fbpx

Media Summary

Barak says Assad downfall would be a ‘blessing’

[ssba]

In the UK and international press today, Sky News Online notes that freed IDF soldier Gilad Shalit made his first public comments in a recorded video thanking the public for the support and effort in bringing him out of captivity. Reuters notes that one person was injured in southern Lebanon yesterday when a rocket fired towards Israel landed in a nearby Lebanese village. Several papers report on ongoing clashes and deaths in Syria between government forces and anti-government protesters. BBC Online notes that at least 18 people were killed in clashes as protesters called for a general strike. The Guardian, Times and Independent report that clashes took place yesterday between Israeli troops and protesters at the funeral of Palestinian protester Mustafa Tamimi who was killed on Friday by a tear gas canister during clashes with the IDF.

On Israeli front pages this morning, Israel Hayom and the Jerusalem Post note ongoing violence and clashes in Syria, as President Bashar Assad has refused to let go of power and continues to fight against protesters. All papers also note that Defence Minister Ehud Barak said yesterday that the fall of Assad would be a blessing to the Middle East. Haaretz newspaper leads with the approval by Defence Minister Ehud Barak to expand the Gush Etzion settlement bloc.

Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post notes that Israel has called for a resumption of direct talks ahead of the arrival of the Middle East Quartet to Jerusalem, while the Palestinians rejected the offer, claiming that direct talks will only take place on the conditions of a settlement freeze and an acceptance of 1967 border. All papers report that the new Israeli ambassador to Egypt Yaakov Amitai is expected to arrive in Cairo today. The papers also note that French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe blamed Syria for being behind the roadside bombing in southern Lebanon that wounded 5 French UNIFIL troops patrolling the area.