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BBC Monitoring Quotes From Israel's Hebrew Press 16 Sep 05

Posted on: Friday, 16 September 2005, 06:00 CDT

The following is a selection of quotes from editorials published in 16 Sep editions of Hebrew-language Israeli newspapers available to BBCM.

Sharon's UN speech

Ma'ariv [centre-right]

This was undoubtedly the speech of his life. It included everything. Stick and carrot, vision and imagination, resoluteness and reconciliation, determination and hope\ The man who shouted 'who is in favour eliminating terrorism', who scared, threatened, torpedoed, prevented, waved a finger and roared over the last four decades yesterday zeroed the clock and defined himself anew\ Down in the hall sat [Vice-Premier] Shimon Peres\ Peres has always said that Sharon and he differ in their timetables, not their views. Yesterday in New York their timetables united. 'The intensity of our desire for peace is strong enough to secure its achievement,' Sharon said, and for the first time in his life it sounded as though he means this. [from commentary by Ben Kaspit]

Ha'aretz [left-of-centre, independent broadsheet]

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's visit to New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly appears to be a political and diplomatic triumph. Dozens of heads of states, including some who have avoided direct contact with Israel for years, are now seeking an audience with Sharon. Pervez Musharraf, the president of Pakistan, one of the most important Muslim states, shook his hand openly, illustrating his recent statement that it is time the Muslim world recognizes Israel as a fait accompli. As expected, these waves of sympathy from Western leaders and Arab states are making no impression on the leaders of the radical right in Israel. MK Binyamin Netanyahu came up with a childish slogan for the displays of international support 'carpets for land'. The former prime minister and foreign minister surely knows that the carpets of the White House, Kremlin and UN lead to realizing Israel's most vital strategic interests. [from editorial]

Yediot Aharonot [centrist, largest circulation]

Ariel Sharon's speech strove for consensus, for as wide as possible agreement. First of all consensus at home, in favour of the land of Israel but also in favour of a painful concession of part of it; in favour of peace and reconciliation with the Palestinians but first of all in favour of a fence between us and them; in favour of a Palestinian state but on condition that it liquidates terrorism, incitement and the hate culture before it is established. Sharon sought to sound pragmatic, open to compromises and agreements. This is also how he sounded\ Until now, Israeli prime ministers who rose to address the UN General Assembly went through a very humiliating experience: the hall emptied as they walked to the podium\ The Arab, Islamic and Third World delegations left\ Yesterday, when Sharon rose to the podium to speak, there was no flocking\ The Iranians left and were followed by representatives of other Islamic states. If there was a demonstration here it was for local needs; it left no special impression at the UN. [from commentary by Nahum Barnea and Shimon Schiffer]

Yediot Aharonot [centrist, largest circulation]

The prime minister chose the most unexpected place, the UN General Assembly, to grant a divorce to the Likud. The balanced, thrilling and excellent speech that Sharon delivered in Hebrew was totally directed at the voters of the centre-left parties. It did not include even one paragraph of flattery for his traditional voting public: members of the Likud and its Centre. Sharon's speech that was full of statements about the continuation of the painful concessions to the Palestinians and their national rights is a categorical testimony to his getting away from the Likud's ideological core, his big move to the left and the end of the chapter of his leadership of the hawkish camp of the right in Israel. [from commentary by Sever Plutzker]

Ha'aretz [left-of-centre, independent broadsheet]

And lo, yesterday Sharon rose to the podium in the General Assembly hall for the first time and made a peace speech. For the first time he spoke of the Palestinians' right 'to liberty and a sovereign national existence in a state of their own'. Sharon has spoken of a Palestinian state before, but always as a forced compromise, not as the natural right of the neighbouring nation\ This is not the way people in the Likud talk, and Sharon appeared to understand that he has no chance of winning in the Likud and must embark on a new political way. This way heads toward the centre, toward a public that wants peace and quiet and is willing to give up more territories in addition to the Gaza Strip. The speech in Hebrew, on primetime television, was intended to convey this message to every home in Israel. [from commentary by Aluf Benn]

Separation barrier ruling

Jerusalem Post [English-language]

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel won the battle but lost the war in the case of Zaharan Mara'abe versus the State of Israel regarding the separation barrier built two years ago around the Alfei Menashe enclave. It won the battle because the High Court of Justice ordered the state to find an alternative to the existing route of the fence, which virtually traps 1,200 Palestinians and cuts them off from the educational, health, religious and other vital services they had received in nearby Qalqilyah and Hablah. But in the broader sense, it lost the battle to persuade the High Court of Justice to accept the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which declared on 9 July 2004 that the separation barrier was illegal and should be torn down because most of it was built inside the West Bank\ What are the future implications of Thursday's ruling? It is now clear that the court will not stand in the way of the government's plans to build fences around the settlement blocs of Gush Etzion, Ariel and Ma'ale Adumim, all of which jut deep into the West Bank. [from commentary by Dan Izenberg]

Ma'ariv [centre-right]

The gist of the ruling by President of the High Court Aharon Barak is devoted to a debate with the opinion of the International Court of Justice. The suffering of the appellants is important but the account with The Hague is more important\ The High Court has again proved itself as the body shield of the state. Although the [separation] barrier was built in the [occupied] territories, it is kosher as a defence of both: the Green Line and the settlers\ The fence as a concept, to distinguish from a certain route, is kosher despite and contrary to The Hague. What remains now is to see whether Barak can travel to London in peace. [from commentary by Moshe Gorali]

Sources: as listed

Source: BBC Monitoring Newsfile

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