ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 TEL AVIV 001496 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM NSC FOR NEA STAFF JERUSALEM ALSO FOR ICD LONDON ALSO FOR HKANONA AND POL PARIS ALSO FOR POL ROME FOR MFO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: IS KMDR MEDIA REACTION REPORT SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION -------------- SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: -------------- Mideast -------------- Key stories in the media: -------------- Israel Radio and Ha'aretz's website quoted Secretary of State Colin Powell as saying Tuesday that the U.S. has "many questions" for Israel on the details and impact of the disengagement plan, including how the Gaza Strip would be administered following Israeli withdrawal. Ha'aretz reported that Israeli and Palestinian negotiators agreed that PM Sharon and Palestinian PM Ahmed Qurei (Abu Ala) would meet Tuesday. Israel Radio reported that the very holding of the meeting and its date are still uncertain. Leading media reported that Monday Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman "secretly" met with Sharon and Mossad Director Meir Dagan. Yediot reported that Suleiman expressed his concern over a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Yediot quoted GOI sources as saying that Israel does not expect Egypt to replace Israel in the Strip. Jerusalem Post quoted diplomatic officials as saying that Egypt would be reluctant to play any future role in the Gaza Strip if it is not fully coordinated with the PA. The media reported that Suleiman is slated to meet with PA Chairman Yasser ARAFAT today. On Israel Radio today, FM Silvan Shalom, who is due to travel to Egypt Thursday, praised that country's policy, which he said had turned positive and could represent a model for talks with other countries. Jerusalem Post reported that Tuesday Qurei, who is visiting European capitals, lashed at the U.S., in particular, and the international community, in general, for not doing enough for peace. The newspaper also quoted United Arab List Knesset Member Taleb a- Sanaa as saying, following a meeting with Arafat, that the latter is prepared to meet with Sharon. King Abdullah II of Jordan was quoted as saying in an interview with Maariv that he supports Sharon's plan for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, which he said would be a positive step. Leading media quoted Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as saying Tuesday that his group could stop its attacks ;in the Gaza Strip "for a certain period of time" if Israel withdraws from the strip. Ha'aretz quoted him as saying that Hamas is not ruling out joining the PA after such a pullout. Ha'aretz reported that the U.S. has asked Britain to place the entire Hamas organization, not just its military branch, on its list of banned terrorist groups. Ha'aretz quoted Palestinian sources as saying that a Palestinian woman was killed and two other Palestinians were wounded in an IDF operation in Jenin. IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon was quoted as saying in several media interviews that he strenuously denies having expressed his opposition to Sharon's disengagement plan. Hatzofe quoted Ya'alon's initial controversial remark: "We will need to take into account the fact that the Palestinians will understand it [the plan] as a prize granted to terrorism." Col. (res.) Dan Tirza, who is considered the most senior professional advisor to Sharon on the issue of the separation fence, was quoted as saying in an interview with Ha'aretz that Israel does not plan to build a fence in the eastern part of the West Bank because of the likely political fallout in the international arena. Leading media reported that Achille Lauro hijacking mastermind Mahmoud Abbas (Abu al-Abbas) died a few days ago "of natural causes" in American detention in Iraq. Abbas was the leader of one of the factions of the Palestine Liberation Front. Israel Radio reported that the Front has accused the U.S. of murdering Abbas by not giving him his heart medication. Ha'aretz reported that newly declassified U.S. State Department documents suggest that Israel considered attacking nuclear installations in Pakistan. The newspaper notes that according to these documents, such a possibility came up in 1979, during Jimmy Carter's term as U.S. president. Ha'aretz says that the documents also make clear that the USG did not hold special discussions to address Israel's "preventive strike" plans. Maariv reported that contacts between representatives of the Likud and Labor parties meant to reach a national unity government are intensifying. This morning on Israel Radio, Knesset Member Dalia Itzik, the head of the Labor Party's Knesset faction, minimized the meaning of those contacts. IDF Radio reported that Israel is conducting indirect secret contacts with Sudan and Libya. SIPDIS Reporting on the cornerstone-laying ceremony for the joint Israeli-Jordanian "Bridging the Rift" science center in the Arava Tuesday, Ha'aretz quoted Cornell University President Lehman as saying that the nice thing is that "we are building a project that has nothing to do with politics." The newspaper quoted Jordanian Planning Minister Bassem Awadallah as saying that the foundation of the center does not constitute a step of normalization between nations. The Israeli representatives at the ceremony said that this is a project that will bolster peace in the region. Jerusalem Post and Hatzofe also reported on the ceremony. Ha'aretz quoted defense officials as testifying before the Knesset's Defense Budget Subcommittee Tuesday that Israel's 2004 defense budget will increase by 2 billion shekels (around USD 445 million),coming to 34.9 billion shekels (around USD 7.76 billion). Ha'aretz and Jerusalem Post quoted Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry as telling AP Monday that he no longer considers ARAFAT to be a statesman, but rather "an outlaw to the peace process" in the Middle East who has been rightly shuffled aside. Ha'aretz reported that a computerized IDF simulated educational program, which is now distributed to most of the field units and