HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS

HA’ARETZ 1. SHARON: I WILL FIRE SHINUI IF THEY OPPOSE BUDGET; LAPID: ELECTIONS CLOSE. According to assessments, budget vote to be held on Wednesday; today: PM to meet Shas Chairman in effort to persuade him to abstain in vote. 2. NEW FENCE ROUTE TO ANNEX TO ISRAEL 400,000 DUNAMS OF WEST BANK AREA. HATZOFEH 1. (…). MISSION: TO MURDER OTHER JUDGES. (…). 2. MINISTER LAPID INCITES AGAIN: “NO MONEY FOR POLICE, MONEY FOR RABBIS’ DUMPLINGS.” Crisis breaks out between Likud and Shinui against of budget vote. Lapid says: “We weren’t sent to Knesset in order to give in to haredi blackmail.” Sharon: “Disengagement will fail.” 3. UNITED TORAH JUDAISM TO SUPPORT BUDGET. 4. PRESIDENT KATSAV: I RULE OUT PARDONING BARGHOUTI. 5. YESHA COUNCIL BOYCOTT OF TNUVA OVER. MA’ARIV 1. (…). MURDERERS. (…). 2. SHINUI: SHARON BRIBING HAREDIM. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. (…). BECAUSE HE WAS A JUDGE. (…). 2. GOVERNMENT CRISIS: SHINUI ON WAY OUT. Lapid: We will vote against budget due to transfer of hundreds of millions to haredim. Sharon: I will fire him. ______________________________ SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS Yediot Ahronot, in its second editorial, remarks that the country is now effectively being run by two coalitions – “One (Likud, Labor, Shinui) to approve the disengagement plan, and the second (Likud, the haredim, the NRP, and Shinui) to approve the budget.” The editors highlight the problems of such an approach and suggest that Prime Minister Sharon has two choices: “Bring Labor into the government and risk a split in the Likud, or risk early elections.” Yediot Ahronot discusses the results of the investigation into the July murder of Judge Adi Azar. Yediot Ahronot, in its third editorial, comments on the Bank of Israel’s 50th anniversary. Hatzofeh proposes various solutions to the problem of violence from school children against their teachers. BPI-info