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Yediot Aharonot asserts that "The young and energetic Minister of Communications succeeded beyond expectations, and in return received great public admiration. But – yes, but – Moshe Kahlon was not a social revolutionary. Implementing actions to lower telephone rates is not social revolution. Far from it: The rate reduction was attained by Minister Kahlon by opening cellular communications to additional outside competitors. This type of opening brings with it an immediate lowering of prices, but when the new players establish themselves and take control of a certain market share, they begin to raise prices. And so it is expected in cellular communications."
Ma\’ariv maintains that "The phenomenon of Iranian cyber activities requires proper defensive actions. Besides generic defenses, defense based on intelligence is also needed. Israel must make the field of cyber defense against Iran a top intelligence and operational priority. That is in order to discover early any attack preparations and to foil them in time." The author notes that "Similar to the Iranian nuclear program, the challenge is not just the State of Israel\’s, but rather that of many other western countries, as well as the Gulf states. Therefore, extensive international cooperation must be initiated in the field of intelligence and in countering Iranian cyber activities."
Yisrael Hayom discusses "avoiding the creation of a Syrian monster." The author avers that "The picture, portrayed in the reports by [Washington Post reporter David] Ignatius and in other reports, must worry all those concerned that the secular, nationalistic, tyrannical regime in Syria will be replaced, due to the uprising, by a fanatical Islamist regime. One of the less complicated ways of avoiding this is to transfer to the forces identified with the West the means they are in need of. That is the least that should be done."
Haaretz comments that “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\’s decision to call early elections for the 19th Knesset liberates Israel from an anti-democratic Knesset that brought the tyranny of the majority to new heights,” and adds: “As the 18th Knesset ends its term, we should say ‘good riddance’ and hope that, come January, the public will elect a new Knesset that is democratic, fair-minded and effective.”
The Jerusalem Post discusses the launch of the centennial convention in Jerusalem of the Hadassah Women’s Organization, “which includes the dedication of the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower, a much-needed addition to the Hadassah University Medical Center.” Founded exactly 100 years ago at the Temple Emanu-El in New York City, the editor notes that “the organization has served a crucial role in developing health and social welfare infrastructure in what would become the State of Israel,” and adds: “Hadassah has come a long way since that fateful meeting at Temple Emanu-El 100 years ago. We can only hope that the next 100 years are as fruitful.”
[Sever Plocker, Dr. Gabriel Siboni and Sami Kronfeld, and Yossi Beilin wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma\’ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]