1. BARAK: "SACRIFICE BY FIGHTERS IN LEBANON MADE UP FOR THEIR SUPERIORS' MISTAKES."
At state ceremony marking three years since the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War, DM warned that "Quiet has returned to northern border but situation is still volatile." Bereaved families' representative: "To this day, all those who sent our children to bitter and harsh battles do not know the meaning of responsibility."
2. ESPIONAGE AFFAIR: REPORTS OF SENIOR LEBANESE OFFICER WHO DEFECTED TO ISRAEL.
3. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL DIRECTOR: NETANYAHU GOVERNMENT INHERITED SCORCHED EARTH IN DEALING WITH IRANIAN NUCLEAR ISSUE.
MA’ARIV
1. Head of campaign to free Gilad Shalit in pointed parting interview:
"STATE OF ISRAEL UNCOMFORTABLE THAT GILAD IS NOT DEAD."
2. BIBI'S NEW ADVISER: MAN WHO PREVENTED PUBLICATION OF EMBARRASSING BOOK ABOUT SARAH IN 1996.
Danny Kate was responsible for shelving book by Mrs. Netanyahu's first husband. Was recently appointed PM's Public Affairs Adviser.
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. Director-General of company behind "wonder patch" resigns.
"I FEEL THAT THEY CHEATED ME."
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. "FIGHTERS MADE UP FOR THEIR SUPERIORS' MISTAKES."
Barak to families of those killed in the Second Lebanon War: Your loved ones showed courage and self-sacrifice.
2. "US DISTINGUISHING ITSELF FROM ISRAEL VIS-Ŕ-VIS IRAN."
National Security Council Director Uzi Arad, in AP interview: Contradictory statements by Obama and Biden were directed at Iran and were designed to emphasize the difference between US and Israeli approaches."
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SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Yediot Ahronot lauds the business credentials of incoming Finance Ministry Director-General Chaim Shani but cautions that he will need altogether different skills in the political arena. In referring to Shani's superior, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, the author suggests that he, "a doctor of philosophy, has shown in recent weeks the paradox of politics – One can do all the right things, say all the right things, appoint the right people to senior positions and still be seen by the world as completely irrelevant."
Ma'ariv suggests that Iran's rulers have much to be pleased about in that they have firmly put down the domestic unrest. The author believes that Tehran is strongly backing Hezbollah's demand for veto power in the new Lebanese government and will use its influence over Hamas to prevent any real chance of reconciliation with Fatah. The paper says that, "The chances for the sought-after dialogue between Obama the liberal and the secure fanatics in Iran is low."
Yisrael Hayom comments on the third anniversary of the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War and avers that, "The calm was restored in the north despite the war, not because of it, and at a steep price, as the Winograd and Lindenstrauss reports revealed." The author believes that, "The Second Lebanon War was such a failure that Hamas in the south was emboldened and attacked without respite the communities around the Gaza Strip until they were in danger of being abandoned, and then the Government had no choice but to embark on Operation Cast Lead which restored to Israel something of the deterrence that was lost at Bint Jbeil, but at a heavy diplomatic price, the end of which is not yet known." The paper reminds its readers that Hezbollah, "has greatly increased the number of missiles and rockets aimed at Israel," and believes that the main benefits of the war were, "the replacement of a failed leadership," and that the IDF is better prepared for the future.
The Jerusalem Post discusses a new bill pending before the Knesset, which would redress some of the imbalance between how Israel treats Hamas prisoners and how Hamas is treating Gilad Shalit. The editor urges swift approval, despite the fact that the bill will leave the Hamas prisoners with conditions vastly superior to those of Gilad Shalit, and despite the fear of the defense establishment that the passage of the bill could negatively impact negotiations for his release.
Haaretz uses the case of the young Ethiopian woman who was hit by a car driven by a yeshiva student, who was not convicted, to warn of dangerous religious radicalization, which, according to the editor, is "yet another price Israeli society is paying for the rule of a rightist-Haredi coalition."
[Idan Greenbaum, Amos Gilboa and Dan Margalit wrote today’s articles in Yediot Ahronot, Ma'ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]
(Courtesy of Israel GPO)
