HEADLINES FROM THE IZRAELI HEBREW PRESS
BreuerPress
HA’ARETZ
1. NETANYAHU EXPECTED TO SUPPORT SHALOM FOR THE PRESIDENCY – BUT NOT PUBLICLY
PM inclined to avoid publicly support him in order to evade criticism stemming from the closing of the file against him. Edelstein to declare official election date.
2. SIGNS OF AN ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN: DECLINE IN PRIVATE CONSUMPTION
Disappointing data from first quarter of 2014: Slowed growth, private consumption declined by 4%.
3. PERMANENT POLICE STATION TO BE ERECTED IN YITZHAR
MA’ARIV
1. YELLOW EUROPE
Maccabi Tel Aviv [the team color of which is yellow] wins European basketball championship after defeating Real Madrid 98-86 (…)
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. THANK YOU MACCABI
(…)
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. National honor – for the sixth time, Maccabi Tel Aviv is the king of the continent.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS!
(…)
WALLA!
1. SECURITY FORCES DEMOLISHING UNAUTHORIZED STRUCTURE IN NAHLIEL SETTLEMENT
2. THIS EVENING AT 19:30 – MACCABI TEL AVIV CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION IN RABIN SQUARE
NANA10
1. MACCABI TEL AVIV CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY CELEBRATION TO BE HELD AT 19:30 IN RABIN SQUARE
[Headlines from Walla! and Nana10 are from their websites as of 11:25.]
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SUMMARY OF OP-EDS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Ma’ariv discusses the recent „David HaNahlawi” phenomenon. The author asserts that, „The incredible response to the ‘David HaNahlawi’ Facebook campaign must be taken seriously by the decision-makers,” and adds, „In a world in which the ability to bury ideas has been made almost impossible, the attempt to conceal, hide and ban the use of the web borders on the impossible.” The paper notes that among those joining in the campaign were, „high school students (the next generation of soldiers), and police and defense establishment personnel,” and advises, „It will be good if the military and political leaderships understand that this is a phenomenon that touches broad strata of Israeli society,” and respond accordingly.
Yediot Ahronot questions why Israel has been reluctant to criticize Russia over its arms sales to, and support for, the Assad regime in Syria and why Israel abstained in a late March US-backed UN General Assembly vote in support of Ukraine. The author says that Israel’s ties with Russia and the Putin administration must not be at the expense of its ties with the US and the Obama administration.
Yisrael Hayom strongly criticizes recent actions by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, especially in wake of the recent mine disaster in the town of Soma. The author says, „The man has ceased to surprise [us]. He already proved the strength of his indifference vis-à-vis the major demonstrations against him last June, when he simply got up and went abroad like someone brushing off crumbs, which only increased the criticism and outrage against him, until he put down the demonstrations with an iron fist.” The paper remarks that, „The considerable number of journalists behind bars may infuriate the world, but it really doesn’t bother Erdogan, and when the general prosecution uncovers severe corruption in government, which reaches into his house, he has no problem in replacing the prosecutors and changing the laws.” The author believes that his party’s success in the recent local elections shows that, „he has, in effect, no rival that threatens him despite the growing public criticism of him,” but speculates, „Perhaps the 300 dead are liable to confront him with a political threat of a kind that has yet to be placed before the man who promised a few days ago that he is likely to win his country’s presidency in a walk.”
