1. US TO ISRAEL AND PA: UNDERSTANDINGS FROM OLMERT'S TIME DO NOT BIND SIDES IN NEGOTIATIONS.
American administration declares resumption of diplomatic process via indirect talks. Agreement in principle that Olmert presented to Abu Mazen in 2007 not binding on sides. Netanyahu: "I hope that process will lead to direct talks."
2. EASTERN JERUSALEM: POLICE RAID HOMES OF CHILDREN WHO THREW STONES AND ARREST THEM IN THEIR BEDS.
3. EFFORTS TO RESOLVE COALITION CRISIS: PARTIES FORMULATING COMPROMISE PROPOSAL ON CONVERSION REFORM CONTROVERSY.
MA’ARIV
1. MURDERERS AMONG US.
2. Exclusive:
THE IRANIAN AGENTS AND THE ISRAELI PASSPORTS.
Is Tehran adopting Mossad's methods? Three Iranians caught at Seychelles airport with Israeli backpackers' stolen passports.
3. BIDEN IN ISRAEL.
Today: American Vice President to meet with Netanyahu for discussion on diplomatic process and Iranian threat.
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. Father who did not come from US for his wife's and children's funeral:
"I JUST CAN'T."
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. Vice President in Israel. PM said, after announcement of 'proximity talks':
"I HOPE THAT WE WILL REACH DIRECT NEGOTIATIONS."
Netanyahu: "I have been calling for the resumption of the talks for a year; I will not concede on recognition of Israel as a Jewish state." Senator Lugar, confidant of Obama: If you don't advance toward Palestinian state, administration is liable to reduce aid.
2. OUTRAGE AGAINST RESTAURANT THAT BARS ENTRY TO SOLDIERS IN UNIFORM.
Dozens demonstrate opposite Azar restaurant in Haifa: "We will boycott you."
WALLA!
1. Biden to Peres:
"IRAN MORE ISOLATED THAN EVER."
On talks with the Palestinians: "Points of agreement between sides greater than disagreements."
2. TURKEY: GROUND READY FOR ISRAELI-SYRIAN NEGOTIATIONS.
Turkish FM tells Al-Hayat that he is optimistic on resumptions of contacts between the countries. "Ground is ready for resumption of indirect negotiations."
3. NETANYAHU: "WE HAVE WAITED A YEAR FOR RESUMPTION OF NEGOTIATIONS."
PM welcomes resumption of talks with Palestinians and declares: "I hope that the proximity talks will lead quickly to direct talks, through which it will be possible to really advance towards peace."
4. ISRAEL CONFIRMS: UN SECY.-GEN. TO VISIT GAZA.
Israel accedes to UN Secy.-Gen. Ban Ki-Moon's request and allows him an EU FM Catherine Ashton to visit Gaza. Until now, Israel had refused to allow such visits. Ashton to consider aid to Gaza.
NANA10
1. US VP TO PERES: IRAN MORE ISOLATED THAN EVER.
At start of his visit to Israel, US VP meets with President. On talks with Palestinians, Biden noted that, "It is possible to see major points of agreement between the sides."
2. "I WANT TO TALK WITH THE STUDENTS WHO ATTACKED ME."
Ambassador to the US expresses willingness to return to campus where his speech was interrupted.
[Headlines for Walla! and Nana10 are from their websites as of 10:40.]
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SUMMARY OF OP-EDS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Yediot Ahronot asserts that, "The glory of being the Foreign Minister is supposed to be in advancing the interests of one's country in all ways except battle. Liberman and his deputy are acting energetically to ignite a major conflagration here. We must take away their matches."
Ma'ariv notes that, "Rachel Corrie was killed while protecting weapons smuggling tunnels in Rafah. But here we call her a 'peace activist'. The author decries, "Jewish, American, killed while participating in pro-Palestinian activities. Rachel is a propaganda treasure in the hands of the activists of hate."
Yisrael Hayom reviews the Israeli-Palestinian process. The author recalls that in 2000, at Camp David, "Ehud Barak agreed to discuss the division of Jerusalem and the Palestinians fled the negotiations," and adds that, "In 2009, Ehud Olmert even offered to soften on the principle against 'the right of return' and again they fled." The paper speculates that, "In the current round, Israel is in a more complex position. Benjamin Netanyahu cannot offer Abu Mazen what came up in Ehud Olmert's plan and if Ramallah rejected the previous move, what will it accept now?" The author notes that the Palestinians will, apparently, proffer a plan of their own in the hope that an Israeli rejection will draw the Obama administration to their side. The paper says that US President Barack Obama will want something to show before the November Congressional elections, while "Netanyahu and Abu Mazen will talk even as they look toward the date on which the construction freeze is due to expire."
[Uri Misgav, Ben-Dror Yemini and Dan Margalit wrote today’s articles in Yediot Ahronot, Ma'ariv, and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]
