(Israel Government Press Office)

Ma'ariv notes that the present Defense Service Law gives the Defense Minister very broad powers to conscript – and exempt from conscription – persons in various age brackets and claims further legislation regarding the conscription of ultra-orthodox yeshiva students is utterly superfluous. The author declares: "The time has come to put an end to the unnecessary legislation of the 'Equality in Sharing the Burden' law," and adds: "Its precise name should be the 'Exempting the Ultra-Orthodox Because Without it the High Court of Justice Will Not Allow us to Release Them from IDF Service Law'." The paper concludes: "We should remember that this law and 'equality in sharing the burden' have nothing in common. There already is a law on equality in sharing the burden and it is the Defense Service Law. It just needs to be enforced."

Yediot Aharonot discusses the issue of Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. The author suggests that "Most Israelis do not believe in the possibility of signing an agreement with the Palestinians," and contends: "Recognizing Israel as a 'Jewish state' is significant only for those who think that it is possible to sign a peace agreement that solves the conflict. In other words: Those who are negotiating in order to reach a formula – on paper – that ends a 100-year-old religious and national conflict need mutual recognition." The author says: "It is absurd that we demand recognition from the Palestinians, but flee from a broad national agreement on defining the Jewish state," and notes that Israel lacks both a constitution and any consensus on what being a Jewish state means.

Yisrael Hayom says: "The Palestinians' positions are becoming more hardline the closer we get to Kerry's presentation of his document," and asserts that they are emboldened by the comments of US Secretary of State John Kerry and senior European leaders regarding future boycotts. The author dismisses Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's suggestion to station NATO forces in the area as a non-starter for Israel and says that is precisely why Abbas is pushing it. The paper contends that a future Palestinian state could become a staging area for jihadist and Al Qaida elements and avers that, "The Israeli security presence in Palestinian territory and around its borders must be long-term." The author predicts that the Palestinians – "who are impatiently waiting for the opportunity to go back to the UN and other international institutions in order to advance their goals without the need to compromise and make concessions" – will drag their feet on the projected Kerry document.

Haaretz calls on the government to formulate a plan to save Jerusalem’s  Hadassah hospitals, in face of the health organization’s enormous deficit, and suggests: “ The state has no choice but to shell out huge sums of money in grants and loans in an effort to get the medical organization back on its feet.” The editor believes, however,  that “taxpayer funds must only be provided on condition that all the hospital employees agree to a painful recovery plan,’ and states: “The crisis and the acceptance of state funds require a revolution in the hospital’s organizational culture and financial management.”

The Jerusalem Post comments on the infighting between various streams in Israeli society. The editor points out that while “Jews are no strangers to infighting,” he nevertheless laments that “a culture of healthy public debate, one of the conditions of a strong democracy, has yet to emerge in the Jewish state.”