MEDIA REACTION: THE ISRAELI WALL

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000298 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC SECDEF FOR OASD/PA USCINCCENT FOR POLAD LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, PASS TO MOC; PARIS FOR O'FRIEL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: THE ISRAELI WALL ¶1. SUMMARY: THE ISRAELI WALL COURT CASE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE DOMINATED COVERAGE IN ELECTRONIC AND PRINT MEDIA. AN EDITORIAL IN "AL BAYAN" COMMENTED THAT ARABS SHOULD PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR THE WALL COURT CASE. END SUMMARY. ¶2. UNDER THE HEADLINE "DON'T BELIEVE SHARON," SHARJAH-BASED PAN- ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 02/03: "THE WAR CRIMINAL SHARON CAN'T STEP ONE STEP TOWARDS A SETTLEMENT BECAUSE A PERSON WHO IS ADDICTED TO COMMITTING MASSACRES AGAINST PALESTINIANS, IN PARTICULAR AND ARABS IN GENERAL, CAN'T DO SOMETHING THAT IS AGAINST HIS HISTORY! AND FOR WHAT REASON?. BUT SHARON'S TALK ABOUT A PLAN TO EVACUATE ALL SETTLEMENTS IN GAZA, AND THEY ARE SEVENTEEN, IS ONLY A NEW LIE OR A NEW TRICK. WHAT SHARON IS DOING IS FOR THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND IS AIMED TO TAKE THE LAND FROM THE PALESTINIANS, ESPECIALLY IN A TIME OF AMERICAN OCCUPATION IN THE REGION AND ARAB SILENCE TOWARDS ANYTHING HAPPENING, NOT ONLY IN PALESTINE, BUT ALSO IN THE WHOLE ARAB REGION." ¶3. COMMENTING ON THE ISRAELI WALL CASE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE THE END OF FEBRUARY AND NOTING THAT THE ARABS SHOULD PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR THIS, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 02/03: "WILL THE ZIONIST ENTITY ESCAPE 'INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE' AND CONTINUE BUILDING THE DISCRIMINATING WALL? ARE THE ARABS READY FOR THE LAWSUIT BATTLE THAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE IN THE HAGUE ON THE TWENTY-THIRD OF THIS MONTH?. THE 'WALL' BATTLE REQUESTS ARABS TO START POLITICAL AND MEDIA ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAEL DURING THE COMING DAYS AND BEFORE THE TWENTY-THIRD OF FEBRUARY. WHAT IS REQUESTED IS A QUICK ARAB MOVE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. WE COULD BE SURPRISED BY THE DECISION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COURT JUDGES THAT THE WALL CASE IS NOT ONE OF THEIR AFFAIRS. AND THIS JUDICIAL DECISION WILL LEAD TO ISRAEL DOING WHATEVER THEY WANT IN THE OCCUPIED ARAB LANDS IN PALESTINE, LEBANON, AND SYRIA." ¶4. NOTING THAT THE U.S., UK, AND THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES SUPPORT THE ISRAELI WALL CASE, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 02/01: ". THE WALL CASE HAS BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL BATTLE AFTER THE U.S., UK, AND THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TOOK ISRAEL'S SIDE IN ANNOUNCING THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE HAS NO RIGHT IN LOOKING INTO THE LEGITIMACY OF THE BUILDING OF THE WALL. THE BATTLE OF THE WALL HAS REALLY STARTED, AND THE ARAB COUNTRIES, THE ARAB LEAGUE, AND THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY SHOULD PROVIDE SUPPORT AND ALL DOCUMENTATION." WAHBA