Yediot Aharonot says that whatever the relationship between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, „No pretext can justify Netanyahu’s incivility towards Liberman in not informing him about [Industry, Trade and Labor] Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer’s meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister.” The author warns that „Netanyahu will learn, maybe not immediately, that when you hurt Liberman, he retaliates in force.”
Ma’ariv refers to the seven Israeli Arabs who were recently charged with forming an Al-Qaeda cell and – inter alia – murdering taxi driver Yafim Weinstein in November 2009. The author believes that „When seven Arab youths enter a Nazareth courtroom and spout Bin-Laden, the time has come for the Israeli Arab public to start providing answers.” The paper adds that „A public that demands the establishment of commissions of inquiry into every event in, or operation by, the State of Israel, must also be more critical of its own.”
Yisrael Hayom suggests that „It appears that [US President Barack] Obama has internalized and adopted Abu Mazen’s proposal,” to be forthcoming on security concerns if Prime Minister Netanyahu accepts the Green Line – with certain minor adjustments and an exchange of territory – as the border between Israel and a Palestinian state. The author cautions that „If the borders for dividing the Land are agreed upon in advance, what bargaining cards would Israel retain on two other main issues – the Palestinian renunciation of the refugees’ ‘right of return’ and the commitment to view the agreement as an end to the conflict between the two peoples? It would come to the table with empty hands.” The paper adds, „And all of this is before dealing with the immediate conflagration, namely the American demand to extend the settlement construction freeze.” The author predicts „A hot diplomatic summer.”
The Jerusalem Post criticizes the excessive fees charged by Israeli banks, due mainly to the fact that competition between the banks is negligible. The editor feels that their behavior is of the sort that can only be expected of cartels, and declares: „Free enterprise isn’t synonymous with laissez-faire. If those who wield inordinate clout don’t control themselves, they will find themselves controlled externally. Excessive control may be unhealthy, but so are monopolies. In the end, they sap initiative and obstruct the market’s life-blood.”
Haaretz wonders if Israel’s Gaza flotilla probe is not simply a waste of time, and declares that „[Head of the independent public commission of inquiry, Retired Supreme Court justice Jacob] Turkel must demand not only investigative powers, but also the power to determine factual findings, draw conclusions and make recommendations about both the conduct of the government and the preparations of the military establishment.”
BreuerPress-info
