Headlines

Israel has said that it will reject troops serving under the UN banner from any nation with which it does not have diplomatic relations. So, what's with these headlines that accompany this story today?

• Israel to block non-allied states - Irish Independent
• Israel refuses Muslim troops - Glasgow Herald

"Non-allied states"? Does diplomatic recognition assume some form of alliance? And, "Muslim troops"? Does that mean that Israel will be checking the religious affiliations of every soldier posted to the Lebanese border? The answer is 'No' on both counts.

I suppose this - Israel vetoes peacekeepers from countries that do not recognise it - from the London Times is just not sexy enough even if accurate. What makes this even slightly more interesting is that the Irish Independent's article is
a shortened version of the Times's article.