Yediot Aharonot argues that "Abu Mazen can now say: "Whoever did not want to negotiate for two years, will now receive the Palestinian President with Hamas leaders by his side."
Ma’ariv asks "What brought about the surprising signing in Cairo? Palestinian sources claim that Hamas has not changed its positions. It seems that the Palestinian Authority and the new Egyptian regime agreed to show flexibility, to reopen the reconciliation effort and accept Hamas’s stipulations." The author notes that "Even now, Palestinian security sources assess that the agreement will not last."
Yisrael Hayom maintains that "The accord between Fatah and Hamas lays waste the idea of pressuring Israel into making concessions and carrying out withdrawals. In another year, due to the elections in the Palestinian Authority, a Hamas leadership is liable to take the reins of the Palestinian people, with the sponsorship of the Iranian ayatollahs."
The Jerusalem Post discusses recent explosions of the Egyptian gas pipeline, which supplies 40% of Israel’s natural gas requirements, and opines that they result from increasing anti-Israel sentiment in Egypt. The editor states that “The apparent resolve to disrupt gas supplies to Israel isn’t something we can afford to downplay,” and adds: “Whether or not Egyptian gas supplies are threatened in the long term, Israel must now cushion its economy against potential future shock. Greater focus on local gas discoveries, such as the Tamar Field, is imperative.”
Haaretz refers to the heightening concerns in Israel that the peace accords with neighboring countries lack a stable foundation and could collapse due to regime change, and opines that the weakness of the peace with Egypt and Jordan stems from the fact that the peace currently only belongs to a few politicians and other interested parties, “while the gulf between peoples has continued.” The editor feels that “Arab public opinion is concerned about the Palestinians in the same way Diaspora Jews are concerned about Israel’s welfare, peace and prosperity,” and states that “Israel has a clear interest in broadening international public support for the peace agreements and ensuring their stability and development. To further that goal, it should also reach a peace accord with the Palestinians based on a partitioning of the land into two states.”
[Shimon Shiffer, Amit Cohen and Dan Margalit wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma’ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]