Summary of editorials from the Hebrew press
Today’s issues: Getting in sync, another day of political survival, our political Ferris wheel, and ISIS lurking on all fronts.
The Jerusalem Post comments on Tel Aviv Stock Exchange plans to change its trading schedule to align with most of the world, operating Monday through Friday, and notes that “If it does so, it will become the first major Israeli economic institution to thereby adapt to the world economy.” The editor states that this move, if it is implemented, will sync with legislation aimed at gradually introducing a three-day weekend, and adds: “easing into a ‘Sunday off’ way of living could bring many benefits to our stressful society.”
Haaretz asserts that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu excels at identifying undercurrents that jeopardize his rule, and when he does so, “he is prepared to bend moral principles that lie at the foundations of the state.” The editor believes that “The prime minister provided an infuriating example of this faulty conduct on Thursday night, when he phoned the father of the Israel Defense Forces soldier who is suspected of killing a Palestinian man who assaulted other soldiers,” and declares: “Israel’s citizens and soldiers have a right to expect Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon to stand up publicly for the military legal process and against Netanyahu’s conduct. From the prime minister himself, nothing can be expected as long as political survival is his chief concern.”
Yediot Aharonot comments on allegations against the interior minister and leader of the opposition, both of whom were previously suspected of wrongdoing, and asserts: “Our political system is like a Ferris wheel, which, after a rotation, returns the same people to the top that were just there a bit before. Only a few years later, we’re getting the same people, the same suspicions, and the same police inquiries.”
Israel Hayom comments on the blows to ISIS in Iraq and Syria, but points out they have yet to undermine its force-building efforts in Sinai and the Golan. The author believes that “Islamic State does not pose a strategic threat to Israel, especially in its current condition,” but adds: “The series of attacks across Europe has only fueled the international community’s determination to fight Islamic State, at a time when it needs what can be described as a timeout in Iraq and Syria. For this reason, attempted Islamic State terrorist attacks in Israel are only a matter of time.”
[Sima Kadmon and Eyal Zisser wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot and Israel Hayom, respectively.] |
