| 26 MAY 2019
Summary of editorials from the Hebrew press |
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| Today’s issues: Come to Bahrain, independent public education, Israel’s secular society is under attack, and: Netanyahu just wants to survive. |
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| The Jerusalem Post notes the Palestinian rejection of the joint US-Bahrain invitation to attend the first stage of the Trump administration’s rollout of its long-awaited peace plan, and points out: “The Palestinians, once again, seem like they are on the verge of never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity.” The editor contends that “the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah doesn’t really want peace,” but, arguing that Israeli and Palestinians both deserve a better future, calls on the Palestinian leadership to attend the economic workshop in Manama: “This is the ultimate test of leadership – do they try to improve the reality of their peoples or do they work for their own fortune and survival. Leaders, on both sides, need to be prepared to take personal risks and pay personal political prices. Let Bahrain be the first step.” |
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| Haaretz commends a new initiative by educators seeking to give Israel’s regular public schools the same standing as the state religious schools and to guarantee their pedagogical autonomy, and contends it is “a necessary step on the long road toward correcting the distortions introduced by the country’s recent education ministers.” The editor warns that “the possibility for parents and educators to teach in accordance with the principles of Israel’s Declaration of Independence is disappearing,” and declares that “A secular effort is more important now than ever. Determined parents, teachers and principals who are unafraid and receptive local governments must stop the interference and maintain freedom in state education.” |
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| Yediot Aharonot calls on Israel’s secular citizens not to give way to the ultra-Orthodox assault on their lifestyle, and states: “Secular society is under attack, as are its basic values. Non-religious and traditional Jews make up the country’s Jewish majority. But it is a weak majority and under the current system of government, it is an under-represented majority. |
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| Israel Hayom discusses Prime Minister Netanyahu’s promises and achievements over his previous four terms, and, on the eve of his assembling his fifth government, declares: “Despite his grandiose promises, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s four terms in office so far have been characterized by keeping things from happening, rather than making things happen.” The author points out that “After so many years in power, Netanyahu senses that he has a sort of moral immunity,” but notes that now, under the shadow of a pre-indictment hearing and serious suspicions, “all he can hope for is to make it to the end of the term in peace – to postpone, to delay, to maneuver, and to finally make it to the promised land where, most likely, he will face trial.” |
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| [Daniel Freidmann and Yossi Beilin wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot and Israel Hayom, respectively.] |
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