JORDAN: MEDIA REACTION ON GAZA BOMBING RAID

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004138

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR,
I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD
USAID/ANE/MEA
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH
PARIS FOR O'FRIEL
USCINCCENT/CCPA, USCENTCOM REAR MACDILL AFB FL
NICOSIA FOR ILMG
STATE PASS TO AID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: MEDIA REACTION ON GAZA BOMBING RAID

SUMMARY

JORDANIAN DAILIES ON JULY 25 CONTINUED TO BE DOMINATED
BY THE RAID ON GAZA. SEMI-OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL ARABIC
DAILY AL-RAI REPORTED CONSERVATIVELY THE SECURITY
COUNCIL SESSION, WHILE OTHER DAILIES CARRIED PHOTOS OF
SLAIN CHILDREN BEING PULLED FROM UNDER THE RUBBLE,
UNDER THE HEADLINE: "AMERICAN OPPOSES ANY INTERNATIONAL
RESOLUTION REGARDING THE GAZA MASSACRE."

COLUMNS OF A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT DAILY EDITORIALISTS
DID NOT APPEAR TODAY. THOSE THAT DID ATTACKED THE
"MASSACRE" AND THE U.S. POSITION REGARDING IT, AND
DEBATED WHETHER THE CORRECT PALESTINIAN RESPONSE WOULD
BE REVENGE OR CALM.


NEWS REPORTS

THE CALL FOR A SECURITY COUNCIL EMERGENCY SESSION TO
DISCUSS THE GAZA RAID OCCUPIED THE LEAD SPACE ON ALL
JORDANIAN DAILIES ON JULY 25. WHILE AL-RAI REPORTED
CONSERVATIVELY: "EMERGENCY SESSION TO DISCUSS THE GAZA
MASSACRE," OTHER DAILIES CARRIED GRUESOME PHOTOS OF
SLAIN CHILDREN BEING PULLED FROM UNDER THE RUBBLE,
UNDER THE HEADLINE: "THE U.S. OPPOSES ANY INTERNATIONAL
RESOLUTION REGARDING THE MASSACRE."

CENTER-LEFT, INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR AND
INDEPENDENT, MASS-APPEAL ARABIC DAILY AL-ARAB AL-YAWM
REPORTED THE DEMONSTRATION THAT TOOK PLACE YESTERDAY
BEFORE THE UN BUILDING IN PROTEST AGAINST "THE MASSACRE
AND INTERNATIONAL SILENCE REGARDING IT."


EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES

-- TAKING THE ARAB MIND LIGHTLY
FORMER SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE
MOHAMMAD NAJI AMAYREH WROTE IN SEMI-OFFICIAL
INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI ON JULY 25: "WORDS
ABOUT PEACE, SECURITY, AND STABILITY HAVE NOT BROUGHT
FOOD TO THE HUNGRY, NOR BROUGHT US PEACE NOR STABILITY.
TILL WHEN WILL WE HIDE BEHIND SLOGANS OF DEVELOPMENT,
STABILITY AND INVESTMENTS? EVEN IF WE WERE TO ACHIEVE
THOSE, THEY WILL ONLY BE DESTROYED BY THE ISRAELI
MILITARY MACHINE THAT IS SUPPORTED BY THE U.S. ARSENAL
AND NEW WORLD ORDER. THE F-16S THAT THAT BOMB
RESIDENTIAL AREAS IN PALESTINE ARE THE SAME THAT BOMB
IRAQ. BOTH KILL CHILDREN, WOMEN, AND OLD MEN. THE
DESTRUCTION OF THE ARAB WORLD AIMS AT ALL ARABS."

-- QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MASSACRE
DAILY COLUMNIST YASSER ZA'ATREH WROTE IN CENTER-LEFT,
INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR ON JULY 25: "SHARON
DID NOT COMMIT THE MASSACRE BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID OF
THE POLITICAL PROCESS AS SOME CLAIM, BECAUSE THE VISION
OF BUSH IS THE SAME AS THAT OF SHARON, WHOSE PROGRAM
SINCE ASSUMING POWER HAS NOT BEEN A SECRET.
FURTHERMORE, SHEIKH YASSIN'S OFFER CAME IN ORDER TO
AVOID A CLASH WITH THE PNA, NOT TO GIVE A CHANCE TO THE
PEACE PROCESS, BECAUSE THE CONDITION THAT ISRAEL SHOULD
STOP KILLING PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS AND WITHDRAW FROM
PALESTINIAN CITIES WOULD NEVER BE ACCEPTED BY SHARON
AND BUSH. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE MASSACRE IS TO BREAK THE
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY AND PEOPLE AND IMPOSE A
HUMILIATING SETTLEMENT ON THEM. THE CORRECT RESPONSE
TO SHARON'S LOGIC IS TO ESCALATE RESISTANCE OPERATIONS
AND DEPRIVE HIM OF THE CHANCE TO BRAG THAT HE HAS
BROKEN THE PALESTINIAN WILL."

-- THE GAZA CRIME - THE HARDER OPTION
DAILY COLUMNIST URAIB AL-RANTAWI WROTE IN CENTER-LEFT,
INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR ON JULY 25: "THE
CHANGE IN INTERNATIONAL ATTITUDES TO ISRAEL CAME AT A
HIGH PRICE IN PALESTINIAN BLOOD, AND FOR THIS REASON
THE PALESTINIANS SHOULD NOT LET THIS BLOOD BE SHED IN
VAIN. THE MOST OBVIOUS RESPONSE WOULD BE REVENGE,
WHICH WOULD BE PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE. BUT THE HARDER
OPTION WOULD BE TO BEHAVE WISELY AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH
OUR INTERESTS. ANYONE WHO DOUBTS THIS SHOULD REMEMBER
THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ASSASSINATION OF THE RACIST
LEADER REHAVAM ZEEVI." GNEHM