Summary of Editorials from the Hebrew Press – November 10th, 2011

Yediot Aharonot says, "The public and media storm that surfaced in Israel following the Iranian reactor report, and the widening concern in Israel over an Iranian nuclear bomb, are exaggerated. Those who need to be concerned over these developments are Iran’s Khomeini regime for which the reactor is a curse. If a bomb does materialize, that will be the end of the regime. The world would really shut them down, and then millions of Iranians would rise who want to be rid of the regime of the Ayatollahs. What good would a nuclear bomb do them then?"

The Jerusalem Post writes: "The struggle to prevent Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon and a delivery system for it that could threaten Israel and the Gulf Arab states, is of concern to the world community, especially Israel’s friends and allies. However, the support for the full court press that has been drastically needed is sorely lacking. Hidden allies exist; Saudi Arabia fears that Iranian tentacles are reaching deep into the Gulf Arab states, Iraq and Yemen, not to mention fears regarding Iranian influence over the Arab Springs street protests. The most important next step remains for the world powers to read the latest report and to take it seriously, assuming the worst about Iranian intentions and working to place another round of stricter sanctions on the country."

Haaretz comments: "A new phase in the battle against the Iranian nuclear threat began on Tuesday with publication of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s report. The time has now come for all the countries of the world, and the great powers in particular, to revise the rules of their policy toward Iran. Israel must take care not to remove the Iranian threat from the international arena and turn it into a threat against Israel alone. It must urge the great powers to utilize their strength and influence, but it must not threaten military action. The shock waves that an independent Israeli military operation could generate in this region, and the damage it would cause to Israel’s vital interests in the future, ought to forestall any thought of such an operation. Israel has received important confirmation of its fears, but not a green light for independent action."

Yisrael Hayom argues that, "It is legitimate to expect a different world reaction. We thought, perhaps naively, that after the publication the other day in Vienna of the severe verdict against Iran, upon which is signed the IAEA, the world would demonstrate shock, worry, concern or at least a little interest. But it was more concerned about the ‘European spring.’" The author reminds us that "the world knows how to do a build-up to a story when it is really serious. There have been a few examples in the past years – Kosovo, Iraq or recently Libya. When the world wants to do away with a leader, it knows how to. Slobodan Miloąević, Saddam Hussein and Muammar Ghadafy deserved their fates. But it seems that the team of Khomeini-Ahmadinejad continues to receive days of grace. It’s no wonder that the Iranians transmitted business as usual."

Ma’ariv opines that, "The subject of evacuations of homes in Judea and Samaria must be approached with sensitivity.  The decision by the authorities must be upheld, but there should be no hasty stampede on the dry law.  The author maintains that, "The settlement leadership in Judea and Samaria need to speak out clearly that, from now on, no settlements, outposts or buildings will be set up on the private lands of our Palestinian neighbors."

 

[Guy Bechor, Motti Shecklar and Boaz Bismout wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma’ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]