1. HEART OF THE NATION.
Record 20,000 joined Shalit family over the weekend on the Coastal Highway.
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. EUROPEAN CUP.
Earthquake at the World Cup.
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. Today: Government to expand Turkel Commission powers; two additional members to be added.
ISRAEL TO TURKEY: NO APOLOGY, NO COMPENSATION.
Agreed at Netanyahu-Liberman meeting: Israel will not accede to Ankara's demands on flotilla. Tomorrow: Netanyahu leaving for US, for meeting with President Obama; will suggest partially secret direct negotiations.
HA'ARETZ
1. RIFT IN LABOR: BEN-ELIEZER ATTACKS BARAK.
Against background of his meeting with the Turkish FM, Ben-Eliezer shouted at Barak and his advisers and claimed that they are attacking him behind his back in the media.
2. GOC CENTRAL COMMAND: WE CAN DEAL WITH RELEASE OF PRISONERS TO WEST BANK.
NANA10
1. THOUSANDS MARCHING WITH SHALIT FAMILY EN ROUTE TO TEL AVIV.
2. PROPOSAL: CONTINUATION OF JUDEA AND SAMARIA CONSTRUCTION FREEZE – WITH KNESSET APPROVAL.
Ministerial Committee on Legislation to discuss MK Carmel Shama's proposal.
WALLA!
1. Shalit family march.
"PM'S DECISION IS CAUSING PESSIMISM."
2. RIGHT-WING REMINDING PM OF HIS PROMISE TO RESUME CONSTRUCTION.
Likud draft legislation threatens to hamstring PM – continuation of construction freeze only with Knesset approval.
[Headlines for Ha'aretz, Nana10 and Walla! are from their websites as of 11:25.]
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SUMMARY OF OP-EDS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Yediot Ahronot says that neither Hezbollah, Syria nor Hamas are prepared or equipped for a large-scale clash with Israel this summer, their propaganda to the contrary and Tehran's efforts, "to heat up the arena around Israel ahead of the imposition of sanctions on Iran, notwithstanding. The author says that Israel should more concerned about, "the 'other war', to gnaw away both at Israel's legitimacy in the world and at the strength of Israeli society," and warns that, "This war, which we are currently losing, will continue this summer."
Ma'ariv commends Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat's plan for the "King's Garden" area in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan and reminds its readers that, "According to the plan, the western half of the Garden will be rebuilt, while commercial space, restaurants, artists' workshops and residential units for the evacuees will be approved for the eastern half. In the end, 90% of the illegal construction in Silwan will be legalized." The author notes Arab resident's vocal opposition and asserts, "They want the plan but they are afraid. Not of Israeli law but of Palestinian Authority goons."
Yisrael Hayom discusses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming trip to Washington and cites a, "western diplomatic source," who claims that, "Obama expects Netanyahu to take risks. He must choose between the risk in deepening the lack of trust with the American administration, which will only worsen after the November Congressional elections, and the risk of coalition difficulties in Israel, which will apparently require a new composition of parties."
The Jerusalem Post discusses the government decision to reduce the number of foreign workers in Israel and the subsequent injunction issued by the Administrative Court and the later compromise reached by the High Court not to implement the deportations before October 2010. The editor notes that the government has "basically lost the first round of a praiseworthy campaign to significantly reduce the number of foreign employees taking jobs that could be filled by Israelis," and states further that "There is no rational reason why Israelis can’t earn a living in construction, except for the fact that cheap labor is more enticing for contractors." The editor concludes: "Because jobs are being withheld from Israelis, taxpayers must foot additional unemployment and welfare bills. Overall, cheap labor – not just on the construction site but in a broad array of enterprises – is exceedingly expensive for Israeli society. We should be able to count on our judges to understand that."
Haaretz feels that PM Netanyahu is harming Israel by bowing down to Shas and promising to "reinstate the stipends for yeshiva students that the High Court of Justice took away," and declares that "Netanyahu is well aware of Israeli society's need to extract the Haredim from the cycle of poverty and state handouts, and the need to integrate them into the labor market to ensure future economic growth. His surrender to Shas' demand perpetuates an unacceptable arrangement and goes against the national interest."
[Alex Fishman, Arel Segal and Dan Margalit wrote today’s articles in Yediot Ahronot, Ma'ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]
