Yediot Aharonot remarks that "Egyptian Defense Minister Tantawi is the new Mubarak. The American administration, like the Israeli Government, is setting its sights on him and on the Egyptian military: They are perceived as anchors of stability, continuity, and, ironically – of peace as well."
Ma’ariv notes that "No one can tell if the domino effect, which started in Tunisia and washed over Egypt, is at its end, or whether the next stop is in Algeria, for example, on its way to Amman or Damascus, or not."
Yisrael Hayom argues that "Tears of joy become burning tears, and only with the passage of time does one know what the change has brought. When Naguib and Nasser ousted King Farouk in 1952, Ben-Gurion appeared in the Knesset and praised the young officers for bringing the hope of a coming peace to the region. Peace came only after 26 years and three wars."
Haaretz remarks on the recent events in Cairo, and declares: “A new era has dawned in the Middle East.” The editor states that “Egypt has no conflict with Israel and must not be presented as an enemy,” and calls on Prime Minister Netanyahu to demonstrate restraint and allow Egypt a chance to establish a democracy.
The Jerusalem Post discusses Israel’s immigration policy as applied by the Ministry of the Interior, and feels that while it must deal with many illegal immigration issues it is mistakenly trying to deport several non-Jewish European citizens who wish to remain in Israel indefinitely. The editor states that “The very weighty task the ministry faces as a bulwark against inundation by illegals from abroad will not be served by focusing on the inherently wrong targets,” and while he is pleased to note that, in one case at least, “level-headedness may have prevailed at the last minute,” he is left with “the inescapable impression that Interior Ministry officials are foremost guided by the petty antagonisms for which the Shas-run bureaucracy has become so infamous, and that they only retreat from these after Israel reputation has been needlessly tarnished.”
[Nahum Barnea, Ben Caspit and Dan Margalit wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma’ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]