(Israel Government Press Office)

Ma'ariv says that it is partly because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "has mishandled the coalition negotiations from the outset," that "He is without the government that he wanted to form." The paper contends that the Prime Minister's initial decision "to completely boycott Naftali Bennett and the Jewish Home," was a mistake, as were his attempts to incite factionalism in both Jewish Home and Labor. The author also criticizes Prime Minister Netanyahu's deal with Tzippi Livni, "which contravenes all of her promises to her voters." The paper asserts that the Prime Minister did not know what to make of the pact between Jewish Home and Yesh Atid and adds: "Netanyahu does not understand that beyond this political alliance, there is a deep conceptual solidarity here." The author predicts that in the end, "Netanyahu will receive his government with Lapid and Bennett and, in effect, they will run the country and set a new agenda not to his liking. This is what the public wants and Netanyahu will have to understand this the hard way." The paper concludes: "The next government, because of Netanyahu and his advisers, will operate on a basis of mutual hostility and suspicion. This is bad for the country, but it is what happens when one refuses to accept the voters' decision and fights against it."

Yediot Aharonot suggests that "This will be one of those instances in the history of the State of Israel in which a government is formed that the Prime Minister did not initially want." The author says: "Shas and United Torah Judaism will no longer watch Netanyahu's back, and he will need this backing; oh, how he will need it." The paper adds: "Netanyahu is bringing into the government two invigorated forces that will look for any opportunity in which to advance their parties and themselves at his expense. Lapid has already declared his intention to run for the higher job and Bennett and his friends will, in the coming weeks, months or even years, try to show the extended Netanyahu family who is the boss here." The author concludes: "If I were the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, I would not be so quick to order the trucks to take the ballot boxes back to their warehouses."

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Yisrael Hayom contends: "If indeed the ultra-orthodox are sent into the opposition wilderness, it will be a severe-to-mortal blow," and notes that ultra-orthodox yeshivot are particularly dependent on funds from the state budget. The author reminds his readers that the ultra-orthodox parties have always sought the posts of deputy education minister and chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee in order "to protect the budgets they need," and adds: "All of this is without mentioning the jobs machine known as the Religious Services and Interior ministries that well serve their municipal activists." The paper cites the resurgent rumors that MK Aryeh Deri may prefer a run for mayor of Jerusalem to life in the opposition.

Haaretz strongly criticizes the intention of the Interior Ministry and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories “to formulate a policy whereby Israeli citizens living in the Gaza Strip must undergo tissue-culture testing to confirm their identities before being granted permission to enter the country,” and declares that Israeli citizens have every right to return to visit their country whenever they please. The editor warns of the danger being posed to human rights in Israel, and declares: “We must nip this plan in the bud before it has a chance to grow.”

The Jerusalem Post comments on the world’s tepid response to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “outrageous comments equating Zionism with ‘crimes against humanity’,” and states that the failure of world leaders “to seriously confront Erdogan appears to be part of the liberal Left’s intellectual bankruptcy and unreliable moral compass.”