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