(Government Press Office)
Yediot Aharonot discusses Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen's recent announcement that he will not run in the upcoming PA elections. The author says that "the real concern," is the, "strengthening sense among the Palestinians that Israel is uninterested in reaching a diplomatic solution to the conflict," and adds that "Thus, even if the resignation is only for show, the despair and the loss of confidence are real." The paper notes the Palestinians' concern over settlements and a construction freeze but claims that the Obama administration mishandled the issue, leading widespread Palestinian disillusionment with Washington. The author believes that Abu Mazen's PA has largely quelled terrorism in Judea and Samaria and calls on the Government "to come down off the fence and settle the crisis with Abu Mazen as soon as possible." The paper warns that, "There must not be a situation in which the Palestinians realize that even a sincere effort to eliminate terrorism is ineffectual…and does not lead to diplomatic progress. What have we got to lose, they'll say over there in such a case, if we go back to terrorist attacks?"
Ma'ariv strongly criticizes a Knesset bill, which was approved in its preliminary reading last week, that would allow the appointment of two more salaried deputy mayors in Jerusalem, and calls on the Knesset to defeat the measure.
Yisrael Hayom suggests that "The massacre in Texas will throw a cloud over President Barack Obama's conciliatory policy toward the Muslim world," and believes that "It will make it harder for him – at least in the short term – to mobilize broad domestic support for further initiatives like his 'Cairo speech', which in any case, has yet to bear fruit."
Nana10 says that last week's capture of the weapons aboard the Francop was "an intelligence success of the highest order," but cautions that "It is very little compared to the great quantities of missiles already in Hezbollah's hands." The author adds that, "The challenge and the threat are still before us and without a successful answer to the missile weapon, any clash with the terrorist organizations is liable to be a repeat of the Second Lebanon War."
The Jerusalem Post discloses the truth about poverty, as detailed in the figures released by the National Insurance Institute, and informs its readers that the figures "are not too great a cause for populist outrage." The editor feels that the methods employed to measure the poverty level distort the truth and adds, in conclusion, that "When the true nature of the poverty figures isn't forthrightly disclosed, the NII and associated presumed advocates for the poor undermine their own credibility."
Haaretz rejects as 'Ridiculous' the government's claim that "political developments in the occupied territories are not Israel's business." Relating to Mahmoud Abbas' announcement that he will not run for re-election, the editor calls on PM Netanyahu to placate the chairman of the Palestinian Authority: "If Netanyahu is truly concerned about Israel's future as a Jewish, democratic state, he must try to persuade Abbas to reverse his decision to retire from political life: imposing a total, even if temporary, freeze on construction in the settlements; launching an expedited round of negotiations to reach a final-status accord on the basis of previous understandings; and taking additional measures to ease daily life in the territories. The alternative - a prolonged stalemate in the talks and the shelving of the separation plan with which Abbas is closely identified - will prove disastrous for Israel."
[Dov Weisglass, Yael Paz-Melamed, Prof. Avraham Ben-Tzvi and Prof. Eyal Zisser wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma'ariv, Yisrael Hayom and Nana10, respectfully.]