Yediot Aharonot suggests that „Life in the more extreme Euro-American Left used to be easier.
Summary of Editorials from the Hebrew Press
Yediot Aharonot suggests that „Life in the more extreme Euro-American Left used to be easier. In their eyes, the Middle East was divided into black and white. Regimes that sided with the US war in Iraq were black. Whoever opposed George Bush and his policies was white. Israel, of course, was blacker than black.” However, the author avers that „These good and easy times are gone, never to return. Since the revolution in Tunis, black and white in the Middle East has become mixed up for them; there is now a mish-mash of grey.” The paper ventures that „The radical Left is also in great distress over the global public’s refocusing on the democratic revolutions and away from the sins of the Israeli occupation.” The author recalls „Western left-wing circles’ confused and disappointing reactions to the revolutions that toppled Communism in Eastern Europe. They were astounded and surprised that the residents of Warsaw, Budapest, Prague, Sofia and Riga wanted something so bourgeoisie and simplistic as liberal democracy. Now they are surprised (and confused) that dreams of democracy are motivating upheavals in the Middle East and North Africa. Strange. The Left, even the radical Left, should support, without hesitation, the basic human aspiration for freedom, without asking who profits from it.”
Ma’ariv commends Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s choice of Yoram Cohen to succeed Yuval Diskin as Director of the Israel Security Agency as „the right thing to do at the right time.” The author notes Cohen’s experience and says that he is known as someone „who will neither hide his views nor be unsettled by the views of others.” The paper cautions: „And if any extreme right-wingers think that Cohen will cut them some slack, because of the kipa on his head, they are badly mistaken.”
Yisrael Hayom speculates that „The religious imbroglio in Lebanon, like the ethnic identity of the Alawites in Syria, makes the possibility of finding a reasonable solution to the complexities between Israel and these two countries very difficult. The of the difficulty is not only the objective stumbling blocks but, mainly, the fear of non-Islamic communities that they will be seen as returning territories merely to curry favor with the West and Israel, and in contravention of the Islamic view.” The author cites Jordan and Egypt as examples, and contends that „Only a true Muslim can make peace and reach an agreement over territories with Israel. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that the Syrian regime will change in the foreseeable future and that this will increase the chances of regional normalization and will certainly be good for Israel’s relations with its neighbors.”
Haaretz reflects on the results of an investigation into trips that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family have taken abroad, which has revealed problematic conduct on the prime minister’s part during various periods in his political career when he was a Knesset member and finance minister, and believes that “An investigation should be carried out over whether this is consistent with the law and with the ethical standards required of elected officials.” The editor notes that “It appears that the prime minister and his family are big fans of a lifestyle of the type led by isolated rulers of oil emirates,” and adds: “It is fair to expect that Israeli prime ministers would conduct themselves with a semblance of modesty.”
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