Cablegate: Israel Media Reaction

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TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS

SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

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SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT:

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1. Mideast

2. Muslim-Jewish Interfaith Dialogue

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Key stories in the media:

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All major media covered Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit to the

U.S. Barak was quoted as saying that Defense Secretary Robert Gates

promised that the U.S. would supply Israel with real-time warnings

on missiles launchings at Israel. Yediot and Israel Radio reported

that Gates promised that the U.S. would provide Israel with advanced

radar systems. The Jerusalem Post reported that Barak spoke of a

"shared outlook" with the U.S. that emphasizes diplomacy and seeks

stronger sanctions to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear

weapon.

The Jerusalem Post reported that PM Ehud Olmert has less than a

month to decide to join the Kadima leadership race or become a "lame

duck," after the party's election committee decided yesterday to set

an August 24 deadline to join the race, which is scheduled for

September 17. The Jerusalem Post quoted sources close to Olmert as

saying that he would announce his decision very soon and well ahead

of the deadline, because it would be clear that he was not running

if he did not announce his intentions in the near future.

Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, a leading candidate in the

Kadima primaries, was quoted as saying in an interview with Ha'aretz

that Olmert and Livni must not be allowed to reach an agreement with

the PA before the party primaries.

Ha'aretz reported that PA President Mahmoud Abbas warned Israel last

week that if Israel releases Hamas members of the Palestinian

parliament as part of a deal for Gilad Shalit's return, he will

dismantle the PA. Ha'aretz says that Abbas evidently fears that the

release of senior Hamas politicians in exchange for Shalit would

strengthen the Islamic organization's civilian infrastructure in the

West Bank. The newspaper quoted an Israeli source well-versed in

what is happening in the PA as saying that publication of Abbas's

threat is liable to discredit him massively in the eyes of many

Palestinians. In addition, the source noted, this threat creates

another obstacle to Israel's efforts to reach an agreement for

Shalit's release. Israel Radio reported that Hamas has threatened

that if Israel did not accede to its demand to release 450 prisoners

in return for Shalit, it would further step up its demands and would

again demand 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. This threat was made by

the Hamas representative in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan, in an interview

to the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper.

Leading media reported that an investigation has been ordered into

claims that a 10-year-old boy was shot dead by officers in the West

Bank village of Na'alin in the aftermath of the security fence.

Makor Rishon-Hatzofe reported that the defense establishment has no

funds until next year to resume work on the fence.

Israel Radio reported that Minister Shaul Mofaz, who heads the

Israeli team for the strategic dialogue with the U.S., set out last

night for Washington. The talks with the administration will focus

on the Iranian threat, the situation in Lebanon, and Hizbullah's

growing strength. Mofaz told Israel Radio that he was convinced

that whoever is elected president of the U.S. would not allow Iran

to acquire nuclear weapons, because that would be a threat to the

entire world. Ha'aretz quoted Mofaz as saying that if elected

Kadima chairman, he will handle the peace talks.

Israel Radio reported that FM Tzipi Livni also left for Washington

last night. She will have a joint meeting with Secretary of State

Condoleezza Rice and chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurei.

Livni will also meet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The Jerusalem Post quoted a variety of USG officials on issues such

as the problem posed by continued settlement activity (State

Department Spokesman Sean McCormack), the United States' strong

commitment to Israel's security (Defense Department Press Secretary

Geoff Morrell), and U.S. efforts to coerce Iran to give up nuclear

technology that could be used to build a nuclear bomb (Secretary

Rice).

Major media reported that in an address he delivered to graduates of

the National Security program at Hebrew University in Jerusalem,

Olmert defended his decision to hold negotiations with Syria.

Olmert was quoted as saying that the talks have a good chance of

success and that soon, "Syria will have to make a strategic choice

between peace and isolation," referring to Damascus' close relations

with Tehran and Hizbullah. The media reported that Livni has

expressed reservations about Olmert's outline of orders with Syria.

