INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Israel Media Reaction

Published: Fri 20 Apr 2007 09:46 AM
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LONDON ALSO FOR HKANONA AND POL
PARIS ALSO FOR POL
ROME FOR MFO
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION
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SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT:
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1. Mideast
2. Iran
3. Iraq
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Key stories in the media:
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Leading media reported that Defense Secretary Robert Gates ended his
short visit to Israel on Thursday with a meeting with PM Olmert and
FM Tzipi Livni. Ha'aretz said that the meeting focused on Syria and
the Iranian nuclear program. Ha'aretz and Maariv reported that
Olmert told Gates that Israel had no intention of attacking Syria
and warned against a "miscalculation" that might lead Syria and
Israel into a war no one wanted. Ha'aretz quoted Secretary Gates as
saying that he shared his hosts' concerns.
Ha'aretz quoted Defense Secretary Robert Gates as saying during his
visit to Israel that Washington has decided to sell Joint Direct
Attack Munition (JDAM) bombs to Saudi Arabia. Ha'aretz wrote that a
recent discussion in Washington raised the possibility that
Jerusalem would ask the US not to sell the satellite-guided smart
bombs to the Saudis, but it was decided to reject this request. The
IAF itself has purchased the high-accuracy JDAMs, and used them
against Hizbullah targets during the Second Lebanon War. Defense
Minister Amir Peretz expressed Israel's opposition to the sale of
the weapons to Saudi or other Persian Gulf states during his visit
to the US a few weeks ago. Peretz said Israel was concerned the
weapons might fall into terrorist hands. Israel also argues that
the presence of such weapons in the Arab countries undermines
Washington's pledge that Israel will enjoy a qualitative edge in the
region -- attained mainly by the possession of advanced weaponry.
Articles by Arab security experts in the Western and the Arab press
recently have argued that Israel's opposition to the sale of
advanced arms to the Arab states has placed the country in a
strategic contradiction, due to the need to achieve deterrence in
the face of the Iranian threat.
The Jerusalem Post and Yediot reported that, in the face of Iran's
race to obtain nuclear weapons, the Israel Air Force has expressed
newfound interest in receiving the F-22 -- a US-developed fifth
generation stealth fighter jet -- and has asked that the Defense
Ministry present the request on its behalf to the Pentagon. The
Jerusalem Post wrote that, while the sale or transfer of F-22s to
Israel did not come up in talks on Wednesday between Defense
Minister Peretz and US Defense Secretary Gates, defense officials
told the newspaper that Israel would ask to receive the aircraft in
order to retain its "military edge" in the Middle East. Yediot
noted that the "astronomical" cost of each F-22 is USD 150 million.
Hatzofe reported that, despite its "bitter criticism" of the
decisions made at the Arab foreign ministers' meeting in Cairo on
Wednesday -- according to the Prime Minister's Office -- the US has
asked Israel to respond positively to the decisions. Hatzofe
quoted associates of PM Ehud Olmert as saying that he acceded to the
US demand, and that Israel made an official announcement about its
"positive answer in principle." The Arab FMs' decision empowers
Egypt and Jordan to conduct contacts with Israel on behalf of the
Arab League.
Maariv reported that King Abdullah II of Jordan is considering
delivering a speech to the Knesset. Maariv said that PM Ehud Olmert
invited him to visit Jerusalem soon so that he can convince the
Knesset to endorse the Arab peace initiative, and that Knesset
Speaker and Acting President of Israel Dalia Itzik, who headed a
delegation of Knesset members to Amman, transmitted the invitation
to King Abdullah. Yediot wrote that it was Itzik who invited King
Abdullah. Maariv cited concerns that the exposure of the visit to
the media might cause its cancellation. Ha'aretz reported that on
Thursday the King told the visiting Knesset members that "we are in
the same boat, we have the same problem. We have the same enemies."
Abdullah reiterated the comments a number of times, which those at
the meeting said referred to Iran, Hizbullah, and Hamas. The King
also emphasized that he spoke not only for Jordan but for a group of
states in the region. He asked at one point: "Do you want Iran on
the banks of the Jordan River?" Ha'aretz reported that the Israeli
delegation was impressed with Abdullah II's frankness regarding the
Arab peace initiative but that it said he demands too high a price.
