ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

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TAGS: IS KMDR MEDIA REACTION REPORT
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION


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SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT:
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Mideast

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Key stories in the media:
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The three major newspapers lead with Defense Minister
Shaul Mofaz and IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon's
threats against the 34 reserve officers who signed a
petition against the evacuation of settlements. Israel
Radio reported that Ya'alon demanded that the officers
rescind their stand this morning, or else they would be
ousted from the army. The station reported that, in
consultation with their commander, they have drafted a
new letter condemning the refusal to serve. The
station cited a call by the Committee of Rabbis in
Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip for further soldiers
and officers to refuse to serve. The radio reported
that two West Bank settlers -- one from Yitzhar, the
other one from Kfar Tapuah -- who bullied Rabbi Yehuda
Wiesner, the IDF Central Command's Chaplain,
threatening to kill him, have been arrested. Yediot
(Shimon Shiffer) quoted PM Sharon as saying that the
settler leaders are threatening the existence of the
state, but that they will not win. Leading media
quoted Justice Minister Tzipi Livni as saying Thursday,
in a direct attack against extremists on the right,
that legal authorities will take a forceful stance
against those who challenge the sovereignty of the
state and its legitimate organs. Maariv notes that
hundreds of secular soldiers have signed the refusal
petition, and that conversely, dozens of reservist
officers residing in kibbutzim set up an emergency HQ
on Thursday, in coordination with the Prime Minister's
Office, that will enlist thousands of soldiers and
officers who would agree to join missions of settlement
evacuations, should the right-wing refusenik phenomenon
reach proportions threatening to disrupt the
evacuation.

Israel Radio quoted Mofaz as saying that Israel would
agree to pull out from areas in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip even before the disengagement, should the
Palestinians make thorough efforts to break the cycle
of terror and disarm the terrorist organizations.

Regarding Sharon's promises to the USG on the cessation
of building in the settlements and the evacuation of
the unauthorized settler outposts, Ha'aretz (Aluf Benn)
reported that National Security Advisor Condoleezza
Rice recently told an "Israeli personage": "We know
that things are under control."

Leading media reported that Thursday the Likud, the
Labor Party, and United Torah Judaism signed a
coalition agreement, which will be presented to the
Knesset on Sunday. Jerusalem Post reported that a
first dispute immediately loomed between Likud and
Labor over how many ministers and deputy ministers the
Likud will have.

Ha'aretz and Israel Radio reported that former U.S.
president Jimmy Carter arrived in the country last
night as the head of the international team monitoring
the PA election. The radio stated Carter's hope at the
conclusion of a meeting with FM Silvan Shalom that this
will be an "honest and fair, open, transparent election
process." Carter added: "I hope ... that [the]
demonstration of an ability to carry out their [the
Palestinians'] civil responsibilities during this
election will be a demonstration also that there can be
trust for negotiations in the future between Israel and
the Palestinians." Shalom reassured Carter about the
conditions of the election. Michel Rocard, head of the
EU's election monitoring team, was quoted as saying in
an interview with Maariv that the success of the
elections is an Israeli interest, and that his team is
satisfied about Israel's cooperation. Jerusalem Post
stresses the Israel-PA collaboration in facilitating
the election process. Leading media reported that
Thursday the High Court of Justice ruled that some
8,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails will
not be allowed to vote. Jerusalem Post reported that
fearing a low turnout of Arab Jerusalemites in Sunday's
election for PA chairman, PA and Fatah officials on
Thursday stepped up their efforts to persuade residents
to vote. Israel Radio reported that right-wing
activists, including a National Religious Party member
of the Jerusalem City Council, intend to disrupt the
vote of East Jerusalem Arabs in the election. They
cite a threat to the unity of Jerusalem. Ha'aretz
(English Ed.) reported that hundreds of OneVoice
Palestine volunteers, together with New York Jewish
businessman Daniel Lubetsky, canvassed towns and
refugee camps across the West Bank this week as part of
a nonpartisan campaign meant to encourage high voter
turnout ahead of the election.

Fayssal Hourani, a Palestinian author and peace
activist, was quoted as saying Thursday in an interview
with Ha'aretz that whoever is elected to head the PA on
Sunday will bear heavy responsibilities but will have
no real power to carry them out. Hourani believes that
supporters of the frontrunner Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen)
have very limited expectations of him.

