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P 071003Z MAY 07
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PARIS ALSO FOR POL
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION
--------------------------------
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT:
--------------------------------
1. PM Olmert's Performance
2. Mideast
3. France: Presidential Election
-------------------------
Key stories in the media:
-------------------------
The media reported on a Qassam rocket attack on Sunday afternoon
that wounded two people at a gas station near Sderot. The media
cited Islamic Jihad's claim of responsibility for the attack.
Major media (lead story in The Jerusalem Post) reported that on
Sunday Israeli defense officials vowed a tough response to the
rocket attack. The Jerusalem Post quoted defense officials as
saying that the GOI would not launch a ground operation inside the
Gaza Strip in response to the attack, but that it would order the
IDF to step up pinpointed strikes on terrorists and infrastructure
involved in the production and operation of Qassam rockets. The
media reported that, earlier in the day, a security guard was
seriously wounded after Palestinian terrorists gunned him down at
the joint Israeli-Palestinian tank farm where he was employed in the
West Bank. Leading electronic media reported that early this
morning a Qassam rocket hit a house in the center of Sderot,
narrowly missing a day-care center. There were no physical injuries
in the incident. Ha'aretz reported that on Saturday security forces
loyal to PA Chairman [President] Mahmoud Abbas uncovered a tunnel
used by smugglers near Rafah and sealed it with cement. Ha'aretz
noted that the operation was well received by the relevant US
agencies, which consider this an expression of the security efforts
the Palestinians are making to counter this ongoing problem.
On Sunday The Jerusalem Post reported that PM Ehud Olmert will
convene top security officials this week to discuss a US plan that
includes a timeline for steps designed to ease Palestinian movement
and get the Palestinians to assert greater security control in Gaza,
even though Hamas leader Khaled Mashal rejected the plan on Friday.
However, on Sunday Yediot quoted Israeli security establishment
officials as saying: "As a plan, the American proposal [for leniency
at crossing points in the territories and the improvement of
security] is a good one, but it is not appropriate for the
conditions of the security situation in the territories." On Sunday
Maariv reported that Israeli security officials have accused Defense
Minister Amir Peretz, and particularly one of his advisers, of being
responsible for the American "benchmarks plan," which includes
demands for significant relief measures for the Palestinian
population. On Sunday Ha'aretz wrote that the PA has reacted
favorably to the plan.
Major media (banner in Ha'aretz) reported that on Sunday former PM
Ehud Barak, a leading contender for the Labor Party leadership, told
his associates that in light of the Winograd report on the Second
Lebanon War, he does not believe he could sit in a government headed
by Olmert. Ha'aretz said that if Barak, whom Olmert was reportedly
considering naming defense minister in replacement of Amir Peretz,
announces this officially in the coming days, it could seriously
impair Olmert's chances of survival. Ha'aretz reported that,
despite the expected vote of the Labor Party against supporting two
no-confidence motions on the government's alleged failings that will
cone before the Knesset plenum today -- guaranteeing that the
government will survive them by a large margin -- some Labor Knesset
will vote in favor of the motions. On Sunday Ha'aretz reported that
Vice PM recently told Kadima Knesset members that would not back any
plots to oust Olmert from office but that he does not rule out being
prime minister himself. Leading media reported that on Sunday Labor
MK Ophir Pines and Motti Ashkenazi, the man who led the protest
against the failures of the Yom Kippur War, pitched a protest tent
in front of Olmert's official residence, demanding that Olmert show
responsibility and resign.
Leading media cited a statement issued by Olmert's bureau following
a meeting on Sunday between Olmert and FM Tzipi Livni that the two
"agreed to continue working together as part of a government headed
by Ehud Olmert. The two discussed political subjects at hand and
agreed to work to address these issues." The meeting followed a
spat between the two in the wake of the publication of the Winograd
report.
Ha'aretz reported that sources in the Foreign Ministry told the
newspaper that FM Livni is currently conducting staff work to
prepare for the possibility of a renewed peace process with Syria.
