Summary of Editorials from the Izraeli Press
Yediot Aharonot contends that „The tension amongst the decision-makers is rising. They nderstand that time is running out, not only
in the Iranian context, but also regarding the territories. The world is fed up, and the American President, in his second term, is liable to be the one who puts an end to the games, also at the expense of a few hundred thousand Israelis in Judea and Samaria.”
Ma’ariv notes that „Since the 1973 war people are no longer writing songs which strengthen and maintain the legend of the courageous and innocent army,” and believes that „Perhaps that is because we no longer wholeheartedly identify with our wars.”
Yisrael Hayom maintains that „The State of Israel can deflect the pressures by President Obama, who wants to avoid a preventive blow against Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas. Presidential pressure, one must understand, is an inseparable part of Israel-US relations and goes hand-in-hand with being pro-Israel, and is cemented by the American public and congressional representatives. The Government must adopt the management of prime ministers from 1948 (Ben-Gurion) to 1992 (Shamir) who, usually, rebuffed presidential pressure, but were wise enough to dramatically improve strategic cooperation, despite – and most likely due to – Washington’s challenge. The author opines that „Israel-US relations revolve around an axis of mutual values, threats and regional and world interests. The US criticizes Israel in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict, but recognizes its unique contribution in fighting terrorism, in m! issile defense, intelligence, defense industry advancements and assistance to pro-American governments. Caving in to presidential pressure and ignoring precedents and the support of the American people and that of Congress will not do Israel any good, but rather the opposite. That would be a slap in the face to American democracy and would harm Israel’s interest.”
The Jerusalem Post discusses the expiration in August of the Tal Law, which anchored in law sweeping deferrals from military service for Orthodox Jews, and the resulting push in the Knesset to pass legislation that will encourage more Israelis – in particular Orthodox Jews – to perform military service. The editor notes that “Citizens from all the sectors must cooperate in fulfilling their civilian obligation,” but warns that “Doing away with the Tal Law altogether, abolishing deferrals and forcing young haredi men to join the IDF under threat of fine or imprisonment would be a serious mistake.” The editor asserts that “Direct coercion will only strengthen the most extreme elements in the haredi community who are fundamentally opposed to any form of military or national service,” and calls on the government to “find ways to maintain gentle but insistent pressure on haredi young men to share with their non-haredi brethren in! the collective endeavor to defend the Jewish state.”
Haaretz decries governmental actions that underline the illegitimacy of its policies in the occupied territories in light of the notification by the State Attorney’s Office to the High Court that “the government was retracting its promise to carry out the eviction order against the Ulpana neighborhood of the Beit El settlement in the West Bank.” The editor believes that “it is a pity that the attorney general is helping to teach the public that some Israelis are above the law, and that it is permitted to spit in the face of the highest judicial instance in the land on their behalf,” and calls on the Supreme Court to “find personally responsible, and punish harshly, everyone who lends a hand to turning Ulpana into a memorial for the rule of law and justice in Israel.”
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