Front Page News:

Haaretz

• High Court strikes down law exempting Haredi men from draft
• Yossi Verter/ Tal Law headed to the trash can of history
• Ido Baum/ Beinish vs. Grunis (Hebrew)
• Amos Harel/The obvious decision (Hebrew)
• Rift in Netanyah’s office: PM asks media advisor to defer his resignation
• Israel's Justice Minister questioned over perks to Bar-Ilan University staff
• Large corporations contributed to denial of climate change
• Historic Labor building to be demolished in Givatayim
• Cassandra Wilson cancels Holon concert, joining artistic boycott of Israel

• “Your brothers will go to war and you won’t?” – Historic High Court ruling on draft of ultra-Orthodox
• Boaz Okun/Legislative celebration
• Justice Netanyahu-style – This is what happens to whoever complains about Natan Eshel – Media advisor Yoaz Hendel offers resignation
• Sima Kadmon/The revenge
• Israel’s new submarine sees light

• High Court overturns Tal Law: “Not equal” – Historic decision by High Court judges; Upheaval in political establishment
• Ben Caspit/End to shame
• Iranian threat: Teheran considers pre-emptive attack. Azerbaijan prevents attack on its land
• Netanyahu reprimands and the senior media advisor resigns

• History: High Court overturns Tal Law – Netanyahu: We will form a law that will bring more just change to carrying the burden
• Dan Margalit/The correction was screaming to the heavens
• Dr. Aviad Hacohen/The path to equality is still long
• Roy Lachmanovitch/It is time for dialogue
• Iran threatens: “If we feel threatened, we’ll attack first”
• Following the Eshel affair: Hendel leaves the prime minister’s office
• Amir Peretz returns to the Histadrut: Expected to declare will run against Ofer Eini
• Tycoons in the crosshairs: Today conclusions of committee for limiting centralization will be presented

News Summary:
Israeli front pages today both appeared to celebrate and condemn. The papers’ main headline was the historic High Court decision to overturn the draft deferment law for ultra-Orthodox men. The other main story was the resignation of one of Israeli Prime Minster Binyamin Netanyahu’s senior advisors following a public rebuke. Also in the news was the threat by a senior Iranian general of a pre-emptive attack on Israel and the end to Palestinian detainee Khader Adnan’s hunger-strike following a deal with the Attorney General. Ynet ran an interesting report on the meeting between the Jordanian King and Jewish American leaders. It also mis-titled a story about a controversial park.

The Israeli papers ran commentaries ad nausea about the meaning of the overturning of the Tal Law, which essentially exempted most ultra-Orthodox men from mandatory military service. Yedioth’s Sima Kadmon wrote that Netanyahu faces a catch-22 situation: “Should he produce a real arrangement for drafting yeshiva students, his haredi partners (in government) will not accept this, especially on the eve of the elections. However, should he fail to present such arrangement, he will get into trouble vis-à-vis his other partners: Lieberman, Barak, and even senior Likud figures such as Moshe Ya’alon.” In other words, this may mean the end is nearing for this government.

Meanwhile, the newspapers were none too impressed with the rebuke that Netanyahu gave to his senior advisors for telling the Attorney General and not him about the claims that his bureau chief, Natan Eshel, was sexually harassing an employee. One has already resigned, another is on his way out and the third was humiliated (and caught on video), but is still staying. Eshel resigned on Sunday.
 
The scare threats between Iran and Israel continue in full force. On Sunday Israel announced it would be deploying an Iron Dome anti-missile battery near Tel-Aviv.  On Monday Iran announced a four-day aerial drill. On Tuesday Iran announced it would make a preemptive attack if it felt it would be attacked making news in today’s papers in Israel. "Our strategy now is that if we feel our enemies want to endanger Iran’s national interests, and want to decide to do that, we will act without waiting for their actions," said Mohammad Hejazi, deputy head of the Islamic Republic's armed forced. Today Yedioth reported on Israel’s ‘Judgment Day weapon’: the Dolphin submarine. In a two-page spread it revealed details about the sub Israel purchased from Germany, but which won’t be ready till 2014. The paper noted with irony that “it is on the same dock in Kiel, Germany that the famous U was built for the Nazi fleet.” The submarine, “according to foreign reports, has ‘second strike’ capabilities in the case of a nuclear attack,” writes the paper.
But then today the IDF announced it will delay the deployment of the Iron Dome system near Tel-Aviv right now. Maariv explained that it will stay in the south for now because of concerns of an escalation of violence with Gaza. And in Azerbaijan Iranians were arrested for plotting an attack on foreigners. Ynet has the details.
 
Khader Adnan Update: He’s eating. The state and Adnan came to an agreement by which he will be released at the end of his four-month detention, minus the three weeks he was interrogated. Right-wing MKs called it ‘giving in to terror.’ Arab MK Ahmed Tibi said ‘Adnan came out a winner.’ Yedioth ran a 3/4-page article filled with mistakes, most significantly in the title: ‘Jihad activist won’t be accused of terror activity – and will stop his hunger-strike.’ The issue here was that he was never accused of anything. He was put in administrative detention meaning no charges were made against him. Adnan claimed that there was no justification for his administrative detention, that the authorities had no evidence justifying criminal charges against him and that he had been humiliated by his investigators. Maariv reported that a medical checkup yesterday morning revealed he was in immediate danger of dying. That was when the deal was made. The state attorney offered to release him April 17th and he agreed. Adnan told his lawyer he was afraid the Israelis would renege on the deal, but his lawyer assured him they couldn’t, it was signed by Israel’s Attorney General. Upon hearing the news his wife said, “I feel like it’s my wedding.” She called the agreement, “A victory over the occupation.” His lawyer Jawwad Boulos claimed that the settlement of the case cast doubt on two military court rulings that Adnan posed a threat to state security.

