(Israel Government Press Office)

Ma'ariv asserts: "Yesterday, eight out of nine High Court judges looked at the Government, the IDF, the Knesset and the yeshiva students and simply told them – 'We are fed up with you.' The judges are fed up that the state has not had a conscription law for a year and a half, ever since the Tal Law expired. They are fed up that yeshiva students whose service has been scandalously postponed are receiving money from the state. They are fed up that the state has repeatedly gone to the court with new excuses for postponing a decision. They are fed up that the Shaked Committee, which is supposed to prepare the law that passed its first Knesset reading last July, has still not completed its work."

Yediot Aharonot says: "'Stop thumbing your noses at us' – that is the main message that the court sought to convey by means of its interim injunction yesterday," and adds: "This message is critical because for over a decade the government has abused the court's patience in order to develop a policy of extraordinary indifference, foot-dragging and ignoring its obligation to honor court rulings," regarding both ultra-orthodox enlistment and the evacuation of illegal settlement outposts.

Yisrael Hayom commends the High Court ruling as "The right step, in the right direction, at the right time." The author says: "Let there be no mistake: Imposing criminal sanctions or denying financing to yeshivas will not lead to recruiting offices being flooded with tens of thousands of ultra-orthodox," but adds: "Denying financial incentives is likely to increase the welcome trend of recent years in which thousands of ultra-orthodox have integrated into the higher education system and afterwards have gone out to work, thus putting an end to the farce that has gone on here for years."

------------------------------------------------------------------

The Jerusalem Post protests the change in the prize bestowed on singer Ariel Zilber from ‘Lifetime Achievement’ to ‘Contribution to Israeli Music’ by The Association of Composers, Authors, and Publishers of Music in Israel (ACUM) because of his extreme right-wing political opinions, and states: “ACUM was awarding Zilber for his music, not his opinions.” The editor emphasizes: “In no way can the prize be conceived as ACUM’s endorsement of Zilber’s politics,” and adds: “If anything it is a reaffirmation that works of art stand on their merit, regardless of the opinions of the artists who create them.”

Haaretz is pleased by the fact that a compensation agreement with Turkey may be signed in the near future, and reminds its readers that “Turkey is the only Muslim country that has close ties with Israel, and it is of great strategic importance to the region.” The editor believes that “Israel cannot afford to give up its good relations with Ankara,” and adds: “A reconciliation agreement, the reappointment of ambassadors and reopening a channel of formal engagement would mark the end of the mutual settling of accounts.”