(Government Press Office)
Haaretz - http://www.haaretzdaily.com
Ma'ariv - http://www.maariv.co.il
Yediot Aharonot - http://www.ynet.co.il
Globes - http://www.globes.co.il
Jerusalem Post - http://www.jpost.com
Hazofeh - http://www.hazofe.co.il
The Jerusalem Post writes: "The terrible scale of the natural disaster that has struck South Asia this week can only remind us of the trivialilty of the problems with which most of us grapple. It also underlines how powerless we are when confronted by the mighty forces of nature, and how the tiniest glitch in the functioning of our planet can instantaneously take or change the lives of millions... Experts warn us to expect a major quake (above 7 on the Richter Scale) sometime within the next 50 years. It could happen any day and, if of a devastating magnitude and in a lethally close location, no part of the country would be safe... We can't be sure when the next quake will come. We can determine how prepared we are to survive it."
Yediot Aharonot commends the efforts of the IDF and the Foreign Ministry, especially the staff at the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok, to assist victims of the East Asian disaster in general, and to locate and assist Israelis there, in particular.
Yediot Aharonot, in its second editorial, sharply criticizes the Sri Lankan government for hesitating about accepting a delegation of IDF medical and rescue personnel.
Yediot Aharonot, in its third editorial, questions whether Israel is prepared for an earthquake of the magnitude that struck East Asia earlier this week.
Haaretz comments: "Israeli politics has previously invented many superfluous posts, which took millions of shekels out of state coffers, all to mollify coalition partners. But few are the instances in which the title and position were so content-free and lacking in honor as is the case of Shimon Peres, who seeks to become a second deputy prime minister... [I]n the case of Peres, he is not looking to become more influential, to be more involved, or to assume responsibility for another brief since he is expected in any event to be in the government and cabinet. Peres is merely seeking for himself an honorary title, and any other explanation for his conduct is untenable."
Hatzofeh discusses the Dovrat Commission’s proposed education reforms.
[Eitan Haber wrote today's editorials in Yediot Aharonot.]