Three papers discuss yesterday’sHigh Court of Justice decision to reject the latest compromise
on Migron and to order its evacuation by August 1:
Ma’ariv believes that elements on the political right badly misjudged new Supreme Court President Asher Dan Grunis and believes that the latter "made it clear yesterday that he is loyal to the law and not to any political stream." The author says that Grunis "gave a mortal blow to all those who thought that what was is what will be and that politics would continue to rejoice as right-wing [judicial] activism replaced left-wing [judicial] activism. And indeed, this has not happened… Grunis opposed [judicial] activism mainly because it entails the trampling of law and justice in favor of the values of those who sit in judgment." The paper hails yesterday’s decision as "Grunis’s declaration of independence."
Yisrael Hayom suggests that more than a few right-wing MKs "are embarrassed because they don’t have [former Supreme Court President] Dorit Beinisch to beat up on anymore," and asserts that those MKs "who are indirectly inciting the residents of Migron not to honor the High Court’s decision will bear the responsibility" for any untoward consequences. The author believes that upholding the decision will be "cogent proof that the rule of law also applies in the territories" and will undercut claims to the contrary by Israel’s enemies.
Haaretz exults in the High Court’s ruling, and declares: “The bastion of Israeli democracy has proven its strength.” The editor believes that “It’s to be expected that the Migron residents will resume their threats to violently resist evacuation,” and calls on the Israeli leadership to “submit to the court’s ruling and prepare for the evacuation in August, without any evasion or delay.”
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Yediot Aharonot says that "Despite Netanyahu’s denial yesterday, early elections are currently being discussed again," and adds that "Regrettably, most politicians think about the date for elections only in terms of the benefit for their party and themselves. Nobody thinks about the financial costs that will vex the state budget if the next Knesset elections are held this year." The author claims that "The costs, and the damage to the Israeli economy, from bringing the elections forward by one year (the next elections are due to be held only in November 2013) will be approximately NIS 5 billion," and concludes that "Bringing forward the elections and the direct and subsequent costs to the Government will also require a major budget cut since there is no allocation in the biannual state budget for 2012 for early elections. Let this be food-for-thought for those who are hastening to declare early elections."!
The Jerusalem Post discusses the United Nations Human Rights Council’s decision to send an independent international fact-finding mission to Israel to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on Palestinian rights, and declares that while it may be convenient for the Palestinians to use the council to bash Israel, “the settlements are not the problem”. The editor states that the real obstacle to peace is the “Palestinian leadership’s refusal to enter into direct negotiations without preconditions,” and adds: “The Palestinian leadership’s insistence on unilateral measures, such as appealing to the UNHRC, seems to reveal a preference for harming and delegitimizing Israelis over dialogue with us.”
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