Daily Media Report -- March 18

Mon, 03/18/2013 - 4:12pm

Israel & Mideast:

In Mideast news, President Obama’s trip to Israel and Jordan later this week continues to generate major coverage, with the NY Times, Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, London Guardian and other media outlets looking at various news angles. Also, a new poll shows most Israelis welcoming the Obama visit, while some Palestinians, at least, oppose it. Several commentators, meanwhile, look at the impact of the trip on the Obama-Netanyahu relationship and the president’s favorability in Israel. See JFNA’s recent statement on the trip here: http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?id=261375.

In domestic Israeli issues, PM Netanyahu’s new ruling coalition begins governing, with the PM saying external threats remain his top priority.

Regional Mideast Issues:

• N.Y. Times -- Obama’s Visit to Israel Renews Efforts to Free Spy http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/world/middleeast/push-to-free-jonathan-pollard-as-obamas-israel-visit-nears.html• Times of Israel -- Where Obama’s visiting in Israel, where he isn’t, and why http://www.timesofisrael.com/where-obamas-visiting-in-israel-where-he-isnt-and-why• UK Guardian -- Israel to ask Obama to use air strikes in case of Syrian missile transfer http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/17/obama-visit-israel-syrian-missiles-transfer• Algemeiner -- Poll: 82% of Israelis glad Obama is Visiting Israel http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/03/18/poll-82-of-israelis-glad-obama-is-visiting-israel/• Jerusalem Post -- Hoenlein expects Obama to win over Israeli people http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Hoenlein-expects-Obama-to-win-over-Israeli-people-306714• JTA -- Palestinians vandalize Obama billboard http://www.jta.org/news/article/2013/03/18/3122371/palestinians-vandalize-obama-billboard• Washington Post (op-ed, Aaron David Miller) -- One trip won’t fix things between Obama and Netanyahu. Here’s what might. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/one-meeting-wont-fix-things-between-obama-and-netanyahu-heres-what-might/2013/03/15/f31d7eca-8b27-11e2-9f54-f3fdd70acad2_story.html• Bloomberg News (analysis, Jeffrey Goldberg) -- Will Obama Finally Crack the Israeli Code? http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-14/will-obama-finally-crack-the-israeli-code-.html• The White House -- Ben Rhodes Previews President Obama's Trip to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/03/15/ben-rhodes-previews-president-obamas-trip-israel-west-bank-and-jordan

Domestic Israeli Issues:

• Jerusalem Post -- PM: First priority of gov’t to guard against external threats http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/PM-1st-priority-of-govt-to-guard-against-external-threats-306819• Times of Israel (analysis, Haviv Rettig Gur) -- Benjamin Netanyahu, large and in charge http://www.timesofisrael.com/benjamin-netanyahu-large-and-in-charge/

For more Israel news, see the weekly JFNA Israel news page: http://www.jewishfederations.org/Weekly-News-Items-in-Israel.aspx

For more security news, see JFNA’s Secure Community Network (SCN) news page: http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/1091809/bcb5afdb71/521804587/8fddab0b42/

Israel Advocacy:  USA Today looks at the BDS movement against Israel; Haaretz reports anti-Israel divestment is gaining currency on California college campuses; and a new poll shows Americans backing Israel in greater numbers. Also, the Forward’s editor scrutinizes a weekend NY Times story on a supposedly non-violent Palestinian protest movement; an Algemeiner columnist sees a deep anti-Israel bias at the Guardian; and in Israel, a Foreign Ministry plan to make supermodel Bar Rafaeli Israel’s public face draws the ire of both the IDF and some religious groups.

• USA  Today -- Anti-Israel push product, performers boycott http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/03/17/israeli-boycott/1930085/• Haaretz -- Divestment movement gaining ground on California campuses http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-features/divestment-movement-gaining-ground-on-california-campuses.premium-1.510088• JTA -- Americans backing Israel in ever-growing numbers, poll shows http://www.jta.org/news/article/2013/03/17/3122271/poll-american-sympathies-lie-more-heavily-with-israel• Forward (commentary, Jane Eisner) -- Real Non-Violence Doesn’t Look Like This http://blogs.forward.com/forward-thinking/173126/real-non-violence-doesnt-look-like-this/• Algemeiner (commentary, Adam Levick) -- A Nation So Racist that the Cinematic Depiction of Jews is Deemed a Security Risk http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/03/15/a-nation-so-racist-that-the-cinematic-depiction-of-jews-is-deemed-a-security-risk/• Ynet News -- Haredim: Don’t let Bar Rafaeli head PR campaign http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4357268,00.html• Times of Israel – Bar’s pro-Israel ad irks army http://www.timesofisrael.com/bar-refaelis-pro-israel-ad-irks-army/For more Israel advocacy news, see the Israel Action Network’s newly redesigned and enhanced website: http://israelactionnetwork.org/

Federations/Philanthropy:

Globally, a new study by the Jim Joseph Foundation offers ideas on engaging Jewish teens in philanthropy; Haaretz lists 10 top individual donors to Israel including Lynn Schusterman, Mort Mandel, Bernie Marcus and Charles Bronfman; a JTA op-ed takes a second look at a recent NY Times op-ed on the modern Orthodox community; a leading Republican in Congress will head an effort to prevent changes to the charitable tax deductions code, says the Chronicle of Philanthropy; and the American Legion is battling for relevancy as its supporters age, the NY Times reports.

Federations are highlighted in Birmingham, AL; Cleveland; Hartford; New Haven; and Orlando.

Global:

• JTA -- New study offers tips on engaging Jewish teens http://www.jta.org/news/article/2013/03/18/3122166/new-study-offers-useful-tips-on-engaging-jewish-teens• Chronicle of Philanthropy -- Newspaper Cites 10 Donors Who Helped Shape Israel http://philanthropy.com/blogs/philanthropytoday/newspaper-cites-10-donors-who-helped-shape-israel/64551• JTA (op-ed, Shai Franklin) -- David Brooks discovers the Orthodox 1 percenters http://www.jta.org/news/article/2013/03/17/3122211/op-ed-david-brooks-discovers-the-orthodox-1-percenters• Chronicle of Philanthropy -- Influential Republican Seeks to Protect Charitable Deductions http://philanthropy.com/article/Influential-Republican-Seeks/137981• N.Y. Times -- Aging America Legion Fights For Relevancy http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/us/an-aging-american-legion-fights-for-relevancy.html

Local:

• Birmingham News (op-ed, Richard Friedman) -- Support For Israel (highlights Federation) http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/03/support_for_israel_opinion_fro.html• Cleveland Plain Dealer -- Young leaders from Russia visit Cleveland as part of Beachwood’s Jewish Federation program (highlights Federation) http://www.cleveland.com/beachwood/index.ssf/2013/03/young_leaders_from_russia_visi.html• Hartford Guardian -- Merrill, Others to Raise Hunger Awareness (highlights Federation)  http://www.thehartfordguardian.com/2013/03/15/merrill-and-others-to-raise-hunger-awareness/• Orlando Sentinel -- Jewish Federation students host Hunger Seder on Monday (highlights Federation) http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features-the-religion-world/2013/03/14/jewish-federation-students-host-hunger-seder-on-monday/