VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHTV #2345/01 2120957
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 310957Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2571
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAHQA/HQ USAF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEADWD/DA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/CNO WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 2530
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 9246
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 2596
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3332
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 2564
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0533
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 3296
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0169
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0634
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 7229
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 4651
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 9564
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS PRIORITY 3728
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 5671
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 7544
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/COMSIXTHFLT PRIORITY
UNCLAS TEL AVIV 002345
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM
NSC FOR NEA STAFF
SECDEF WASHDC FOR USDP/ASD-PA/ASD-ISA
HQ USAF FOR XOXX
DA WASHDC FOR SASA
JOINT STAFF WASHDC FOR PA
CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL FOR POLAD/USIA ADVISOR
COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE FOR PAO/POLAD
COMSIXTHFLT FOR 019
JERUSALEM ALSO ICD
LONDON ALSO FOR HKANONA AND POL
PARIS ALSO FOR POL
ROME FOR MFO
SIPDIS
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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Mideast
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Key Stories in the Media:
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Israel Radio quoted Secretary of State Rice as saying on her way to
Egypt that providing arms to U.S. allies in the Middle East will not
upset the balance of power in the region. Secretary Rice added that
the arms deal is in response to threats from Syria, Iran, Hizballah
and al-Qaida.
Israel Radio quoted Jerusalem officials as saying that Secretary
Rice will be told that Israel is trying to persuade PA Chairman
Mahmoud Abbas not to reconcile with Hamas. Yediot reported that
Secretary Rice is expected to pressure Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to
SIPDIS
publically declare that Israel is willing to discuss the Saudi peace
initiative with the hope that this will convince Saudi Arabia to
participate in the international conference this fall.Israel Radio
reported that Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said on
Monday following a meeting with Arab foreign ministers in Cairo that
they will tell Secretary Rice in Sharm el-Sheikh that the proposed
fall peace conference must address all issues relating to Israel
including rlands captured from Syria.
The Jerusalem Post, citing diplomatic officials in Israel, reported
that restrictions on several components in the arms sale to Saudi
Arabia could complicate matters when Secretary Rice visitsJeddah on
Tuesday and tries to convince the Saudis to play a more public role
in promoting the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. The newspaper
also reported that the arms deal with Saudi Arabia would face stiff
opposition in Congress as congressmen have pledged to block the
deal.
Maariv continued reporting on a planned economic peace conference.
The paper wrote thatthe Israeli-Palestinian Business Council (IPBC)
is behind the venture and that it may take place in late October.
The paper speculated that Prime Minister Olmert, PA Chairman Abu
Mazen and Quartet envoy Tony Blair will take part.
Makor Rishon-Hatzofe reported that Palestinian Prime Minister Salam
Fayad of Fatah said in a press conference on Sunday that:
"resistance is the legitimate right of the Palestinian people which
is under occupation." Fayad noted that the recently presented
platform for his new government is designed for the post occupation
period.
Ha'aretz reported that a week ago the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
published new guidelines allowing renewed diplomatic ties with
Palestinian representatives around the world.
Yediot reported that the Iranian regime is enhancing efforts to
recruit Hebrew speakers for its intelligence service. Iranians have
been approaching Hebrew speaking Arabs, such as Palestinians, who
are studying in third countries. According to the newspaper, this
effort is being led by Hizbullah.
All media reported that the US Congress last week voted to loosen
restrictions for the Visa Waiver Program. The media noted that
Israel could be one of the additional 12 countries that will meet
the new criteria. The media also emphasized that even following a
presidential OK, the program might take another year to implement.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Hamas militiamen prevented the
distribution of three Fatah newspapers in Gaza.
--------
Mideast:
--------
Summary:
--------
Veteran senior columnist Yoel Marcus wrote in the independent,
left-leaning Ha'aretz: "Bush is ending his failed career the only
way America knows how: Here, take the money, and work it out
yourselves."
Columnist Anshel Pfeffer wrote in the conservative, independent
Jerusalem Post: "Tony Blair might have been an effective prime
minister, but he's now on the path to being a has-been. Anyway, his
American friends weren't prepared to entrust him with anything more
than being an economic coordinator. Not that they're doing much
better. What are the chances that the weakest and most discredited
U.S. administration in living memory, whose rating is low especially
in this region, will succeed where no one has before in resolving
our conflict?"
Well-known novelist and journalist Amos Oz wrote in the
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "If [Olmert and Abu
Mazen] muster the courage and reach a draft agreement, and if that
draft agreement is put to a referendum in Israel and Palestine, it
will become evident to everyone that the two peoples are willing to
reach a compromise solution.... The two peoples already know what
the bottom line is. And they are destined to accept that bottom
line in a referendum -- even if they do so through gritted teeth."
Columnist Caroline Glick wrote in the conservative, independent
Jerusalem Post: "If the US were willing to understand the clear
lessons from its Cold War experience in the Middle East, it would
not be pushing Israel to weaken itself still further through land
giveaways to Iran's Palestinian proxies. It would not be actively
undercutting Israel's national security by supplying sophisticated
weapons to the Saudis."
Former Director General of the Prime Minister office Yossi Ben
Aharon wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv: "The most dangerous
possible outcome of this conference would be for the Olmert
government to internalize the conflict.... Implementing this idea
will turn Israel into a protge of the international community and
hurt its sovereignty dearly. All this will be in exchange for an
agreement that bears no resemblance to peace."
