Quote of the day:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

News Summary:
Croatia beat England and made it to the World Cup semi-finals, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with Russian President Vladmir Putin and told him to keep the Iranians away from the Golan Heights border and afterward attended the game (and the question rises: what was the real purpose of Netanyahu’s visit), an Arab-Israeli child was kidnapped for ransom in broad daylight and the ex-husband of a murdered woman admitted he perpetrated the crime, making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.

While most of the Israeli media reported on the ‘summit between Netanyahu and Putin,’ it turned out that they missed the real story, reported by Yair Navot of Channel 1, KAN Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation. Navot reported that Netanyahu’s visit was a private one and that the Netanyahu-Putin meeting was set for two hours before the World Cup semifinals. Putin even made a point of declaring the issue at the start of their meeting: “I am very happy to see you in Moscow, this time during your private visit to the FIFA World Cup. Nonetheless, it does not deny us the pleasure of meeting and discussing current issues.”  The Kremlin even posted and translated Putin’s words. The 'Times of Israel' reported on the contradiction, too, and noted that the trip was “repeatedly billed by Netanyahu as geared toward discussing Iran’s efforts to entrench itself in Syria.” After the meeting, ‘Israeli diplomatic sources’ told Israeli reporters in Moscow that Russia was working to remove Iranians from the Syrian border. In the third meeting within six months,
Netanyahu told Putin that Israel will prevent all attempts to violate its borders. The talks took place a few hours after a Syrian drone flew 10 kilometers into Israel and was shot down 16 minutes later by an Israeli Patriot missile - after Israel ascertained that it wasn’t a Russian or Jordanian drone.
 

Quick Hits:

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Features:
A Triple Whammy: 'Three Identical Strangers' Asks Disturbing Questions
A documentary revolves around the scientific quest that separated triplets who were reunited only decades after adoption. It is a disturbing and tragic story about the hubris of Jewish scientists who didn’t hesitate – less than two decades after the Holocaust – to use human beings as lab rats: The study that fundamentally changed the lives of the three protagonists in the documentary, and more than 60 sets of twins, was supposed to provide an answer to the classic question regarding human development: Nature or nurture – which plays more of a role in a person’s development, his genes or his environment? (Neta Alexander, Haaretz+)
"The (Bedouin) residents of Khan al-Ahmar ask us: 'Where shall we go?' And we have no answers"
While the pressure for and against the demolition of the Palestinian Bedouin village located east of Jerusalem is increasing, a group of Jewish and Arab Israeli psychologists has enlisted to help the residents with the mental implications of their struggle. (Yami Rot, Maariv Magazine supplement)
The Secret Jewish Identity of the Jamal Twins, Egypt's Belly-dancing Stars
King Farouk and Richard Nixon were among their fans, they starred in dozens of films and their photos graced magazine covers around the world. But it is unlikely that the audiences who packed the halls in the 1950s and ‘60s knew the truth about the Egyptian sisters who became international stars. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
Assad's curriculum: Hating Israel, ignoring Holocaust
A new study provides a glimpse into Syrian schools' curriculum, which demonizes Zionism, describes the 'Golan heist' and is rife with anti-semitic content, admiration for Russia. (Daniel Salami, Ynet)
Orgies, blackmail and anti-Semitism: Inside the Islamic cult whose leader is embraced by Israeli figures
He has a harem of scantily clad 'kittens,' claims the U.K. 'deep state' brought Hitler to power and is accused of sex slavery. What draws Israeli politicians and rabbis to Turkish cult leader Adnan Oktar? (Asaf Ronel, Haaretz+)

Commentary/Analysis:
To the Palestinians, the ‘Deal of the Century’ Is the End of Their National Dream(Jack Khoury, Haaretz+) If any proposal is deserving of the name, it’s the one that’s been on the table for 18 years — the Arab Peace Initiative.
**A Law That Tells the Truth About Israel (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) The nation-state law makes it plain. Israel is for Jews only, on the books. It’s easier this way for everyone.
Netanyahu's crippling lack of confidence in Israel's Jewish identity – and his own (William Kolbrener, Haaretz+) Self-confident Jews don't feel the need to push legislation for menorahs to monopolize the Israeli public square, to institute segregation, to marginalize other faiths and to celebrate exclusion and intolerance.
Don't worry, they are only flying kites (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) We need to stop the incendiary balloons and kites launched into Israeli communities. It has becomes unbearable. No government in the world would allow what is happening in southern Israel to happen without military response. Israel's deterrent power is deteriorating while Hamas's power is on the rise. How long is this going to last?
Israel's ultimate consideration in shooting down Syrian drone (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Israel feared downing of Syrian drone would overshadow Netanyahu-Putin meeting.
Calculated risk: If it turned out that the drone was armed, it could have ended in losses (Yossi Melman, Maariv) Israel turned to the encrypted telephone line connecting the IDF Headquarters in Tel Aviv with the Russian base Hamamim in Latakia, Syria. Only after it became clear that it was not a Russian UAV, it was decided to act.
Hezbollah's Nasrallah is right: Israelis no longer want to fight (Ofri Ilany, Haaretz+) Hezbollah chief Nasrallah says Israelis prefer to watch cooking shows than to go into battle. Researchers tend to agree – and see it as an advantage.
A missed opportunity in Syria (Ariel Kahana, Israel Hayom) Time and again, Netanyahu has noted that "the Middle East is in a state of historic turmoil." Given this unique opportunity, was allowing Assad back on our border the best we could do?
Netanyahu throws a racist bone to the masses as election whispers grow louder(Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Rivlin crosses the limits of his mandate, but his criticism of the racist clause permitting the establishment of Jewish-only communities is based on his heart's blood.
The motives behind the nation-state bill (Mati Tuchfeld, Israel Hayom) PM Netanyahu wanted to trigger an outcry on the Left. But this is just masking his real strategy: to rally the base around him and prevent Habayit Hayehudi from siphoning off support.
Why Does Ben Shapiro Sound Like a Christian Evangelical on Abortion?(Avraham Bronstein, Haaretz+) When conservative star pundit Ben Shapiro weighed into the abortion debate, he reproduced Christian denominations’ extremist positions rather than the centuries-long, nuanced, case-by-case Jewish tradition. That’s a shame – but no accident.
It's the Germans' fault (Uri Heitner, Israel Hayom) The Israeli-Polish statement on Poland's amended Holocaust law is problematic. But by acknowledging that the Nazis alone were responsible for the death camps, Israel is merely agreeing with historical fact.
Sex, Drugs and a Zionist Conspiracy: The Scandals Threatening Imran Khan's Dream of Leading Pakistan (Paul Gasnier, Haaretz+) An 'active Zionist,' Jewish sympathizer, adulterer and sexual predator: Leaked excerpts from a tell-all book written by his ex-wife about Khan are convulsing the country. His allies call it a grotesque PR stunt and a political plot – but the damage could still be immense.