Ha'aretz reported that the Defense Ministry will soon
appoint a civilian overseer for the evacuation of
illegal settler outposts in the West Bank, in
preparation for dismantling approximately 20 such
outposts.
Jerusalem Post reported that unauthorized Egyptian
passenger aircraft have been increasingly violating
Israel's airspace near Eilat, prompting the IAF to
station Hawk anti-aircraft missile batteries and
fighter planes close by, ready to shoot down the
Egyptian planes if they take a hostile turn. In
several cases, fighter jets have actually been
scrambled, then returned quietly to their base.

Ha'aretz reported that changes in the route of the West
Bank security fence dictated by the High Court of
Justice's ruling will cost 80-100 million shekels
(about USD 18-23 million).

Last night, Channel 2-TV reported that former Israel
Air Force commander Herzl Bodinger is mediating in the
ongoing dispute between the U.S. Defense Department and
the Israeli Defense Ministry.

Ha'aretz reported that several residents of the Gaza
Strip settlement of Nissanit have decided to leave
their home immediately, without waiting for an advance
on their compensation, due to the recent upsurge in
mortar shell and Qassam rocket attacks. Israel Radio
reported on a spate of mortar shell attacks on Israeli
targets this morning.

Jerusalem Post notes that the State Department's first
annual Report on Global Anti-Semitism largely skips the
Middle East and North America.

Jerusalem Post notes that after years of automatically
censuring Israel, Canada may be shifting toward a more
balanced stance.

Jerusalem Post cited the Egyptian weekly Al-Osboa as
saying that the December 26 earthquake that shook the
Indian Ocean "was possibly" caused by an Indian nuclear
experiment in which "Israeli and American experts
participated."

Maariv quoted Yishai Maimon, the Mayor of the Galilee
city of Safed, Abbas's birthplace, as saying that he
will not allow him to visit the city. Maimon recalled
Abbas's role in the 1974 massacre of Maalot.

Jerusalem Post cited an announcement by Tel Aviv
University Thursday that Zvi Stauber, the former
ambassador to London and retired general, has been
named the next head of the Jaffee Center of Strategic
Studies (JCSS).

Yediot reported that Technion scientists have developed
a pen-like device that can identify makeshift
explosives used by terrorist groups.
Ha'aretz (English Ed.) reported that North American
Jewish organizations have launched a new campaign aimed
at convincing universities in the U.S. to change their
policy on study in Israel. Those organizations claim
that schools have been imposing unjust limitations on
students who express an interest because of exaggerated
fears for the students' personal safety.

A Yediot/Mina Zemach (Dahaf Institute) poll conducted
among Israeli Jews:
-"Do you believe the evacuation of settlements will
lead to exchanges of fire between settlers and
soldiers?" 75 percent: yes; 23 percent: no.
-"Will the settlers' protest influence the
disengagement?" No: 45 percent; it will delay the
disengagement: 42 percent; it will cancel the
disengagement: 6 percent; it will accelerate the
disengagement: 4 percent.
-"What is your most important thought regarding
settlers actively opposing the evacuation of
settlements?" They are dangerous people: 49 percent;
they have good intentions, but have gone astray: 23
percent; they are idealists: 21 percent; they are a
minority among settlers: 7 percent.
-"What is your principal feeling vis-a-vis the
settlers, as you watch their clashes with IDF
soldiers?" They harm democracy: 28 percent; their
behavior is repulsive: 19 percent; I am concerned they
will lead to a civil war: 18 percent; I identify with
their struggle: 16 percent; I understand their
situation: 9 percent; I want to join their ranks: 6
percent.

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Mideast:
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Summary:
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Senior columnist Nahum Barnea wrote on page one of mass-
circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "Only in banana
republics can soldiers threaten an elected government."

Deputy Editor-In Chief Avi Bettelheim wrote in an
editorial of popular, pluralist Maariv: "The time has
come to clearly state the truth: this no longer is an
ideological struggle -- this is a crude violation of
the law, violent wrongdoing.... The settlers must ...
reconsider."

Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: "These are fateful
times in which we cannot allow rebel forces to clash
with or claim victory over a lawful, elected
government. Sharon was right to hit the ceiling this
week. Now is the time for him to take off his gloves."
Conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized:
"It is the job of the international monitoring team to
ensure that Sunday's election is conducted in a fair,
free and honest manner. After that, it is the job of
the Palestinian people -- and their newly elected
leader -- to build a society that will be equally so."

