1. GROWING ECONOMIC CRISIS IN EUROPE; MERKEL: EURO BLOC IN DANGER.
2. TODAY: HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE TO DISCUSS VIOLATION OF COURT ORDER ON CANCELLATION OF DISCRIMINATION IN EMANUEL.
Ashkenazi parents of girls who study at school expected to declare: Prefer to sit in jail rather than uphold ruling on cancellation of ethnic discrimination.
3. [KNESSET] SOCIAL WELFARE COMMITTEE REFUSES TO EXTEND VALIDITY OF WISCONSIN PLAN – DUE TO BE CANCELLED AT MIDNIGHT.
MA’ARIV
1. Euro – NIS 4.949.
THE EUROPEAN DOMINO.
Concern: Israel will also be hurt.
2. UNDER PRESSURE.
Today: Likud Central Committee to vote on whether or not to accept Netanyahu's proposal to postpone elections for party institutions.
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. Today: High Court of Justice vs. Parents of schoolgirls from Emanuel.
THE RACISM AND THE BRAZEN GALL.
Ashkenazi ultra-orthodox parents in Emanuel ignore court order to allow their daughters to study with Sephardi girls. High Court of Justice ordered them to appear today and explain why they are not halting the ethnic discrimination.
2. NETANYAHU'S TRICK.
Today: Plans to send polling stations in cars to voters' homes out of concern that low turnout will hurt his chances of securing majority in Likud Central Committee.
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. CONCERN: EURO BLOC WILL COLLAPSE.
Sharp declines on stock markets; TA 25 dropped by 1.1%.
2. BATTLE FOR EVERY VOTE.
Minister Katz: "This involves the honor and prestige of the PM." Likud Central Committee members to vote on changing constitution and postponing internal elections. Netanyahu: "Trying to do the impossible, a two-thirds majority; go vote." Feiglin supporters: Democracy is being trampled.
3. NURSERY SCHOOL LESSON IN RACISM: SEPARATION BETWEEN ETHIOPIANS AND "WHITES."
WALLA!
1. POLICE RAID YITZHAR SETTLEMENT – SEVEN ARRESTED.
Samaria and Judea District Police detain for questioning seven Yitzhar residents on suspicion of failing to appear for investigation and inciting against Civil Administration inspectors.
2. NETANYAHU, AHEAD OF LIKUD VOTE: "TOUGH MISSION."
Today: In light of disagreement between PM and Central Committee's right-wing, Committee members will vote on whether to postpone Committee elections, as per Netanyahu's request, or hold them as scheduled, as some Committee members want.
NANA10
1. YITZHAR: SEVEN PEOPLE ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF PARTICIPATING IN DISTURBANCES.
Detainees taken for questioning by Samaria police.
2. HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE TO DISCUSS ETHNIC SEPARATION AT EMANUEL SCHOOL.
Ashkenazi ultra-orthodox parents have not upheld court order on end of discrimination.
3. "BAR IS HIGH, I CALLL ON CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO VOTE."
Netanyahu speaks ahead of decision on changing party constitution.
[Headlines for Walla! and Nana10 are from their websites as of 11:00]
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SUMMARY OF OP-EDS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Two papers comment on internal Likud politics in light of today's vote in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is asking the party Central Committee to postpone internal elections for 20 months:
Yediot Ahronot notes that there are Likud MKs and ministers, who are not supporters of Moshe Feiglin, who oppose the Prime Minister's initiative. The author cautions that, "If he [the Prime Minister] wins, the victory will be lost in the abyss of forgetfulness. If he loses – the internal struggles will become a mosquito that will buzz in his ears without respite. And we know what happens to leaders in such situations."
Ma'ariv contends that, "The man [Moshe Feiglin] who expressed empathy towards the murderer Goldstein and is convinced that the Rabin assassination was an ISA conspiracy, he whose place is on the hallucinatory fringes of Israeli politics – terrifies the Prime Minister, and is running rings around him all over the country."
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Yisrael Hayom believes that the current European monetary crisis could yet adversely affect Israeli exports since, "One-third of Israeli exports are to the Euro zone." However, the author believes that the effect on Israeli exports will be relatively small.
The Jerusalem Post notes Egyptian's somewhat schizophrenic policy towards Israel, which is exemplified by a sometimes positive and frequently negative attitude, and feels that "This diplomatic split personality is perhaps most evident in Egypt’s perennial campaign to deprive Israel of whatever nuclear powers some believe it possesses." The editor wonders what Egypt hopes to achieve, in light of the looming Iranian nuclear threat: "Does it wish to weaken Israel? Does it intend to ignite more tension between Jerusalem and Washington? Whatever Egypt’s goals, this is no friendly move," and adds that "The irony is that Egypt knows full well that Teheran’s ayatollahs do not merely imperil Israel. Their fiery brand of Islam primarily targets the so-called Arab moderates, Egypt first and foremost. Egypt would do best to be a force for stability rather than friction."
Haaretz remarks on the dire picture of judiciary conduct in Israel, as described by the judicial ombudsman in his recently published annual report, and states that "Improving the system and understanding its obligation to provide reasonable service to its many clients is an essential public interest."
[Sima Kadmon, Shalom Yerushalmi and Ron Eichel wrote today’s articles in Yediot Ahronot, Ma'ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]
