Tuesday, November 29, 2005

HA’ARETZ

1. MK Dalia Itzik also joins Kadima; assessment: Preliminary move to Peres's quitting.

PERETZ TRYING TO PREVENT OTHER SENIOR OFFICIALS FROM LEAVING.

Kadima: Platform presented at second faction meeting – Palestinian state and return of territory.  Labor: Peres's brother Gigi equates Peretz's people with Falangists from North Africa.  Meretz: Platform – Shorter military service and studies for discharged soldiers.

2. Arab sector.

AHEAD OF ELECTIONS – ARAB WOMEN ALSO DEMANDING ROLE ON MONITORUING COMMITTEE.

HATZOFEH

1. Sharon makes it clear: We aren't ruling out anybody as potential future coalition partner.

SHARON'S PLATFORM: PALESTINIAN STATE IN 90% OF JUDEA AND SAMARIA.

According to Kadima party platform, Israel will only control settlement blocs, which are less than 10% of Judea and Samaria – like Barak's proposal to Arafat at Camp David.  Significance: Separation fence will be political border.

2. PERES'S BROTHER REVIVES "ETHNIC DEMON".

Storm in political establishment over Gigi Peres's remarks regarding "takeover by Falangists from north Africa."

3. DALIA ITZIK JOINING KADIMA.

4. SEVERE AIR POLLUTION IN JERUSALEM AND GREATER TEL AVIV.

5. COMMANDER AND THREE SOLDIERS WHO REFUSED TO TAKE PART IN OPERATIONAL ACTIVITY DISMISSED.

6. RESUMPTION OF KASSAM FIRE AT NEGEV COMMUNITIES.

MA’ARIV

1. Peres demanded – and Dalia Itzik was assured place on Sharon's list.

"PERES EN ROUTE TO KADIMA,"

According to senior officials in Sharon's party.  Apparent deal: Peres won't run for Knesset – but will be appointed minister for Negev, Galilee and Jerusalem.

2. FURTHER DROP IN UNEMPLOYMENT: LESS THAN 9%.

For first time since 2001, unemployment in Israel reaches 8.9%.  Record 2.5 million workers.

3. PALESTINIANS PREFER TO STUDY AT ARIEL COLLEGE.

YEDIOT AHRONOT

1. Blow to Peretz: After Ramon, Peres and Itzik abandon Labor.

BIG BANG EXPANDING.

PM's procurement journey continues: Last night – Dalia Itzik bolted Labor and joined Kadima.  Peres's deal: Will support Sharon from outside Knesset and will receive Government position.  His confidants: Peres is not going back to Labor.  Education Minister Livnat gives ultimatum to Director-General Tirosh: If you join Sharon – I'll fire you.

2. FOUR MAJORS-GENERAL, ONE YESHIVA.

Brig.-Gen. Gershon Cohen promoted yesterday to major-general.  He is fourth major-general after Naveh, Stern and Bar graduate from Netiv Meir yeshiva.

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SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS

Hatzofeh discusses recent events on the northern border.  The editors call on the IDF to show maximum readiness and urges Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to devote more attention to security matters and less to organizing his new political party.

Yediot Ahronot believes that the various and recurrent calls to change the country's system of government stem from the individual Israeli's, "sense of political helplessness."  The editors suggest that the Government actually needs, "a public that will genuinely criticize its moves and really settle political accounts with it."

Haaretz comments: "The reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt is an achievement for the Palestinians, but no less so for Israel. From the Palestinians' point of view, it was "the fulfillment of one small dream on the road to the establishment of a Palestinian state," as Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said at the festive opening ceremony last Friday. Even Hamas leaders, who at first argued that the opening of the crossing was humiliating for the Palestinian people, finally saw fit to attend the ceremony and share in the celebrations. On the Israeli side, the defense establishment initially voiced several objections and concerns, but eventually even Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz welcomed the agreement that paved the way to the reopening of the border as a confidence-building measure between Israel and the PA and as an important Egyptian contribution to security arrangements."

The Jerusalem Post writes: "With its rejection Sunday of a Russian proposal, the increasing belligerency of the Iranian regime may have once again staved off the West's best efforts to avoid confronting the world's principal international threat. The question is whether Israel can continue to sit silently on the sidelines, pretending that the international community is successfully blocking the Iranian bomb... In this context, the time has come for Israel to sound the alarm. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon should not allow even the impending elections to distract him from openly campaigning to gain global recognition for the need to stop Iran. Israel has the right and obligation to openly spell out the global implications of a nuclear Iran, and to frontally combat the creeping sense of helplessness in preventing this nightmare from coming about."

[Ofer Shelah wrote today's editorial in Yediot Ahronot.]