Summary of Editorials from the Izraeli Hebrew Press
All five newspapers discuss the current escalation in the south:
Yediot Aharonot says that „For the sake of fairness, let us clarify immediately: It is impossible to prove that there is a connection between decisions made by the Government in dealing with the rocket fire which endangers about 1 million Israelis – and the upcoming Knesset elections. While there is no likely connection between the decision and the elections, there is certainly a connection between the crazy race by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet members to the cameras and microphones in the southern communities – and the fact that in 69 more days we will go to the polls.”
Ma’ariv notes that „There is no denying that the situation is unbearable. The background is known. Israel left the Gaza Strip down to the last soldier, the last settler and to the last centimeter. Hamas, an organization committed to the destruction of Israel, seized control of Gaza. Since the rocket fire continued, an embargo was put in place. It is the strangest embargo in modern history. Hamas and its satellite organizations proclaim war without end, fire rockets at population centers and Israel, in response, sends to the Gaza Strip trucks full of food and fuel that facilitate the continued firing of rockets. The Palestinians could have taken advantage of Israel’s departure from the Gaza Strip in order to prove to the world that they are capable of doing something for themselves – in human development, industry, education, social welfare, etc. They have no problem with capital. It flows. From Iran and from Qatar. But they! have chosen a different way.”
Yisrael Hayom queries: „Why do we need to have world backing to justify a just war? Does a 13 year-old child from a Gaza-adjacent community, who was born into a regimen of ‘red alert’ and ’15 seconds to take cover’, have to look for a fortified hall, or one outside of rocket range, in order to celebrate his Bar Mitzva? Why was it determined, and who determined it, that it is impossible to defeat terrorism with power?” The author maintains that „The Israeli home front will continue to be strong only on the condition that it knows that there is someone who will defeat the enemy that is compelling him to stand the test of survival.”
Haaretz discusses the limits of Israel’s deterrence and declares: “The State of Israel is not entitled to let thousands of its citizens live under fire.” The editor states: “In the absence of any alternative leadership in Gaza, and at a time when the use of force is achieving only partial results, Israel would be better off recognizing that the deterrence formula has limits and adopting the mechanism of informal agreements instead,” and concludes: “Tough talk and escalation won’t ensure quiet for residents of the south. Thus, recognizing the limits of deterrence isn’t a blow to Israel’s prestige but a strategic necessity.”
The Jerusalem Post calls on the government to explain the situation in Gaza, and opines that “Before a military operation in Gaza is launched – if it is launched at all – Israel should make an effort to explain itself to the international ommunity.” The editor states that “World opinion might be stacked against Israel, but we must not give up hope,” and asserts: “Those in the international community with a modicum of intellectual honesty will acknowledge that if the Palestinians living in Gaza were to abandon violence and reconcile themselves to Israel’s existence, then the conflict would end immediately.”
BreuerPress info
