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Summary of editorials from the Hebrew press
Today’s issues: Israel and the partial Syrian truce, justice not compromise, the submarine affair requires a Commission of Enquiry, and what does Jordan bring?
The Jerusalem Post comments on the partial truce in Syria, forged between Russia and the US, but notes: “Israel cannot tolerate a situation in which Iran and Hezbollah emerge victorious from cease-fire agreements with greater influence in Syria and Lebanon. That would be an existential threat for Israel.” The editor argues that Russia and the US “must be persuaded to take concrete steps to protect Israeli and Jordanian interests along the two countries’ borders with Syria and, in Israel’s case, with Lebanon. This means curtailing the influence of Iran and Hezbollah and preventing them from realizing their military ambitions in areas that endanger cardinal Israeli and Jordanian interests,” and asserts: “As it has done in the past, Israel should continue to protect its redlines: no game-changing weapons transferred to Hezbollah via Syria; no Iranian and Hezbollah presence on Israel’s borders; and no permanent Iranian presence in Syria, not to mention Lebanon. Only Russia is in a position to help Israel protect these Israeli interests. And it should, for the sake of longterm stability.”
Haaretz is angered by the state of Israel’s relentless attempts to legalize the dispossession of the Palestinians from their land, and asserts: “Instead of trying to legitimize the crimes of the state and the settlers and suggest unjust compromises to the Palestinians that they cannot accept, the High Court should instruct the state to return the lands to their legal owners and prohibit the settlers from continuing to work lands that do not belong to them.”
Yediot Aharonot comments on police investigation into Israel’s purchase of submarines and other vessels from Germany and Israel’s agreement on the selling of weapons to Egypt and the resultant controversy surrounding these issues, and states: “Regardless of the criminal aspect of the affair, a committee must be appointed to investigate the handling of defense purchases. The police should not be the ones to check, for example, how Israel reached a discreet agreement with Germany on selling weapons to Egypt.”
Israel Hayom ponders the expediency of the Israel-Jordan relationship in light of recent developments that clearly illustrate that Jordan feels no obligation toward Israel, and states: “The time may have come to reassess the usefulness of this strategic asset known as the Kingdom of Jordan.”
[Giora Eiland and Moshe Elad wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot and Israel Hayom, respectively. |