The Jerusalem Post quoted Itzik as saying that King Abdullah is
"very dedicated" to the Arab peace initiative. The Jerusalem Post
quoted the Knesset members as saying that the monarch sounded
flexible on the right of return for Palestinian refugees, and that
the members of the delegation told him that all Israelis reject it.
Hatzofe reported that King Abdullah II requested of the Knesset
members that Israel avoid taking unilateral steps.
The Jerusalem Post reported that a high-ranking officer in the IDF
Central Command warned on Thursday that, having failed to establish
a military force in the West Bank parallel to the one it has in the
Gaza Strip, Hamas is instead working to infiltrate its operatives
into the official PA security branches. Hatzofe reported that Hamas
is trying to take over the PLO's political apparatus.
All media reported that the High Court of Justice ruled on Thursday
that the Winograd Commission probing the Second Lebanon War will
release the partial testimonies of PM Olmert, Defense Minister
Peretz, and former IDF chief of staff Dan Halutz no later than two
weeks after issuing its interim report at the end of April.
However, the court advised the commission to release the testimonies
as soon as possible, "even sooner than two weeks" after submitting
the report to the cabinet. The court issued its ruling following a
request by Meretz MK Zahava Gal-On.
Ha'aretz and The Jerusalem Post reported that OC Central Command
Yair Naveh has decided to allow setters to march to the ruins of the
settlement of Homesh on Independence Day (Tuesday). The IDF
conditioned its agreement on the organizers leaving the West Bank
ruins after a few hours. The Jerusalem Post and Hatzofe reported
that, at a closed event, Naveh criticized the disengagement and the
weakness of Israeli leaders on the ground.
The Jerusalem Post reported that three powerful US congressmen --
Howard Berman (D-CA), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), and Mike Pence (R-IN)
-- sharply criticized Saudi Arabia following a report in Monday's
Jerusalem Post that the desert kingdom is breaking its pledge to
drop the Arab League boycott of Israel. The Jerusalem Post quoted
an official from the US Trade Representative's Office as saying that
continuing the primary boycott of Israel would not be consistent
with Saudi Arabia's commitment to abide by WTO rights and
obligations.
Yediot reported that Qatar has invited Israeli students to study at
the Doha branch of the prestigious Georgetown University.
On Thursday IDF Radio reported that right-wing activists plan an
extensive ad campaign calling for the release of Yitzhak Rabin
assassin Yigal Amir. The campaign, sponsored by a group called the
Committee for Democracy, is the brainchild of an anonymous
American-Jewish millionaire.
Yediot reported that, for the first time in over 20 years, negative
immigration was recorded in Israel. Five thousand more people will
leave the country this year than will immigrate. Other media
reported on a trend among Israelis to consider emigration.
Ha'aretz devoted its lead story to the suffering of Sudanese
refugees in Chad, where it dispatched a special correspondent.
Ha'aretz cited the British Jewish weekly The Jewish Chronicle as
saying last week that Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth's youngest
child, will be the first member of the British royal family to come
to Israel on an official visit (in September). Ha'aretz noted that
just a year ago the British Ambassador to Israel stated that there
would be no official state visit by a member of the British royal
family until there was peace.
Yediot reported that the "reputable" New York Magazine is
recommending short vacations in Tel Aviv due to local restaurants
and the night scene. The American periodical reportedly placed Tel
Aviv on a list of four favorite short-break destinations in the
world.
Maariv reported that 42-year-old Israeli-born Nati Meir, whose
parents came to Israel in 1951 and who immigrated to Rumania in
1996, intends to run for the Romanian presidency following the
Bucharest Parliament's impeachment of incumbent President Traian
Basescu.
Ha'aretz (English Ed.) featured a documentary -- "A Hero in Heaven"
-- telling the tragic tale of Michel Levin, an American-born IDF
soldier who fell during the Second Lebanon War.
The Jerusalem Post noted that Americans and Israelis starkly differ
in their handling of security in the aftermath of mass murder. The
newspaper said that Americans are more lenient.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Harvard law professor Alan
Dershowitz will spend the 2007-8 academic year at the
Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.
