1. NEGOTIATIONS ON SHALIT RELEASE TO RESUME SOON. MUBARAK: HE IS IN GOOD HEALTH.
Egyptian President: I hope that abduction affair is resolved soon. Egyptian intelligence delegation, led by Shalit mediator Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim, met with Hamas leaders in Damascus.
MA’ARIV
1. ASSESSMENT IN ISRAEL: MUBARAK WILL RETIRE.
"He is weak; this isn't the Mubarak we used to know," say senior sources in Israel. According to assessments, 81-year-old Egyptian President will try to hasten passing of the torch to his son Jamal before the end of his term in two years.
2. AMERICAN GESTURE: CONSTRUCTION ALREADY UNDERWAY – WILL NOT BE FROZEN.
After meeting with Mitchell, Ehud Barak reported to the six-member forum: US has agreed to completion of 2,500 housing units in settlements. Additionally, construction freeze will be done only in framework of regional negotiations.
3. GILAD'S MEDIATOR AND THE QUICK EXIT.
Hagai Hadas, former senior Mossad official, who is holding contacts on Shalit's release, is a director at SafeSky. Company denying reports its sale was fabricated by the owners, including convicted criminal Arik Klein.
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. Envoy for Shalit's release and "the patch affair."
THE MEDIATOR WHO BECAME ENTANGLED.
Hagai Hadas, OM's envoy on returning Gilad Shalit, involved in controversial "invention." Diplomatic sources: Questions arising over his ability to conduct negotiations.
2. ONE PM, THREE GUARDED HOMES.
Not only PM's official residence but also his Caesarea villa and apartment in Jerusalem are under guard. PM's Office: "Guard will be reduced."
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. NAVY CARRIED OUT OPERATIONAL ACTIVITY IN THE RED SEA.
Channel 1: Missile boat "Hanit" and additional missile boat passed through Suez Canal along with submarine "Leviathan" and operated in the Red Sea. Israel has interests in the area including effort to foil weapons smuggling to Gaza. Obama: We did not give Israel green light to attack Iran.
2. MUBARAK: I BELIEVE THAT GILAD SHALIT IS IN GOOD HEALTH.
Negotiations expected to resume soon in Cairo. Egyptian President, after his meeting with Peres: Hopes that matters will come to close soon.
3. "HEART PATCH" AFFAIR – AND THE FORMER MOSSAD OFFICIAL.
Special envoy on Shalit release, Hagai Hadas, serving as director of company that developed the controversial heart patch.
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SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Yediot Ahronot cites an essay by Hussein Agha and Robert Malley in the 11.6.09 edition of the New York Review of Books, as well as Prof. Benny Morris's One State, Two States and concludes that, "The Palestinians will agree to neither divide nor share the country. They continue to cling to the revolutionary dream of 'national liberation' and until this unrealistic liberation takes place, they prefer to be a national entity, not a state, which has no obligations and is always a victim in the eyes of the world. We, who live here amidst a vexing, insoluble reality can only hope that the Middle East experts are wrong."
Ma'ariv discusses the controversy over recent remarks by IDF Chief Rabbi Brig.-Gen. Avihai Ronetzky in which he expressed reservations over young women serving in the IDF and believes that he, "said nothing which would justify his dismissal." The author reminds his readers that, "National religious girls fulfill their national duty in the framework of the IDF or national service. The problem is those who ride on their backs and evade military service via a mendacious declaration that they are religious. According to GOC Personnel Maj.-Gen. Avi Zamir, 44% of eligible girls were not drafted in 2008. There are not that many genuinely religious girls. We must pursue the cheats, not the IDF Chief Rabbi."
Yisrael Hayom discusses US policy vis-ŕ-vis the Iranian nuclear project and suggests that, "The US will try to have a dialogue with Iran even though it is clear to President Obama as well that the chance for success is very small." The author believes that the US President, "would prefer that there be no Israeli attack but is unprepared to accept responsibility for Israel's security if he fails and the US prevents Israel from attacking. Thus it arises that while Israel has no green light to attack Iran, it does not have a red light either. The decision is Israel's. The US will neither help nor hinder. The responsibility is the Israeli Government's. This – more or less – is what the President and the Vice-President said and didn't say."
The Jerusalem Post discusses reports in the media regarding the harsh response of the Chinese authorities to Moslem provocation in the Xinjiang province of China. Finding a correlation to Israel's handling of confrontations with the Palestinians, the editor declares that "The Xinjiang unrest leaves most people more befuddled than opinionated, though not averse to blaming the authorities by default," and states that "We Israelis might want to recall Xinjiang the next time we feel the world media is being uniquely harsh on us."
Haaretz recognizes a prime minister's right to reverse his positions and adapt policy to current exigencies, but feels that PM Netanyahu's conduct concerning the decision to impose value added tax on fruits and vegetables is not reasonable. The editor adds that "The role of the prime minister is to chart a course and leave implementation to the ministers and professionals. Netanyahu's intervention in the VAT issue hurt his public credibility and engendered doubts about his good judgment in the face of the political, military and economic challenges before him."
[Sever Plocker, Avraham Tirosh and Yaakov Amidror wrote today’s articles in Yediot Ahronot, Ma'ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]
(Courtesy of Israel GPO)
