HA’ARETZ
1. CRISIS IN US-ISRAEL RELATIONS: CLINTON REPRIMANDS NETANYAHU
Secretary of State's sharp telephone conversation with the Prime Minister, which was supported by President Obama, lasted 43 minutes. Netanyahu, who thought that the crisis was behind him, received lesson in public humiliation and will be forced to decide, dismantle coalition with Right or confront the US administration – which would endanger cooperation on Iran.
2. NETANYAHU ORDERS COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY
This weekend's public attack left the Prime Minister and his Bureau in shock. At end of consultations held last night with Forum of Seven, Netanyahu ordered establishment of a committee of inquiry into last week's announcement of plans.
3. WASHINGTON LIVID REGARDING NETANYAHU'S RESPONSE
Last night towards midnight tempers were yet to cool in US capital: Senior Administration officials were outraged at claims by Netanyahu confidants that Obama instigated the present crisis with Israel.
4. SUSPICION: ISA TORTURED PALESTINIAN INMATE, DOCTORS KNEW BUT DID NOT REPORT
Jihad Maghreb was arrested on suspicion of murdering two Israelis. Medical documents reveal that he was hastily moved to Lanyard Hospital with injuries to the head and chest. High Court of Justice ordered State to expediently announce whether criminal investigation will be conducted against ISA.
MA’ARIV
1. IN THE FIRE
Once in office it’s a bit different, and everything is closing in on Israel's Prime Minister. Relations between the countries will survive this storm, but a real battle is being waged between Benjamin Netanyahu and Barack Obama.
2. CLINTON'S REPRIMAND
In conversation which lasted 43 minutes, US Secretary of State castigated Prime Minister and demanded: "Immediately halt building in Ramat Shlomo."
3. NETANYAHU'S SHOCK
"I was certain that it was all behind us," said Netanyahu to the Forum of Seven in an emergency meeting which he convened. "I'm shocked."
4. OREN'S SUMMONS
Crisis worsens: Last night Israel's Ambassador was also summoned to receive US State Department reprimand.
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. ULTIMATUM TO NETANYAHU
New nadir in US-Israel relations. Secretary of State Clinton informed Prime Minister: Immediately cancel approved construction in Jerusalem.
2. HIT AND LIE
Photos of Yediot Ahronot photographer Atta Waist prove: Police vehicle hit 14 year-old during protest in eastern Jerusalem on Friday. So how is it that the police claim that the car responsible was "a white Subaru driven by an Arab?"
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. Secretary of State Clinton in crude attack: "Israel's announcement on construction in Jerusalem – affront to US;" Condemnation of Israel from Europe as well.
ISRAEL TO US: WE WILL LEARN OUR LESSON
Forum of Seven decided last night to form committee of Directors-General to probe mishap during Biden's visit. Clinton reprimanded Netanyahu in coordination with Obama. Palestinians satisfied; demanding guarantees from US that Israel will freeze construction in Jerusalem as well.
2. TENSION RISES AROUND HURVA SYNAGOGUE
West Bank closure extended by three days. Molotov cocktail thrown at Israeli vehicle on highway #443.
WALLA!
1. NETANYAHU: "INCIDENT WITH US HURTFUL"
Prime Minister reacts for first time to international condemnations, following decision to approve construction of 1,600 housing units in eastern Jerusalem. "This was regrettable incident done in all innocence. It was hurtful and should not have happened."
2. EXEMPLARY CONVICT? NOW CALL HIM DR. BARGHOUTI
Senior Fatah figure carrying out his sentence in an Israeli jail for involvement in five murders, will soon receive his doctorate from the University of Cairo.
NANA10
1. NETANYAHU: "THIS WAS A REGRETTABLE AND HURTFUL INCIDENT DONE IN ALL INNOCENCE."
PM related to incident with US at start of Cabinet meeting and said, "We know how to deal with the incident responsibly and seriously." Prior to the Cabinet meeting Netanyahu instructed ministers not to give interviews in order to "douse the flames with Washington."
