Summary of editorials from the Hebrew press
Today’s issues: Today’s issues: IDF recommendations for the Gaza Strip, Religious Minister Azoulay on Reform Jews, Histradrut threatens general strike, and Israel-India relations.
A year after Operation Protective Edge, Haaretz writes: „The working assumption of Israel’s government over the past eight years has been that only a military solution can calm the Gaza Strip. It is ironic, therefore that it is the Israel Defense Forces, and not the politicians, that has initiated a new, rational and practical strategy, which assumes that a military solution alone is no guarantee of quiet along the borders. Senior IDF officers have recently formulated a number of recommendations, including the opening of border crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip, granting permits to thousands of Palestinians to work in Israel, allowing Palestinians to travel from Gaza to Jordan via the Allenby Bridge and increasing the volume of goods entering and leaving the Strip. The practicial effect of the proposals would be the almost complete lifting of the blockade on the Strip. It is a welcome approach, which should be adopted and implemented immediately.”
Yediot Aharonot comments on the recent statement by Religious Affairs Minister David Azoulay of Shas that he doesn’t consider Reform Jews to be Jews: „Reform Jews, Azoulay should know, are the spinal cord of the United States Jewry together with the Conservatives, who – according to Azoulay’s admission test – are not Jewish either. There are many bad people, Israel haters, who insist on proving that we live in a dark state. They usually lie, but not always. They are probably rejoicing over Azoulay’s existence, because evil people’s job is done by fools. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows such miserable statements cause huge damage. He doesn’t have to throw Shas out of the government and he doesn’t have to fire Azoulay either. But he can, and must, denounce the rebellious minister’s comments in the clearest and most profound manner. The bal l is in his court. He had better do something.”
The Jerusalem Post comments on the threatened general strike by the Histadrut labor federation: „Contract workers have been with us for decades and the Histadrut exploited them more egregiously than most. So what makes their plight pressing enough to justify a general strike precisely at this juncture? To be sure, contract workers deserve equal pay for equal work and they most assuredly deserve full social benefits. That said, it is patently absurd to force both the public and private sectors to hire under collective agreements every last sanitation staffer and confer tenure upon each and every watchman. That would, to begin with, interfere with the flexibility of employers to decide when extra workforce is needed and how it should be engaged.”
Israel Hayom comments on Israel-India relations: „Last August, when anti-Israeli demonstrations spilled into the streets across the Western world, a large pro-Israeli demonstration of an estimated 20,000 people took place in the Indian city of Kolkata. In today’s international political landscape, this kind of big pro-Israeli manifestation is something rare and unexpected. Yet, it shows very clearly that many Hindus feel an affinity and share a common cause with Israel’s fight against terrorism. It also shows just how far Israeli-Indian relations have come since the countries first established diplomatic relations in 1992. The upcoming historic visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the culmination of years of rapprochement.”
[Ben-Dror Yemini and Jud |
