Editorials 11 March 2014

Summary of editorials from the Hebrew press

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    (Israel Government Press Office)
    Yediot Aharonot discusses yesterday's display of the rockets, mortar rounds and bullets from the Klos-C. The author says: "Netanyahu views the struggle against Iran as his life's mission. He invests, invests and invests, warns, warns and warns, speaks here and speaks abroad, and the world refuses to take notice. The world refuses to take notice because it and its leaders are opportunistic, selfish and tired. The world has come to terms with Iran's becoming a nuclear threshold state. This is the reality and the Prime Minister of Israel, despite his proven rhetorical skills, has not succeeded in changing it." However, the paper adds, "Some of the responsibility for this shameful situation must, for all that, fall on Netanyahu. Years of winks, zig-zags and talking out of both sides of his mouth on the Palestinian issue have taken their toll. It is easy for Western leaders to ignore his shouts even though he shouts in fluent English."
    Yisrael Hayom says that today's revotes in Beit Shemesh and Nazareth "are an important victory for the rule of law." The author endorses Eli Cohen in Beit Shemesh and Ali Salem in Nazareth but adds: "Even if Moshe Abutbol and Ramiz Jeraisy win [in Beit Shemesh and Nazareth, respectively], Israeli democracy will emerge victorious because the rule of law has made it clear to the wheeler-dealers that the system of anything goes is unacceptable in a proper country."
    The Jerusalem Post discusses British Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to Israel, due to begin tomorrow, and notes that Cameron “has opted against taking a very active role in the Middle East diplomatic process.”
    Haaretz takes issue with the High Court of Justice classification of Bedouin demonstrations against the Prawer Law - meant to regularize Bedouin communities in the Negev - as “’violent activity that borders on disturbing the peace, with a subversive, nationalist foundation,’” and the resulting discrimination against the protestors. The editor asserts: “This discriminatory policy rests on the assumption that an entire sector of the population can be treated as vassals at the mercy of their lord, and therefore any protest is by definition meant to undermine his rule and should be considered hostile activity,” and declares: “The Bedouin aren't enemies of the state, no matter how broad the state's current interpretation of 'subversion' is.”
    [Nahum Barnea and Dan Margalit wrote today's articles in Yediot Aharonot and Yisrael Hayom, respectively. There was no print edition of Ma'ariv today.]