Cablegate: Media Reaction Mep; Harare

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS HARARE 000973

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND
SCHLACHTER, AF/RA, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION MEP; HARARE

1. Under headline "Israeli attacks on civilians
abhorrent," the government-controlled daily "The
Herald" dedicated its April 23 editorial to calling for
the cessation of the "cycle of violence and counter-
violence" in the Middle East. Excerpts:

2. ". . .No rational person can condone or support
the
random killings of Israeli civilians by suicide
bombers. These are acts of terrorism. But the
Israeli solution, an attack on the civilians of
Palestine, cannot, for the same reasons, be
condoned or supported. And, looking at how
effective the action launched three weeks ago will
be, we doubt that there will be any let up in the
counter-terror attacks on Israeli civilians.
Indeed, we expect there will be more such attacks.
There is an urgent need to end this cycle of
violence and counter-violence. Israel's incredibly
powerful war machine can obviously send troops
anywhere in the occupied territories and can
destroy whatever it wishes, and kill whomever it
targets. But it cannot destroy or kill the desire
of the Palestinians for a state of their own,
especially when such a state appears to be the only
way they can live a normal life.

". . .We believe that peace can come to Israel and
Palestine. But, as in Northern Ireland, South
Africa and other places where dispute centered on
religious and ethnic grounds, tremendous moral
leadership must be exerted by the religious
leaders. Jewish rabbis the world over need to take
a stand on principle, and tell the Israeli
government that it cannot betray the core beliefs
and tribulations that led to the establishment of
Israel in the first place. Palestinian imams and
bishops have to explain that sometimes forgiveness
is the only option God gives us. There is still a
chance that what is needed - two states, alike in
dignity and living together in peace - can be
achieved. But that needs men and women of highest
moral courage to stand up for peace and honor for
all."

WHITEHEAD

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