(Israel Government Press Office)

Ma'ariv asserts that the fact that the IDF stationed an Iron Dome battery in the area near where former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was buried yesterday, "is, perhaps, the clearest repudiation of Sharon's legacy." The author notes that Sharon was laid to rest "in a place he loved – in an area under threat from the same region he destroyed and whose flourishing communities he uprooted." The paper cites reports that Hamas now has missiles that can hit as far as Hadera and questions why it is that Jews can be uprooted from their homes, but not Arabs. The author concludes with his concern that Ariel Sharon, as prime minister, "pushed us further away from peace."

Yediot Aharonot says: "The disengagement from the Gaza Strip was distinguished mainly by errors. Sharon erred when he thought it would bring quiet. The settlers erred when they did not understand the need to offer their own diplomatic plan." The author adds: "Sharon did not manage to learn the lessons. He sank into a coma without seeing how Gaza turned into a strategic problem, how the funeral at Shikmim Farm became a target for the terrorist organizations he had spent all his life fighting." The paper continues: "On the other hand, the settlers in Judea and Samaria have also not learned lessons: Some have sunk into black moods. Some are involved in the attempt to 'settle in the hearts'. Despite the passage of time, they are still talking about 'what was shall not be.' Despite the processes all around, there is still no attempt to craft a diplomatic alternative."

Yisrael Hayom notes that Ariel Sharon was a former commander of the IDF Paratroop Brigade. The author, the brigade's current commander, says that Sharon "will be a symbol of strength, determination and daring for all future paratroopers," and avers that "We will continue to draw inspiration from Sharon's legacy as a general and to honor this heritage on any mission to which we are assigned."

The Jerusalem Post states: “Regardless of whether one supported or opposed the 2005 Gaza disengagement carried out by former prime minister Ariel Sharon, a unilateral withdrawal from ‘disputed’ territories remains a relevant option to this day,” and adds: “Learning from the mistakes made in the Gaza disengagement are an essential element of any future unilateral measure.”

==========================================

Haaretz opposes the bill approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, which would make any use of the word ‘Nazi’ or of Nazi symbols a crime, and states that it is “yet another step in the government’s efforts to stifle criticism.” The editor says that the bill’s prohibition is so vague, and so contrary to the principles of law, that it borders on unconstitutionality, and asserts: “Freedom of expression isn’t tested by inoffensive statements, and criminal law isn’t a guide to good manners. It’s permissible to be outraged by harsh, hurtful statements, but it’s forbidden to silence them by defining them as a criminal offense.”