HEADLINES FROM THE IZRAELI HEBREW PRESS
HA’ARETZ
1. LAPID EN ROUTE TO NETANYAHU-LED GOVERNMENT.
Coalition negotiations between PM and surprise of the elections began in front of the television cameras. Netanyahu winked at Lapid and promised – not for the first time – „Equality in sharing the burden, cheaper housing and changing the electoral system.” Knesset waiting to hear if Lapid will veto bringing in the ultra-orthodox.
2. SIX PALESTINIANS KILLED IN TWO WEEKS; IDF SHOOTS AND KILLS YOUNG WOMAN NEAR HEBRON
MA’ARIV
1. NETANYAHU LOOKING FOR FORMULA FOR ESTABLISHING LIKUD-LAPID-SHAS GOVERNMENT
Around the PM, the assessment is that equality in sharing the burden issue will not leave Shas out of the coalition. Lapid rejects Yachimovich’s call and makes it clear: „There will be no obstructionist bloc.” Netanyahu has yet to call Bennett.
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. Lapid en route to a government with Netanyahu: „I will not join an obstructionist bloc.”
LAPID’S CONDITIONS
Election results have turned Yair Lapid into the man who holds the key to forming a government. Hesitation in Yesh Atid: Government without Shas or without Bennett? In any case, Lapid will demand: Law on equality in sharing the burden of IDF service, resumption of diplomatic negotiations, reduction in cost-of-living, reducing number of ministers and requirement to study core curriculum in schools.
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. Netanyahu: „We will form a broad government for accessible housing, boosting equality in sharing the burden and changing the electoral system.”
LAPID: NO OBSTRUCTIONIST BLOC
(…). Lapid decides: Netanyahu is PM. Assessment: Likud prefers broad government with Yesh Atid, Jewish Home and the ultra-orthodox factions. Liberman: „It is clear that the people want dramatic change in domestic policy.” Bennett: „Time has come to open all religion-and-state issues.” Concern in Shas: „We no longer hold the balance.” Knives out in Labor: „Yachimovich needs to draw conclusions.”
WALLA!
1. ALMOST FINAL: KADIMA IN THE KNESSET, BENNETT OVERTAKES SHAS
After 70% of the almost 217,000 double-envelope ballots have been counted, it seems that Mofaz has ensured his place and the Jewish Home goes up to 12 seats, apparently at the expense of Ra’am-Ta’al, and the right-wing bloc is again in the lead.
2. BARAK: „LEAVING POLITICAL LIFE FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS”
In CNN interview, DM makes it clear that he will play no role in the next government. (…).
NANA10
1. LIBERMAN: „I ESTIMATE THAT THE FOREIGN MINISTRY WILL REMAIN IN THE HANDS OF YISRAEL BEYTENU”
Former FM said that in his evaluation, Foreign Ministry will remain in his party’s hands, but made it clear that, „The portfolio isn’t registered in my name.” Lapid appoints team to manage coalition negotiations for Yesh Atid.
2. BARAK: „I DO NOT INTEND TO JOIN THE GOVERNMENT”
DM tells CNN that he will leave political life. However, he made it clear: „If there is an emergency, I am likely to think about it.”
[Headlines for Walla! and Nana10 are from their websites as of 12:00.]
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SUMMARY OF OP-EDS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
All three papers discuss various issues regarding the provisional results of Tuesday’s elections for the 19th Knesset<www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Modern+History/Historic+Events/Elections_in_Israel_January_2013.htm>:
Yediot Ahronot says, „Now, for the third time, Netanyahu can choose the good. He can bring in Lapid and Bennett as a base, and other parties that agree to choose the good. What is the good? The good is our ailing system, which encourages sectoral blackmail and the inability to govern, being replaced with a normal system. The good is that everyone serves and protects the homeland without whole populations – thousands and thousands of young men – evading, while their brothers carry the burden. The good is the state budget being allocated fairly and efficiently in a way that encourages creativity and productivity, not idleness.”
Ma’ariv suggests that, „This week, Benjamin Netanyahu and Shaul Mofaz paid the price for wrecking the unity government between them over their inability, last summer, to reach agreement on the issue of drafting the ultra-orthodox,” and adds, „Netanyahu wanted too much to keep his ‘natural’ ultra-orthodox partners and Mofaz wanted to depict Netanyahu as someone who capitulated to the ultra-orthodox ahead of the apparent elections. The result was that the issue was handed over to elections, to the enjoyment of Yair Lapid, who laughed all the way to the ballot box.” The author asserts, „Luckily for Netanyahu, Lapid has shown himself to be a partner who is more amenable to compromise than his [late] father,” and urges the ultra-orthodox, especially Shas, to come towards the younger Lapid.
Yisrael Hayom discusses the role new media played in the election campaign. The author says that Yesh Atid leader Yair, „Lapid used Facebook as a platform for free dialogue even though he did not always answer the tougher questions,” and adds, „Lapid, like other leaders in the world, understood that there is power in the network and directed his race accordingly.” The paper believes that Lapid, „knew how to bring out his star quality from the old media through to Facebook,” and suggests, „The alternative of Yesh Atid began with Yair Lapid’s Facebook wall.”
BreuerPress-info
