Fighting fire with fire: 6 things to know for June 5

1. Israel is gearing up for a possible fresh round of violence along the restive Gaza border on Tuesday, as Palestinians mark Naska Day, the anniversary of the 1967 Six Day War.

• The Yedioth Ahronoth daily reports that Hamas, the terrorist organization that rules the Strip, has a hard time mobilizing protesters to the border during the week, and therefore will concentrate efforts to mark the day on Friday. Nevertheless, the paper said, additional IDF troops are being deployed along the border Tuesday in case large-scale Naska Day protests break out.

2. Meanwhile, as Israel girds for renewed clashes, lawmakers warned that Israel would not tolerate the continued arson attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip that have burned some 9,000 dunams (2,224 acres) of forests and agricultural fields in Israeli communities adjacent to the Palestinian territory during the recent protests.

• • Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman on Monday warned that Israel “will not accept the kite phenomenon, rioting along the border fence, or any attempts to breach… and therefore we will act accordingly. He added that the army “would act in accordance with Israel’s interests when it’s convenient for us.”
  • On Tuesday, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Israel should assassinate those flying burning kites into Israel, as well as Hamas leaders for enabling the attacks. “Kite terror is very serious, and whoever sends them should fear for their life,” he said during a visit to the southern town of Sderot.

• An official from the Tax Authority told Army Radio that agricultural damage alone stood at NIS 5 million ($1.4 million) and that damage caused to nature reserves and other land could drive up the figure.

3. German Chancellor Angela Merkel told visiting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that she supports Israel’s demand that Iranian troops be removed from southern Syria.

• At a press conference, Merkel told Netanyahu that Tehran’s regional influence was “worrying” and that her government would us “diplomatic” means to thwart it.
• Merkel also “sharply condemned” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for tweeting that Israel is a “cancerous tumor” a day earlier but reiterated her government’s support for the multi-national nuclear deal with Tehran that Netanyahu opposes.
• Netanyahu told his German counterpart it was “extraordinary” that a world leader would openly call for genocide against Jews, and warned that Iranian military presence in Syria could ignite a religious war.
• In response to Khamenei’s tweet, the Israeli embassy to the US tweeted a popular meme from the 2004 teen comedy “Mean Girls,” that read “Why are you so obsessed with me?” In just a day, the quip drew thousands of likes and retweets from mostly amused social media users.

pic.twitter.com/1dRRE7Nv1s

— Embassy of Israel to the USA (@IsraelinUSA) June 4, 2018

4. Later on Tuesday, Netanyahu is set to meet with with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss the Iran nuclear deal and the buildup of Tehran-backed forces in Syria.

• The leaders are also expected to discuss the recent uptick in tensions along the Gaza border, and will cap the day with an event commemorating Israel’s 70th birthday.

5. On Monday, the mayor of Hadera and three of his deputies were arrested on suspicions of bribery, corruption and tax-related offenses.

• Reports in Hebrew papers noted that Zvi Gendelman was the third consecutive mayor of the coastal city to be implicated in a corruption scandal. Yedioth said local residents were “outraged” by the news of the arrest, and the rest of the media appears just as unimpressed.
• Haaretz took aim at the pervasive culture of political corruption in Israel with a front page report revealing that no fewer than 12 Israeli mayors up for reelection later this year are suspected of corruption. “The heavy cloud looming overhead does not seem to bother most, who shake off the dust from the interrogation rooms, and go out again looking to win the public’s trust,” the daily said.
• Yedioth’s Nadav Eyal says the system of direct elections at the municipality level gives local governments and councils too much fiscal independence from state authorities. “This system results in [a local government] that is either terribly bureaucratic in the best case, or terribly corrupt in the worst case. How easy is it for a mayor to do a real estate developer a favor and then enjoy a little kickback during the election? Very easy.”

6. Israel on Monday delivered food, blankets and medicine to Guatemala after a volcano erupted there, killing at least 69 people.

• The Foreign Ministry extended the assistance through its embassy in Guatemala and said that a further assessment will be held with local authorities later.
• Israel and Guatemala have grown increasingly close in recent years. Last month, Guatemala followed the US in moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, becoming the second country to do so.