HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS

HA’ARETZ 1. IN HIS YAD VASHEM SPEECH, POPE DID NOT MENTION NAZIS’ ROLE IN HOLOCAUST. Benedict XVI’s official visit to Israel arouses criticism.  Rabbi Yisrael Lau: „Speech lacked even one word about sharing in the sorrow.” MA’ARIV 1. WITHOUT FORGIVENESS. Disappointment in Israel: German Pope who was member of the Hitler Youth and a Wehrmacht soldier stood opposite memorial in Yad Vashem Hall of Remembrance but did not explicitly refer to the Nazis, and neither apologized nor expressed regret over annihilation of the six million. 2. 2009 budget. THE BIG WINNER. Outrage in Finance Ministry: Netanyahu’s adviser, Uri Yogev, acceded to almost all of Histadrut Chairman Eini’s demands.  Apparent decisions: Budget to grow by 3%, painful cutbacks in child allowances, unemployment insurance and maternity grants cancelled. 3. PA PRESSED ISRAEL TO TOPPLE HAMAS. Official Foreign Ministry document: Senior Palestinians prodded Israel to embark on Gaza war. YEDIOT AHRONOT 1. Night battle: Barak opposed any reduction in defense budget. ZIG-ZAG BUDGET. Yesterday: Netanyahu cancelled almost all cutback proposals made by senior Finance Ministry leadership.  Major winner: Histadrut Chairman.  Last night: PM and Barak met in attempt to resolve political crisis. 2. HE DID NOT ASK FORGIVENESS. Pope’s Yad Vashem speech received with disappointment in Israel.  (…). YISRAEL HAYOM 1. (…). APPARENT PACKAGE: MORE BUDGET, FEWER CUTBACKS. Government convening for decisive discussion.  Assessments: Budgetary framework to be expanded by 3%.  Night contacts to achieve package deal and defense cuts.  (…). 2. HE DID NOT ASK FOR FORGIVENESS. Disappointment in Israel over Pope’s Yad Vashem speech.  Jews in Holocaust were „killed”, not „murdered”; Nazis not mentioned; no reference to anti-Semitism; no request for forgiveness.  However, Pope left interfaith meeting after sheikh’s sharp speech against Israel. 3. EGYPT: WE WILL WORK WITH ISRAEL ON IRANIAN ISSUE. PM Netanyahu met with President Mubarak at Sharm.  They agreed: Diplomatic negotiations must be resumed forthwith.

EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS

Yediot Ahronot observes that the security presence around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea may be measured in terms of both its financial cost and its substantial disruption of local residents’ lives.  The author notes that the Prime Minister has an official residence in Jerusalem and suggests that, „When there is a need for the public to tighten its belt, and as the Prime Minister decides about cutting this or that vital area, he can suffice with this residence and its security arrangements.”  The paper adds: „Netanyahu was wise to cancel Ehud Olmert’s astonishing initiative to waste NIS 650 million on a grandiose prime minister’s residence.  Now, a modest but no less significant addition is called for – giving up on Caesarea until the end of his term.” Ma’ariv evaluates the Labor Party’s role in the ongoing deliberations over the state budget and the Government’s economic policy and asserts that, „The Labor Party will provide stability to the Netanyahu Government, the economic policy of which was – and remains – neo-liberal.  Today, there is no significant political force in Israel that may be truly called a social-democratic party.” Yisrael Hayom says that, „At Yad Vashem, in the Hall of Remembrance, the place in which we expected the German Pope, Joseph Ratzinger, to refer – personally and emotionally – to the Holocaust, to ask for forgiveness (which Christianity is good at), Benedict gave an understanding, considered, compassionate, theological, but so, so impersonal, speech.”  The author notes that the Pontiff did not refer to anti-Semitism and said that the Jews were „killed” not „murdered,” and adds that, „It is no wonder that Yad Vashem Chairman Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau spoke last night about ‘a missed opportunity’.”  While the paper declares that, „Let it be clear: The Pope is not an anti-Semite,” it nevertheless believes that his reserved and dispassionate demeanor – which it contrasts with the warmth and emotion of the late John Paul II – ill-served the occasion
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