New deal, same old Iran

Four days before the Iran nuclear deal, millions of Iranians shouted “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” in the annual Al-Quds march, prompting ample news coverage in the Hebrew press. Four days after the Iran nuclear deal, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s expressed hope those cries will come true — once again making headlines in Sunday’s Hebrew newspapers, if only to show that Iran hasn’t changed.

The Israeli papers on Sunday also bow their head in shame over riots by Israeli soccer fans in Belgium, while spotlighting reports that US-Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard may be up for a November release.

Under the headline, “The same Iran,” Yedioth Ahronoth reports: “Those who expected a veritable revolution in the relationship between Tehran and the West after signing the nuclear deal, could eat their hats yesterday.”

The paper’s Ben-Dror Yemini raps The New York Times for downplaying the supreme leader’s hateful remarks.

“Some of the leading media outlets ignored Khamenei’s comments, or didn’t make much of them. The New York Times’ headline was ‘Ayatollah Khamenei, Backing Iran Negotiators, Endorses Nuclear Deal.’ Those who didn’t read the details might have thought Khamenei was leading the Iranian peace camp. And since the newspaper had to explain Khamenei’s blunt remarks, it found him an excuse: the supreme leader sought to appease the radicals. With this excuse, one can say anything. Even death to America. Even death to Israel. But Washington refuses to listen. So does The New York Times.”

Over in Haaretz, the Iran deal continues to dominate headlines. It reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke on the phone on Thursday night and the conversation was “long and difficult.”

Israel Hayom features Khamenei’s comments on its front page, with columnist Professor Avraham Ben Tzvi arguing the ayatollah’s comments “shattered the fabric of expectations manufactured by Barack Obama and undermined the basis and logic of the Vienna agreement.”

The daily’s main story deplores hate speech of another sort, focusing on the Israeli soccer riots in Belgium, and quoting Netanyahu saying the clashes “harms Israel’s image” in its headline.

The paper’s Boaz Bismuth, however, downplays the incident.

“What happened on Thursday was serious, but one must keep the incident in proportion. Beitar Jerusalem didn’t invent hooliganism in soccer, and Europe has seen far more serious incidents… Moreover, there is no connection between the incidents in Belgium and the fact that Beitar doesn’t want to sign an Arab player,” he maintains.

Haaretz in its editorial links the two issues.

“The time has come to stop talking about image, ‘education’ or ‘processes,’ and start taking practical steps. Alongside harsh penalties for manifestations of racism, Beitar Jerusalem must be given a limited window of time during which it will be required to sign Arab players – even at the cost of a major confrontation with its fans. Instead of condemnation, the time has come to act,” it writes.

Haaretz’s editorial also attributes the soccer team’s growing racism to Israeli leaders.

“Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev was quick to denounce the behavior of Beitar fans, whom she said “stained an entire country.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also took the trouble to release a statement: ‘We will not allow Beitar fans to hurt the image of the country,’ he said. However, the problem is not Israel’s image in the world, but the overt racism that is fueled by exactly those same officials who are now condemning it. Netanyahu and Regev are preaching to others what they themselves do not practice. With their racist remarks (‘The Arabs are flocking to the polling stations’), their conduct (threatening the funding of Arab cultural institutions) and their antidemocratic legislation – which is so typical of the government they head – they legitimize the phenomenon called Beitar Jerusalem.”

Over in Yedioth, the former chairman of the Beitar Jerusalem team laments the attacks.

“I am very sorry about, and it’s unfortunate that these fans brought Beitar to such a low, from which it will be very difficult to restore the group to its glory days of old,” writes Moshe Dadash. “Once hundred of thousands followed this league; today everyone is trying to distance themselves from it, no one wants to identify with this violence, with what is happening today in this team… I believe that after this low point, and after police get their hands on those fans, the real fans will return.”

Meanwhile, rumors about Pollard’s November release also makes headlines in all three papers.

“The sources said ‘there are indications’ that the US Department of Justice will not object to the release, which needs to be confirmed by Pollard’s parole board. A spokesperson for the Department of Justice refused on Friday to comment on the reports,” Haaretz reports.