia is not fulfilling the bargain to control Iran and its military proxies”. On Channel 4 News, BICOM Visiting Senior Fellow Brig.-Gen. Michael Herzog and on ITV News BICOM CEO James Sorene were interviewed regarding the possibility of Israel’s involvement in the strikes.

The Evening Standard reports on Jeremy Corbyn’s condemnation of Israel’s actions last week following the death of a journalist in Gaza. In a message read out at a demonstration outside Downing Street, Mr Corbyn said: “The killing and wounding of yet more unarmed Palestinian protesters yesterday by Israeli forces in Gaza is an outrage. Firing live ammunition into crowds of unarmed civilians is illegal and inhumane and cannot be tolerated.”

The Daily Mail reports on a story originally from Conservative Home that Labour was hit by a fresh antisemitism row today after it emerged that a constituency party’s minorities officers, Dorian Bartley, posted images comparing Israel to the Nazis. He shared a post defending the mural which sparked the recent protests against Jeremy Corbyn, contradicting the Labour leader who admitted it was. Labour sources said Bartley has been suspended from the party today.

The Guardian and the Independent reports on the death of Palestinian photographer Yasser Murtaja in Gaza last week. Murtaja died on the second of a series of mass Friday protests called the “Great March of Return”.  The Guardian published a column by Yasmeen el Khoudary which argues that “Yasser Murtaja embodied the struggle of Gazans – desperate yet defiant”.

The Daily Mail via AFP reports that Israel’s army said Monday it was investigating a video appearing to be of troops cheering as a sniper shoots an unarmed Palestinian on the Gaza border after the footage went viral online. The video emerged as attention is focused on Israel over the killing of 31 Palestinians in protests along the border with the Gaza Strip since 30 March. The army said the video seemed to show an incident that happened “a number of months ago” and pledged that it “will be thoroughly investigated”.

The Daily Mail via AFP reports that Hamas leader Ismail Haniya called Monday on Gazans to keep up their protests on the Israeli border that have resulted in deadly clashes. “Gaza enters a new stage of peaceful and popular resistance,” Haniya said during a visit to a tent camp for protesters.

The Daily Mail via AFP reports that the family of Ahed Tamimi, a teenager jailed for slapping two Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank claimed Monday she was “verbally harassed” during interrogation, as they released a video of her being questioned.

The Daily Mail via AFP reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday warned the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip that Israel will “hurt” them if they try to attack the Jewish state. “We have one clear and simple rule and we seek to express it constantly: If someone tries to attack you, rise up and attack him,” said Netanyahu in the wake of clashes on the Israel-Gaza border in which more than 30 Palestinians have been killed.

The Daily Mail reports that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says that if Trump pulls out of the nuclear deal the US will “surely regret it” and the response will come within a week. Iran warned it would ramp up its nuclear programme if the JCOPA collapses, to achieve a more advanced level than before the deal.

The Israeli media continues to focus on the air strike against the T-4 air base in Syria.

Maariv reports that Russia accuses Israel of the attack while Yediot Ahronot argues that the attack was a blow to Iran.

In Israel Hayom, Eyal Zisser argues that Israel marked a clear red line. In Yediot Ahronoth Yossi Yehoshua suggests that “the strike attributed to Israel also marks a dramatic geopolitical-security development: The end of the Russian love affair with Israel”. Also focusing on Russia, Ma’ariv’s Yossi Melman says that the key question is “what does Russia mean by its announcements condemning the Sunday night attack [on Syria]? … Are Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nerves beginning to fray because of all the strikes attributed to Israel? Or is he continuing to play his three-way game—supporting the Assad regime, agreeing to the Iranian military presence in Syria and also agreeing to letting the strikes [on Syria] continue.” He concludes that “we will soon know whether Israel bombed one time too many and if it is now on a collision course with Iran, which is liable to decide that it can no longer refrain from responding to Israel’s attacks on it, and even worse, with Russia, which is liable to restrict our freedom of movement in Syrian air space, or whether this is another case of Moscow putting on an angry face and then moving on and continuing to show understanding for Israel’s interests and for its motivations for its actions in Syria.”

In Haaretz, Amos Harel argues that Israel’s security leadership is urging an aggressive approach toward Iran in Syria. This position, which Harel says is shared by all branches of Israeli security, was recently presented to political officials, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot and Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman clarify that increased Iranian military presence in Syria will be perceived as a red line. He adds that the recent trilateral meeting between the presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey raised major concerns in Israel, as it created the impression that Russia now backs Tehran in its continued military actions in Syria, even if it means increased friction on the border with Israel. Alex Fishman in Yediot Ahronot makes a similar point that “what worries Israel is mainly the achievements reached by the Iranians, who apparently received a permit to stay in Syria – militarily, economically and diplomatically – and to serve as a factor that influences the Syrian regime.” He adds that “The Russians sold us out in that conference.”

Haaretz, Yediot Ahronot, Maariv and Israel Hayom all report on a video which was published on social media yesterday evening, shows IDF soldiers recording opening fire on what seems to be an unarmed protester on the Gaza border.  Kan Radio News reports that the IDF has said it is examining the clip. Ben Dror Yemini wrote in Maariv that “if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth ten thousand. In any case, it has to be investigated. And if the soldiers behaved in a despicable way, then they have to be punished and educated. Jewish and human morality is binding for IDF soldiers in all situations.”