Editorials 19 March 2015

Summary of editorials from the Hebrew press

  • 3/19/2015
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    All the newspapers discuss Tuesday’s election results
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    All the newspapers discuss Tuesday’s election results: 
    The Jerusalem Post notes that despite the outcome of the current elections, which may superficially seem similar to the results of the previous elections, the similarity is merely an illusion. The editor cautions that the elections results reveal “a new, potentially volatile era of deteriorating relations with the US administration, a reversal of positive steps toward the integration of the haredi population into Israeli society, and new attacks on the autonomy of the Supreme Court – not to mention resuming the search for an elusive peace with our neighbors.” 
    Haaretz believes that despite the outcome of the elections, “the democratic part of the public must not plunge into gloom and depression following the scalding election defeat.” The editor calls on them to “step forward and raise the flag against Netanyahu, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, Yariv Levin and Miri Regev,” and adds that opposition leader Isaac Herzog “will be required to unite the democratic factions and present an alternative agenda to the Likud and its political partners’ nationalism, racism and persecution of minorities. 
    Yediot Aharonot announces: “It's the dawn of an old day,” and adds: “For half of the nation, the result was like a punch in the stomach.” The author declares that Netanyahu’s tactics were based on “lies, throwing false accusations at his rivals, lashing out at the media and inciting,” and asserts: “On the way to this victory, he didn't stop at anything, including burning all the bridges to US President Barack Obama, confronting almost every possible sector, including his comment Tuesday against the Arab public, which was nothing short of a disgrace, and renouncing the promise he made in the previous election of two states for two people.”  
    Yisrael Hayom declares: “the people in Israel are sovereign. And this nation does not appreciate it when others try making its decisions.” The author continues: “The polls predicted a left-wing government and we got a right-wing government instead. That's how it goes when you live in a democracy rather than a mediacracy. Apologies to everyone, and to you, too, President Barack Obama -- we have forced you to continue working with Netanyahu, who luckily for us does not see the world the way you do.” 
    [Sima Kadmon and Boaz Bismuth wrote today's articles in Yediot Aharonot and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]