(Israel Government Press Office)

Three papers discuss the recent unprovoked shooting of IDF Master Sgt. Shlomi Cohen – who was inside Israeli territory – by a Lebanese Army sniper:

Ma'ariv wonders if the IDF claimed that Master Sgt. Cohen was shot by a "rogue soldier," because such a claim "is 'convenient' for the IDF: If it claimed that Hezbollah had initiated the attack, this would be liable to require it to retaliate against the Lebanese Shiite organization, which would be liable to end in a major escalation." The paper notes that Hezbollah claims that Israel was behind the recent elimination of one of its senior commanders, Hassan Lakis, and reminds its readers that "The Lebanese Army forces deployed along the border are mostly based on fighters from the Shi'ite community, who admire [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah," and who "do not disturb Hezbollah operations even slightly."

The Jerusalem Post writes: "Sunday’s shooting underlines another worrying development: A large number of young Shi’ite men, many of whom identify with Hezbollah’s ideology, are inducted into the Lebanese Armed Forces under Lebanon’s policy of mandatory military service. And Shi’ites, who make up the single largest religious group in Lebanon, are also the fasting growing, and may become a majority there someday. Quiet on the South Lebanese borders is fragile. Israel must remain vigilant, preparing for the worst case scenario while avoiding unnecessary escalation. Cohen’s tragic killing is a reminder that our region is in upheaval and the relative lull that has characterized our border with Lebanon since 2006 must not be taken for granted."

Yisrael Hayom suggests that since the Lebanese soldier in question is reportedly Sunni, he might have had radical Islamist sympathies and may have wanted to embroil Hezbollah in a clash with Israel. The author ventures that, "Logic says that the warriors of the Arab Spring in Syria and Lebanon have no current interest in opening a front with Israel," but cautions. "Logic also reminds us how many times illogic has dictated fateful moves in the Middle East."

Yediot Aharonot says that, "The Israeli defense establishment has reached the conclusion that the incident does not express any substantive change in conduct along the Lebanese border, neither by the Lebanese Army nor by Hezbollah, and the assessment is that both of these armed elements will continue to make an effort to maintain calm in the area."
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Haaretz comments on the African asylum seekers who left the Holot open detention facility in the Negev two days ago and arrived in Jerusalem on Tuesday morning to protest outside the Prime Minister's Office: "The state, which just a week ago passed a law that allows these people to be jailed without ever having been investigated, suspected, indicted or convicted in court, said in response, 'We have beefed up enforcement in light of the opening of the facility; we are carrying out enforcement in keeping with the law, both as a matter of routine and with regard to infiltrators who left the facility and did not return.' The 254 innocent people who escaped prison into the freezing desert don't need a compass - Israel does."

[Amir Rappaport, Alex Fishman and Dan Margalit wrote today’s articles in Ma'ariv, Yediot Aharonot and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]