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Daybreak: Risky Business

Plus LeBron moves to Israeli-owned Heat, and more in the news

by
Marc Tracy
July 09, 2010
Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday.(Stan HondaAFP/Getty Images)
Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday.(Stan HondaAFP/Getty Images)

• While acknowledging skepticism, Prime Minister Netanayhu pledged “to take risks, political risks” in order to get direct peace talks underway. [NYT]

• President Obama predicted that Israel would not take military action against Iran behind his back. [JTA]

• Iran, meanwhile, said it would not accede to talks with Washington until the West clarified Israel’s nuclear status. [Haaretz]

• Roger Cohen says he has never seen Israel more isolated. He also primarily blames its reaction to the flotilla for the fallout in Turkish relations, while acknowledging Turkish leaders’ pre-existent hostility. [NYT]

• Frederick M. Lawrence, the dean of George Washington University Law School who specializes in civil rights law, will be the new president of Brandeis University. [Boston Herald]

• LeBron James chose the Miami Heat, apparently unaware that no one will give him credit for winning a championship with Dwyane Wade. One author made the point yesterday that LeBron never seemed to have a real understanding of the way sports fandom works; growing up in Akron, Ohio, he rooted for the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees. Last night, he created the NBA equivalent. [NYT]

The Heat’s owner is Mickey Arison, an Israeli-born billionaire. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ owner, Dan Gilbert, is a Jewish-American mortgage magnate (he owns Quicken) who sent Cavs fans an epic letter last night promising to win a championship before LeBron does. He won’t, but you should be rooting for him to.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.