Yediot Aharonot suggests that the State of Israel faces four existential threats: "(1) The Bomb. Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak are correct when they claim that the State of Israel cannot allow itself to live in the shadow of the threat of an Iranian nuclear bomb. Meir Dagan, Gaby Ashkenazi, Yuval Diskin and others are also correct that an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities must be the very last option…(2) The USA. Those who ceaselessly, shout that we must guard to the very end our special relation with the USA, even if it is one of total dependence, are right. Those who contend that Israel is a democratic and sovereign state, and that only we will decide on tough questions regarding our existence are also right…(3) The Jews. Those who say that the gap is dangerously widening between Jews in the Diaspora, especially in the US and Europe, and Israel are correct…(4) Tribes. Those who assert that the Israel’s "existential forge" never existed and wasn’t even a fable – that Israeli society was, and is, frayed – are correct. But to those who jeer at such an assertion are also correct: Israel has made great achievements due to this existential forge…"
Ma’ariv refers to reports that Hamas political chief Khaled Mashaal has decided not to stand for another term in office. The author asserts, "It is not clear how final Mashaal’s decision is," and adds, "The reasons for his planned departure are not clear." The paper suggests that "Mashaal decided to quit with honor because he felt that his political rivals, in both Gaza and Damascus, are likely to torpedo his re-election." The author contends that "a replacement for Mashaal from the Gaza Strip is unlikely," because "serving as Hamas’s #1 politician is a difficult task, especially when Israeli UAVs are buzzing overhead." The paper concludes, "If Mashaal is replaced or not, if his replacement comes from Gaza or Damascus, it is difficult to believe that Israel will feel any change."
Yisrael Hayom notes that final results of the recent Egyptian parliamentary elections show that Islamist parties have won over 70% of the vote and that the Muslim Brotherhood is the largest single party, with 47% of the vote. The author asserts that "Egypt is destined to undergo a change, albeit a gradual one," and adds, "The Muslim Brotherhood has already shown that it knows how to be pragmatic, even at the expense of ideological compromises. That it joined with other Islamist parties during the elections proves that it also knows how to adapt itself to time and place on behalf of its goals." Accordingly, the paper says that the Brotherhood will pay lip service to the peace treaty with Israel and solidarity with the military as long as there are pressing economic needs but cautions that "When the economic problems are resolved, we will hear a different tune." The author adds, "The major, and surprising, achievement of the extremist Salafists will not prod the Brotherhood into excessive moderation."
The Jerusalem Post comments on the request by Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman for a presidential pardon for imprisoned police office Shahar Mizrahi, originally sentenced in 2009 for the manslaughter shooting of a car thief: "A society that seeks to maintain law and order must ask itself who will protect it if the courts refuse to consider the combat-like circumstances under which officers sometimes must make split-second life-and-death calls. Given the situation he was caught in, he had every rational reason to conclude that his life was on the line. It remains to be hoped that President Shimon Peres will speedily pardon Mizrahi."
Haaretz criticizes government support of nonprofit associations providing fertility treatments to the ultra-Orthodox community: "These NGOs are creating a new model of private medicine, using public funds to subsidize services that are not included in the state-supported ‘basket’ of health goods and services available to all Israelis. Once again, the Israeli government is violating the public trust by enabling a particular community to receive significant favors at the expense of all citizens."
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