HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS

HA’ARETZ 1. ABU MAZEN: WE WILL HALT CHAOS IN GAZA STRIP, WE WILL START COLLECTING WEAPONS. 2. Leading candidate for post of German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, in special Ha’aretz interview. MERKEL: WE WILL DEFEND ISRAEL AND FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM. On Israel: Important that we know how to preserve vitality of relations and prevent them from becoming merely ceremonial. On Sharon: He took a very brave step that is likely to lead to a new position among the Israeli public. On anti-Semitism: Important to sharpen society’s awareness of phenomenon, which is nothing but hatred of humanity. On Iran: We all have common goal – preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons. HATZOFEH 1. IDF checking circumstances regarding blast heard on Palestinian territory near Nativ Ha’asara. TUNNELS PHENOMENON ELIMINATED – PHILADELPHI CORRIDOR WIDE OPEN. Palestinians freely cross border. Egypt: Border will be blocked today. 2. PALESTINIANS LOOT GREENHOUSES THAT WORLD BANK BOUGHT FOR THEM. 3. SHARON LEAVES FOR US: WILL MEET WITH SERIES OF WORLD LEADERS. 4. ARAB MKS REFUSE TO CONDEMN SYNAGOGUE DESECRATION. 5. ELECTION ECONOMICS: SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PURCHASE TAX ON CARS. 6. YESH GVUL MOVEMENT FILES COMPLAINTS IN LONDON AGAINST HALUTZ AND YAALON. 7. ISRAEL ADVANCES TO EUROPEAN BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS. MA’ARIV 1. Border broken through: Palestinian masses cross Philadelphi corridor. ISRAEL TO EGYPT: CLOSE BORDER. Egyptians didn’t stop thousands of Palestinians from crossing from Gaza into Jerusalem. Concern: They will infiltrate into Israel from Sinai. 2. SHARON TO ASK BUSH: NEUTRALIZE HAMAS. PM’s plane lands in us. Today: Sharon will meet with American President. 3. ISRAEL IN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS. Achievement for national basketball team. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. PM to PA: Stop the running amok in Gaza. SHARON TO ABU MAZEN: TAKE CARE OF HAMAS IMMEDIATELY. This is message that Sharon will give today in his meeting with Bush at UN center. 2. WENT UP A NOTCH: ISRAELI NATIONAL TEAM ADVANCES TO EUROPEAN BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS. ______________________________ SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS Hatzofeh refers to a recent case in the UK in which a Muslim adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair told the Daily Telegraph that Jews had browbeat Blair into supporting the US position in Iraq and notes that the same adviser has previously alleged that Jews and freemasons control the world. The editors call on the British Jewish community to take very strong action. Yediot Ahronot criticizes the decision to leave the Gaza Strip synagogues intact. Yediot Ahronot, in its second editorial, criticizes the left-wing Yesh Gvul movement for filing criminal complaints in the UK against senior IDF officers and asks, “And what about terrorists’ crimes? Are the Yesh Gvul do-gooders complaining about them too?” Yediot Ahronot, in its third editorial, notes Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s internal Likud problems and wonders whether his speech to the UN General Assembly in New York tomorrow will be that of an Israeli statesman or a Likud Party politician. BPI-info