Block Quotes:
-------------
I. "Work it Out Yourselves"
Veteran senior columnist Yoel Marcus wrote in the independent,
left-leaning Ha'aretz (07/31): "The American decision to sell
billions of dollars' worth of cutting edge weapon technology to
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, and to compensate Israel by
increasing military aid to $30 billion over the next decade, boils
down to an admission by President George W. Bush that after two
botched terms, he is leaving behind a lot of scorched earth. The
situation in Iraq is gridlocked; Iran is still developing the bomb;
al-Qaida continues to stalk the earth; and the two-state solution in
our neck of the woods is still far from being implemented, if it
ever will be. His push for democratic elections in the territories
has produced Hamastan in Gaza. Bush is ending his failed career the
only way America knows how: Here, take the money, and work it out
yourselves."
II. "From Winds of War to Seeds of Peace?"
Columnist Anshel Pfeffer wrote in the conservative, independent
Jerualem Post (07/31): "Only a few weeks ago, just about everyone
... was predicting a war this summer. Now, they've all disappeared
and in their place we suddenly have a procession of peace-makers
descending on Jerusalem.... Tony Blair might have been an effective
prime minister, but he's now on the path to being a has-been.
Anyway, his American friends weren't prepared to entrust him with
anything more than being an economic coordinator. Not that they're
doing much better. What are the chances that the weakest and most
discredited US administration in living memory, whose rating is low
especially in this region, will succeed where no one has before in
resolving our conflict? Neither is this a particularly good period
for the Arab League -- with Iraq in ruins, Lebanon tottering on the
brink, and the rest of the members shaky and at each other's
throats. Even if all these intermediaries were actually capable of
brokering an agreement, could the most unpopular Israeli prime
minister in history push it through the Knesset, let alone sell it
to the Israeli public? As for Abbas, he isn't even in control of
half his territory and people. Meanwhile, Hamas, which is really
calling the shots, is out of the negotiations.... We might not be
facing war in the next few weeks, but an outbreak of peace isn't in
the cards either."
III. "Good News"
Well-known novelist and journalist Amos Oz wrote in the
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (07/31): "The separation
between Gaza under Hamas rule and the West Bank that is controlled
by the moderates serves us with an historic opportunity to make
peace between Israel and the Mahmoud Abbas government. Both the
Olmert government and the Abbas government accept the principle of
two states for two peoples, the idea of land for peace and the
approach that champions ending the Israeli occupation. The points
in contention are plentiful, but over none are the parties separated
by an unbridgeable gap. Intensive negotiations are likely to bridge
the differences and produce a draft agreement.... The Israeli
gestures are liable to turn into nothing more than crumbs tossed to
the poor if they are not followed by intensive and far-seeing
negotiations for the resolution of all the issues that still remain
in contention and to the establishment of Palestinian state on the
West Bank.... Are the governments of Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas
strong enough to persuade the two peoples to accept an agreement in
which both are going to have to make painful concessions? ... if
they both muster the courage and reach a draft agreement, and if
that draft agreement is put to a referendum in Israel and Palestine,
it will become evident to everyone that the two peoples are willing
to reach a compromise solution.... The two peoples already know what
the bottom line is. And they are destined to accept that bottom
line in a referendum -- even if they do so through gritted teeth."
IV. "America's best friends"
Columnist Caroline Glick wrote in the conservative, independent
Jerusalem Post (07/31): "There are two principal causes of the US's
coolness toward Israel and warm embrace of the Saudis. First, the
administration's failure to achieve its goals in Iraq strengthened
the influence of the Saudi's Cold War proponents. These proponents,
led by former secretary of state James Baker's disciples Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates,
advance their Saudi-centric agenda while paving the way for a US
withdrawal from Iraq without victory.... The second cause of the
administration's hostility toward Israel is the Olmert government's
irresolute handling of the Second Lebanon War last year.... Last
summer the Olmert government led Israel to defeat in Lebanon, it
weakened the standing of administration officials who view Israel as
a strategic ally and oppose the Saudis, while strengthening Israel's
Baker-inspired foes who view Israel as a strategic liability. The
Olmert government's enthusiastic embrace of capitulation as a
national policy toward the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria merely
serves to strengthen the US view that Israel is a strategic
liability rather than an asset. Yet the lessons of the Cold War,
and those of the past 15 years remain clear. The Saudis remain at
best fair-weather friends to the US, while Israel's strength or
weakness directly impacts US national security and geopolitical
interests.... If the US were willing to understand the clear lessons
from its Cold War experience in the Middle East, it would not be
pushing Israel to weaken itself still further through land giveaways
to Iran's Palestinian proxies. It would not be actively
undercutting Israel's national security by supplying sophisticated
weapons to the Saudis. It would be admonishing the Olmert
government for its irresponsible behavior and exhorting Israel not
to go wobbly because it is needed for the larger fight."
V. "No Resemblance to Peace"
Former Director General of the Prime Minister office Yossi Ben
Aharon wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv (07/31): "The
international conference scheduled for September is totally
different from the one held in 1991 [the Madrid Peace Conference].
Back then all Arab elements ... deterred from holding direct
negotiations with Israel.... Since then the situation has completely
changed and we held negotiations with everyone. So why do we need
this conference now? Olmert and his deputy do not miss a chance to
declare on far-fetching concessions to the Palestinians.... The
current American administration - perceived as more friendly then
the one of Bush senior - puts Israel in face of done deals, it
intervenes in the details of the negotiations and Olmert does not
react. The most dangerous possible outcome of this conference would
be for the Olmert government to internalize the conflict....
Implementing this idea will turn Israel into a protge of the
international community and hurt its sovereignty dearly. All this
will be in exchange for an agreement that bears no resemblance to
peace."
JONES