The Jerusalem Post reported that yesterday, for the first time in

Israel's history, a cross-party parliamentary caucus dealing with

the rehabilitation of Palestinian refugees (the Caucus for the

Rehabilitation of the Palestinian Refugees) was launched in the

Knesset. The newspaper quoted Kadima MK Amira Dotan as saying: "I

am not trying to change the Palestinian narrative, but to alter the

state of mind of the refugees and their descendants. She added: "We

have to see how we can work with UNRWA -- not against UNRWA on this

issue."

All media reported that after failing a polygraph test, the

commander of Armored Battalion 71, Lt. Col. Omri Fruberg, was

suspended from his post yesterday. The battalion commander, who was

photographed holding a bound Palestinian demonstrator while a

soldier fired a rubber bullet at him from close range, was suspended

for ten days after a hearing held for him by OC Northern Command

Maj. Gen. Eizenkot.

Hamas and Popular Resistance Committees troop and rocket training

was shown on all three TV stations last night. Commentators

wondered whether how this met the stipulations of a "truce."

All media reported that yesterday the Jerusalem District Court

convicted Majdi Rahima Rimawi, the man who planned, ordered, and

organized the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi in

2001, on five separate charges for his part in the assassination and

four other terrorist attacks in the month leading up to it.

The Jerusalem Post reported that yesterday Peace Now petitioned the

High Court of Justice, demanding that the IDF remove civilians

living in the former central bus station in Hebron, which has been

used as an army base since 1983.

Makor Rishon-Hatzofe reported that yesterday five senior professors

asked the High Court of Justice to add their names to the petition

of the Gisha non-profit organization against the Defense Ministry

for its restrictions on Palestinian students who wish to enter

Israel to study at its universities.

The Jerusalem Post quoted Israel's Islamic Movement spokesman Zahi

Nujidat as saying yesterday that a brief course offered by the

Chabad Hassidim about the Second Temple endangers the Al-Aqsa

Mosque. Chabad spokesman Rabbi Menachem Brod was quoted as saying:

"This is a pure provocation by an organization that is exploiting

any opportunity to incite the Arab public to violence against

Israel."

Yediot reported that yesterday in a first reading the Knesset voted

to grant a pardon to disengagement opponents against whom criminal

cases were opened. Likud MK Reuven Rivlin drafted the bill.

The Jerusalem Post and Makor Rishon-Hatzofe reported that a

code-share agreement between El Al and American Airlines will become

effective in September.

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1. Mideast:

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Summary:

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Former Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami wrote in the

mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "[American] policy in

the Middle East, as defined since President BushQs 'axis of evil'

speech in January 2002, is in the midst of a radical change."

Liberal op-ed writer Uzi Benziman commented in the independent,

left-leaning Ha'aretz: "[Tzipi] Livni's glory will ... be ... her

ability to form an independent worldview for Israel's future, and to

find within herself the leadership and the determination to

translate her vision into an action plan."

The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: "The

government owes it to Israelis to publicly and explicitly delineate

which parts of the city the Jewish state claims.....[Anyway],

however the diplomatic process plays out, the Arab and Jewish

sections of Jerusalem must receive equal treatment -- not to buy

loyalty or affection, but a concrete manifestation of Jewish

sovereignty."

Block Quotes:

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I. "Victory of the Extremists"

Former Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami wrote in the

mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (7/30): "[American]

policy in the Middle East, as defined since President BushQs 'axis

of evil' speech in January 2002, is in the midst of a radical

change. The paradigm of creating an alliance of 'moderates' to

defeat the 'extremists' -- which was welcomed enthusiastically by

Israel and a coalition of Arab states headed by Egypt and Saudi

Arabia -- has collapsed. The 'extremists,' who were supposed to

have been defeated by economic sanctions, diplomatic isolation and

military operations, have managed to survive. Now it is the turn of

the 'moderates' to adapt their policies to reality.... Now, when it

is clear that his foreign policy has failed miserably, Bush has

decided not to ignore the advantages of co-opting Syria and Iran.

