Ma’ariv notes that "Hamas is playing the easiest and most successful trick: Preparing for war and talking peace. Hamas is a terrorist body, racist and anti-Semitic, which breaks all international laws while preparing itself for war. But the truth interests no one! We are dealing in the international arena, and in that arena the battle for public awareness is no less important than the ground battle in Gaza. In the last two rounds, in Lebanon and in Gaza, the international arena decisively influenced the battlefield. And it will happen again. Hamas is already preparing the groundwork. It is launching missiles of peace. It is guaranteeing itself victory. It is already creating the mindset in which it is breaking out in calls for peace, and saber-rattling Israel heads off on a campaign of destruction. In light of Hamas’ declarations, Israel has to do precisely what Hamas is doing: Talk peace while preparing for war. The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister need to declare: Any and all moderation will be welcomed with opened arms. Israel invites any and all leaders who accept the Quartet’s conditions (not Israel’s conditions!) to the peace table. If you are serious, so are we."
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Haaretz writes: "The decision by Knesset members from Likud and Kadima to once again debate a bill proposing a cooling-off period for journalists, which would force them to take six months off from that profession before going into politics, is foolish and unnecessary. The principle of a cooling-off period is legitimate only for high-ranking civil servants who are planning to switch over to politics, since in that case they could exploit their authority before seeking office. No other country imposes a cooling-off period on journalists who want to go into politics, just as there is no such restriction for religious leaders, professors or actors. This bill should be rejected altogether, before the Knesset makes a mockery of itself yet again by passing legislation that purports to be based on an abstract principle, but is actually intended to impede a specific person."
Two of today’s articles relate to the socio-economic protests that swept Israel during the summer of 2011:
Yediot Aharonot argues that "When the rules of the game of democracy are changing, the result is a growing social alienation of the last group still pledged to the Israeli dream, the one which took to the streets the last summer. It is confused, in shock and without a path or means."
Yisrael Hayom professes that "The majority in Israel expected that the political system would accede to the demands for change, but instead it saw the winking eye and the real balance of power which influences the Government: Pressure groups, as opposed to the general public. In 2011, they transmitted an important message and ‘they saw the light’. This year more than ever, the public understands that the power to change rests in its own hands; not in the political establishment, not among the elected official and not in government ministries or committees of experts."
The Jerusalem Post comments on PM Netanyahu’s commitment to ensure that a program providing free education to preschoolers aged three and four would be implemented in September – the centerpiece of the Trajtenberg Committee’s recommendations: "Barring a cut in the defense budget, it is unclear how Netanyahu will keep his promise and finally launch the long overdue pre-school program. Our government must truly “find the right balance” between security and social security issues. Strengthening our embattled middle-class and enabling women with young children to get out of the house and into the job market are vital."
[Aviad Kleinberg, Merav Parsi-Tzadok and Ben-Dror Yemini wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma’ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]