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Yediot Aharonot maintains that "The path must be paved for them [the ultra-orthodox] to leave the ghetto walls – in higher education, professional training, and in giving due consideration to the majority of their demands as individuals. At the same time, borders must be drawn for them: Reduce yeshiva funding, rein in stipends, introduce core studies into their institutions of learning. This apparently demands a different coalition, which would not be dependent upon the ultra-orthodox vote. It would be no great disaster if the ultra-orthodox parties spent some time in the opposition. It’s likely to benefit the country. And at the end of the day, it will benefit the ultra-orthodox."
The Jerusalem Post comments: "The year that begins today isn’t likely to bring much economic joy. Analysts are united in predicting a marked slowdown in our economy’s growth. Israel cannot avoid the ill-effects of global recessions, nor can it inoculate itself against the mounting existential dangers around us. But what can be controlled is corporate greed. Companies that cannot resist the temptation to raise prices will find themselves losing by undercutting their consumers’ buying power. They shouldn’t be surprised if specific-product boycotts reappear. The Israeli consumer is no longer the passive glutton for punishment of yesteryear. That’s a lesson worth memorizing."
Ma’ariv claims that "the declaration by the mayor of Jerusalem that 70,000 eastern Jerusalem residents are not part of the capital portends disaster, and will lead to a migration that will change the demographic balance."
Haaretz writes: "Over the years, successive Israeli governments have retroactively approved dozens of illegal settlements, many of which were established with its blessing and public money. But at the end of last week, Minister Benny Begin pledged to retroactively authorize the outpost of Ramat Gilad, which was established without official approval or involvement of the government. In the hands of this government, solutions in the same vein as that offered to Ramat Gilad, which mainly involve moving buildings built on private lands to ‘state lands’, have become instruments to deepen the occupation and obstruct the two-state solution."
Yisrael Hayom notes that "Torres del Paine is an amazing place. Pointed granite cliffs, unique wild life and giant icebergs gliding from the mountains on lakes of turquoise – everyone has made a visit to the isolated spot the highlight of their South American trip. And indeed in the past years, the isolated nature reserve at the southern end of Patagonia has become a major attraction for the multitudes of Israeli backpackers. The sound of Hebrew in this distant corner has become so routine that often Chile’s national parks authority personnel word signs in Spanish, English and Hebrew…" The author explains that "the ecological and economical damage caused by the fire is certainly great, however the park will be rehabilitated. So it was also with the previous giant fire, in 2005, which was caused by the carelessness of a Czech tourist. In the previous disaster 140,000 dunams were destroyed, and for that the Czech government pledged to pay for the restoration. We all hope that there is no truth to the report that an Israeli tourist is responsible for the carelessness which caused the present fire. But should it prove that this is the case – the precedent that the Czechs established is likely to lead to a situation in which Israel faces similar expectations."
[Nahum Barnea, Yehudit Oppenheimer and Ram Liran wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma’ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]