(Israel Government Press Office)
Ma'ariv comments on US President Barack Obama's nomination of Samantha Power as the next US Ambassador to the UN and dismisses criticism she voiced of Israel 11 years ago: "Every journalist, every public figure either said or wrote something that they regret, or made remarks that it is possible to quote, with or without taking them out of context, and which may be converted into proof of his or her being a stupid or dangerous person." The author believes that "Israel has genuine enemies," and adds: "There is no need to create enemies ex nihilo. Neither Hagel, nor Rice nor Power is on the list of enemies. Most of Israel's supporters in the US understand this very well. But there are always those who will claim the opposite and describe a danger even when none exists."
Yediot Aharonot reminds its readers that shortly after the June 1967 Six Day War, eight Arab leaders, including then PLO Chairman Ahmed Shukeiri, met in Khartoum and enunciated the so-called 'three No's' – no recognition, no negotiations, no peace – regarding relations with Israel. The author asserts: "Forty-six years have passed and nothing regarding those Arabs called Palestinians has changed. Yasser Arafat replaced Ahmed Shukeiri and Abu Mazen replaced Yasser Arafat but the three No's remain in place. The Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, which insists on calling itself a 'state', is not currently prepared for peace with Israel, is not prepared to recognize Israel as a Jewish state and is unprepared for negotiations with it."
Yisrael Hayom discusses the civil war in Syria and notes that Israel is "currently enjoying relative quiet as a result of the war between its enemies, and has almost nothing to do." The author adds: "It also does not know what would be good for it to do since it does not know which of two bad possibilities is better for it."
The Jerusalem Post wonders why US Secretary of State John Kerry to praised appointment of English professor Rami Hamdallah as the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, as the appointment “clinches Abbas’s effective removal of Salam Fayyad as prime minister without providing a credible alternative.”
Haaretz comments on the IDF budget cuts, which necessitate “painful cuts in training, procurement and other vital activities.” The editor notes, however, that “it turns out that the defense budget includes some protected corners − money that can’t be touched.”
[Ben-Dror Yemini, Guy Bechor and Dan Margalit wrote today’s articles in Ma'ariv, Yediot Aharonot and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]