Quote of the day:
"Thank you for your support...Together with Bibi we can all help truly make Greater Israel, the Greatest Israel. Give today."
--Jewish American blogger Mondoweiss makes funny mock fundraising campaign to send Netanyahu to Mandela memorial service.
- Dutch water giant severs ties with Israeli water company due to settlements - Vitens reneges on deal with Mekorot because 'these projects cannot be seen separately from the political context.' (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
- Judea and Samaria (W. Bank): Police pose as human rights activists - Contrary to promise of police chief Aharonovitz: the disguised police insert themselves among leftists and ambush rightists in conflicts hat rise between Palestinians and settlers. (Maariv, p. 1/NRG Hebrew)
- Mock funding drive launched to send Bibi to Mandela service - Mondoweiss, a progressive Jewish website, starts tongue-in-cheek campaign, tells readers 'desperate times call for desperate measures.' (Haaretz+)
- OECD: Israel poverty high despite strong economy - OECD survey shows Israel has worst poverty among member states, despite economic growth, low employment. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Knesset approves Infiltration Prevention Bill detaining migrants without trial - (Controversial) Bill passes after stormy debate with 30 MKs voting in favor, 15 against. Vote preceded by heated debate. MK Eli Yishai says detaining African asylum seekers for one year is not enough: "We need hot pursuit." Meretz MKs ask (Likud) MK Regev, ''Would you put Nelson Mandela in confined facility." (Ynet and Haaretz+)
- Haifa University accepts employees from the State of Palestine - Academics looking for jobs at the university found a surprising tab when entering their details in the registry data: the list of countries of origin also offered to choose from "Palestine." (Maariv, p. 17/NRG Hebrew)
- Halutz, Israel prefers the Syrian leader Assad - At a fundraising event in Moscow the former chief of staff Dan Halutz said: The mine that exploded on the Israel-Syria border is an indication of what will happen if extremists get to power. [However, now officials say Assad forces set the bomb - OH]. Unlike former Mossad chief Meir Dagan and former Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin, Halutz blamed the difficulties in the peace negotiations on the Palestinian side. (Maariv, p. 1/NRG Hebrew)
- US defense bill ups funding for joint projects with Israel - Bill includes $173 million in added funds for U.S.-Israeli cooperative missile defense programs, including David's Sling and Arrow. Measure also backs U.S. President Barack Obama's request of $220 million for additional Iron Dome batteries. (Israel Hayom)
For the full News from Israel.