(Israel Government Press Office)
Ma'ariv discusses the situation in Egypt ahead of the anti-Morsi demonstrations planned for this Sunday, and fears that "The powder keg that Egypt is sitting on could blow up at any minute." The author believes that "The Morsi regime has not succeeded in stabilizing the Egyptian economy and has even made it worse," and suggests: "Morsi has never tried to hold a genuine dialogue with the opposition and instead of bringing it closer has created an unbridgeable chasm." The paper wonders at the military's role should instability increase further and hints that it might not stand idly by.
Yediot Aharonot says that "While they were celebrating the President's birthday at the Jerusalem International Convention Center, the country was being shaken by thuggishness and violence." The author asserts that "A single line may be drawn between the Price Taggers in Beit Hanina, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's unbridled remarks against Rabbi David Stav – in the wake of which the latter was assaulted at a wedding in Bnei Brak – and the distribution over the Internet of a photograph of Yair Lapid in a Nazi uniform," and strongly criticizes official inaction in the face of all three phenomena. The paper calls on all Israelis, "religious and secular alike, to enlist in the struggle against thuggishness in our streets in order to forestall the approaching bloodshed," and concludes: "Only determined action by all of the security services, the legislature and the courts, as well as the public at large and the media, can defeat the enemy."
Yisrael Hayom protests against the increasing consideration of a single, bi-national state as a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The author avers that "A joint state between us and the Palestinians will not arise as long as the government of Israel is led by a Zionist," and suggests that "A leader from the center-left would prefer to cut the Gordian knot by means of a peace agreement with the Palestinians in the spirit of the Clinton principles of 2000 and the 2003 Geneva initiative; a leader from the center-right would prefer to do this by means of an Israeli pullback, without an agreement, to the fence built by previous Likud leader Ariel Sharon."
Haaretz states that “Netanyahu only talks the talk on peace process,” and asserts: “So long as what he means by 'two states for two peoples' remains vague, Israel will have a diplomatic problem and be unable to break out of its ever-increasing isolation.” The editor states: “The government will be judged by its opening positions in the renewed negotiations, not by its declarations. Its credit has run out,” and declares: “It’s up to Netanyahu to prove that he doesn’t plan merely to restart the talks, but also to pursue them seriously.”
The Jerusalem Post warns US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is due to return to the region this week in yet another push to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, to “Proceed with caution,” and adds: “Kerry should mind Israeli wariness of repeating Oslo, Camp David peace attempts that deteriorated into waves terrorist attacks.”
[Dr. Yehuda Balanga, Prof. Yossi Shain and Dr. Yossi Beilin wrote today’s articles in Ma'ariv, Yediot Aharonot and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]