ISRAEL THREATENS TO BOMB “FRAGILE” SYRIA AL Sharq Al Awsat daily, London, January 28 A number of Israeli officials publicized what they called “the upcoming Syrian danger” and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu equated the Syrian and Iranian threats. Amid Israeli remarks that Israel will bomb Syria if the chemical weapons escaped the hands of the Syrian regime, it’s important to note that Netanyahu called his high security officials to an urgent meeting about Syria on Wednesday, which is the day after the election, meaning that the timing expresses the danger of the situation. In his speech on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Netanyahu said that the most important thing is not to repeat what happened – a matter that is connected to the will of the Jewish state to defend itself. Israel is expected to bomb Syria.THE GAZA WAR CURSES ISRAEL Al Isteklal bi-weekly newspaper, Gaza, January 25 The Israeli defeat in the Gaza war in 2012, which made the Israelis sign a truce deal with the Palestinians, is still haunting Israeli army leaders. Defense Minister Ehud Barak decided to leave political life and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman resigned, while the commander of the IDF Southern Command, Tal Russo, surprisingly resigned from the army after 35 years in service. Russo is the third general to resign from the army recently, and he wants to avoid being prosecuted by international courts for war crimes for his roles in the 2008 and 2012 wars with Gaza. The resignation reveals that Israeli leaders are planning a military operation against Gaza to enhance the image of the Israeli army in the future. A Palestinian political analyst told the paper that the Gaza war will continue to haunt a number of Israeli leaders who failed to reach the targets announced in Operation Pillar of Defense.FIRST SUBWAY FASHION SHOW IN DUBAI El Emirat El Youm daily, Dubai, January 25 The latest fashion trends were displayed in Dubai’s subway trains, where models came all the way from Dubai Mall to the Jabl Ali station in a remarkable opening of Fashion Week, which is part of the Dubai Shopping Festival. The festival was a pioneer in presenting unusual ideas, and this show was the first of its kind in the Middle East. The show presented daily clothing for women and men, and musicians played live music on the violin and guitar. The show lasted half an hour, with models walking down the aisles of the trains as photographers stood by, recording the event.

Hot off the Arab press

A short round-up of the latest Middle East news.