In the round of British newspapers today, there was a comment by the Guardian regarding the fate of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the recent elections, and a discussion in the Telegraph newspaper about the justifications for resorting to violence during protests in Europe. The Independent chose to publish a study on the importance of hugging between people and its psychological impact on humans.
We begin our tour with the Israeli Knesset elections and the Guardian newspaper’s opinion on their results and Netanyahu’s fate. The newspaper wrote under the headline, “Netanyahu has lost his mandate, and if his opponents unite, he will lose power as well,” that vote counting is continuing in the Knesset elections, but “most voters,” according to the Guardian, chose to vote for his opponents.
The newspaper reported that Netanyahu still holds the largest number of seats in the Knesset, but his bloc has declined by about ten seats, meaning that he will not be able to form a majority government. She said that the 'Palestinian-Israeli parties' have made great progress, making Netanyahu's most prominent competitor, Gadi Eisenkot, facing two options, according to what the Guardian saw: 'to submit to Netanyahu's racist, intimidating rhetoric or to work with the Arab parties.'
The Guardian noted that Netanyahu still presents himself as “Mr. Security,” who “oversaw shocking security failures” before the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and is also being tried on corruption charges. The Guardian said that Netanyahu's war on Iran "destabilized the region," and that "tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed" in the war on Gaza had only a limited space in the electoral campaign.
She added that Netanyahu relied on intimidation in his election campaign, and accused “Palestinian citizens, who constitute about a fifth of the population in Israel, of trying to steal the elections.” She believed that Netanyahu, who is good at staying political, still has additional cards, and that the greatest danger is to push Trump to launch a new attack on Iran after the US midterm elections, on the grounds that permanent war represents his political salvation.
She said that Eisenkot's bloc is capable of removing the current prime minister, and that Eisenkot's supporters will not thank him if he fails to remove Netanyahu from power when he has the opportunity to do so.
We turn to the Telegraph newspaper and an article by writer Celia Walden, in which she discusses the recent events in Europe, especially the French protests, based on the discussion about the mentality of resorting to violence to achieve demands. The writer borrowed the phrase "virtuous violence" from the Hollywood actor Sacha Baron Cohen. The writer said, “This phrase is both an accurate and frightening description of the current spirit of the times, and it is one of the most disturbing contradictions of our time.”
She added, "We still see it every day on the streets of France, where rioters intimidate ordinary shop owners, attack police, loot more than three thousand commercial establishments, and set fire to historic buildings." Walden continued by saying, “The moral premise of the rioters is that intimidating a retiree is acceptable if you are on the side of the good guys.” It is acceptable to throw a curbstone at a policeman because it embodies everything that is wrong. As a defender of justice and equality, you have the right to burn down a historic building and steal Yves Saint Laurent bags, each of which is worth three thousand euros.'
She said, “As for how any of this contributes to serving the cause they claim to defend, it is not a matter that concerns the honorable people.” France may be, according to the author, the clearest example currently of “virtuous violence,” “but we see this approach being adopted by the left throughout the West,” she said. Much of this “cruelty disguised as virtue” begins on a small scale, such as through small interactions on social media, Walden said. She added, "What is surprising is that the level of aggression is often much worse than the injustice itself."
And to The Independent newspaper, which published a recent scientific study on the importance of hugs and embraces and their impact on human health, pointing out the reasons that make some moments of hugs special and unforgettable for some. The newspaper quoted some of the findings of a study conducted at the University of Bristol in Britain. The most prominent finding of the study is that the most memorable hug is the one that conveys feelings of support, comfort, and understanding, and that an individual’s psychological traits such as empathy and attachment styles influence the emotional value and memory associated with social touch. The study, which included more than 15,000 adults in Britain, stated that hugs that provide comfort, support and understanding from close people are more ingrained in memory. Warm hugs are an important form of social touch, and are linked to positive outcomes such as reduced stress and improved mood.