officers, outlines 11 rules of behavior for IDF soldiers during their operational activity in the territories. The program includes quotes from the American film, "Rules of Engagement." Ha'aretz quoted A/G Menachem Mazuz as testifying before the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Tuesday that the release of nuclear whistleblower Mordecai Vanunu from prison would "create a significant danger to state security." Leading media cited Vanunu's threat that he would seek asylum in a foreign embassy. Yediot quoted renowned Israeli author Batya Gur ("a detective story writer who is successful abroad") as saying in an interview with the Belgian daily Le Soir: "I am not angry at Palestinian suicide bombers." She sharply criticized Israel and asked for help to "get rid of Ariel Sharon." Maariv reported that hundreds of Israelis, who were born from 1946 to 1948 in British internment camps for illegal immigrants in Cyprus, are asking for birth certificates from Cyprus, which will join the EU on May ¶1. The requesters hope to obtain Cypriot citizenship and a EU passport. Yediot reported that Israel has asked the U.S. to allow El Al to fly over Iraq to reach its Far East destinations, which would save the company's planes two to three hours of travel. Ha'aretz (English Ed.) published a Letter to the Editor by Brazilian Ambassador Sergio Moreira Lima, who denies a February 10 Ha'aretz report that terrorist organizations are present or operate fund-raising activities in distant areas of South America, particularly in the triangle of borders of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Monday and Tuesday, all media highlighted the arrest by police of 18 people, including four alleged hit men from Belarus, suspected of involvement in a number of attempted underworld murders. Ha'aretz cited the police's belief that more gangs of foreign hired killers are present in Israel. -------------- Mideast: -------------- Summary: -------------- Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev Schiff wrote in independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: "The disengagement plan suffers from vagueness not only with senior government echelons in the United States. Senior echelons in Israel are in a similar situation." Veteran print and TV journalist Dan Margalit wrote in popular, pluralist Maariv: "The disengagement plan is the least of all evils.... It is too bad that its handling is being conducted amateurishly." Nationalist Hatzofe editorialized: "Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Moshe (Boogie) Ya'alon expressed a professional opinion regarding the issue of disengagement from the Gaza Strip." Block Quotes: -------------- ¶I. "A Confused and Vague Plan" Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev Schiff wrote in independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (March 10): "Why are the American envoys returning to Israel, after having been here only a short while ago, in order to find out more about the Prime Minister's disengagement plan?.... The disengagement plan suffers from vagueness not only with senior government echelons in the United States. Senior echelons in Israel are in a similar situation. Some officials in Washington believe Sharon is taking an important step on behalf of the U.S. He is essentially granting the Gaza Strip as a gift to George Bush, who will help to turn it into a democratic Palestinian island, as he is doing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Others in Washington feel the gift is 'poisoned.' The Americans cannot explain why Sharon spoke in Jerusalem about an insignificant move in the West Bank, while [his senior aide Dov] Weisglass spoke in Washington of an extensive withdrawal.... It is clear that Sharon does not want there to be any 'disengagement' as part of a negotiated agreement -- in other words, a coordinated withdrawal -- as he understands that any agreement would obligate him to large concessions. He reasons that if the Palestinians are in fact capable of reaching an agreement, then they should be implementing the road map." II. "Shooting From the Hip Instead of Conducting Policy" Veteran print and TV journalist Dan Margalit wrote in popular, pluralist Maariv (March 10): "The disengagement plan is the least of all evils. Peace plans raised by Barak at Camp David and Dr. Yossi Beilin in Geneva are better, but in the absence of a Palestinian negotiating partner, the unilateral move is preferable to a quagmire. It is too bad that its handling is being conducted amateurishly.... The Americans didn't know about it. Sharon, their ally, who is requesting a plane ticket to the White House, hasn't consulted them regarding an order of priorities.... Neither has there been any dialogue with the Palestinians.... [Israel] should have held early discussion with Mubarak, and not waited for his intelligence chief, who arrived in Israel precipitously, to locate the diplomatic fire.... Things aren't insolvable. Many flaws will be corrected, one by one. But why this delay? Why only after diplomatic damage has been inflicted, even as the hope for a spark of understanding between the nations has been weakened?" III. "Well Done, Chief of Staff" Nationalist Hatzofe editorialized (March 10): "Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Moshe (Boogie) Ya'alon expressed a professional opinion regarding the issue of disengagement from the Gaza Strip when he said: a) Increasing terrorism in the Strip is the result of talks about a pullout, etc. b) In fact, the disengagement won't solve anything -- this also goes for the scope of forces that will be needed to remain in the area in order to protect the new configuration.... There is nothing political in the Chief of Staff's remarks, all the more as the Prime Minister hasn't presented his disengagement plan to any official civilian forum. The Chief of Staff, Shin Bet head Avi Dichter and other senior military commanders oppose the idea of disengagement from a military point of view. It appears that in the U.S. as well, there is no great enthusiasm for this move, because it represents first and foremost an encouragement and a prize for terrorism." KURTZER