Summary of Editorials from the Hebrew Press
Two newspapers discuss the ongoing Turkel Commission:
The Jerusalem Post notes that initial reports from the Turkel Commission suggest that Israel has something to hide, but feels that that „Israel has good reason to be wary of international inquiries into its military operations,” with the skewed Goldstone report into Operation Cast Lead an obvious case in point. The editor adds that „The fact is that Israel is doing its best to protect itself, and morally so, in the face of daunting terrorist challenges that face no other western democracy,” and calls on the prime minister to be guided by his own conviction that “Israel has nothing to hide. The opposite is true.”
Haaretz declares that Israel’s Gaza inquiry requires a broader mandate, and states: „The testimonies of Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak to the Turkel Committee reveal grave flaws about their judgment and discussions on the most sensitive diplomatic and security matters.” The editor notes that the Turkel Committee has done well not to be content with the narrow mandate it received, and adds that „The significant contradictions between the testimonies and the attempts by the prime minister and the defense minister to pass the buck on down show that something basic is creaking at the top. The committee must thoroughly examine the issues so we can learn lessons and reduce the risk of similar mishaps in the future.”
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Yediot Aharonot marks the hundredth anniversary of the kibbutz movement. „The kibbutz charted the course and paved it as well. This path will have to wait for better days, for better people, for youth who will want to raise their children in a more just and humane society.”
Ma’ariv argues that „Palestinians are indeed victims of mistreatment. But you won’t hear much about what they endure, unless someone can pin the blame directly on Israel. Conditions in Gaza, for example, have made for a tough existence there. But human-rights activists have turned a blind eye to the systematic assault on individual freedom that has beset the population ever since the Islamic militant movement Hamas took over in 2005. The author says: „Never mind the assassinations of political opponents that paved the way for Hamas to consolidate its rule. Gaza, once a relatively liberal, free-thinking territory, has slowly moved along the path to full Islamic law in the past five years. All movie theaters and bars, for example, have been closed. Dozens of Internet cafes have been bombed, as have churches, monasteries and Christian schools. Earlier this summer, masked Hamas militants set fire to United Nations children’s camps, which competed with Hamas-run indoctrination activities for children. The regime has been busy shutting down NGOs that provided aid to Palestinians, but we haven’t heard much about that. The writer concludes that „The true agenda is attacking Israel, not defending Palestinians. If their supporters really cared about Palestinians, they would work to help them no matter what the source of the injustice. Watching the charade, one’s eyes can get misty — from the stench of hypocrisy that fills the air.”
Yisrael Hayom maintains that „Egypt knows that that there are Global Jihad elements in the Sinai who take advantage of the difficult terrain and the long coastal border in order to build radical cells amongst the Bedouins.”
thoroughly examine the issues so we can learn lessons and reduce the risk of similar mishaps in the future.”
BreuerPress-info
