Four newspapers discuss the legacy left by Yitzhak Shamir, Israel\’s seventh prime minister, who passed away on Saturday (30 June 2012):
Haaretz notes that Shamir’s “admirers on the Revisionist right remember favorably his commitment to the idea of a "Greater Land of Israel" and the settlements he established everywhere,” and asserts: “the truth is that Shamir turned lack of diplomatic activity into a policy and preserving the freeze into a goal. These led to, among other things, the eruption of the first intifada.” The editor believes “Shamir\’s policies – to stave off an agreement with the Palestinians and the chance of peace with the Arab states – are also the policies of our current prime minister, his loyal student.”
The Jerusalem Post notes that “Even his most bitter detractors admit that Yitzhak Shamir was a man of unshakable integrity, rare modesty and unparalleled courage,” and adds: “Shamir might be perceived as uncompromising. And to a large extent he was. But because his motivations were sincere and selfless they have survived the test of time.”
Yediot Aharonot notes that "Following the passing away of former Likud Chairman and Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, obituaries were written praising him and his achievements," and adds: "Among the tributes, positive appraisal was ascribed to Shamir\’s decision as Prime Minister in 1991 to \’practice restraint in the face of Scud rocket fire on Israel from Saddam Hussein\’s Iraq at the beginning of the first Gulf War\’, as was noted in many obituaries." The author declares: "I believe the opposite. Shamir chose not to react to Saddam Hussein\’s missile attack, and the top brass of the Arab and Muslim armies drew from this the necessary conclusion: All-can-do Israel has no proper military answer to a long-range missile attack."
Yisrael Hayom says that "Yitzhak Shamir was part of a generation for which love of his people and his country was really engraved in his character and in his soul, in his body and in his blood. During his years of leadership, Israel faced many challenges and he was wise enough to navigate the Zionist ship through stormy waters with great prudence, born of many years of experience." The author adds that Shamir "acted according to his principles and not according to polls or changing fashions. Even when he was criticized for this, he navigated according to his beliefs and values."
Ma\’ariv argues: "Nukes or bread? That is the question which Iran\’s leaders are contending with in the face of the petroleum embargo that took effect yesterday." The author maintains that "Most of the anger is directed toward the regime and not the West. The Iranian people understand that the situation is tied to corruption and failed economic management," and contends that "The subsequent damage to Iran\’s cartelized energy industry is likely not only to change Iranian policy, but rather to also threaten the regime\’s stability due to its dependence on oil income (80% of the country\’s income is from exports). It is impossible to know when the \’critical mass\’ will be created that will force the regime to demonstrate flexibility on the nuclear issue, but for now, at its onset, a larger problem is growing at home. The Iranians can teach the Arabs a thing or two about protest and revolution. If the suffering of the people there w! orsens, the \’Arab Spring\’ is likely to become an \’Iranian summer\’".
[Sever Plocker, Vice Premier Moshe Ya\’alon and Joel Gozinski wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Yisrael Hayom and Ma\’ariv respectively.]