HEADLINES FROM THE IZRAELI HEBREW PRESS
HA’ARETZ:1. Secretary of Defense Panetta in a flash visit to the country.
NETANYAHU: THE POLITICAL ECHELON IN ISRAEL WILL DETERMINE REGARDING AN ATTACK ON IRAN
2. MINISTERS WILL APPROVE GRANT FOR BUILDING HOTELS IN THE SETTLEMENTS
3. PERES PRESENTED A LETTER WHICH HE RECEIVED FROM NEW EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT MORSI, BUT IN CAIRO THEY WERE QUICK TO REFUTE
4. TAL LAW HAS ELAPSED; FROM TODAY YESHIVA STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE THEIR FIRST DRAFT ORDER
MA’ARIV
1. Prime Minister replies with aggressive message to past and present heads of security establishment:
„IF I DECIDE TO ATTACK IN IRAN, THE PROFESSIONAL ECHELON WILL CARRY IT OUT”
After a series of Israeli comments against attack on Ayatollahs’ nuclear program, Netanyahu clarifies: „Who decides is the political echelon.” Prime Minister hints: Even Begin attacked despite opposition of senior figures.
2. DRAFT ORDER FOR ULTRA-ORTHODOX
61 years after Ben-Gurion granted them an exemption, all Yeshiva students obligated to serve with expiration of Tal Law last night at midnight.
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. 7.2% unemployment. 260,000 Israelis without work.
UNEMPLOYMENT RISING
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. American Defense Minister in Israel. Netanyahu on possibility of attack on Iran:
ELECTED LEADERS DECIDE, THE MILITARY LEADERS
– CARRY OUT”
PM clarifies that he is yet to take a decision in matter of attack on Iran. Panetta expected to meet today with Netanyahu and Barak. Focus: Iranian nuclear [program]. Senior official: „We and the Americans are not on the same timetable facing Iran.” Last night: Obama signed on intensification of sanctions.
2. TAL LAW TIME EXPIRED
Significance: End to blanket exemption. Barak order formulation of plan to induct ultra-Orthodox. Ultra-Orthodox sector not overreacting: „Whoever expects to see all of the Yeshiva students at IDF activation center is mistaken and misleading.”
3. CAIRO REFUTING: „MORSI DID NOT SEND A MESSAGE TO PERES”
President’s bureau not surprised and emphasizes: There was a message.
WALLA!
1. MISSILE FIRED AT TANK ON GAZA [BORDER], „TROPHY” SYSTEM ACTIVATED
2. BUS CARRYING SOLDIERS HIT BY FIRE IN SHOOTOUT BETWEEN EGYPTIAN POLICE AND SMUGGLERS
NANA10
1. ATTACK ATTEMPTED ON IDG TANK: ASCERTAINING IF „TROPHY” PREVENTED A MISSILE HIT
2. DEFENSE MINISTRY DIR-GEN.: „THERE ARE DECISIONS, THERE IS LAW
–
THE IDF CARRIES IT OUT”
3. NETANYAHU ON IRAN ATTACK: „THE POLITICAL ECHELON DECIDES, NOT THE MILITARY”
[Headlines for Walla! and Nana10 are from their websites as of 12:00.]
SUMMARY OF OP-EDS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Yediot Ahronot analyzes that, „Last week Israel attempted to break the dead-end in its relations with Turkey. The highest level of Jerusalem’s political echelon last week welcomed a group of Turkish journalists in Israel as guests of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, the message was clear: Israel wants to normalize relations with Turkey. But that is not such a simple task. The following series of events is an excellent example of the difficulties on the path: On the 23rd of July the Prime Minister of Israel said: ‘In a region governed by instability, Israel and Turkey are two relatively stable countries. I believe in our joint interest.’ The following day, July 24th, Turkish Prime Minister Recip Tayip Erdo
ğan hosted in his official residence for the first Iftar meal Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and a group of Palestinian prisoners who were transferred to Turkey as part of the Shalit deal. How are we supposed to understand that?” The author opines that, „Israel should not accord too much importance to Mashaal’s Ankora visit. It would seem that Turkey has a much bigger problem if it thinks that Hamas will be its guide in the sinking Syrian quagmire. The events in Syria and Kurdish aspirations are not dependent on Israel, such that the relations between it and Turkey are not expected to improve in the foreseeable future. It can only be hoped that they will not deteriorate further.”
Ma’ariv relates to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement yesterday which immediately made headlines and waves in the electronic media, „‘The political echelon decides, the military echelon carries out, only I will determine whether to attack Iran.’ We, like a heard of sheep, were mesmerized and enthralled by this empty spin. Netanyahu’s only aim was to change the media agenda. Let them talk about Iran and not VAT. He is strong on Iran (in the meantime only in words). He is a bit weak when it comes to [economic] edicts and VAT and income tax. Therefore a quick switch has to be made. Was there anything new or interesting in what Netanyahu said? Not really. It is the political echelon who decides, this everyone knows. There is no argument. Such are democracies, and no Chief-of-Staff will remain in the room when the Cabinet votes. I haven’t yet decided whether to attach, Netanyahu added, and here too he was inaccurate. Unlike the American President, who is also the Commander-in-Chief, and can approve on his own (although a declaration of war must be approved by congress), in Israel an attack on Iran (which means war) must receive, at least, the approval of the Cabinet. Therefore, Mr. Netanyahu, it is not ‘I’, it is ‘We’.”
Yisrael Hayom maintains that, „The myth concerning Obama’s hostility towards Israel is exaggerated. In all things concerning security cooperation, Obama hasn’t fallen in his support for Israel from any other president. In the key diplomatic test, the Palestinian attempt to advance an imposed settlement to the dispute in the UN Assembly, Obama stood at the forefront of the move to foil the initiative and drew with him the entire free world.” The author says that, „We must remember that support for Israel has been shared by [American] presidents from both parties, and also that the hostile presidents were from both parties
Carter the democrat and Bush (sr.) the republican.”
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