[Headlines for Walla! and Nana10 are from their websites as of 09:30]
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SUMMARY OF OP-EDS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
All three papers comment on the state of US-Israeli relations in light of last week's events:
Yediot Ahronot writes: "What else can happen in the this theater of the absurd: Last night, against the background of the worsening of the crisis with America, the Prime Minister convened the forum of seven, the Israeli Government's most prestigious and considered forum, for an emergency discussion. This special forum includes Interior Minister Eli Yishai, who is chiefly responsible for the crisis, and who, in any normal country, would have been bounced from office, if he had not voluntarily resigned, given the damage he has caused. But ours is not a normal country and Yishai came to the meeting like nothing happened." The author discusses, "the long reprimand from [US Secretary of State] Clinton," and says that in Israel, "There is only a feeling of embarrassment, of shame, that we deserve it, that this time we rightly had it coming." The paper believes that, "The Prime Minister's Bureau was shocked by the sharp reactions from the US. Netanyahu was certain that he had settled matters with Biden, and that he had succeeded in softening the blow. The most American Prime Minister we have ever had does not know that the Americans do not forgive so quickly after someone spits in their face." The author concludes: "This is not the only thing that Netanyahu has misjudged. Indeed, too many things come as surprises here. Too many things are unprepared for and are unintentional. The feeling is that there is no guiding hand, that there is no one strong, stable and functioning authority that inspires confidence, that there is nobody to rely on. In other words, the feeling is that there is no leader."
Ma'ariv asserts that, "Israeli-American relations will survive this tempest as well. They are stronger than Netanyahu, they are even stronger than Obama. The thing is, the intimacy and the confidence will not be as they were, not in the next year or two. And the next two years are the period of time in which Israel will need this intimacy with America most desperately, most critically, most existentially, in its history. It will need it even more than a new neighborhood in Ramat Shlomo. We are heading into fateful times. The Iranian nuclear issue will require a prime minister who is the US President's darling son. Instead, we have a Prime Minister who is very close to being persona non grata in Washington. This is both sad and worrying." The author believes that the Obama administration believes that Prime Minister Netanyahu broke an assurance, delivered by Yitzhak Molcho, that while there would be no declared construction freeze in Jerusalem, no new construction would be announced there either, and that there would be no surprises. The paper suggests that Prime Minister Netanyahu, "is certain he knows America," but adds that, "he doesn't. The America that he knows is in opposition." The author also believes that the Prime Minister's closest advisers are ill-suited to deal with such a crisis: "The chief-of-staff is Natan Eshel, who knows America as well as Joe Biden knows the Jerusalem District Planning and Construction Committee. His diplomatic adviser is a capable and well-intentioned young man named Ron Dermer, who lacks any political or diplomatic experience. His second diplomatic adviser, and head of the National Security Council, is Uzi Arad. It is enough to hear what the Americans think about him to understand the size of the problem." The paper agrees with the Prime Minister and reminds its readers that, "All Israeli governments, right and left, have built in Jerusalem, but then asks, "If they all built but only his head gets broken, how can this be? Maybe it's because of him?" The author suggests that he clearly state, once and for all, that while Israel sincerely regrets last week's mishap, he will remain true to his voters and will never stop building in Jerusalem. However, the paper concludes: "The chance that Netanyahu will do this is zero. First, because he is no true leader. Second, because he does not have the courage. Third, because he is unprepared to pay the price, or he thinks that Israelis are unable to pay it. Indeed, the price is too heavy to bear but it is worth trying, once and for all. The attempt will be pushed off until next time. In the meantime, Netanyahu will continue trying to hold both ends of the stick at once: Talking peace with Peres, promising negotiations on the basis of the 1967 lines to Mubarak, sending Molcho to Mitchell and simultaneously winking at Benny Begin and the settlers. He is hopping between these two chairs and asking himself which one he will be caught in when the music stops. And indeed, the music has stopped and he has been caught, as usual, in the middle, neither here nor there."
Yisrael Hayom avers that, "OK America, you had to exaggerate in your condemnation because you had to give Abu Mazen the rope with which to climb down from the tree he climbed up all on his own, even though Israel had a role in causing the damage. Then there was the condemnation attributed to Barack Obama, then from Joe Biden and then came Hilary Clinton's conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu and her television interview. But enough is enough." The author ventures that, "The problem is that when the US deviates from a proper sense of proportion, it encourages – however unintentionally – the hardening of both the Arab League's and the Palestinians' positions, and the Europeans' threatening statements against Israel." The paper declares, "If America is not initiating a crisis but is aspiring to resume the negotiations, then the time has come to draw a line through this embarrassing affair and prod the Palestinians into returning to the starting point on the terms that existed prior to the mishap over 1,600 apartments. Additional condemnations of Israel will not hasten the Palestinians' return to the negotiations."
[Sima Kadmon, Ben Caspit and Dan Margalit wrote today’s articles in Yediot Ahronot, Ma'ariv, and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]
