The Jerusalem Post comments on surveys conducted over the past few decades by respected research institutes, which have consistently found Palestinians to hold bigoted and highly negative opinions of Israel and Israelis, and contends that “At least part of the answer lies in the educational messages taught to Palestinian children from a very young age, even at institutions belonging to the more ‘moderate’ Palestinian leadership.” The editor acknowledges that Israeli intransigence, military aggression and settlement policy can be seen as obstacles to reaching peace, but adds that “as long as the Palestinian educational system perpetuates hatred of Jews and rejects the concept of an Israeli state within any borders, it is difficult to believe that the next generation of Palestinians will be any more predisposed to peace than the generations that have preceded it.”
Haaretz wonders whether Prime Minister Netanyahu’s new-found rhetoric for peace “isn’t just another political move to shake the wolves off his trail,” and declares: “Netanyahu has until now refused to present a detailed peace initiative on the grounds that it would only encourage the Palestinians to demand additional concessions.” The editor argues that this excuse “is not persuasive and sounds evasive, just like his calls for ‘direct negotiations without preconditions’ with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas,” and asserts: “If Netanyahu wants us to believe him, he must tell the public what he plans to do.”
Yediot Aharonot comments on an article by American peacemaking envoys Dennis Ross and David Makovsky published by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) in late May, and states: “Dennis Ross and David Makovsky may correctly diagnose Israel’s diplomatic problems, but their offered solutions are decidedly wrong-headed. The real question Israel is facing now is its willingness, or lack thereof, to avoid turning into an apartheid state in the future.. The article was written in reaction to the failed political negotiation between Zionish Union party Chairperson Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister (and Likud party Chairperson) Benjamin Netanyahu.”
Israel Hayom asserts: “The recent conference on France’s peace initiative achieved little other than more incentive for the Palestinians to keep digging in their heels.”
Globes comments on the recent OECD report which points to worsening inequality in the industrialized countries, and the connection between this and the substantial slowdown in productivity growth that characterizes many countries, and argues that in the future inequality will widen. The author believes that with regard to Israel, “there will be no change in the inequality trend without massive government intervention to ensure a different distribution of national product between capital and labor, without encouragement for organized labor, without ensuring, on the basis of the Basic Laws, essential social and economic rights, without re-examining the whole array of tax exemptions and the possibilities for tax planning,” and adds: “There is no point in dreaming about productivity growth without providing a reasonable standard of education for each and every child, without fostering a system of social security, and without ensuring an appropriate level of social services.”
Nahum Barnea, Zalman Shoval and Avi Temkin wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Israel Hayom and Globes, respectively.
