Two of today’s papers discuss various issues related to the ongoing wave of socio-economic protests over – inter alia – housing prices and the cost-of-living:
Ma’ariv says of the protesters, „They are a group of young people, inexperienced, without ego or a desire to advance themselves at the expense of the hundreds of thousands who have been marching alongside them throughout. They are upstaging ministers surrounded by assistants and bureaus, showing them how things are done efficiently and wisely.”
Yisrael Hayom argues that „Piggish capitalism must be deposed of. Israel, according to its heritage, is deserving of a system of governance in which two of its central characteristics are social democracy and liberalism. But not by breaching the budget framework, as one of the radical protest advisors demanded, and not by subjugating ourselves to the red world of communism.”
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The Jerusalem Post discusses the state of the Palestinian Authority’s economy in light of the run-up to the expected request for recognition of a Palestinian State at the UN this coming September, and notes that, whatever the outcome, “The viability of an independent Palestinian state will depend less on strictly political factors than on sound and sustainable Palestinian economic capacities, without which any declaration of independence will be rendered empty and imprudent.” The editor points out that without economic cooperation with Israel, the PA would be unable to pay its own bills, and states that “A unilateral declaration of statehood that imperiled cooperation by spurning Israel’s offer of direct negotiations would be not only politically premature, but economically self-destructive, for the PA.”
Haaretz discusses the State Comptroller’s report on the December Carmel fire, which assigns blame to ministers and, above all, the prime minister, and declares: “This report has seared the prime minister. Now, he and all the other responsible parties must give a public accounting, so that elected officials will never again feel they have done their duty merely by sending letters to each other.”
Yediot Aharonot’s author, departing South Korean Ambassador Young Sam Ma, offers that „Many Israelis would agree with me that there is room for a little more consideration, a little more patience and a little more generosity in small matters. These ‘little mores’ will bring you closer to perfection.”
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