Yediot Aharonot says that a wave of recent, current and potential strikes is threatening to sweep the country and says that "Instead of accusing workers representatives, who are waking up, one after the other, and asking for what is theirs, the state should thank them for having shown restraint," thus far.
Ma’ariv contends that "The American window has closed. Everyone knows that whoever dreamed about a Washington that imposes a ‘Pax Americana’ upon the world is a prisoner to outdated myths." The author elucidates "What precisely are the Americans supposed to do? Parachute troops into Tahrir Square? Open fire with ‘shock and awe’ on the Bahrain Shiite protesters?"
Yisrael Hayom notes that "The call by US Rep. Peter King to examine ‘the extent of Islamic extremism within the US Muslim community’ has awakened heated media debate in the US as to the place of Muslims in Western countries. The question receives additional significance in wake of the new trend in the US – alliances between Jewish and Islamic groups that supposedly oppose Islamaphobia and anti-Semitism." The author asks if these Jews "really have to express solidarity with all Muslims, including the vast majority who live in countries that deny freedom of worship and persecute ‘heretics’." The author asserts that "We are obligated to oppose any discrimination or persecution of law-biding Muslims, and to cooperate with truly moderate Muslim leaders. But there is no justification for us to play on the rights of those who strive do us harm, or are indifferent to such attempts."
Haaretz discusses the three new bills that are to be voted on by the Knesset today and states that “they represent a discordant and worrying summation of the current Knesset session.” Claiming they are “A blow to Israeli Arabs and to democracy,” the editor calls on each Knesset member, in advance of the vote, “to ask himself whether he is ready to take part in a process that will bring Israeli democracy to the edge of the abyss, or whether he will instead foil such a step.”
[Liad Mudrik, Ofer Shelah and Isi Leibler wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma’ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]