(Israel Government Press Office)

Ma'ariv suggests that the battle over Chuck Hagel's confirmation as US Secretary of Defense was an unnecessary lost cause and notes that AIPAC wisely chose to stay out of it. The author believes that Senate Republicans used concerns over the Israeli-US relationship merely as a stick to beat the Obama administration with and concludes: "71% of Americans support Israel; this is much better than the Republicans. When will decision-makers in Jerusalem understand that as much as they use the Republicans, the Republicans use them?"

Yediot Aharonot says that it currently looks as if "The government that will be formed here in another two weeks will, apparently, be the that which Netanyahu could have formed two days after the election," even though nobody could have foreseen the alliance between Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett. The author suggests that "Today, it seems that there isn't anyone in the political establishment who doesn't understand that something is happening here, the likes of which we have not seen before," and adds: "Even Shas has thrown up its hands."

Yisrael Hayom comments on the latest talks in Kazakhstan between the major powers and Iran over the latter's nuclear project and says: "The only 'achievement' in the Kazakhstan talks is that there wasn't a rupture. And why should there be a rupture? Everything is playing out exactly according to Iran's interests – they are talking, talking, talking," even as the Iranian nuclear project proceeds apace.

Haaretz comments Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein’s decision not to investigate an Israeli judge accused of beating his children because “The potential damage resulting from an investigation exceeds the potential benefit,” and asks: “What was Weinstein thinking when he barred the police from investigating whether the judge beats his children, and did he remember that his chief responsibility is to the public, including children, and not to the judges?”

The Jerusalem Post compares the results of the recent Italian and Israeli elections, in both of which a TV personality with no experience in politics was elected. The editor asserts: “The by-now perennial laid-back recklessness of the Israeli voter incomparably exceeds any faddish ballot-box hijinks anywhere else,” and adds: “Voting for the trendy and unfamiliar as a hoot constitutes the root aberration that stymies coalition construction, boosts the extortion potential of marginal factions and condemns the mainstream to an Italian-like stalemate.”