Editorials 15 March 2015

Summary of editorials from the Hebrew press

  • 3/15/2015
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    Today’s issues: The seismic role of the Jews throughout history, illegal detention of a Palestinian youth by the IDF, Netanyahu as the Likud’s real weakness and Netanyahu’s spectacular achievements while in office.
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    The Jerusalem Post notes that throughout the course of history, there has been “a strong correlation between a society’s health and success and the extent to which Jews are able to thrive in that community. Countries in which Jews have felt comfortable have tended to enjoy strong, healthy societies. In contrast, countries in which Jews have been persecuted or discriminated against have tended to be sclerotic and failed.” The editor perceives a similar pattern in the new waves of anti-Semitism in various countries around the world, and concludes: “The Jews have been both condemned and privileged to be ‘seismic people,’ hyper sensitive to the vicissitudes of the human condition.” 
    Haaretz accuses the IDF of illegally detaining a young Palestinian, who was arrested three months ago after a dog was sicced onto him at a West Bank demonstration, and states: “The boy is presumably suffering from emotional trauma due to his abuse by the soldiers, and it requires an almost monstrous degree of hard-heartedness not to take what happened to him into consideration.” The editor asserts: “The IDF has been arresting Palestinian minors for years, on a large scale,” and adds: “This is happening despite much criticism and widespread condemnations, both in Israel and abroad. But all that criticism is dwarfed by what the IDF is doing now to this young victim.” 
    Yediot Aharonot believes that the Likud's real weakness is Benjamin Netanyahu, and commends Isaac Herzog for “rephrasing the decisive question of this election: Not 'do you want four more years of an increasing cost of living?' but 'do you want four more years of a Bibi government?'” Noting the defeat of the Likud party in the 2013 elections, the author states: “If the Likud movement were a party which wanted to rule, it would have bid farewell to Netanyahu in 2013 and replaced him with a worthy personality with leadership skills,” and adds: “Maybe it will do so after the 2015 elections.” 
    Yisrael Hayom praises Prime Minister Netanyahu’s positive achievements over the nine years he has held office, despite opposition party ads to the contrary, and queries: “Why are these achievements absent from the headlines? Why is the truth being so effectively concealed?” The author concludes: “The undecided voters should know the truth, and when they do, justice will be done.” 
    Globes op-ed was not available today. 
    [Sever Plocker and Gabi Avital wrote today's articles in Yediot Aharonot and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]