1. US: EXTENSION OF FREEZE WILL BE RAISED AT DIRECT TALKS' OPENING DISCUSSION
Obama's envoys will arrive today in Israel to conclude details of next week's summit. The message to Netanyahu: Avoid step that would harm talks.
MA’ARIV
1. Countdown: One month only remaining on construction freeze.
TRAPPED
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. Harpaz: I passed the document to the C-O-S Bureau.
"THEY USED ME"
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. HARPAZ WILL LEAD TO THE DOCUMENT'S SOURCE
2. FIGHTING IN BEIRUT STREETS
WALLA!
1. IRAN: WE HELD A SUCCESSFUL GROUND-TO-GROUND MISSILE TEST
Iran continues displaying its military capabilities. This time it is a third generation Fateh-110 ground-to-ground missile.
2. MINISTER SHALOM: HAMAS HARMING PASSAGE OF GOODS TO GAZA STRIP
During his visit ti the Kerem Shalom crossing, Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom said that Israel transfers good to the Gaza Strip and is answered by tempestuous proclamations. There is no, nor was there ever a shortage in Gaza."
NANA10
1. PERES TO IAEA CHAIRMAN: "ISRAEL AND THE WORLD ARE UNDER THE IRANIAN THREAT"
At the end of the meeting between the President and the visiting IAEA chairman, the President said that the world cannot ignore the fact that Israel is a country that exists under constant threat since its inception.
2. MINISTER SHALOM ON CONSTRUCTION FREEZE: "THERE IS NO REASON FOR ISRAEL TO SURRENDER TO PRECONDITIONS"
[Headlines for Nana10 and Walla! are from their websites as of 12:20.]
SUMMARY OF OP-EDS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Yediot Ahronot, opines that, It is best to abandon allusions of negotiations and to begin preparation for another unilateral move in Judea and Shomron, because the alternative to partitioning the country is the end to Zionism."
Ma'ariv, reminding us that only one month remains on the construction freeze in the territories and notes that, "A moment before the opening of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians: Netanyahu, Abu Mazen and President Obama find themselves in the center of a diplomatic complexity." The author professes that a u-turn like the dramatic opening of negotiations and its implosion within less than a month could terminally bury the US Administration's reputation as the responsible adult who knows what he is doing."
Yisrael Hayom first notes an article by Mishari al-Zaidi in al-Sharq al-Awsat in which, "he writes, with amazing honesty, on the Arab World's desire to sustain the Israel-Palestinian conflict." The paper then, in order to strengthen that point, takes note of Syrian President Bashar Assad's interview this past Saturday in which he said that, "Israel would always remain his country's enemy. Always." Despite this, the author demonstrates his belief that both Israel and the Palestinians can overcome the circumstances to end the conflict. "We know how to solve it. When the leaders of the sides will present solution to their people, they will win a majority that will surprise them."
[Gadi Taub, Ben Caspit and Yossi Beilin wrote today’s articles in Yediot Ahronot, Ma'ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]
