1. EGYPT SEIZES 200 ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILES EN ROUTE TO GAZA STRIP

Israel assesses that Hamas has already succeeded in smuggling anti-aircraft missiles into Gaza and that Iran and Syria are behind the arming.

 

2. DOZENS OF PERFORMING ARTISTS: WE REFUSE TO APPEAR IN ARIEL

 

3. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION WILL RE-EDIT CIVICS TEXTBOOK DUE TO "CRITICISM OF THE STATE"

Senior officials are criticizing chapters on Arabs and Bedouin.

 

1. ACTORS' BOYCOTT STORM

36 performing artists: Actors, playwrights and producers proclaimed in joint letter: "We will not appear at the new cultural center in Ariel or any other settlement." Theaters announce: Performances will go on without them.

 

1. ON-STAGE INSUBORDINATION

Storm in wake of letter issued by dozen of Israel's leading performing artists: "We will not appear at the Ariel cultural center."  MKs threatening: "Performing artists who do not appear over the Green Line will lose their state funding."

 

1. 35 leading theatrical figures in protest letter: "We are not willing to appear in Ariel."  Angry response from Right: "They receive state funding – and live in the state of Tel Aviv."

THEATER OF THE ABSURD

 

2. "EGYPT FOILED SMUGGLING OF 190 ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILES TO GAZA."

Palestinian report: Egyptian police captured weapons caches in heart of Sinai.  "Intended for smuggling into Gaza through the tunnels."

 

1. PM ON ARTISTS' BOYCOTT: LAST THING WE NEED

Two days later, PM relates to letter by dozens of performing artists demanding a boycott of the Ariel cultural center: "The last thing that we need is internal boycott attempts."

 

1. NETANYAHU: WE AS A GOVERNMENT DO NOT HAVE TO FUND BOYCOTTS AGAINST ISRAEL'S CITIZENS

At weekly Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu related to storm over artists' protest and statement against performing at the new cultural center in Ariel.  "The last thing that we need is internal boycott attempts," the PM clarified and emphasized that he does not deny an artist's right to his political views.

 

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The Jerusalem Post writes: "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad purports to know: Israel, he reiterated for the umpteenth time last week, is "too weak" to strike militarily at Iran, and "lacks the courage" to intervene decisively to thwart Teheran's steady progress toward the nuclear bomb. The Iranian president is mistaken. Neither weak nor lacking in courage, Israel is, rather, temperate, humane and pragmatic. Israel has thus far chosen not to militarily challenge the mullahs’ march to the bomb because, quite simply, it has not felt the imperative to do so. If Israel were to determine that sanctions had failed, that Iran was about to acquire the capacity to carry out its declared goal of Israel’s demise, and that only Israeli military intervention could prevent a second Holocaust, our leaders would have no choice, however reluctantly, but to act."

Yisrael Hayom discusses the upcoming start of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and suggests that "The opening of direct talks without preconditions is an apparent victory for Netanyahu, who has forced Abbas to yield and - at the same time - kept his coalition intact. But the question is whether or not this is a Pyrrhic victory," since the issue of construction in Judea and Samaria may yet force the PA to break off the talks. The author believes that both sides, and the US, may yet "return to the Roadmap and consider an interim solution based on a Palestinian state within temporary borders. At the same time, negotiations on a permanent agreement would continue, based on the assumption that considerably more time will be needed; it is also likely that the future negotiations will be conditional on political changes on both sides."

Two papers discuss the refusal of 36 performing artists to appear at the dedication of the new cultural center in the Samarian community of Ariel:

 

Yediot Aharonot says that "the refusal of the three dozen actors, playwrights and authors to appear at the new cultural center in Ariel brings us back to the boisterous remark attributed to Israel's sixth president, Chaim Herzog, may he rest in peace: 'The Right has no sense; the Left has no heart.'" The author believes that "one need not be a devotee of the Greater Land of Israel and of the settlers in Judea and Samaria in order to understand that, this time, the group of refuseniks has gone too far," and protests that "Jews are boycotting Jews because of their address and maybe due to their political opinions." The paper declares, "Until it is decided otherwise, the residents of Ariel are - for all intents and purposes - residents of the State of Israel and one cannot use their money - via the collection of taxes - and, at the same time, refuse to appear before them…Theatre companies that are nursed with state budgets owe the taxpayers their portion of culture." The author concludes: "This was an unwise move… If right-wingers and centrists boycott Habima performances, for example, our national theater would then be able to invite its left-wing patrons to a tiny Tel Aviv auditorium, and there would still be empty seats."

 

Ma'ariv avers that, "There are those among the signatories who oppose our very right to exist here, but they are only too happy to accept budgets from the state," and adds, "When such people celebrate on our stages and also spit at us, presumably in the name of conscience, they cannot preach morality to anyone."

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Haaretz comments on the investigation of the Prison Service's electronic cuff program: "The project had no clear guidelines for who would be included, and ultimately allowed both light offenders and hardened felons like rapists, murderers and crime bosses to be released under restrictions. It's no wonder dangerous criminals have exploited their house arrest, committing crimes close to their home, leaving the restricted area or trying to flee the country altogether. Existing legislation does not enable detainees who violated the terms of their release to be sent back to jail quickly. Reducing crowding in jails and rehabilitating prisoners are worthy goals. But the operational aspects of the program must be brought in line with principles, first and foremost by setting clearer regulations for its implementation."

[Eitan Haber, Ben-Dror Yemini and Shlomo Brom wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma'ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]

(Courtesy of the GPO