Summary of Editorials from the Hebrew Press – December 15th, 2011

Ma’ariv says, "A bunch of religious anarchists broke into the base of the IDF Ephraim Brigade. It was exactly for such incidents that the open-fire orders were enacted, which define what constitutes a danger and what not.  Breaking into an army base falls within the definition of a terrorist event that requires use of the procedure for stopping suspects, which could end in shooting." The author, the security coordinator for the Jewish community of Eli in Samaria, believes that "If we do not want the State of Israel to be taken over by a small bunch of extremists and descend into anarchy, we must not allow the law to be enforced selectively. It cannot be that we are more stringent or more lenient with rioters from a certain group on the basis of religion, race, sex or political opinion. The law in the State of Israel must be enforced wisely and equally, against everyone."

Yediot Aharonot believes that, "The unbalanced – in my opinion – young people known as ‘the hilltop youth’ are not calling IDF soldiers and officers ‘Nazi’ in the heat of the moment. They are doing so intentionally and after thinking about it. And regrettably and shamefully, they certainly mean every word of condemnation that they voice against our soldiers." The author, a Holocaust survivor, adds, "In order to hurl this epithet at officers and soldiers of the army that defends the State of Israel, the state of the Jews if I am not mistaken, one would have to lack all conscience and all restraint; a person who deserves no forgiveness. The authorities of the State of Israel must take harsh action against those ‘hooligans’ that have crossed all existing red lines."

Yisrael Hayom asserts that "While the radical right-wing Kahanist lunatics are an enemy of the people and of the state, first and foremost they are enemies of the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria," and adds, "The settler public must stop being silent in light of these people’s acts of insanity." The author labels those responsible for the violence as "an enemy within, a fifth column," and concludes, "We must define them as the enemy and do so immediately, and not wait until there are bereaved parents among us whose soldier sons were murdered by these terrorists."

 

The Jerusalem Post criticizes French President Sarkozy’s demand for the early release of a terrorist with French citizenship: "Salah Hassan Hamouri, a recidivist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist, was convicted in 2005 for plotting the assassination of Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.  The French president isn’t motivated by a zealous quest for justice as much as by the need to please the increasingly vocal and powerful Muslim lobby in his country. Although his projected atrocity could have resulted in a bloodbath, Sarkozy persisted over the years in drawing a moral equivalence between Shalit and Hamouri. The French apparently cannot countenance the trial abroad of any of their nationals, no matter how grave the charges and how compelling the evidence. That is unconscionable and unacceptable, as it presupposes either superiority or immunity for the French."

Haaretz criticizes the Knesset committee vote against postponing Channel 10’s debt payments, which threatens to shut down the channel: "Even a Channel 10 reality show plays an important role in defending democracy. Reality shows’ other role is even more important: to pay for a strong, independent news organization that is not dependent on political patrons, as are the Israel Broadcasting Authority and Educational Television. A news organization can feel secure to broadcast significant investigative reporting about the government – including the prime minister’s trips abroad – without fear that this will lead to its closure. The overriding goals of the current Knesset session, with the prime minister’s support, remain silencing the pluralistic discussion and revenge against anyone who dares criticize the government. Channel 10 meets those criteria extremely well."

 

[Noah Kliger, Amiad Cohen and Uri Heitner wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma’ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]