1. PM in closed talks:
"I WON."
In talks Benjamin Netanyahu has held in recent weeks with senior political elements, he has been proud: "In battle with Obama administration, I came out on top. The Americans were unsuccessful in getting me to bend; I did not concede on the red lines." PM's Bureau denies: Remarks attributed to PM are incorrect.
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. IDF to stop the flotilla but will deliver supplies to Gaza.
CONFRONTATION AT SEA.
Naval commandos, bomb sniffing dogs and detention cells in Ashdod: Israel preparing to take control of eight ships sailing towards Gaza over the weekend.
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. IDF: WE WILL STOP FLOTILLA AND DELIVER EQUIPMENT TO GAZA.
Ships that left Turkey will approach Israel's territorial waters tomorrow morning. Navy vessels will block them. If they try to break through – naval commandos will take control of the ships and arrest the occupants. Flotilla organizers: It would be a mistake to stop us.
2. TODAY IN PARIS: JOINING THE OECD.
Minister Steinitz: "This is the most important organization we have joined since the UN."
WALLA!
1. "DELIVERED SECRET INFORMATION AND SECURITY PROCEDURES."
Severe indictment filed against Amir Mahoul. He is accused – inter alia – of severe espionage and aiding the enemy in wartime. Police claim he agreed to serve as spy and pass on information on location of fallen rockets during Second Lebanon War and on strategic installations.
2. AMNESTY: ISRAEL PERPETRATED WAR CRIMES.
Report severely criticizes Israel's activity in the Gaza Strip, which it labeled, "an indiscriminate attack against civilians."
3. FLOTILLA TO GAZA: IDF PREPARING TO TAKE CONTROL.
Security establishment holds assessment ahead of European flotilla that is expected to reach Gaza shores in order to break the blockade. As part of preparations, taking over ships was practiced; stressed that flotilla will be prevented from entering territorial waters.
NANA10
1. AMIR MAHOUL INDICTED FOR SEVERE ESPIONAGE: GAVE SENSITIVE INFORMATION TO HEZBOLLAH.
In his ISA investigation, Mahoul admitted giving organization information on location of Mossad installation and ISA facilities. Was also asked to pass on information about PM's motor convoy.
2. "ISRAEL KILLED MEDICAL PERSONNEL AND USED RESIDENTS AS SHIELDS."
Annual Amnesty International report accuses Israel of perpetrating war crimes.
3. FLOTILLA WILL BE STOPPED, HUMANITARIAN EQUIPMENT WILL BE DELIVERED TO GAZA.
Political leadership decides against allowing ships to reach Gaza shores.
[Headlines for Walla! and Nana10 are from their websites as of 11:00. The print edition of Ha'aretz was unavailable today.]
______________________________
SUMMARY OF OP-EDS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Ma'ariv reminds its readers that, "Our partners in Ramallah tried to torpedo Israel's joining the OECD," and adds that the Palestinian Authority, "supports any international initiative to boycott and portray us as racist monsters – such as the various Durban conferences, it openly leads systematically violent demonstrations against us – accompanied by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails, and – no less severe – continues to wage a campaign of incitement against us." The author also cites the PA's boycott of Israeli goods produced in Judea and Samaria and asserts that the Palestinian security forces regularly hound and harass any Palestinian suspected of being too favorable towards Israel. The paper says that, "The necessary conclusion is: Immediately stop the negotiations with the Ramallah government."
The Jerusalem Post praises the Bank of Israel's stance regarding what it terms the "glaring anomaly in our real estate market." Low mortgage rates have encouraged widespread speculative investment in the property market. This has driven the price of property sky-high, which in turn has forced the BOI to reduce mortgage attractiveness, making property speculation less enticing, and thereby helping to restrain the price-hiking demand. The editor feels that the country's economic well-being hangs in the balance, and declares that "The BOI consequently deserves unstinting support for moving to impose greater mortgage moderation – for at least trying to break the vicious cycle of rising real estate prices and low interest rates."
Haaretz criticizes the Ministry of Education's handling of the leaked matriculation exam in mathematics, and claims "an infuriating disregard for the students, teachers and principals in this affair." The editor states that "Tuesday's exam was most of these students' first encounter as teens with the establishment. As such, it was replete with snags and foreshadowed ills to come," and calls on the Education Ministry to "shake off its complacency and decide on how to correct the distortions quickly."
__________
Yediot Ahronot declares that, "This is not an innocent story about humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. This is, first of all, a cynical political story by the Turkish government, which is riding the humanitarian element in order to break Israel's and Egypt's policy towards Hamas." The author says that the Islamist government in Ankara views Hamas, "as a legitimate partner," and suggests that, "Israel has no reason to give in to Turkish diktat." The paper cautions that, "The Turks are explicitly talking about opening a regular sea route to Gaza without Israeli oversight," and warns that, "If this flotilla gets through, the way will be open and the closure of the crossings will be meaningless." The author concludes, "It may be that the policy of blockading the Gaza Strip is mistaken – both politically and from a humanitarian perspective – but it must be Israeli society that decides this."
Yisrael Hayom says that, "There is no humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip but Hamas is not passing on the opportunity to convince the world that there is," and notes that all non-military items on the flotilla could easily be unloaded in Ashdod and delivered to Gaza via the UN.
[Alex Fishman, Nadav Haetzni and Dan Margalit wrote today’s articles in Yediot Ahronot, Ma'ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]