Hatzofe wrote that Reform Jews in the US "are trying to be more
American and less Jewish." The newspaper said that they condemn the
US Supreme Court's decision to limit the number of abortions and
support Democratic leaders who demand immediate negotiations with
Syria and Iran.
Yediot presented the results of a Mina Zemach (Dahaf Institute) poll
conducted among registered Labor Party members: In a runoff vote for
party leadership, former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon would get 44
percent of the votes -- and former PM Ehud Barak 43 percent.
------------
1. Mideast:
------------
Summary:
--------
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn and Washington correspondent
Shmuel Rosner wrote in the independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz:
"Olmert's new willingness to talk with Abbas about the 'diplomatic
horizon' can be read in two ways."
Senior op-ed writer Akiva Eldar commented in Ha'aretz: "Apparently,
the neo-conservatives have not learned that in the Middle East, a
problematic regime's removal can lead to the emergence of an
infinitely more problematic one. Like Abrams, Olmert wants to
dictate the composition of his opposing team."
Former foreign minister Shlomo Ben-Ami wrote in Ha'aretz:
"Paradoxically, Israel and Hamas share more common ground than is
apparent at first glance."
Block Quotes:
-------------
I. "Diplomacy on the Horizon"
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn and Washington correspondent
Shmuel Rosner wrote in the independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz
(4/20): "Olmert's new willingness to talk with Abbas about the
'diplomatic horizon' can be read in two ways. The one identifies a
relinquishing of former prime minister Ariel Sharon's ironclad
principle of not talking about diplomatic matters before the
Palestinians extirpate terror and 'become Finns,' in the words of
former advisor Dov Weisglass.... Nonsense, says the counter-version.
Olmert, considering his shaky position in the public-opinion polls,
does not have public backing for a dramatic diplomatic move, and if
he attempts one, he will risk the breakup of the coalition with
Minister of Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman's party and Shas.
Abbas can talk and talk, but he's not in a position to reach an
agreement and certainly he cannot implement one. In these
circumstances, Olmert is only trying to placate American Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice at the lowest price possible. Therefore
he agreed to the bi-weekly meetings with Abbas and to employ fine
phrases like 'diplomatic horizon.' In any case, before anything
else, Olmert has to bring Gilad Shalit back from captivity and then
endure the inevitable criticism that will accompany the release of
terrorist murderers. Only then, and if he gets through Winograd
unscathed, will Olmert really be able to think seriously about the
diplomatic horizon."
II. "A Peace or War Initiative?"
Senior op-ed writer Akiva Eldar commented in Ha'aretz (4/20):
"Arming the Palestinian Presidential Guard is part of Elliott
Abrams' plan to bury the Mecca agreement, the basis of the national
unity government. Abrams, Deputy National Security Advisor to US
President George W. Bush and an acknowledged expert in the language
of force, related in a closed-doors briefing that non-Hamas cabinet
ministers would resign and that Abbas would dissolve the government
and announce new elections. Apparently, the neo-conservatives have
not learned that in the Middle East, a problematic regime's removal
can lead to the emergence of an infinitely more problematic one.
Like Abrams, Olmert wants to dictate the composition of his opposing
team, the rules of the game, and when it starts and finishes.... The
momentum the Arab peace initiative received at the Riyadh summit
presents Israel and America with new conditions that constitute a
package deal.... The days of land for no peace -- and of no war, no
terrorism and no abductions -- are running out."
III. "From Radical Jihad to the Politics of Compromise"
Former foreign minister Shlomo Ben-Ami wrote in Ha'aretz (4/20):
"It's not surprising that the Mecca agreement and the Palestinian
unity government that arose in its wake are thorns in Israel's
side.... [But] paradoxically, Israel and Hamas share more common
ground than is apparent at first glance. The chance of a final
status agreement emerging from a direct dialogue with the leader of
the Palestine Liberation Organization, Mahmoud Abbas, is close to
nil. When this becomes clear, and Israel starts searching for a way
to return to the idea of withdrawal from the West Bank, it probably
won't find a worthier partner than Hamas. Hamas, like Israel, is
not ready for the compromises entailed by a final status accord.
