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Media Summary

Israel Security forces on high alert ahead of the march of flags on Sunday

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The BBC reports that a Persian-language content moderator for Instagram and a former content moderator have said Iranian intelligence officials offered them money to remove Instagram accounts of journalists and activists. “I was offered 5,000 to 10,000 euros [£4,250-£9,000] to delete an account. They were especially after removing Masih Alinejad,” the former reviewer told BBC Persian. Last year, the US justice department said Iranian officials sought to lure the New York-based journalist to a third country to kidnap her. Both content moderators also accused some Iranian colleagues of exhibiting “pro-regime bias” when reviewing posts on the photo-sharing service.

The BBC, Independent, Reuters and the Guardian follow the Palestinian investigation into Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Aqla, which has claimed she was intentionally shot dead by an Israeli soldier. Announcing the findings, the Palestinian attorney general said, “the only shooting was by the occupation forces, with the aim of killing”. The Israeli defence minister rejected the report, calling it “a blatant lie”. Israel’s army is carrying out its own investigation, and has said Palestinian militants might have shot Abu Aqla.

The Guardian writes that Turkey’s plan to expand a buffer zone inside northern Syria and use it to relocate large numbers of refugees has gained momentum after officials endorsed a military push inside Syria. Though a timeline has not been decided, military and political leaders have confirmed that an extensive operation is being prepared to move Kurdish populations away from Turkey’s southern border and assert Turkish control as deep as 18 miles into northern Syria.

The Independent follow reports in Iran that confirmed an engineer was killed in an unexplained incident at a major Iranian military and weapons development base. Iran’s defence ministry said the “accident” happened on Wednesday afternoon in a research centre at the Parchin military complex, east of the capital Tehran. The engineer who died was named as Ehsun Ghadbeigi. Another worker was hurt in the incident, but no further details were given by the authorities.

Reuters reports that two senior US officials visited Saudi Arabia this week for talks that included global energy prices and Iran, according to a statement from the White House yesterday.

In the Israeli media, Kan Radio reports that security forces are on high alert ahead of the march of flags that is scheduled to be held on Sunday marking Jerusalem Day. The police are vigilant that any violence today or tomorrow on the Temple Mount could indicate that violence is also being planned against the march at the weekend.  Palestinian sources told Kan News that the organisations in the Gaza Strip would not exercise restraint if the march entered al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday and noted that the red line was the Temple Mount, not the route of the march.  However, the sources said that the mood on the ground is pushing for a response from Gaza and called the march a deliberate provocation. Yediot Ahronot reports that while Israeli security officials have cleared holding the march on the customary route, through Damascus Gate, US Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides has asked Israel to change the route but was told by Public Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev the government is doing everything it can to prevent friction and provocations.

Israel Hayom reports that Defence Minister Benny Gantz vehemently denied the Palestinian Authority’s claim that Israel deliberately killed Shireen Abu Aqla, calling it a blatant lie. Gantz tweeted that the IDF was taking action against murderous terrorism that in recent weeks had taken the lives of 20 people. We avoid harming uninvolved civilians to the extent possible and so shall we continue. The defence minister emphasised that the Palestinians have refused to cooperate with the investigation, which calls into question whether they genuinely want to find out the truth. Meanwhile. Al Jazeera will ask the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate the killing of Abu Aqla. The network issued a statement saying that an international team of experts would prepare a case to file with the court.

Maariv publishes a poll in which Meretz does not pass the electoral threshold – for the second poll in a row – after MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi resigned from the coalition but then returned three days later. According to the poll, the Likud would win Likud 35 seats, followed by Yesh Atid 20, Religious Zionist Party 9, Blue and White 8, Shas 8, United Torah Judaism 7, Labour Party 7, Joint List 7, Yamina 6, Yisrael Beiteinu 5, New Hope 4, and United Arab List 4. The poll also examined scenarios of changes in the parties: a party that merges Yamina, New Hope and Yisrael Beiteinu would receive 12 seats, less than what the three of them get separately (15). A merged list of the Labour Party and Meretz would receive 9 seats, two more than they get separately. If Itamar Ben Gvir runs separately at the head of Jewish Power he would get 6 seats while the Religious Zionist Party would get 5. Running together they get 9 in the poll.

Commenting on political affairs in Yediot Ahronot, Sima Kadmon writes: “For the past two weeks we’ve seen the coalition on the verge of collapse. The MKs’ new sport is to say that they won’t bring down the government but won’t vote with it on bills that they dislike either … not voting with the government on every bill will lead to its gradual collapse … both Bennett and Lapid know that politics consists of not only facts, but also dynamics, and that talking about the end of the coalition will lead it there. If everyone thinks that the coalition is falling apart, there are quite a few who will jump at the chance to be the hero of the right wing (or the left) who dismantled it.”

Haaretz reports on Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s decision to delay a cabinet vote on Israel’s signing of an international convention tasked with combatting violence against women, in light of pressure from right-wing organisations and the reservations of some ministers. The vote on the International Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence was set to take place by the end of this month. The convention is widely regarded as a major step forward in protecting women. In Israel, however, right-wing groups have opposed it due to concerns over clauses dealing with immigration and gender equality. Additionally, Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton has demanded clarification regarding the section of the accord that deals with education.

The Jerusalem Post follows yesterday’s vote in the Iraqi parliament where lawmakers approved a bill that criminalises normalising relations with Israel. The parliament has been unable to convene on any other issue including electing a new president and forming its own government, prolonging a political standoff. Although Iraq does not recognise the state of Israel and Iraqi citizens and companies are not allowed to visit, the new law goes further by specifically criminalising any attempts to have relations with Israel, punishable by life in prison. Meanwhile, also on Thursday, Science and Technology Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen signed a historic agreement in Morocco in the field of technology and science.

Also in Yediot Ahronot, Nahum Barnea comments on the policy that Prime Minister Bennett has adopted vis-à-vis Iran: “The question whether the agreement will be signed is still open, and the question is also still open about which is more dangerous for Israel—living with or without an agreement … an agreement will freeze the nuclear programme for two and a half years. That is its advantage. But it will send tens of billions of dollars flowing into Iran’s coffers from oil sales. Some of the money will pay for regional terrorism. Israel’s dilemma is which is more dangerous—a poor, weakened Iran that is making progress on its nuclear programme, or a wealthy, strong Iran, accepted by the world, that temporarily halts its nuclear programme. Bennett prefers the first option.”