In a meeting with US Jewish leaders, Jordan's king blamed Israel for deadlocked peace, AP reported in a piece on the Ynet website. After  the meeting delegation leader Malcolm Hoenlein acknowledged the king's concerns about unilateral Israeli action, particularly in east Jerusalem. Hoenlein also said the king praised Netanyahu. More details here. 

On its homepage Ynet titled an AFP article about a controversial national park being created in E. Jerusalem despite Arab opposition as ‘J’lem’s Arab area gets Biblical park’ (see here). The article can be read here.
 

Quick Hits:

• Tensions run high in Jerusalem, West Bank; rioters arrested - Numerous incidents recorded across W. Bank as stones hurled in Temple Mount, Rachel's Tomb and near Beit Ummar. Settlers retaliate by hurling stones as well. (Ynet)
• Israel thwarts terror attack near border with Egypt (Israel Hayom)
• IDF forces find powerful explosive device on Israel-Egypt border (Haaretz)
• First sign of life from Arab-Israeli diver held in Lebanon (Ynet)
• Barak urges Netanyahu to intervene in defense budget spat (Israel Hayom)
• Iran won't allow Hamas-Fatah deal to mature (Ynet)
• Kiryat Arba teacher made ‘heil Hitler’ salute to Ethiopian-Israeli policemen –  2 police who guarded the Cave of the Patriarchs in 2007, now suing teacher who called them ‘Nazi Falashmura.’ (Yedioth, p. 20)
• Haredi politicians say Shabbat buses won’t happen (Haaretz)
• Cabinet to vote on recognizing foreign medical degrees (Haaretz)
• Bill denying 50% pension rights to terrorists passes to plenum (Israel Hayom)
• Study: School violence in Israel down by 25% (Haaretz)
• Great-grandson of high-ranking minister in Stalin’s gov’t – soldier in Engineering Battle Corps – Alex Kabtsinok, the great-grandson of Mikhail Kagnovitch- a Jewish minister who took part in Stalin’s oppressive rule, recently immigrated to Israel and is going through conversion. (Maariv, p. 13)
• Israel's Justice Minister questioned over perks to Bar-Ilan University staff (Haaretz)
• Yachimovich proposing estate tax on large inheritances (Haaretz)
• Thousands of body parts to be buried – Organs kept for years at Institute of Forensic Medicine without any clear reason to be buried following expose by Yedioth. (Yedioth, p. 30)
• Thailand: First look at Iranian explosives (Ynet)
• Iranians cancel soccer friendly against Israeli coach's team (Ynet)
• Egyptian judoka who snubbed Israeli rival 'national hero' (Ynet + VIDEO: Egyptian in white, Israeli in blue)
• Lebanese bloggers don't 'J'adore' Natalie Portman Dior ad (Israel Hayom)
• China, India plan Iran oil cuts - Top Asian buyers of Iranian crude to cut at least 10% in imports as US sanctions on Tehran tighten. (Agencies)
• IN PICTURES / Palestinians waiting to enter Israel at Eyal checkpoint - A checkpoint on the Green Line on a cold and rainy Saturday morning. (Haaretz)

**A dubious kosher stamp (Asaf Gefen, Ynet) If Israel chooses to legitimize illegal outposts, it should allow other offences too.
 
Iran’s real weapon (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz) As things stand, Iran has achieved its goals without needing to stockpile nuclear bombs in its arsenal.

Sanctions against Iran are not an option (Yoram Ettinger, Israel Hayom) The only effective way to prevent Iran’s nuclearization and its devastating costs is to preempt.
 
Who cares about the facts (Avirama Golan, Haaretz) When the discussion is motivated by shallow political 'ratings,' the possibility of having an argument, based on the actual merits or shortcomings of the decision, has become impossible.

IDF using scare tactics in budget battle (Reuven Pedatzur, Haaretz) In our sad situation, the scare tactics always work and every year the prime minister increases the defense budget by huge sums.

Saying yes to buses in Israel on Shabbat (Haaretz Editorial) Tel Aviv launched an important debate this week centered on public transportation in the country’s first Hebrew city. But it actually touches on the future of Israel’s public space as a whole.

Beinart’s misread of Zionism and US Jewry (Isi Leibler, Israel Hayom) “Liberals” who feel alienated from Israel are running against the grain of grassroots American Jews.

Netanyahu err again? (Yoel Meltzer, Ynet) The prime minister would be wise to stay away from Ehud Barak, stop Likud’s slide leftward.

America's hypocritical friendship with Saudi Arabia (Salman Masalha, Haaretz) Just as Obama said to Mubarak a year ago, 'Now is now,' we expect him to tell the Saudi government: 'Enough is enough!'

Egypt puts high hopes on Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz) Even the secular movements are demanding that Egypt’s next president restore its status as a regional power. Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi could be the man.

Nasrallah’s calculations (Prof. Alex Mintz, Maariv) "A serious analysis of the Hezbollah leader's speeches, attests that he is a rational man who understands the disastrous consequences of an Israel attack. Nasrallah is probably bluffing. He does not say whether or not he will attack, but he has proven in the past that, in matters of threats and deeds, you can take him at his word.  In a potential confrontation regarding Iran, he has something to lose, and he knows it. He cannot gain from such a confrontation, unless he is attacked and is forced to respond forcefully. In my opinion, the day may come when he can come out of his bunker thanks to the deterrence of tens of thousands of missiles, which Hezbollah can activate at any moment if its leader is harmed, especially if it remains out of a potential confrontation between Israel and Iran, should there be one."
 

Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.