SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS

HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS HA’ARETZ 1. 20 days to disengagement. THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS BEGIN TRAINING AHEAD OF EVACUATION. The evacuees: Authority – Possible to begin moving into luxury mobile homes at Nitzan. Terrorism: Maj.-Gen. Dan Harel – „We failed in defending civilians on Kisufim route.” Extremism: Settlers attack IDF Chief Rabbi as he came to coordinate moving of graves. 2. TEVA BUYS IVAX FOR $7.4 BILLION – LARGEST DEAL IN HISTORY OF ECONOMY. 3. CLAIMING IN SA-NUR: WE EXPOSED THREE ISA AGENTS PROVOCATEURS. 4. SHARON LEAVING FOR PARIS TODAY. PM visited France in 2001 and since then relations with Chirac have been cool. 5. REFORM IN LIFTING IMMUNITY APPROVED. Automatic immunity for MKs cancelled; will have to request it from Knesset. HATZOFEH 1. MK Ariel appeals to Mazuz to investigate motive for handing over northern Gaza Strip communities. NEW BOOMERANG: CYRIL KERN INITIATING ESTABLISHMENT OF CASINO IN ELEI SINAI. Arutz 7: Flatto-Sharon, Saudi billionaire Allabar and confidant of PM toured community. Plan: Residents’ homes will not be demolished and will serve workers. Security forces begin major exercise ahead of uprooting – soldiers arrive at collection points carrying orange ribbons. Maj.-Gen. Dan Harel: Expulsion to be made from north-to-south. Army capable of implementing evacuation within three weeks. IDF Chief Rabbi booed in Gush Katif. 2. END OF ERA OF AUTOMATIC IMMUNITY FOR MKS. MKS to be compelled to request immunity from plenum. Thus way was paved to plea-bargain for Omri Sharon. 3. VICTORY FOR NETANYAHU: CAPITAL MARKET REFORMS APROVED. 4. TEVA BUYS COMPETITOR AND BECOMES WORLD’S LARGEST PHARMACEUTICALS COMPANY. 5. JNF TO PUT MEMORIAL MARKERS FOR ARAB VILLAGES IN CANADA PARK. 6. SA-NUR: WE EXPOSED THREE AGENTS PROVOCATEURS. MA’ARIV 1. Expose: Dozens of new apartments in eastern Jerusalem. JEWISH NEIGHBORHOOD IN HEART OF MUSLIM QUARTER. Thirty flats and synagogue opposite Herod’s Gate – this is plan that was approved yesterday in Jerusalem. „This is a powder keg that could ignite the city.” 2. THE BIGGEST IN THE WORLD. Unprecedented deal: Israeli pharmaceuticals giant Teva buys American competitor Ivax for $7.4 billion. As of now, Teva is largest world’s largest maker of generic pharmaceuticals. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. CALL-UP OF RESERVISTS AHEAD OF DISENGAGEMENT BEGINS. Ahead of great evacuation: Yesterday – IDF called up first company of reserve Border Policemen. Each policeman received baton for use against rioters. 2. TEVA PHENOMENON. Israeli pharmaceuticals firm makes history: In largest deal in history of state, it bought American competitor Ivax for $7.4 billion. ______________________________ Yediot Ahronot says that the use of the IDF, as opposed to the Border Police, in implementing the Disengagement Plan and restraining those who are protesting against it, risks politicizing the military. This, the editors believe, would not be beneficial to Israeli democracy. Hatzofeh notes that the Yesha Council leadership recently emphasized to IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz that, „The by thousands of soldiers and the manning of roadblocks by the army, dozens of kilometers before Gush Katif, doesn’t jibe with accepted norms in democratic regimes.” Yediot Ahronot, in its second editorial, refers to the controversy over the construction of cellular telephone antennas in Israel. BPI-info