According to Ha'aretz, no conclusions have yet been presented to PM
Olmert, as the project is not finished. However, the daily quoted a
Foreign Ministry source as saying: "If the PM decides that he wants
to hear it, we have a prepared plan -- from the operational aspect
as well." The project has included a series of discussions between
Livni and senior ministry staffers with the goal of mapping Israel's
vital interests in any such talks. The participating staffers are
the same ones who formulated Israel's diplomatic exit strategy for
the Second Lebanon War. Yediot reported that Syria is speeding up
its preparations for a war. The newspaper cited Damascus's belief
that Israel is gearing for a war in the summer. Yediot quoted
Western intelligence sources as sayng that recent Syrian weapons
acquisitions have mostly been financed by Iran.
On Sunday Ha'aretz quoted Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Naim
Qassem as saying in an interview with Al Aljazeera-TV as saying that
his organization denies paying off or receiving intelligence reports
from former MK Azmi Bishara during the Second Lebanon War.
On Sunday Yediot reported that Jordan's King, Abdullah II, intends
to surprise 50 Israeli public figures who were invited to dine with
him in Amman at the table of former PM Abd el-Salam Majalli.
According to Yediot, Abdullah intends to explain to the guests from
Israel why they must not miss the opportunities to come to a
permanent arrangement with the Palestinians, and why Israel should
not fear an independent Palestinian state or the Arab peace
initiative
All media reported on the election of conservative Nicolas Sarkozy
to the presidency of France. The media cited the satisfaction of
official Israel over the results of the elections. Israel Radio
reported that Olmert congratulated Sarkozy, voicing his hope that
that his presidency would spell fruitful French-Israeli cooperation.
The radio reported that opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu
praised Sarkozy -- including in an article in Yediot: "Sarkozy, My
Friend." Israel Radio also reported that the American Jewish
Committee applauded Sarkozy's victory.
The Jerusalem Post reported that PA security officials accused
supporters of Al-Qaida in the Gaza Strip of carrying out Sunday's
attack on an UNRWA-run school in Rafah in which one person was
killed and six others were wounded.
Ha'aretz and The Jerusalem Post reported that in a joint report
published on Sunday, two Israeli human rights groups -- B'Tselem and
HaMoked - Center for the Defense of the Individual -- accuse the
Shin Bet of continuing to use "irregular" interrogation techniques
involving physical measures and torture against Palestinian
prisoners. The organizations write that, in spite of High Court of
Justice rulings barring such practices, the Shin Bet continues to
use torture.
Ha'aretz and Yediot reported that, for the first time in UN history,
the organization has chosen an Israeli official to head one of its
committees. Rony Adam, head of the Foreign Ministry's UN
department, was chosen to head UN the Committee for Program and
Coordination, which is entrusted with coordinating the actions of
all the different branches of the organization. Adam was
unanimously elected to the post after presiding as the committee's
deputy director. The committee comprises 33 countries, some of
which have no diplomatic relations with Israel, such as Iran, Cuba
and Indonesia.
Yediot reported that on Sunday over 100,000 people marched up
Manhattan's Fifth Avenue on Sunday in the Salute to Israel Parade.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg led off the parade accompanied
by Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupoliansky and Jerusalem Affairs Minister
Jacob Edery. Yediot reported that a group of IDF solders also
marched in the parade.
Ha'aretz reported that, in an initiative of the Labor-affiliated
youth movement Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed ("Working and Studying
Youth") -- the largest youth movement in Israel, Socialist youth
movements from 47 countries will in the coming months send a joint
delegation to camps harboring Darfur refugees in Chad.
Leading media reported that the International Committee of the Red
Cross informed Egypt that there was no sign in its documents that
Egyptian prisoners of war had been executed in the wars of 1956 and
1967.
Maariv reported that a finger-printing process will bring an end to
the era of the black stamp that used to mark the rejection of
visa-granting by the US authorities. Maariv noted that 14,000
Israelis are refused US visas ever year. According to Maariv,
countries such as Australia that used to reject visa requests by
applicants who had been turned down by the US will not automatically
refuse them.
