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Summary of editorials from the Hebrew press
Today’s issues: Cannabis and schizophrenia, a wake-up call before darkness descends, Trump and Netanyahu can get away with anything, and operational success marred by intelligence failure.
The Jerusalem Post notes that on the one hand, thanks to government regulation, Israel is probably the most developed nation in the world when it comes to innovation in the field of cannabis production and use, while on the other the same government limits the scope of production, and argues that this may be because lobbyists from large pharmaceutical companies are putting pressure on the government to prevent the Israeli medical cannabis market from taking off. The editor points out that “Prescription drug sellers clearly have an interest in preventing marketing of medical cannabis that would lower demand for conventional drugs,” and adds: “The question is whether the government will continue to exhibit schizophrenia; or will the government do what is right not just for business, innovation and the economy but also for millions of patients suffering from diseases readily treatable with cannabis?”
Haaretz discusses the campaign of religious indoctrination and growing influence of ultra-Orthodox Zionism in Israeli society, led on by Naftali Bennett in the area of education, Ayelet Shaked in the judicial system, Arye Dery in maintaining blood purity, the settlers in further entrenching the occupation, the Haredi divisions in daily religious indoctrination and the exclusion of woman, and cautions: “Behind all of these developments stands a single purpose: to turn Israel into a benighted, racist and violent fundamentalist caliphate, nondemocratic in its practices and non-Jewish in its values, that sees itself as beholden only to God and not to its citizens.” The editor contends that “Israeli democracy needed to wake up long ago in order to rise up and defend itself from everyone who exploits the basic rights granted by law in order to sabotage it,” and declares: “World history teaches what happens to democracies that fail to defend themselves adequately. Jewish history teaches what happens to the Jewish people when evil emerges and is not nipped in the bud in time.”
Yediot Aharonot examines the success of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu in shirking the shame following the disclosure of disgusting comments and remarks and complaints against them and members of their households, and declares: “If these were different politicians, they wouldn’t have lasted a single day. They would have been unable to bear the shame. It’s so humiliating, so embarrassing, that the only way out would’ve been to submit a letter of resignation. But Trump and Netanyahu? Don’t make them laugh. They always pull out the accusation that the media is out to get them. That they are being persecuted. That they are the victims. Poor people. They’re not the ones who are corrupt; it’s those who dare to report their actions.”
Israel Hayom comments on the arrest of the members of the terrorist cell who murdered Rabbi Raziel Shevach near the Samaria outpost of Havat Gilad last week, but adds: “the Shin Bet’s success was quickly marred by a sense of failure. The Jenin-based cell was able to form and operate right under the security agency’s nose.” Noting the difficulty inherent in thwarting attacks of this sort, the author nevertheless stresses: “The defense establishment should focus its efforts on thwarting similar terrorist cells and making sure that Jenin’s terrorist past does not rear its head.”
[Ben-Dror Yemini and Yoav Limor wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot and Israel Hayom, respectively. |
