Haaretz writes: "The upheaval in Egypt is sowing anxiety in Israel. President Hosni Mubarak’s government adhered strictly to the peace treaty, functioned as a stabilizing force in the region and supported expanding the circle of peace agreements to the Palestinians and neighboring states. The demonstrations in Egypt and the anticipated end of Mubarak’s tenure raise fears in Jerusalem that his successor will be less friendly, if not downright hostile, to Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who fears the emergence of a "second Iran" across the border, is urging the preservation of the peace with Egypt. But instead of barricading himself behind his fears and trading accusations with the Palestinian Authority over responsibility for the paralysis in the peace process, he must demonstrate that Israel is not indifferent to the regional mood and is genuinely willing to solve the conflict with the Palestinians and to grasp the outstretched hand of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Netanyahu must support the Arab League peace initiative, which he has so far ignored. That would be Israel’s contribution to creating a new Middle East, one that is democratic and stable."
Yisrael Hayom notes that yesterday, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said that Washington was interested in an orderly transition in Egypt, whereas on February 2, White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said that the US wanted "immediate" change in Cairo. The author declares, "Washington suddenly understood what was abundantly clear to most of us: Elections are the end of the process, not the beginning, a correct conclusion, even if it took 15 days to reach."
Ma’ariv discusses the controversy over rising fuel, water and bread prices, which are partly due to the taxes levied on them, and asserts that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz erred in raising the taxes on these products since, as indirect taxes, they weigh relatively more heavily on those who are less able to pay, while, at the same time, cutting direct, progressive income taxes. The author suggests that, "In their political accounting, Netanyahu and Steinitz believed that they had over a year at their disposal, in which they could conduct a harsh policy before they would have to bribe their voters with election year goodies," but adds, "Civic protests and the establishment of an action committee by civic organizations is hinting that this reality might soon blow up in their faces." The paper declares, "There is a simple lesson that Netanyahu should learn from the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt: Against a broad wave of public protests, one cannot run an aloof and detached administration, whether it is a dictatorship resting on bayonets or a democratic government resting on coalition agreements."
Yediot Aharonot rebuts criticism directed at alleged heavy-handed treatment of Maj.-Gen. Yoav Galant over his encroachment on public lands in his home moshav of Amikam and declares that, "Teachers, nurses and social workers defend this country for decades on low wages and without SUVs or sky-high pensions. With all due respect to the brave generals, there is no reason to grant them immunity from the law."
The Jerusalem Post comments on British PM David Cameron’s statement at the Munich Security Conference against Islamic extremism and the wave of criticism that followed. "Cameron, in fact, took pains to make the very distinctions he was accused of ignoring. Unlike those on the far Right, he recognized the difference between ‘Islam and Islamist extremism,’ and specifically rejected the claim that "Islam and the West are irreconcilable. Cameron was trying to articulate a sensible middle ground." While Britain’s hard Right has deteriorated toward crude fascism, large swathes of the Left seem to have adopted a policy of cultural masochism in which all manner of antisocial practices – such as the wearing of veils, forced marriages, even genital mutilation – are rationalized, and sometimes validated, in the name of religion, even when none of these practices is necessarily dictated by the Koran."
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