Wednesday, February 27, 2008
HA’ARETZ
1. SULEIMAN TO VIST ISRAEL - WILL PRESENT INITIATIVE TO OPEN RAFIAH CROSSING.
2. JAPANESE PM TO HA'ARETZ: "WE WILL RESPOND WITH DETERMINATION TO IRANIAN CORE."
3. KATSAV AFFAIR: TOMORROW INDICTMENT TO BE PRESENTED AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT.
4. THE MODERATE CHIEF OF STAFF: DEMANDED RESTRAINT DURING INTIFADA AND FOREBEARANCE TOWARD IRAQ.
Dan Shomron: 1937-2008.
MAKOR RISHON/HATZOFEH
1. IDF Intelligence chief:
"AL QAIDA OPERATIVES PENATRATED INTO GAZA STRIP."
Maj.-Gen. Yadlin also estimates that Hamas will try again to hold march that was canceled at beginning of week.
2. THE SOBER GAZE OF DAN SHOMRON.
13th COS, who passed away, opposed diplomatic settlements without recompense.
3. OLMERT: THERE WILL BE NO DIPLOMATIC SETTLEMENT IN 2008.
Clarifies: We are striving for an agreement – But in any case it will not be achieved soon.
MA’ARIV
1. THE MINISTER, THE JUDGE AND THE PROPERTY.
2. KATSAV: "WHOEVER DEMANDS MORAL TURPITUDE – IS EMBITTERED AND TRIES TO TAKE REVEVENGE ON ME."
After deal confirmed: Fight for moral turpitude. Katsav attorneys threaten to torpedo deal.
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. "I'M A FRIEND OF ISRAEL."
Barak Obama: I will bring with me to the White House an unshakeable commitment to the security of the State of Israel. I am not a Muslim, I swore on the bible."
2. GILAD'S FRIENDS GO TO BATTLE.
"Return Gilad home even at painful price", write 70 high school friends to PM.
3. STATE WILL DEMAND: MORAL TURPITUDE.
Significance: Katsav would have to forfeit bureau budget and car. Legal sources: He will fight against moral turpitude, but will not torpedo plea bargain.
4. SIGNS OF RECESSION
After four prosperous years: Internal Finance Ministry report reveals worrying slowdown in economic activity.
SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Ma'ariv opines that, "What is really important about the High Court of Justice's decision is the regime's stability. In this regard, the majority in the High Court's decision did an important service to the State, and, actually, to the High Court of Justice itself.
Haaretz hopes that the Moshe Katsav affair has come to an end. The former president's lawyers implied yesterday that the last word is not out yet, and the Movement for Quality Government already has promised it will request an additional hearing by the High Court of Justice to try to overturn Katsav's plea bargain. Moshe Katzav has suffered enough for his actions, opines the editor, and states that the Katsav story should be studied as an example of a person full of unbridled moral corruption who managed to overcome all gatekeepers and rise to the highest position in the country.
The Jerusalem Post discusses the Moshe Katzav's affair, and states that the Supreme Court ruling yesterday that upheld the plea bargain should not have surprised anyone. There was almost no other plausible outcome to the five-justice panel's deliberations, nor was there any other option that even the dissenting justices would have preferred. "In the end, the bargain Mazuz struck with Katzav's attorneys was the lesser evil for all sides, though clearly justice was hardly served."
Yediot Ahronot opines that the Annapolis process architects erred in applying, to the Palestinian case, their concept that "Peace will be achieved only after a chasm has been created between 'moderates' and 'extremists'.
Makor Rishon-Hatzofeh refers to the affair of former President Moshe Katsav as "a long saga of sins… which with any hope would end shortly and will not return again to interfere with the public's full agenda."
[Shlomo Ben Ami and Yoseph Lapid wrote today’s articles in Yediot Ahronotand Ma'ariv]