These two countries are the key to stability in the Middle East.

They are vital in Lebanon, they play a role in Iraq, and they can

effect a change in the approach of organizations such as Hamas and

Hizbullah, which play an important part in the regionQs instability.

Moreover, including Iran [in an alliance], is the only way to

shatter the nuclear apocalypse in the region. The fact that the

general atmosphere tends towards a political calm is partly due to

the collapse of another misguided perception of the Bush

administration: The idea that the 'axis of evil' is a coalition of

mad countries, whose sole interest is in spreading evil around them.

The use of radical tactics does not necessarily mean madness.

Syria and Iran have no interest in adopting the role of the pariahs

of the international community. More than wanting to spread terror

and revolution, their policy advocates the promotion of goals that

can be placed on the negotiating table. They are well aware of the

limitations of encouraging instability, and they look forward to a

friendlier U.S. administration, which will be willing to engage them

in dialogue."

II. "The PR Advisers' PR"

Liberal op-ed writer Uzi Benziman commented in the independent,

left-leaning Ha'aretz (7/30): "It is ... not surprising that when

the Farm Forum, Sharon's inner circle of advisers, agreed to offer

its public relations services to Tzipi Livni, that headline competed

Monday with other political headlines.... This is what happens when

craftsmen, who are supposed to serve politicians, become important

national personalities and compete with their clients over the

public's attention, to the point where it is not quite clear who was

serving whom on Monday: [the forum members] serving Livni -- or she

serving them.... The blurring between reality and image is possible

when ideology has increasingly given way, where basic societal

values have been undermined, where there is no leadership, and where

the rules of the game are being constantly changed. Such a diffuse

reality lets the opinion thieves fill the void, where authenticity

is lacking, and all that remains is masks, and content gives way to

form. Language loses its original meaning: A lie is a 'spin,' a

commercial is a 'news item,' and a public relations stratagem is a

'political program.' Livni's glory will not be in hiring the Farm

Forum team, but her ability to form an independent worldview for

Israel's future, and to find within herself the leadership and the

determination to translate her vision into an action plan."

III. "Where's Our Jerusalem?"

The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (7/30):

"The image of municipal markets, backed by armed Border Police,

demolishing a practically new residential dwelling in East Jerusalem

makes for bad publicity. It also exposes an underlying incoherence

in Israel's approach to the capital's Arab neighborhoods.... Does

Olmert honestly think the residents of [the Jewish neighborhood of

Talpiot and its environs will be better off if [the bordering Arab

neighborhood of] Sur Bahir is turned over to the Palestinians? The

government owes it to Israelis to publicly and explicitly delineate

which parts of the city the Jewish state claims. Why not tell us

what Mahmoud Abbas and Ahmed Qurei presumably already know? And

once it does, Arab neighborhoods that are to remain under permanent

Israeli control should reap the full benefits of Jewish sovereignty

-- regardless of whether an agreement with the Palestinians is

achieved.... However the diplomatic process plays out, the Arab and

Jewish sections of Jerusalem must receive equal treatment -- not to

buy loyalty or affection, but a concrete manifestation of Jewish

sovereignty."

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2. Muslim-Jewish Interfaith Dialogue:

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Summary:

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Rabbi David Rosen, International Director of Interreligious Affairs

for the American Jewish Committee and interfaith adviser for

Israel's Chief Rabbinate, wrote in the conservative, independent

Jerusalem Post: "The [Saudi-sponsored interfaith] encounter ignited

a humanizing flame that began to burn away the demonized image of

the other."

Conservative international Jewish leader Isi Leibler wrote in The

Jerusalem Post: "How could Jewish leaders participate in such an

evet [the Saudi-sponsored interfaith dialogue] withou even

relating to the obscene, state-sanctioned eligious anti-Semitic

incitement openly promoted by the country sponsoring the event?"