1. ATTEMPTED TERRORIST ATTACK IN NEW YORK FOILED; CAR BOMB NEUTRALIZED IN TIMES SQUARE
2. SUSPICION: SHULA ZAKEN TRANSFERRED OVER NIS 1 MILLION TO EHUD OLMERT
3. FOR FIRST TIME: ISA ADMITS IT MONITORS FOREIGN LEFT-WING ACTIVISTS STAYING IN WEST BANK
4. TENSION BETWEEN ABU MAZEN AND FAYYAD INTENSIFIES: FATAH MEMBERS DEMAND THAT PA CHAIRMAN TAKE FINANCE PORTFOLIO FROM HIM
5. TEL AVIV-JAFFA MAYOR RON HULDAI SHARPLY ATTACKS ULTRA-ORTHODOX EDUCATION AND CLAIMS THAT IT FOSTERS IGNORANCE "AND ENDANGERS OUR CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC STRENGTH." SHAS OUTRAGED: "HULDAI PREFERS FOREIGN WORKERS' CHILDREN OVER ULTRA-ORTHODOX CHILDREN"
MA’ARIV
1. Miraculous: Car bomb in heart of Manhattan spotted.
THE FEAR RETURNS
2. IN SHADOW OF TENSION: NETANYAHU'S CONFIDANT VISITS JORDAN
Diplomatic sources: Billionaire Ron Lauder "delivered messages" during his visit. PM's Bureau: Netanyahu did not send him.
3. SUSPICION: HE [OLMERT] RECEIVED NIS 1 MILLION
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. TA Mayor calls for secular revolt.
"DO NOT FINANCE ULTRA-ORTHODOX EDUCATION"
Huldai: Ultra-orthodox schools raising generation of boors who will live at State's expense. They do not teach mathematics and English, but mainly religion. Must intervene. Ultra-orthodox: Incitement.
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. Car bomb discovered in New York.
TALIBAN: WE ARE IN MANHATTAN
2. HULDAI CAUSES STORM: "ULTRA-ORTHODOX ARE EDUCATING FOR IGNORANCE"
TA Mayor: Silent majority is paying, must protest – including civil revolt. Shas: Racism.
3. FISHER: CONCERN THAT ISRAEL WILL DECLINE ON CORRUPTION INDEX
[Bank of Israel] Governor is sworn in and warns: Must fight corruption.
WALLA!
1. YISHAI: "HULDAI'S REMARKS ARE CONTEMPTIBLE, I PITY HIM"
Shas Chairman attacks TA Mayor, who accused ultra-orthodox education system of "fostering ignorance."
NANA10
1. CIVIL ADMINISTRATION DEMOLISHES HOMES IN SHAVEI SHOMRON
Two settlers detained for investigation after clashing with Civil Administration personnel.
2. PROXIMITY TALKS WITH PALESTINIANS TO START ON WEDNESDAY
[Headlines for Walla! and Nana10 are from their websites as of 13:10.]
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SUMMARY OF OP-EDS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Yediot Ahronot argues that, "The American assessment that resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would strongly and favorably reflect the stature of the US in the region is liable to be shown to be a great error."
Ma'ariv opines that, "Each terrorist attack in the US is liable to alter the sense of a common fate with Israel to one of blame that American blood is being spilled because of the Middle East conflict."
Yisrael Hayom notes that, "Martin Indyk is reiterating his absurd claim that as long as Israel makes more concessions, the US will be able to neutralize the Iranian nuclear threat."
The Jerusalem Post comments on a bill proposed by MK David Rotem (Israel Beitenu) aimed at making it easier for some 350,000 immigrants from the former Soviet Union and their offspring who are not Jewish according to Halacha, to convert to Judaism. "Non-Orthodox Jews are concerned that the bill, a product of political negotiations with Shas and United Torah Judaism, includes concessions to haredi interests that would extend to conversion the Orthodox monopoly that already exists over almost every aspect of religious authority," as "ror the first time in Israel's history, Rotem's bill states clearly that the Chief Rabbinate is authorized to 'deal with' conversions. Legislation is not the solution. As in the Diaspora, potential converts in Israel should be given the freedom to choose among the different streams of Judaism. They should be allowed to join the Jewish people in a way that feels right for them. The same holds true for other religious services presently monopolized by the Chief Rabbinate."
Haaretz comments on JCall, a new leftist European Jewish group, which has published a petition signed by more than 3,000 Jews calling for an end to the occupation and Israeli expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, saying: "Just as there was criticism of J Street in the United States, the veteran Jewish organizations in Europe have borne down on the new initiative, arguing that the petition will serve Israel's enemies. Those who recruit Jews from the right to support their policies must honor the right of the Jewish left to express its views. The violent conflict between Israel and its neighbors and the suspension of peace talks have contributed to Diaspora Jewish communities' increasing alienation from Israel. That trend is particularly noticeable among the youth."
[Giora Eilander, Shmuel Rozner, and Isy Liebler wrote today’s articles in Yediot Ahronot, Ma'ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]
