Media Summary
Knesset passes bill to allow suspension of members
The Independent and Independent i both report that the Knesset passed a first reading of the so-called “Suspension bill” by 59 to 53 votes. The bill would enable the Knesset, with a special majority, under certain circumstances to suspend a Knesset member. The legislative initiative came after three Arab MKs caused uproar after they visited the families of Palestinian terrorists killed while attacking Israelis and observed a moment of silence in their memory. However, there are suggestions that even if the bill passes second and third readings, it could be ruled unlawful. President Reuven Rivlin is quoted suggesting that the bill demonstrates a “problematic understanding of democracy.”
The Guardian says that the Knesset also approved a salary cap for bankers, limiting their annual income to £460,000 or 44 times the lowest paid worker. Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon is quoted terming the legislation of “moral significance.”
The online editions of the Independent and Daily Mail both report that hundreds of Israelis turned out to support a soldier who was arrested after shooting dead a wounded Palestinian terrorist in Hebron last week, who stabbed two soldiers. The incident has sparked sharp public debate in Israel. The Guardian online covers a Channel Two poll which indicates that 57 per cent of Israelis oppose the soldier’s arrest.
Writing in the Daily Express, Jonathan Foreman is highly critical of the Department for International Development (DfID) after a Mail on Sunday report claimed that DfID funds to the Palestinian Authority (PA) are enabling the PA to pay money to terrorists who attacked Israel and their families. The Sun editorial is also highly critical of DfID funding.
The Independent online covers comments made by one of Israel’s two Chief Rabbis, Yitzhak Yosef, who is reported to have said that non-Jews who do not follow basic laws of morality as set out in the Jewish Bible, should not be allowed to live in Israel. The report says his comments have been roundly condemned by a number of groups.
The Independent, Independent i and the online edition of the Daily Mail all report that American companies are investing tens of millions in Israeli research and development into medical marijuana.
The online editions of the Times, Independent and Daily Express all cover comments by Shadow Leader of the House Chris Bryant, who warned that the Labour Party is in danger of losing its soul if it doesn’t curb anti-Semitism, including all-out attacks on Israel, which he calls “anti-Semitism by proxy.”
Writing in the Times, Roger Boyes warns against plans for Prince Charles to visit Iran. He says that President Rouhani “is not at the helm of the Velvet Revolution” and that Iran still views Britain as the deceptive “old fox,” in league with the United States and Israel. He also warns that Hamas is “supplied and bankrolled by Iran.”
In the Israeli media, the top story in Yediot Ahronot, Israel Hayom and Haaretz is the news that Shas leader, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri has been named as one of two high-profile politicians under investigation for corruption. Deri was imprisoned during the 1990s for corruption, but re-entered politics on his release from prison. Israel Radio says that Deri himself asked for a gag order on the case to be lifted and has made himself available for questioning if needed.
The top item in Maariv is the first day of the military trial of the soldier who shot dead a wounded Palestinian terrorist in Hebron. The prosecution has been granted an extra two days to build its case, having requested a nine-day extension to the soldier’s remand. Meanwhile, Yediot Ahronot reports that the soldier is unlikely to be charged with murder, but instead with manslaughter. Both Haaretz and Israel Hayom say that in light of the incident, the IDF Chief of Staff will re-issue the rules of engagement to soldiers in a letter emphasising the values of the IDF.
Meanwhile, Yediot Ahronot reports that Palestinian incitement over unfounded allegations that Israeli activities threaten the al-Aqsa Mosque upon Jerusalem’s Temple Mount are increasing in advance of the upcoming Passover holiday. The report says that those behind the incitement hope to inflame passions ahead of Passover when typically many Jews visit the area.