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Two papers discuss various economic issues:
Yediot Aharonot criticizes the Government in general, and the Finance Ministry in particular, for constantly raising and lowering personal income and corporate tax rates, VAT, payments to the National Insurance Institute and fuel taxes in recent years. The author believes that "A lack of stability and zigzags have a baneful influence on the economy: Investors who do not know what corporate taxes will be in another two or three years will hesitate about coming to Israel; business owners need to spend day and night over their VAT calculations; those who invest in provident funds find it difficult to understand the management fee rates that they have to pay, and so
on." As an alternative, the paper points to the Bank of Israel and reminds its readers that "Instead of raising and lowering interest rates every month, it has left them unchanged nine times in the past twelve months," and adds: "Interest rates have stood at 2.5% for five months in a row now." The author notes that senior Bank officials explain that the foregoing "is designed \’to prevent unnecessary zigzags in the economy\’," and concludes: "Netanyahu and Steinitz should pay attention."
Ma\’ariv refers to reports that as the Finance Ministry seeks to find additional revenue in order to pay for various projects included in next year\’s budget, it is considering – inter alia – increasing VAT and corporate taxes and cutting child and elderly support payments. The author asserts that "Government ministries must become more efficient instead of heaping decrees on the public."
Yisrael Hayom avers that the reported agreement between Iran and the IAEA "is not worth the SMS that can summarize its contents," and adds: "Basically, it is a gesture to the Iranians that is designed to allow Barack Obama to get through the November 2012 presidential elections in peace." The author complains that "The Iranians are toying with the democratic leaders who have always aspired to short-term achievements and to extinguish local fires, and whose horizon stretches to the ballot box."
The Jerusalem Post comments on the boycott by South Africa and Denmark of goods produced in Judea and Samaria. The editor notes that “Numerous undeniably Zionist Jews support not only labeling but also boycotting products made by Israeli firms located in Judea and Samaria,” and asks: “if dovish Zionists can advocate a boycott on settler products, why can’t Pretoria or Copenhagen?”
Haaretz refers to the violence perpetrated by some Israeli settlers on the West Bank against their Palestinian neighbors, and states that these activities are “a powder keg that threatens to ignite the occupied territories.” The editor calls on the authorities to ensure the safety of the Palestinians, and asserts: “As the entity in possession of the occupied territories, Israel has the legal and moral obligation to ensure the safety of all of those under its control, without distinction to nationality, race or religion.”
[Gad Lior, David Lipkin and Dan Margalit wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma\’ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]