Yediot Aharonot believes that „Yisrael Beteynu’s proposal to establish a parliamentary committee
of inquiry to reveal the sources of funding of organizations identified with the Israeli ‘left’ is the poor implementation of a worthy idea.” The author asserts that „The public is entitled to know what foreigners are interfering with internal matter in order to persuade it and who, for that reason, are funding political activity in Israel,” and adds that „The public, which they are trying to convince, is entitled to know who the supporting foreigners are in order to properly judge the true intention, motive and purpose behind the activity.” However, the paper avers that „A Knesset committee of inquiry is not the right tool to achieve this essential and sensitive goal,” because „The unavoidable political context of its composition will turn every discussion into a useless and vituperative uproar, regardless of any substantive pretext it may have.” The author calls for Israel to adopt legislation similar to the US Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Ma’ariv refers to the appointment of Col. (res.) Lior Lotan as the next IDF Spokesman and says that „With all due respect to Col. Lotan’s medal, it cannot be that someone without any quality professional experience is appointed IDF Spokesman.” The author commends Col. Lotan’s „extensive command and operational experience,” and lauds his „administrative, negotiating and research abilities,” but asserts that „At a time when Israel’s public diplomacy is at such a nadir, along with Israel’s foreign relations, it would be better if the country’s most charged public diplomacy front were led by someone who understood a thing or two about the media.”
Yisrael Hayom discusses yesterday’s announcement by the Iranian authorities that they had captured an Israeli spy ring and managed to infiltrate a double agent into the Mossad. The author, the former director of Israel Radio’s Farsi service, reminds his readers that „Announcements about captured spies and agents who worked for foreign countries are commonplace in Iran,” because, „The regime has an interest in hiding its citizens’ growing disgust with it and in claiming that its opponents are foreign agents or at least tools in their hands.” The paper says that while Israel, the US, the UK and the EU are routinely portrayed as being behind every negative event in Iran, it is Israel which is singled out for special treatment, both for ideological reasons and due to inter-service rivalries within the Iranian security establishment. The author says that „Much of the remarks of the ‘Israeli spy’ that were broadcast on Iranian television indicate the amateurishness of those who formulated his ‘confession’ and a lack of knowledge about Israeli intelligence’s modus operandi,” and speculates that yesterday’s announcement may have stemmed from a perceived need by one of the Iranian intelligence services to show an achievement following the recent elimination in Tehran of two senior Iranian nuclear scientists.
The Jerusalem Post discusses the tragic shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and notes, despite the fact she is not Jewish according to halachic law, „how splendidly the Democratic congresswoman from Arizona has served – and, we are hopeful, will continue to serve – as a Jewish role model.” The editor points out that due to the broadening definition of Jewishness among the reform and conservative Jewish congregations in the US, halachicly non-Jewish offspring of intermarried Jews are no longer excluded from membership and active ritual life in American Jewish congregations, and calls for the full acceptance of such Jews in Israel as well. The editor concludes: „With all our desire for a universally accepted definition of “Who is a Jew?” that would unify the Jewish people, we cannot ignore the complicated reality that many “non-Jews” are much more Jewish than their “Jewish” fellows. Congresswoman Giffords is one of them.”
Haaretz deplores what it terms the „Shameful imprisonment” of an activist against the occupation and a leader of the group Anarchists Against the Wall who was sentenced to a three-month prison for illegal assembly, and states that „His arrest should trouble every citizen who cares about human rights in Israel.” The editor states that „In view of the legal system’s inactivity against rabbis inciting racism and against violent and law-breaking settlers, one cannot escape the feeling that this is politically motivated persecution,” and declares: „Non-violent demonstration is not merely the right of every citizen, but also the duty of everyone who wishes to fight against wrong.”
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