(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
Hazofe - http://www.hazofe.co.il
Yediot Aharonot comments on how Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is handling the coalition negotiations. The editors believe that, “Sharon is indeed an experienced politician who well understands human beings’ weaknesses,” and add that, “In comparison to his predecessors, especially the wonder kids Netanyahu and Barak, his prudence and patience are even more prominent.” However, the paper avers that, “A slightly more sober glance reveals a much more significant reason for his power: These are coalition negotiations over nothing. There is no argument over an agenda and not even any quarrels over portfolios. The prime minister, whose sole agenda is the disengagement plan, is negotiating with parties that have no disagreement with this single issue, and which are not presenting an alternative to the other matters of substance in our lives.”
Haaretz writes: "It seems that part of the crisis is artificial. As in every coalition negotiation, Labor representatives are thinking about the broader voting public and they are trying to come before their party's central committee with gains in hand. It is also clear that the vote before the cabinet is not a final process. The cabinet will vote only on the framework of the budget, and until it is brought before the Knesset fr a third and final vote, many changes can still be made. Thus, "the social articles" in the budget are not sufficient cause to create a crisis that threatens the inclusion of Labor in the government. After all, the main reason - and perhaps the only one - for its entry into the coalition is the disengagement plan. If that is executed, the economic, social and moral benefits for the country will be so great that they will completely overshadow the various articles in the budget."
The Jerusalem Post comments: "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's assurances to United States envoy Elliott Abrams that Israel has no plans to build a neighborhood connecting Jerusalem and its eastern satellite, Ma'aleh Adumim, are dismaying. Twenty-seven thousand Israelis now live in Ma'aleh Adumim and with current building, this number is projected to grow to 40,000 in three years. A new tunnel road under Mount Scopus connects it to Jerusalem by a ten-minute drive. For all purposes, the town is now the capital's main eastern suburb. The Palestinians naturally see the place differently, as the largest of all the Jewish settlements in the West Bank. All the more reason, then, for Israel to insist on turning Ma'aleh Adumim into an integral part of Jerusalem."
Hatzofeh strongly criticizes Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz’s proposal to allow Palestinian Authority policemen to carry sidearms. The editors remind their readers that, “According to the official policy of the Israeli government, including Shaul Mofaz himself, Arafat’s forces not only perpetrate acts of terrorism but do so under directives from above,” and allege that the defense minister is more concerned about internal Palestinian affairs than he is about Israelis’ security.
[Ofer Shelah wrote today’s editorial in Yediot Aharonot.]