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Yediot Aharonot maintains that "The Zionist narrative has great strength, but is weakened when lies are attributed to it and when opposing narratives are quelled. Zionists who are secure in the justice of their principles will not hesitate to disclose their feelings of discomfort. Someone who is unwilling to expose their doubts is a sign that he is unsure of the main principles of his viewpoint. It is the screaming patriots who are the biggest cowards."
Ma\’ariv believes that "[Political] commentary, by nature, will analyze one-sidedly in a direction which serves the goals of today\’s [political] \’agenda\’. The thinking of this analysis is blinded to other possibilities. Even now, after the unity government, the analyses are predominantly one-sided; for example, why unity is not good for the people of Israel and for democracy." The author says that "In everything related to Netanyahu, the analysts are mostly wrong. That is how it is when the media have gone from reporting \’the public\’s right to know\’ to reporting \’what we want the public to know\’."
Yisrael Hayom inquires: "Will thousands of Palestinians assemble on the borders with Syria, Lebanon and Jordan on Nakba Day? What will happen with the ceremony marking Nakba Day at Tel Aviv University? Whether unrest breaks out and ceremonies are held or not, the fact is that the Palestinian narrative threatens the Zionist narrative. The Nakba is a central component in the lives of Israeli Arabs, who maintain diverse actions surrounding the abandoned places, and it includes documentation, visits, restoration, renovation and the demand to return." The author maintains that "We must uphold the right of the other to remember, but guard against that memory being turned into a legitimate right of return."
The Jerusalem Post discusses the hunger strike by almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, who demand “not only an end to the practice of administrative detention, but also increased family visits and an end to solitary confinement,” and asserts that “the assumption that simply because Palestinians are protesting, their claims must be legitimate,” is not necessarily correct. The editor notes that many reports in the media have shown that the prisoners lead a relatively lavish lifestyle, and declares: “Israel must realize that it gains little by negotiating with the striking prisoners. Too many concessions to these strikers will encourage this method of ‘resistance.’”
Haaretz relates to the upcoming vote in the Knesset for the eighth state comptroller, who will replace outgoing comptroller Micha Lindenstraus. The editor explains that “the two main contenders are judges – Eliezer Rivlin, who is retiring at the end of the month from the Supreme Court, and Jerusalem District Court Judge Joseph Shapira,” and believes that while “Shapira is not an invalid choice, it seems Rivlin, vice-president of the Supreme Court, . . . . is more suitable for the post.”
[Yaron London, Amos Gilboa and Yechiel Shabi wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma\’ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]