HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS

HA’ARETZ 1. HALUTZ: IF RIGHT WINGERS OPEN FIRE, SOLDIERS WILL NOT BE SITTING DUCKS. Concern in IDF that extremists who barricade themselves [inside structures] may shoot at those who try to evacuate them. 2. Choosing a Labor Party leader. COMPETITORS UNDERSTAND: ARABS WILL DECIDE STRUGGLE. HATZOFEH 1. On eve of start of Sharon’s racist transfer. SETTING UP SECOND EMERGENCY ROOM IN BE’ER SHEBA. According to senior security establishment officials’ assessment, casualties are expected among both withdrawal opponents and security forces – thus the old emergency room at Soroka Hospital will be activated. 2. Sharon accused of corruption – and passed buck to his party: „They are trying to disparage the Likud.” THE LOSER: SHARON LOST EVERY VOTE. Knesset voted against Sharon’s statement on corruption. MKs attacked „regime corruption.” Sharon, typically, did not offer substantive answers, but preferred to embark on his own attack, accompanied by slogans and cynicism. Government lost three no-confidence motions. MA’ARIV 1. Sharon attacks struggle for integrity. WHAT CORRUPTION ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? For two hours, PM listened to MKs’ protests against corruption. Sharon finally went up to podium and declared: „These are slanderous and ridiculous statements.” 2. MILLIONAIRES CLUB. 6,000 millionaires living in Israel. 3. Labor primaries. BARAK BACK IN THE GAME. Ma’ariv/tns/Teleseker poll: Peretz taking off. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. Chief-of-Staff makes it clear that evacuation will not be carried out under fire. HALUTZ: WE WILL FIRST DEAL WITH SHOOTERS AND THEN EVACUATE SETTLERS. Warned Palestinians and extreme right: „Those who shoot at IDF soldiers – one fate.” Sends message to rabbis: „You won’t be able to wash your hands the day after.” 2. PM’s Knesset speech: THOSE WHO TALK ABOUT CORRUPTION SHOULD LOOK IN MIRROR. Dealt blow yesterday: Lost four Knesset votes. 3. FRANCE REVEALS: ATTACK DRONE WITH ISRAELI MISSILE. Drone, exhibited for first time at Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, designed to destroy targets. ______________________________ SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS Yediot Ahronot asserts that, „It is not the unending confrontation with the Arab states that will destroy the State of Israel; it is corruption, which has already felled and eliminated much greater empires than the State of Israel and which is liable to finish off the state for us.” While the editors acknowledge that, „There has always been corruption in the country,” they nevertheless believe that, „It has never been so open.” Hatzofeh calls on rabbis who have issued – sometimes contradictory – rulings on issues related to the Disengagement Plan to cite their sources always. Yediot Ahronot, in its second editorial, believes that Ra’anana Mayor Zeev Bielski is better qualified to be Jewish Agency and WZO Chairman than Natan Sharansky in light of his better hands-on management skills. Yediot Ahronot, in its third editorial, refers to the verdict in the Michael Jackson case. BPI-info