Summary of editorials from the Hebrew press
Today’s issues: Fighting for freedom, the education system is placing Judaism over democracy, France’s miserable intelligence failure, temps de guerre, and ISIS in Sinai.
The Jerusalem Post contends that the only motivation behind Islamic terrorism is simply “a nihilistic urge for destruction,” and argues that “We must tear ourselves away from any attempts to find a logical motive behind Islamist terrorism.” The editor quotes Prime Minister Netanyahu, who pointed out that “there is a common thread connecting the horrific attacks in Paris to Israel’s fight against Islamic terrorism,” and asserts: “There can be no compromise with the likes of ISIS, Hamas or Hezbollah, because compromise means forfeiting the freedoms that make life worth living. The only choice is to fight.”
Haaretz focuses on the new civic textbooks introduced to Israeli high schools, and states: “It would appear that the representatives of the right, drunk with power, have managed to mold the teaching of civics according to their ideas and in keeping with their political needs.” The editor points out that civics studies are intended to provide students with the tools and basic democratic and liberal concepts that would lay the foundation for participation in the political system, and declares: “Education Minister Naftali Bennett must understand that civics should not be used for religious missionary work or nationalist indoctrination.”
Yediot Aharonot argues that the terrorist attacks in Paris last Friday are nothing short of a “miserable and crushing failure,” of the French government and its secret services, a key element of which “is the hesitation to join international systems coordinating the war on terror.” The author believes that a French victory on terror requires “an unprecedented investment of resources and the establishment of a joint information and operations system for all countries, which will require keeping a big national ego in check,” and cautions that “Without a new intelligence-police- operational-legal infrastructure in France, terror will win.”
Israel Hayom comments on the cognitive dissonance that Europe has given in to, and notes that despite the rise in homegrown terror over the past decade, “Europe has failed to identify the threat of Muslim extremism and instead chosen to lay blame at the feet of a more politically comfortable enemy.” The author asserts that “Going to war to defeat Islamic State takes not only a military and monetary investment, but also an ideological one,” but warns: “Without an ideological renaissance, we are at risk of forfeiting the fight before we start it. No weapons in the world can take the place of faith in those who wield them and the reason for doing so.”
Globes discusses the ISIS buildup in Sinai and the resulting possible violent scenarios and consequences, and warns that this may negatively affect Israel’s position in the region. The author suggests that “Serious thought should be given to offering military cooperation to the al-Sisi government, perhaps in coordinated air attacks on IS strongholds, beyond the intelligence-sharing that already takes place.”
[Ronen Bergman, Annika Hernroth-Rothstein and Norman Bailey wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Israel Hayom and Globes, respectively.]
|
