(Israel Government Press Office)

The Jerusalem Post comments on the closing of US diplomatic missions across the Middle East and Asia: "Particularly in the wake of Benghazi, the State Department faces a dilemma. Refraining from issuing a public warning could potentially expose it to harsh criticism for not forewarning Americans. But issuing warnings plays into the hands of al-Qaida, whose very raison d’etre is to induce fear as a means of forcing the West into retreat. We can only wonder whether it might have been possible for the Americans to protect their missions and strengthen security throughout the region more quietly without advertising to the entire world that it has been intimidated by al- Qaida."

Yediot Aharonot discusses the release of Palestinian prisoners. The author notes that his late father fought in the ranks of the pre-state underground, the Irgun (also known as the Etzel), and says that, "In his day, he opposed the release of Palestinian prisoners, not because of the blood on their hands, the road to freedom is violent and brutal…but because a freedom fighter will never lay down his gun." The author recalls that in his latter days his father warmed to the idea of two-states-for-two-peoples and concludes: "It would be interesting - as peace talks open and Palestinian prisoners are released - to know what [ministers] Yair Shamir, Uzi Landau and especially Tzipi Livni and Benjamin Netanyahu think of their fathers [all of whom also fought in, or were affiliated with, either the Irgun, the Lehi or their allied political organizations]."

Ma'ariv refers to the upcoming municipal elections and notes that former Prime Minister's Office Director General Moshe Leon - who only recently transferred his residence to Jerusalem - is running for Mayor of Jerusalem. The author cites reports that he is running at the behest of - inter alia - Shas leader Aryeh Deri and says, "The fact that an accountant from Givatayim acceded to the call of a group led by an ultra-orthodox politician who was convicted of bribery…is far-reaching in its cynicism." The paper suggests that certain ultra-orthodox elements in the city long for the pre-Nir Barkat era of his predecessor, the ultra-orthodox former Mayor Uri Lupolianski, and are running Leon as a way to get back into power.

Yisrael Hayom urges Tzipi Livni to step down as Justice Minister in order to fully devote herself to the peace process: "The Justice Ministry is too important to be dragged along in the wake of something else and the negotiations are too important to be delayed by other matters."

Haaretz comments: "Naftali Bennett is a former software entrepreneur and a multimillionaire. He served in the Sayeret Matkal elite commando unit and is the chairman of Habayit Hayehudi. He is the Economy Minister, and one of the leaders of the "new politics." Naftali Bennett is many things, but more than anything else he is a nuisance. Bennett says his party will 'not be part of a government that freezes construction.' In that case, a promise-keeping Netanyahu will have to show him the door."

[Zeev Shahor, Nadav Haetzni, and Yossi Beilin wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma'ariv, and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]