(Israel Government Press Office)

Four papers discuss various issues regarding yesterday's acquittal of MK Avigdor Liberman:

Ma'ariv fears that "His return to the Foreign Ministry will be disastrous," and explains: "In recent months there has been a certain rapprochement between Israel and the EU, and some of the sanctions that the EU imposed on Israel have been lifted. This has great scientific and economic importance. Now returns the one who thinks that the language of diplomacy is nonsense and that his role is to tell the countries of Europe his true opinion of their views on Israel and toward the Palestinians." The author contends, "Liberman will return to the Foreign Ministry stronger than ever, sure of himself, hungry to continue destroying Israel's foreign policy, a mission he successfully began under the previous government."

Yediot Aharonot says, "The State Attorney's Office is a powerful body with excellent, dedicated and professional people who can overcome the thundering acquittal. What must they not avoid doing now? A housecleaning, which they never do, prefering instead to go into defense mode under hollow slogans such as 'They want to weaken us.'" The author concludes: "The big winner is the public's trust in the courts. Not only has it been proven that the judges are not the rubber stamps of the State Attorney's Office, but that entire groups of immigrants, who are far from the centers of power in Israeli society, have someone who will protect their rights."

Yisrael Hayom asserts, "Yesterday's decisive acquittal will apparently bring quiet and stability in the coalition," because, "Liberman needs time in order to re-establish his position. He did not fare well in the municipal elections, and not just in Jerusalem. His immediate interest is to return to a key position in the leadership, as a senior minister in the most important diplomatic and security forums and act with responsibility and moderation, as he did previously." The author wonders how and if Liberman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be able to effect a complete merger of Likud and Yisrael Beytenu and says, "Netanyahu needs Liberman in order to have quiet and Liberman needs Netanyahu for later." The paper concludes: "It was interesting to see the senior Likud ministers congratulating Liberman on his acquittal, which is a mortal blow to their intentions to compete for the leadership of the Right after Netanyahu. It will be no surprise, therefore, if all those who are congratulating him start working all-out to defeat him."

Haaretz comments: "There's no point arguing with the three judges who acquitted Avigdor Liberman about whether or not their ruling was just. They received a severely reduced case file that hid the fat one from the very start. Liberman is returning to the country's leadership big-time. The man who laughed all the way home from the foreign banks abroad, is now laughing all the way back to the government compound. If that is the outcome of long, futile years of investigatory efforts and obstruction, then the attorney general has no choice but to resign."
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The Jerusalem Post writes: "Histadrut chairman Ofer Eini’s decision to step down in February was a strange sort of surprise. Histadrut chiefs tend to regard their position as a royal possession that they are free to pass on according to their interests and at their discretion. That, however, might not work as well in Eini’s case as it did for his far more flamboyant predecessors. Lack of charisma may rule out a political career for Eini, and his choice of Histadrut heir may not be smoothly accepted without acrimonious challenges."

[Yael Paz-Melamed, Tova Tzimuki and Matti Tuchfeld wrote today’s articles in Ma'ariv, Yediot Aharonot and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]