bw wrote:the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Netanyahu’s decision to participate came despite a request relayed from Hollande not to attend so as not to draw attention at the unity rally to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Netanyahu’s move angered French officials, who responded by inviting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the paper said.

At a meeting with French Jewish leaders Monday, Netanyahu defended his trip in what appeared to be a reaction to the news reports back home.

“As soon as the security problem was resolved, allowing me to come, it was natural that I come here, it was important that I come here, and therefore I came,” he said. “There is great significance to what the world saw: the prime minister of Israel marching with all the leaders of the world in a united effort against terrorism.”

Israeli columnists skewered Netanyahu after images from the rally showed him maneuvering from the second row to the front of the march with his bodyguards, joining a line that included Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Abbas and Malian President Boubacar Keita.


“Only our leaders know the elbowing drill,” wrote Nahum Barnea in the mass circulation daily Yediot Ahronot after describing how Netanyahu had used a handshake with Keita to position himself in the front row.

An official in Netanyahu’s entourage said the prime minister was simply taking his assigned place among the heads of state who formed the first line of the march according to the planned protocol.

Visiting the site of the supermarket attack before returning to Israel on Monday, Netanyahu said: “I will always see to it that Israel marches in the front row of nations when it comes to its security and future.”

More criticism was leveled at Netanyahu for his invitation to French Jews to move to Israel, remarks that seemed to suggest France could not protect its Jewish citizens.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said in a television interview Monday that he did not like Netanyahu’s comments and had told him so.

Hollande pointedly left a memorial ceremony at a Paris synagogue Sunday night before a speech by Netanyahu.

Responding to the French displeasure, Netanyahu revised his synagogue remarks to include an assertion that French Jews have “the full right to live in peace and security as citizens with equal rights anywhere you choose, including here, in France.”

But he repeated his invitation to come to Israel, saying French Jews now have “the privilege of joining their Jewish brethren in their historical homeland.”

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/01/12/252817/damned-if-you-do-netanyahu-slammed.html#storylink=cpy

Hellsangel wrote:Wow! Who would have thought that a newspaper in the Middle-East could freely criticize its government? Wait! Where was this again?

Merlot Daruwala wrote:

Hellsangel wrote:Wow! Who would have thought that a newspaper in the Middle-East could freely criticize its government? Wait! Where was this again?

Yeah, it's amazing they've held out despite being labeled sickular, anti-patriotic etc by the 10x more rabid chaddi equivalents in their country.

As for the Haaretz's critics, those aforementioned patriots, their own mouthpieces can't even tolerate the sight of women in public and will go to the extent of airbrushing women leaders out of photographs for "reasons of modesty". And people thought Muslims are backward. Wow, indeed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/world/middleeast/for-jews-from-france-a-sociable-landing-spot-in-israel.html wrote:This Israeli city on the Mediterranean coast has long been a magnet for French-Jewish immigrants; its municipal website has branded it “the Israeli Riviera.” After this month’s wave of terrorist attacks in Paris, including one that claimed the lives of four Jews at a kosher supermarket, and with France’s Jews increasingly feeling threatened by anti-Semitism, Netanya is gearing up for a much larger influx.

Hellsangel wrote:Interesting name of the town:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/world/middleeast/for-jews-from-france-a-sociable-landing-spot-in-israel.html wrote:This Israeli city on the Mediterranean coast has long been a magnet for French-Jewish immigrants; its municipal website has branded it “the Israeli Riviera.” After this month’s wave of terrorist attacks in Paris, including one that claimed the lives of four Jews at a kosher supermarket, and with France’s Jews increasingly feeling threatened by anti-Semitism, Netanya is gearing up for a much larger influx.

Kris wrote:

Hellsangel wrote:Interesting name of the town:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/world/middleeast/for-jews-from-france-a-sociable-landing-spot-in-israel.html wrote:This Israeli city on the Mediterranean coast has long been a magnet for French-Jewish immigrants; its municipal website has branded it “the Israeli Riviera.” After this month’s wave of terrorist attacks in Paris, including one that claimed the lives of four Jews at a kosher supermarket, and with France’s Jews increasingly feeling threatened by anti-Semitism, Netanya is gearing up for a much larger influx.

>>.I think the family name was adopted by the father. So this may not be a coincidence. He may have picked a name with religious/cultural significance and the town's name may have been named for a similar reason. Now I will google to check the veracity of this theory.