Today's Situation

STILL SYRIA, September 10, 2007

Four days after the alleged incident in the skies above northern Syria, two of Israel's main dailies lead their coverage Monday with the fallout from that affair – with the other two leading with the arrest last month of members of a neo-Nazi cell who are accused to attacking religious, Asian, and homeless people in the central city of Petah Tikva.

Given the self-imposed silence of the Israeli leadership and the censor-imposed restrictions on the media, both Haaretz and Maariv lead with comments from the Syrian leadership. According to Haaretz, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mualem, on a trip to Turkey, said that his country is planning to file an official complaint with the United Nations Security Council over the alleged incursion. Maariv says that Syria is furious with its Arab neighbors for their silence in the days after the incident.

Maariv also reports that security officials are angry with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who opened Sunday's cabinet meeting by telling ministers that 'we cannot always share details [of an operation] with the public.' According to defense sources, however, even this laconic statement was too much.

Yedioth Ahronoth, meanwhile, sidesteps the military censor by quoting extensively from foreign news sources, including one from Lebanon, which claims that Syria has issued emergency call-up papers for its reservists.

Almost forgotten in the hullabaloo over the alleged Syrian incident, Olmert is due to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Jerusalem on Monday, as part of their continued efforts to reach an declaration on principles ahead of the U.S.-sponsored Middle East summit set for November in Washington. Palestinian Al-Ayam newspaper and Haaretz both report that Abbas is expected to demand a detailed timetable for reaching a final status agreement that is to be presented at the summit.

Meanwhile, government spokeswoman Miri Eisen told the Associated Press the two leaders will discuss ongoing security and economic issues, as well as the political horizon. But she cautioned against having too many expectations from the international conference, saying all issues will not be resolved by then.

Elsewhere, Ynet reports on the continued troubles of the National Security Council, where director Ilan Mizrahi, his deputy and the head of the counter-terrorism bureau have all announced their resignation from the body.

Mizrahi is expected to step down on November 1, after a year and a half in the job, Ynet reports. Itamar Ya'ar, Mizrahi deputy, and the head of the Counter-Terrorism Bureau at the NSC, Danny Arditi, have also decided to resign from their posts. Government officials told Yedioth Ahronoth that Mizrahi was leaving because he felt he had exhausted his capacity at the NSC. Mizrahi told Ynet on Monday morning that 'due to the political culture and other reasons, the council is no longer able to fill the central role it deserves.'

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