But a long-term interim agreement is possible only with it, and not
with the PLO.... The United States is winning the war for Arab
democracy, but paradoxically, it is declining to reap the rewards
because the new image of Islamic political pluralism does not match
the illusion of liberal democracy in whose name America sought to
change the face of the Middle East.... A dialogue with political
Islam, in the form of Hamas, for instance, is an unavoidable
necessity. Ostracism and banning is a recipe for disaster, as the
example of Algeria shows. Creating a space for legitimate political
activity by Islamic parties, including recognition of their right to
govern, is the way to encourage moderation. The challenge therefore
is not to destroy the only Islamic movements that can claim
authentic popular support in the Arab world, but rather to solidify
their fragile transition from radical jihad to the politics of
compromise."
---------
2. Iran:
---------
Summary:
--------
Editor-in Chief David Horovitz wrote in the conservative,
independent Jerusalem Post (4/20): "This is the challenge that faces
Israel as it turns 59.... We need to do everything we can to help
galvanize the necessary international will to avert the [Iranian
nuclear] threat before it is too late."
The Jerusalem Post editorialized: "There was an anomaly in Bush's
speech [on genocide at the Holocaust Memorial Museum on Wednesday],
which matched an anomaly in Jewish activism: the lack of focus on
the genocidal threat from Iran."
Block Quotes:
-------------
I. "Israel's challenge at 59"
Editor-in Chief David Horovitz wrote in the conservative,
independent Jerusalem Post (4/20): "This is the challenge that faces
Israel as it turns 59: As the first but by no means the only target
of Iran's murderous ambitions, we cannot afford to stand heroically
in the line of Tehran's fire, so as to give the rest of the world
breathing space to belatedly regroup and take action. We need to do
everything we can to help galvanize the necessary international will
to avert the threat before it is too late. It is an uphill
struggle, maybe even a lost cause, given our lack of international
credibility and standing -- but Israel needs to shine the light
nonetheless.... And if all else fails, we need to stand firm, behind
a leadership of real moral clarity, and protect ourselves."
II. "Iran and Sudan"
The Jerusalem Post editorialized (4/20): "The Jewish people should
be proud of its role in sounding the alarm regarding a major
humanitarian crisis [Darfur]. Jews, indeed, have an obligation not
to remain silent, and have not been. Yet there was an anomaly in
Bush's speech [on genocide at the Holocaust Memorial Museum on
Wednesday], which matched an anomaly in Jewish activism: the lack of
focus on the genocidal threat from Iran. There is no doubt that the
Jewish world is concerned about Iran.... Why, however, has there
been no community-wide effort to convince major US states to divest
the billions of dollars their pension funds have invested in
companies working in Iran? How is it that Iranian officials can
still travel the world without meeting protests at every turn, as
Soviet officials experienced during the campaign to free Soviet
Jewry? Why has the USHMC's [US Holocaust Memorial Council]
Committee of Conscience not called for indicting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
for inciting genocide, a crime under the Genocide Convention? The
Jewish world should not trim its activism on Sudan one iota, but its
campaign on Iran should be even more insistent, urgent, visible and
concrete."
---------
3. Iraq:
---------
Summary:
--------
Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev Schiff wrote in
the independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: "If withdrawal is
interpreted by the Arabs as a sign of American defeat, we can look
forward to a radical Arab shift that will strengthen all the
extremists around us."
Block Quotes:
-------------
"It Looks As If the Victory Won't Be American"
Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev Schiff wrote in
the independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (4/20): "The assumption that
there will be no American victory in Iraq is growing stronger. On
the other hand, a Shi'ite victory over the Sunnis seems likely. If
there is such a victory, it will have a profound effect on the
region, Israel included.... A Shi'ite victory would ... affect
Israel's security. The growing Iranian influence in a
Shi'ite-controlled Iraq could be detrimental to Israel and the same
holds true for a Shi'ite Iraqi pact with Hizbullah. Meanwhile, it
seems that an American pullout will not end the hostilities in Iraq
because the Sunnis are fighting for their lives. If withdrawal is
interpreted by the Arabs as a sign of American defeat, we can look
forward to a radical Arab shift that will strengthen all the
extremists around us."
JONES
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