Summary of Editorials from the Izraeli Hebrew Press

Yediot Aharonot asserts that „There are similarities in the way the Muslim world responded to the Muhammad Al-Dura affair and the bizarre movie about Muhammad,” and adds: „First and foremost is how hundreds of thousands of inflamed demonstrators went out into the streets without clarifying the truth.” The author notes that „We live in a world in which a single post on Facebook is enough to ignite entire regions,” and warns: „Tomorrow, those same extremists will vent their rage on the Western world and will seek to destroy, burn and loot branches of McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, or Chevrolet and Peugeot dealerships, around the world. Then too, the facts will be unimportant.”

Ma’ariv claims that „The average secular Israeli loves Yom Kippur,” and notes that its observance – as measured in the numbers of businesses that are closed and synagogues that are full with people fasting – is very widespread. The author muses: „We do not keep the Sabbath because it is impossible to have one day a week without work, a cigarette, the telephone or the news. It could be that if it happens once a month, we might even like it. We do need a weekly day of rest but without compulsion, by personal choice, everyone as he or she likes. Don’t rule it out, try us.”

Yisrael Hayom analyzes US President Barack Obama’s recent speech to the UN General Assembly. The author says that „Even though his speech did not include ‘red lines’, he reiterated that the US ‘must’ prevent the nuclearization of Iran,” and adds: „This is important, even if it has been said in the past,” and even, as the paper points out, the American President chose not to specify how this might be done.

The Jerusalem Post believes that threats by the Palestinian Authority to abrogate the Oslo Accords with Israel are merely meant to obscure Mahmud Abbas’ actual desire to renegotiate the Paris Protocol, the 1994 addendum to the Oslo Accords that governs economic ties between Israel and the Palestinians, which he hopes will compel Israel into bankrolling him. The editor states: “We can only hope that the government will not be tempted at a moment of weakness to agree to amend the Paris Protocol,” and adds: “Not only would it lose Israel the paltry control it retains, but it would embolden Abbas to press for more without honoring his part of the Oslo bargain.”

Haaretz discusses the strained relationship between the US and Israeli leaders, and notes: “A dark shadow of distrust and suspicion between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama hangs over the prime minister as he mounts the rostrum at the United Nations General Assembly today in New York.” The editor adds: “One hopes that Netanyahu will take advantage of his platform at the United Nations to present a credible peace initiative and an effort to repair relations with Israel’s most important ally.”

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