----------------------------
1. PM Olmert's Performance:
----------------------------
Summary:
--------
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized: "Kadima, and
the coalition, can survive the ouster of Olmert. The condition for
this is that Labor say 'no' loudly and clearly to the Prime Minister
and to his collaborators within the party."
Block Quotes:
-------------
"Saying 'No' to Olmert"
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (5/7): "In the
Prime Minister's efforts to survive, he is clinging to two
arguments: The essence of the first is: 'The one who did the damage
will remain to repair it.' Taken simply, this means that [Amir]
Peretz must also remain in the Defense Ministry and even [Dan]
Halutz should be brought back as chief of staff. The second
argument is that Olmert is the barrier preventing the return of
Benjamin Netanyahu to the Prime Minister's Office, which is the
expected result, say the polls, if the Knesset is dispersed and
elections are held in the near future. But the Labor Party is
capable of pressuring the divided and hesitant Kadima Knesset
members into getting rid of Olmert and picking another candidate
from their ranks to take his place.... Kadima, and the coalition,
can survive the ouster of Olmert. The condition for this is that
Labor say 'no' loudly and clearly to the Prime Minister and to his
collaborators within the party."
------------
2. Mideast:
------------
Summary:
--------
Washington correspondent Shmuel Rosner wrote in the independent,
left-leaning Ha'aretz: "We can ... regret the fact that Israel is so
high on the American agenda.... Only Iraq and Iran ... were
mentioned substantially more than Israel [in a survey of American
elites]. It is not certain that Israel wants to be included in this
group."
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: "The
only 'deal' that will work [in the Middle East] is one where the
jihadis have given up their bid to terrorize and dominate the West.
We are not there yet, and premature engagement will not bring us
closer to that day."
The Director of the Interdisciplinary Center's Global Research in
International Affairs Center, columnist Barry Rubin, wrote in The
Jerusalem Post: "How can the US expect Europeans to hold the line
when it does not do so?"
Block Quotes:
-------------
I. "Small, Vulnerable, and Endangered"
Washington correspondent Shmuel Rosner wrote in the independent,
left-leaning Ha'aretz (5/7): "Last week the [Washington-based]
Israel Project published a survey about the views of American
'elites' on issues related to Israel.. Fifty percent consider Iran
a serious threat to the US. Sixty-three percent have a warm
attitude toward Israel. Over 80 percent believe that it is one of
America's most important allies.... Eighty percent of those who
replied to the ... survey believe that 'Israel is a small and
vulnerable country,' and we can only guess that the war in Lebanon
last summer did not help the country's strong image. This is
beneficial in the short term: The candidates are rallying and
promising that they will not allow Israel to be harmed, competing
with one another by offering demonstrations of affection and
boasting of a perfect voting record. But for the long term this is
a worrisome trend: Already now the US administration seems to
believe that Israel does not have the ability to adopt a policy that
is different from its dictates. We can be impressed by the replies
of the candidates, the wall-to-wall support for Israel, but we can
also regret the fact that Israel is so high on the American
agenda.... Only Iraq and Iran -- the current, urgently problematic
state and the one that threatens the future -- were mentioned
substantially more than Israel. It is not certain that Israel wants
to be included in this group, even if it is clear that its name was
always mentioned positively and the others always negatively, since
this is the group that is described in big letters by the label:
"Caution -- dangerous area!" Therefore, we would be happier to be
forgotten a little."
II. "Bad Behavior"
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (5/7):
"The issue ... is not so much the specific items in this latest US
wish list [known as the 'benchmarks document'], which is reminiscent
of numerous failed plans built along the same model. The issue is
the model itself, and why it is being returned to, now of all times,
when the US seems to be confused over how to pursue the overall
struggle against the jihadi axis, of which the Palestinian situation
is one small part.... Would someone explain how pressing Israel to
let down its security guard will make Abbas more likely to take on
Hamas, or Hamas more likely to abandon terrorism? A similar
question can be asked regarding the US State Department's evident
desire to engage with Syria and perhaps Iran as well. Here too, the
policy is contradictory. Is the US pursuing a policy of isolating
and confronting rogue regimes and terrorist organizations to force
change, or does the US believe that asking them nicely (or
pressuring their victims) will work better?.... No one believes that
Iran, Syria, Hamas, or Hizbullah is ready to capitulate. On the
contrary, nations that flirt with engaging them send a signal that
it is the West that is ready to cut a deal. Yet the only 'deal'
that will work is one where the jihadis have given up their bid to
terrorize and dominate the West. We are not there yet, and
premature engagement will not bring us closer to that day."
