Summary of Editorials from the Izraeli Hebrew Press
Haaretz notes that “In the past few days there have been encouraging signs that Defense Minister Ehud Barak has somewhat softened his attitude to an Israeli strike on Iran in the near term.” The editor opines: “Assuming that Barak’s latest moves are not part of some con, Netanyahu would do well to listen carefully to his statements and the assessments of Israel’s intelligence chiefs on the strategic importance of cooperation with the United States, and on the deterrent power of a relationship of trust between the two countries,” and concludes: “Undermining relations with the world’s strongest superpower is many times more dangerous than Iran’s nuclear program.”The Jerusalem Post discusses the viciousness, duration and
premeditation of the acts of vandalism by more than a dozen Rosh Ha’ayin teenagers in their vacationing teacher’s home, and believes that the reason behind this is “our societal inhibition to make the buck stop with the parents. Until they are made responsible, their offspring will continue to misbehave badly, if not to go on a rampage.” The editor adds that “The time has come to get back to basics at home and in school,” and asserts: “Both must become authoritarian to some degree, with zero tolerance not only for violence but also for impudence, unruly conduct and discourtesy.”
Yediot Aharonot believes that „Nuclear [weapons], which are still exclusive, will never remain so. The world will become more dangerous, but it became so after the invention of gun powder as well. At a certain point in history, countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt will go nuclear.” The author suggests that „Benjamin Netanyahu will not decide whether or not there will be a nuclear Iran. It is doubtful if the world at large, which is stronger than us, has the ability to decide this. At the same opportunity, another truth needs to be said: Even a nuclear Iran – which, hopefully, will never come to pass – is not an existential threat to the state of Israel. If a nuclear bomb threatens our very existence here, then 22 hostile Arab countries, some of which are armed with thousands of non-conventional missiles, constitute such a threat, which does not depend on Netanyahu’s decisions.”
Ma’ariv asserts that „The claim that lessons can be learned from the Cuban missile crisis vis-à-vis Iran is incorrect.” The author suggests: „The correct comparison is to Germany and the West in the 1930s,” and adds: „At any time in the 1930s, France and Britain could have stopped Hitler, who systematically relied on the defeatism of the Western leaders.”
Yisrael Hayom points out that „American security guarantees must expand – and not reduce – Israel’s operational independence. They must improve Israel’s capabilities as a senior strategic partner which produces national security (an asset), and do not cause the deterioration of our standing to that of a client state which consumes national security (a liability).” The author cautions that „Giving up the natural right to independent military action, especially in the violent, traitorous and volatile Middle East, expresses the determination to repeat critical mistakes of the past, not learn from them.”
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