Summary of editorials from the Hebrew press
The Jerusalem Post discusses the uproar resulting from the scandals currently plaguing Israel Police, and believes that these “cannot fail to damage the anyway waning public regard for the police.” The editor states: “No matter the direction from which we scrutinize our police – from the top or from the bottom – the overall picture looks dismal,” and concludes: “This suggests that it is time for a truly thorough overhaul.”
Haaretz is severely critical of PM Netanyahu’s behavior prior to the upcoming elections, and asserts: “Netanyahu is removing all the brakes that guided him in office, cruising at full throttle in an election race in which Israel’s interests are considered marginal compared to his lust for victory.” The editor states: “Netanyahu has become a ticking cluster bomb, discharging its lethal load at timed intervals and destroying the remains of Israel’s standing in the world,” and calls on the Israeli public to “review the balance sheet carefully ahead of the election and settle its accounts with him.”
Yediot Aharonot comments on the recent flare-ups on the northern border, and remarks: “Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer the same Mr. Security he once was, who managed for so long to keep things quiet.” The author laments that his statements “are becoming more and more radical,” and asks: “Who is Netanyahu kidding – us or himself?”
Yisrael Hayom compares the escalation on Israel’s northern border with the recent attacks in Sinai and Suez, and remarks that as different as these incidents are, they nevertheless “attest to the disintegration of regional regimes and nations, and prove that radical groups operating in areas where the actual regime has become defunct are waiting in the wings, ready to exploit this disintegration.” The author believes that Israel should follow the Egyptian lead of recognizing the direst threats and neutralizing them, and adds: “Those who fail to clearly mark their red lines today may find themselves powerless should these threats take full form tomorrow.”
Globes notes that the US retreat from its global responsibilities has caused disintegrative and destructive forces to take hold around the world. Detailing rising levels of turmoil and anarchy around the world, the author points out that if Israel “doesn’t quickly learn to handle issues of the exploitation of natural resources efficiently and effectively, the future will not only not be as bright as it could have been, it may well turn substantially darker.” The author states that “Survival in a dysfunctional and entropic world depends on having clear and obtainable goals, choosing the appropriate strategies to attain them and then devoting the necessary resources to do so,” and concludes: “All three elements are necessary, and the third is in imminent danger due to the incredible bureaucratic labyrinth created by Jerusalem.”
[Sima Kadmon, Yaakov Amidror and Norman Bailey wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Yisrael Hayom and Globes, respectively.]
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