1. FATHER SUSPECTED OF MURDERING HIS THREE CHILDREN, TWO MONTHS AFTER BEING RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL

 

2. ISRAEL WILL NOT COOPERATE WITH UN FLOTILLA INVESTIGATION

 

1. AND THEY ALLOWED HIM TO CARE FOR THE CHILDREN

 

1. HOW DID THEY ALLOW HIM TO BE WITH THEM?

 

1. FATHER MURDERED HIS THREE CHILDREN

 

1. TODAY: SHEIK RAED SALAH WILL BEGIN SERVING FIVE MONTH PRISON SENTENCE

Head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement was convicted of attacking an officer during disturbances in Jerusalem 3.5 years ago.  Two months ago he participated in the flotilla to Gaza, was detained and then released.

 

1. SHEIKH SALAH TO BEGIN SERVING FIVE MONTH SENTENCE TOMORROW

Head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement will begin serving sentence for spitting at an officer during a demonstration in Jerusalem.  Islamic Movement: "That is the price of guarding Al-Aqsa."

 

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Yediot Ahronot refers to several recent incidents in which ordinary citizens and/or policemen either shot and killed criminals or were seriously injured by them as a result of not shooting them.  The author declares that, "Policemen and citizens who defend themselves and their property must receive legal and moral backing.  It is preferable that Shai Dromi be alive, as opposed to the person who broke onto his property and endangered him.  It is preferable that Shlomi Asoulin [comatose for four years after being stabbed in the neck by a car thief he chose not to shoot] be walking around among us freely and the thief who destroyed his life be in the Elysian Fields of car thieves."  The author also criticizes the 30-month jail sentence meted out by the Supreme Court to Hadera police detective Shahar Mizrahi for shooting a car thief in – what he claims to have been – an act of self-defense and asserts that, "Isn't the risk of injury a professional risk those who decide to steal, rob and endanger policemen and citizens take upon themselves?  Isn't this their fault?"

 

Ma'ariv reminds its readers that Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman recently proposed that, "Israel completely disengage from the Gaza Strip and hand over dealing with that accursed place to the nations of the world."  The author explains that the Foreign Minister proposed that, "Israel would no longer supervise imports and exports from Gaza and would assist in establishing power plants and desalination facilities, and in building housing for the residents, with the goal being world recognition that the occupation is over."  The paper says that at present, "Israel continues to determine life in the Gaza Strip and the world continues to see us as occupiers of the place," and adds that, "Liberman's proposal would resolve exactly this and therefore, it has no chance."  The author believes that, "Netanyahu is not Sharon; he will not embrace any brave and dramatic move that would put Israel in a different place than the one it is in now."

 

Yisrael Hayom discusses the situation of Israeli wives when their husbands go off to annual reserve duty.  The author points out that while their husbands are in the army, "The wife is obliged to continue with all of her previous responsibilities, with no discounts: Work, kids, school holidays, morning sickness and shopping," and suggests – addressing Israeli men – that, "Reserve duty is a necessary burden; you must go to reserve duty because the IDF needs you.  What we ask is that you continue to hide from us the pleasant side; don't tell us about the quintessential, formative Israeli experience that you have undergone.  Leave home with drooped shoulders, answer the phone with a hoarse and cracking voice, and tell us that you're starving because the field rations are disgusting.  Your wives will thank you."

The Jerusalem Post discusses the Supreme Court’s decision to double the prison time to which police detective Shahar Mizrahi was sentenced by the Central District Court for the for the manslaughter shooting of a  car thief. The editor says that "When a ruling such as this one, even if it is in perfect accord with the letter of the law, violates the law’s spirit and egregiously offends ordinary folks’ notion of justice, it is – to put it mildly – counterproductive," and adds that "A society that seeks to maintain law and order must ask itself who will protect it if the courts refuse to consider the special combat-like circumstances under which officers sometimes must make split-second life-and-death calls." The editor feels that this incident will only serve to reduce the motivation of police personnel, a factor that will result in dire consequences for Israeli society, and suggests that President Peres step in to pardon Mizrahi.

Haaretz feels that the current Knesset is "A bad Knesset for Israel", and states that "In both words and actions the MKs are undermining democracy's fundamental values, making cynical, cheap use of parliamentary tools, dragging Israeli society to sectorial disputes and separatism, and isolating Israel from the world."

[Gilad Sharon, Yael Paz-Melamed and Emily Amrousi wrote today’s articles in Yediot Ahronot, Ma'ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]