HA’ARETZ
1. Attorney General Mazuz and State Prosecutor Lador: "It’s a sad day for Israeli society, but also encouraging."
JUDICIAL SYSTEM RAISES THE THRESHOLD: 5.5 YEARS INPRISONMENT FOR HIRCHSON; BENIZRI WILL SPEND 4 YEARS IN JAIL.
2. THREE YEARS IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY.
3. OBAMA ADMINISTRATION FORMULATING NEW PLAN FOR PEACE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND SYRIA.
According to the plan, part of the Golan Heights will be demilitarized and will become a nature reserve open to citizens from both countries.
MA’ARIV
1. THREE YEARS OF PAIN
2. TO JAIL
3. NETANYAHU'S ITALIAN MODEL: BUILDING TALL BUILDINGS IN SETTLEMENTS
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. 3 YEARS, GILAD
2. Aggressive message to public servants: Enough corruption, enough forgiveness.
YOU STOLE? PAY!
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. GILAD SHALIT, 3 YEARS IN CAPTIVITY
2. From minister to prisoner: 5.5 years for Hirchson, 4 years for Benizri.
CORRUPT – TO JAIL
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SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Haaretz comments the third anniversary of the kidnapping of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit: "Gilad Shalit has been held captive by Hamas for three years exactly - a living soldier whom no one can visit, or supply with letters or medicines, or whose condition can be judged. A living soldier being used as a brutal bargaining chip between Hamas and Israel, on whose narrow shoulders an Israeli campaign of "hearts, minds and ethics" is being carried out. Should we release more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for the abducted soldier? Should we demand that some of them be exiled to the Gaza Strip? Should we include the opening of the crossings into Gaza? Hamas' terms are known; any improvements that Netanyahu might gain will not alter the substance of the terms, and certainly do not justify keeping Shalit imprisoned another day."
Yediot Aharonot believes that the situation in Iran will only escalate and urges the West, led by the US, to not only keep up the pressure on the current Iranian regime, but to be prepared for any eventuality.
Yisrael Hayom recalls that in 1956, "President Dwight D. Eisenhower abandoned the freedom-fighters in Budapest but was very sharp with Israel, France and Britain for embarking on the Suez operation." The author suggests that "Barack Obama had who to learn from. As it became clear on Tuesday from the cancellation of the meeting between Benjamin Netanyahu and George Mitchell: Nothing against Iran, everything against the settlements." The paper also notes that no assistance was extended to Alexander Dubcek during the 'Prague Spring' in 1968.
Ma'ariv refers to today's gay pride march in Jerusalem and suggests that, "While the gay community is justly fighting against the extremists in Jerusalem, it is nevertheless losing the moderate majority in the city" by holding and placing such strong emphasis on the march.
The Jerusalem Post comments that the powers of extrasensory perception claimed by multi-billionaire Shari Arison, who besides other assets holds a controlling interest in Bank Hapoalim, is nobody's concern, so long as Bank Hapoalim is run rationally.
[Yonatan Yavin, Yair Tratzitzky, and Dan Margalit wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma'ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]
(Courtesy of Israel GPO)
