All of the papers continue to discuss various aspects of the Carmel wildfire disaster:
Yediot Aharonot declares that „Whether there is a commission of inquiry or not and whether there are dismissals or not, the responsibility of Israeli governments – past and present – for the severe situation of the Fire and Rescue Service, is clear to all.” However, the author says that despite the foregoing, „It is difficult to avoid thinking that some of the problem is also related to mid-level officials.” The paper notes – inter alia – the lag between when the fire, then small, was first reported and the fact local authorities, both the Union of Local Authorities in general and the local councils in the Mt. Carmel area in particular, have never struck or even threatened to strike over the state of the Fire and Rescue Service. The author concludes: „And to remove all doubt, neither are the apathetic voters free from responsibility.”
Ma’ariv says that „The reality of criticism and the media is that everything is simply terrible. Then there is testimony from the scene, according to which the handling by the authorities, including Netanyahu, wasn’t bad at all. Juxtaposed to the brainwashing to which we have been subjected to in the past five days, it would seem that we are not so terrible, negligent, addicted to screw-ups and worthless.”
Yisrael Hayom believes that the media must also share in the responsibility for the state of the Fire and Rescue service. The author asks: „Where have we been all these years? Is it possible to remember even one thunderous story on the Fire Service in any main media outlet in recent years?”
The Jerusalem Post believes that the while the Mount Carmel fire caught Israel unprepared, it can still serve as a wake-up call for other potential catastrophes. The editor opines that the lives of Haifa Police chief Dep.-Cmdr. Ahuva Tomer and the other 41 victims might not have been lost in vain „if we deign to learn our lesson and prevent other potential dangers before it is too late.”
Haaretz feels that „The tragic Carmel fire has given Israel a window of opportunity to exercise diplomatic wisdom, rehabilitate its image and address its mistakes.” Taking as an example the recent tense relationship between Israel and Turkey, the editor states that „The gratitude that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed to his Turkish counterpart and his comment that the Turkish aid provides an opening to improve relations between the two countries are encouraging and a step in the right direction,” and adds: „But these statements need to be accompanied by concrete measures: an expression of regret over the killing of Turkish civilians in the Gaza-bound flotilla incident and compensation for their families.”
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