1. US VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: WE WILL NOT PREVENT ISRAEL FROM ATTACKING IRAN.
Senior Israeli officials delivered message to US as a result of the riots in Iran: We must prepare now for the failure of the dialogue between Tehran and the West. US Chief-of-Staff: Israeli attack would undermine stability in the Middle East.
MA’ARIV
1. AND NOW: NEW OUTPOSTS CRISIS.
Today's meeting between DM and envoy Mitchell to be in shadow of additional disagreement between the two administrations: While Israel claims that 23 unauthorized outposts remain in the territories, over 100 appear on the Americans' list, which is based on UN data. Growth in settlements: Barak to offer Mitchell "personal commitment" signed by him to build only for natural growth needs.
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. "My son's abduction was a war crime."
I ACCUSE.
Noam Shalit to stand before UN committee that was established to examine Israel's "war crimes" in Gaza. "My son has been held for three years," he will say, "That is a crime."
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. Obama's VP makes exceptional remarks: We will not block Israel against Iran.
"IF THE ISRAELIS WANT – LET THEM ATTACK."
According to Joe Biden, "Israel is a sovereign state." Jerusalem: We were not surprised. The Americans are starting to lose patience with Iran. The question: Is US hinting to Israel – Iran is your problem?
______________________________
SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Yediot Ahronot notes that, "Yesterday, Netanyahu announced that his Government's greatest achievement in its first 100 days is the creation of a national consensus in support of the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state," but avers that, "Such a consensus existed previously; the only person in the political mainstream who found it difficult to accept it was Netanyahu. If he had made his Bar-Ilan remarks during his visit to Washington the month before, he and the country would have come out ahead. They would have spared themselves an unnecessary confrontation with the US administration." The author adds that, "None of the state's existential problems were solved during this period – neither the Iranian nuclear issue, nor the threats from Gaza and Lebanon, nor the diplomatic process, nor relations with the Obama administration. These will be the tests in the next 1900 days."
Ma'ariv points out that French President Nicolas Sarkozy recently urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be more forthcoming vis-ŕ-vis the Palestinians and told him that Israel's global standing would be bolstered thereby even if the nothing ultimately came of it. The author reminds his readers that three days before his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the French President had spoken out against the wearing of the burqa in France, and suggests that his meeting with the Prime Minister symbolized, "a Christian-Jewish conference against a common enemy."
Yisrael Hayom believes that the Palestinians', "refusal to accept even the far-reaching terms offered them by Ehud Olmert teaches that Israel will need patience, wisdom and restraint until the enlightened world once again realizes that it is they [the Palestinians] who do not accept a solution based on 'two states for two peoples'." The author adds that, "It is a pity to argue with the Americans in vain."
The Jerusalem Post remarks on two severe disturbances that disturbed the peace in Jerusalem over the weekend, hampering "the ancient wish of the Jewish people to be sovereign and free in 'the land of Zion and Jerusalem'." In light of the weakness displayed by the police in controlling these disturbances, the editor notes that "Sovereignty comes with responsibilities. When the latter is abdicated, so is the former"
Haaretz criticizes PM Netanyahu for presenting his adoption of his rivals' 'Two States for Two Peoples' policy as a bold stroke that achieved domestic consensus, and states that "Netanyahu must aspire to achieve not only national consensus within Israel, but also international consensus between two nations - Israelis and Palestinians," and calls on him to "return without delay to negotiations on a final-status agreement with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, either directly or with the mediation of Obama and his envoys."
[Nahum Barnea, Shalom Yerushalmi and Dan Margalit wrote today’s articles in Yediot Ahronot, Ma'ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]
(Courtesy of Israel GPO)
