Yediot Aharonot says that "Many joyous words have been written and heard, in the past month, about ‘democracy’ and ‘popular revolution’ in regard to the fall of dictators in the Middle East, as if we were in eastern Europe in 1989." However, the author cautions that "A more realistic view might look for the new democracies, but will see anarchy, death, aggressive rulers and extremist political Islam, which is merely waiting to arise and rule. There is not even the start of a single democracy in any of the ‘revolutions’ happening around us." The paper contends that "Many have claimed the Arab regimes’ fears of extremist Islam is a scarecrow designed to leave them in power," but adds that "Perhaps, but in the same breath it is also possible that they are right because extremist Islam is the only organized alternative to authoritarian regimes, and it has a solution for every problem – Sharia."
Ma’ariv asserts that "The Knesset initiative to investigate left-wing organizations brought up the forgotten and sickening reek of McCarthyism until even most Likud MKs could smell it," and suggests that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to torpedo the idea bodes ill for the stability and life of his governing coalition.
Yisrael Hayom believes that last night’s GRAD missile attack on Be’er Sheva has put the Government on the horns of a dilemma. The author says that too soft a response would be seen as a sign of weakness, while too harsh a response could create regional and international complications. While the paper agrees that "Israel must respond," it urges the Government to consider its response carefully and avers that "It would not be worthwhile to play according to the rules of an organization with Iranian weapons and whose logic is jihad."
The Jerusalem Post states that “If any supplementary lessons were needed about the acute interdependency of economies in our globalized reality, then Libya is teaching them with fury,” and adds: “the Libyan turmoil has already destabilized the international commercial system and we will all pay the price, regardless of our distance from and lack of involvement in Libya.” Warning against governmental and public complacency, and pointing out that higher oil prices will certainly lead to inflation and higher interest rates, the editor calls for a curtail on “insatiable appetites at home that would upset the very delicate equilibrium so painfully and painstakingly maintained here, against the odds.”
Haaretz claims that despite the proximity and importance of the European Union to Israel, “Benjamin Netanyahu’s government prefers to quarrel with the Europeans and ignore their views.” The editor opines that “Israel must listen to the Europeans’ message and view it as a warning from important friends who are concerned about the direction the rightist government led by Netanyahu and Lieberman has taken.”
[Guy Bechor, Rubik Rosenthal and Yoav Limor wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma’ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]