Editorials 16 March 2015

Summary of editorials from the Hebrew press

  • 3/16/2015
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    Today’s issues: Call to abolish ban on publishing polls prior to elections, Lieberman’s campaign abandons all restraint and morality, the impressive, restrained right-wing rally in Tel Aviv, Herzog and Livni incapable of leading Israel.
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    The Jerusalem Post believes the ban on publishing the results of polls prior to elections should be abolished, and states: “In an open and free society like Israel’s, voters should be relied on to take in the available information, process it and decide for themselves. We need not pass laws that ban polls. Our voters should be given more credit than that.” 
    Haaretz believes that Avigdor Lieberman’s fear of being voted out of the Knesset and “in an effort to save his corrupt Yisrael Beiteinu party from extinction, [he] has abandoned all restraint and morality,” and “is filling the political debate with violent, racist incitement.” The editor states that “Lieberman doesn’t represent Israel’s citizens, not even those who hold right-wing views,’ and adds: “His attempts at intimidation, his frequent and cynical exploitation of bereavement, his unbridled anti-Arab incitement and the corruption that spreads everywhere he and his people go — all these are an insult to Israeli democracy.” The editor opines that Lieberman isn’t worthy of playing any decisive role in the formation of any political bloc, and concludes: “in a properly run state, he would have no place in the legislature at all.” 
    Yediot Aharonot praises Sunday’s “impressive, restrained [right-wing] rally” in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square, and states: “With speakers determined not to make any mistakes and a prime minister standing behind bulletproof glass, Sunday's right-wing protest was very different from the angry demonstrations we saw in the past.” 
    Yisrael Hayom asserts that smiling photos and empty slogans notwithstanding, Herzog and Livni are “unfit to lead,” and urges Israeli citizens, based on Saturday’s televised debate between Herzog and Netanyahu, to “consider whether Herzog would be able to stand up for even three minutes to U.S. President Barack Obama, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh or Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, as well as any of the other foxes gathering around Jerusalem.”  The author feels that Israel needs “a visionary prime minister who is strong, determined and courageous,” and concludes: “The prime minister of Israel must have an internal compass that is not subject to the influence of public relations agents, misguided foreign leaders, writers for whom words are everything and other self-important individuals.”  
    Globes op-ed was not available today. 
    [Nahum Barnea and Haim Shine wrote today's articles in Yediot Aharonot and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]