III. "Bipartisan Betrayal"
The Director of the Interdisciplinary Center's Global Research in
International Affairs Center, columnist Barry Rubin, wrote in The
Jerusalem Post (5/7): "The Pelosi visit convinced the Syrian regime
and people that President Bashar Assad is on the right track and
need make no concessions regarding his adventurous policy..... Yet
this is no partisan issue. The idea of engaging Syria was launched
by a Republican, James Baker, in the Iraq study group report. Now
it is being taken up by his protege Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice, who met recently with the Syrian Foreign Minister at a
conference on Iraq. She similarly undermined the US-initiated
boycott of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority by meeting that
government's (non-Hamas) Finance Minister who is trying to raise
funds to finance the Hamas regime. In practical terms, these
meetings don't amount to much. But in impact they are a disaster.
How can the US expect Europeans to hold the line when it does not do
so? What is the message sent to the brave Lebanese government and
those who risk their lives by opposing Hizbullah's efforts to
dominate the country and by maintaining Lebanon's independence from
Syria and Iran? Answer: Give up. You can expect no Western help.
Or, in William Shakespeare's phrase, 'Despair and die.' This does
not mean that the old strategy of democracy promotion was right.
Realpolitik is necessary. The West needs to engage less radical
Arab states as allies in the battle against the
Iran-Syria-Hizbullah-Hamas alliance. Still, that does not mean it
is right to abandon the liberal dissidents to appease the less
extremist regimes and, at the same time, undermine these governments
in order to suck up to the radicals."
----------------------------------
3. France: Presidential Election:
----------------------------------
Summary:
--------
Paris correspondent Or Heller wrote in the popular, pluralist
Maariv: "For the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic,
the Elysee Palace has been taken by a distinctly pro-Israel
president."
Former Israeli ambassador to France Avi Pazner wrote in the
conservative, independent Jerusalem Post: "Most French Jews expect
Sarkozy to adopt a more balanced policy in the Middle East.... Most
Jews of France have a warm feeling toward the US and they believe
there will be a change for the better in France's attitude in this
respect as well."
Block Quotes:
-------------
I. "French Revolution"
Paris correspondent Or Heller wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv
(5/7): "Even the French Left admitted last night that a new era had
begun in France.... Israel should also change its way of thinking:
For the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic, the Elysee
Palace has been taken by a distinctly pro-Israel president. Forget
about Chirac, with friends like Saddam Hussein and Yasser Arafat.
Sarkozy prefers Netanyahu and even George Bush. He is a sharp
critic of the Palestinians and of the inability of the PA to prevent
terror attacks. He supported the disengagement plan and called to
establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel. He opposes the
Iranian nuclear program and intends to lead Europe against any
compromise with Ahmadinejad. For the first time in the history of
the French republic, Sarkozy will be an honest broker between Israel
and the Arab world. And this is already a small French
revolution."
II. "Expect More Balance From France"
Former Israeli ambassador to France Avi Pazner wrote in the
conservative, independent Jerusalem Post (5/7): "The great majority
of French Jews gave their vote to Sarkozy. Although a sizable
minority (mostly among the dwindling Ashkenazi community) voted for
the Left.... Sarkozy is ... perceived by the Jewish community as
being more sympathetic toward Israel and its problems that outgoing
President Jacques Chirac, who has been a strong defender of the
French Jewish community. Most French Jews expect Sarkozy to adopt a
more balanced policy in the Middle East, in line with countries like
Great Britain and Germany. Most Jews of France have a warm feeling
toward the US and they believe there will be a change for the better
in France's attitude in this respect as well. It is no wonder then
that that the initial reactions in Israel and among French Jews to
Sarkozy's victory were mostly positive."
JONES