- The organisers of the boycott movement against Israel have again belied the argument that their movement is solely aimed at the “rights of Palestinians” by choosing to ban the local Jewish newspaper, the Jewish Exponent, from a conference that they are holding at the University of Pennsylvania. The Exponent had previously published an article that was critical of the conference. (The Forward)
- One person who is not boycotting Israel is pop icon Madonna, who has chosen to launch her new world tour in Israel. (JPost)
- Following on from this post on rumours that Hamas is abandoning its Damascus office, DPA is reporting that Hamas has now pulled every last operative from Syria, so as to end its association with the faltering Assad regime. Meanwhile, Fatah and Hamas are supposedly close to forming a unity government… again. (DPA,JPost)
- Egypt has charged 43 NGO workers, including 19 Americans and 2 Germans, for illegally fomenting unrest with foreign funds. This is despite threats from Washington to cut the $1.3 billion in aid that the US gives to Egypt each year. Meanwhile, there have been clashes all over Egypt as protesters demand early presidential elections. (CNN,AP, Reuters)
- A German reporter recently released from Iranian custody has spoken about horrific beatings at the hands of his Iranian guards. (HuffPo)
- The US has reportedly doubled its “no-fly” list of terror suspects. (Guardian)
- Analyst Michael Ledeen has written an interesting thought exercise involving deceased CIA official and larger-than-life counter-espionage icon James Jesus Angleton – “channelling” his “thoughts” on the current threats of a war with Iran.
Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz
