The Jerusalem Post praises Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and his security staff for subduing a terrorist attack in process right outside the mayor’s office last Sunday, and states that even though terrorist attacks are often prevented or broken up by alert and brave bystanders who put themselves in danger to prevent further carnage, “to witness someone of Barkat’s stature put himself in harm’s way to protect the people he was elected to serve is extraordinary, even for this country.” 

Haaretz believes that Zionism is waning in Israel, as “Many Israelis are not Jewish, while others do not subscribe to the Zionism of Theodor Herzl, Chaim Weizmann and David Ben-Gurion,” and states that the process will continue in the future “as growing minorities claim their rightful place in setting the national agenda and distributing public resources.” The editor foresees “a growing need to craft a more inclusive Israeli identity,” and declares that “It’s unfortunate that only a few politicians – President Reuven Rivlin foremost among them – recognize this challenge and seek a solution.” 

Yediot Aharonot is hopeful that “A series of military, political and historic circumstances,” will lead to the beginning of the end of the Islamic State and its reign of terror. The author notes that ISIS “is much bigger than its ability – in controlling resources, in attempting to manage manpower, in holding on to a very large territory,” and assesses that “within quite a short period of time, [ISIS] will disintegrate into smaller groups, which will also be dangerous but will not constitute a threat to world peace.” 

Yisrael Hayom criticizes Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Shalom Cohen who declared on Sunday that HaTikva, the Israeli national anthem, was a ‘stupid song.’ In response to criticism, the party “defended his deprecatory statement by saying, ‘No one will teach the wise Rabbi Shalom Cohen, who lived his whole life in Jerusalem, what Zionism is or how to relate to the land of Israel.’" The author attests that “Zionism is not a Jewish yearning to settle in the land of Israel and it is also not a prayer for ‘next year in the rebuilt Jerusalem.’ Zionism is a political movement whose purpose is to promote the idea of a state for the Jewish people,” and asserts: “You, Rabbi Cohen, are anti-Zionist because you represent a movement that perceived Zionism as an unholy attempt to defy the unfortunate Jewish fate and shove aside its bleak end, instead of waiting for the Messiah.”  

Globes notes that the “election campaign focuses on trivia while far reaching economic and political developments take place around us.” The author cites several core issues: PM Netanyahu’s speech before Congress, the government’s incomprehensible handling of Israel’s natural energy resources and its complete disregard of favorable geo-political changes in the region, and comments: “As a wise goblin was quoted as saying, by an equally wise English playwright, ‘What fools these mortals be’".