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Summary of editorials from the Hebrew press
Today’s issues: Justice in Argentina, preventing a flare-up in the north, Netanyahu on the road to self-destruction, Ghattas’ true face, and conflict with Lebanon over gas looking likely.
The Jerusalem Post commemorates the 25th anniversary of the terror attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992, but notes: “It is difficult to escape one conclusion: The failure of Argentina to properly respond to the embassy bombing emboldened Iran and its Hezbollah proxy to launch another attack just two years later against the AMIA Jewish community center that left 85 dead and hundreds wounded.”
Haaretz warns of signs of an imminent flare-up in northern Israel, and declares: “So far Israel has been able to avoid getting caught up in the Syrian civil war, which involves the Russians and Americans, the Kurds and Turks, Iran and Hezbollah, Al-Qaida and ISIS. Under cover of this chaos, there have been several preventive attacks. Now it seems as if the situation has gotten more complicated, and Israel must weigh its moves carefully to prevent hostilities.”
Yediot Aharonot believes that even though the prime minister’s hold on the government is stronger than ever, he is at the beginning of a self-destruction process. The author states: “The prime minister’s sudden concern for the Israel Broadcasting Authority workers is completely false. The only rational explanation for his conduct can be found elsewhere—in the police investigations,” and adds: “But even if he does decide to resign and call elections, the Knesset doesn’t have to be dissolved, and the president can task a different MK with establishing a new government.”
Israel Hayom discusses the recent resignation of Joint Arab List Knesset Member Basel Ghattas, who explained that despite pledging allegiance to the Israeli parliament, he is essentially a Palestinian freedom fighter driven by his conscience, and states: “Ghattas has renounced the State of Israel, to which he had pledged allegiance, operating instead with a sense of ‘you are the Jews, and we are the Palestinians.’”
Globes believes that “A military conflict between Israel and one of its neighbors over control of marine areas is becoming increasing likely as the dispute between Israel and Lebanon over the maritime border heats up.” The author notes that “Geological assessments are that discovery of a natural gas reservoir on the scale of the Tamar reservoir in the Block 9 licensing area, the southern part of which is in the disputed area, is very likely. Such a gas reservoir is likely to provide Hezbollah with economic power for many years, except that Israel will not allow this to happen,” and asserts: “No Western company will conduct gas explorations in the area when Israeli warships are patrolling nearby, but a Russian company might do it, and an Iranian company certainly will. Inflammable natural gas could set the entire region alight.”
[Nahum Barnea, Reuven Berko and Reuven Barkat wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Israel Hayom and Globes, respectively. |