Editorial Page Editor Saul Singer wrote in Jerusalem
Post: "Ariel Sharon needs the world's help; Abu Mazen
needs its discipline."

Block Quotes:
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I. "Yes, Throw Them Out"

Senior columnist Nahum Barnea wrote on page one of mass-
circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (January 7):
"Thirty four settlers, all officers and NCOs in the
reserves, signed the disobedience letter whose contents
were published Thursday in Yediot Aharonot.... As
civilians, they have the right, even the duty, to make
their cry heard. As for their status as soldiers,
there is no choice but to state that the Chief of Staff
is right: those who do not retract their signature on
the letter as of this morning, all have the same
punishment -- being kicked out of the army. With all
due respect to the dissenters' various arguments, right
wing and left wing, at stake here is something a lot
weightier than any political argument. There is no
such thing as an army by request. In Sweden perhaps,
if you push it, but not in the cruel surroundings in
which Israel is located. Either you accept the
national authority, or we close up shop.... Only in
banana republics can soldiers threaten an elected
government. You can support disengagement or oppose
it, but there is no way to define it semantically as a
patently illegal order. Those who decide that a soldier
cannot carry out such an order are dissenters, even if
they wear a yarmulke and are good little boys."




II. "We're Fed Up With You"

Deputy Editor-In Chief Avi Bettelheim wrote in an
editorial of popular, pluralist Maariv (January 7):
"Given the frightening rapid increase in verbal and
physical violence by settlers opposing the
disengagement, the time has come to clearly state the
truth: this no longer is an ideological struggle --
this is a crude violation of the law, violent
wrongdoing. This is it; enough; we're fed up with
it.... No matter which cause it serves, fanaticism only
causes destruction.... It is unconceivable that
fanaticism for an idea has so blinded the core -- and
perhaps not just the core -- of the settlers, that they
are convinced it is permitted and good to pay any
price, even a civil war, to thwart the disengagement
decision.... The settlers must pause, and -- in the
name of the God they are so determined to annex to
themselves -- seize control of themselves, and
reconsider."

III. "Time to Take Off His Gloves"

Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (January 7):
"Worried messages used to arrive from Washington that
Sharon didn't sound serious enough about implementing
the disengagement plan. No matter how many times
President Bush nagged him to dismantle illegal
outposts, nothing happened. The more he went on
promising and doing nothing, the more doubtful the
Americans were that he could evacuate the settlements
of Gaza in one fell swoop. The official explanation
from Jerusalem cited tactical considerations: why waste
energy clashing with settlers who are illegal and whose
fate is sealed in any case? Better to save our
strength for the big battle. This argument was
interpreted by the settlers as a sign of political
weakness.... The hesitant approach of the government,
along with the voices of opposition in the Likud and
the arrogance of the rebels, enabled the settlers to
portray the disengagement initiative as illegitimate.
Nothing could be further from the truth.... The
establishment of a new [government] coalition doesn't
mean the danger is over. Inciting soldiers to disobey
on the grounds that the evacuation order is illegal is
nothing short of a call to rebellion. Never since the
period leading up to the 1967 war has the country been
in such a state of emergency.... These are fateful
times in which we cannot allow rebel forces to clash
with or claim victory over a lawful, elected
government. Sharon was right to hit the ceiling this
week. Now is the time for him to take off his gloves."

IV. "A Vote For the Future"

Conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized
(January 7): "While campaigning during the past two
weeks, Abbas made several comments that have raised
concerns in Israeli quarters. Some of his rhetoric was
inflammatory -- such as calling Israel the 'Zionist
enemy' -- and he staked out positions on such issues as
the status of Jerusalem and the refugee 'right of
return' that sounded no more moderate than those of his
predecessor. It's unfortunate that Abbas chose the low
road on the campaign trail, and so far has not prepared
his people for the painful compromises that they, too,
will have to make on the road to a peaceful resolution
of the conflict. The international hope, clearly, is
that Abbas will, like other democratic leaders we know,
run on one platform and govern from another. It is the
job of the international monitoring team to ensure that
Sunday's election is conducted in a fair, free and
honest manner. After that, it is the job of the
Palestinian people -- and their newly elected leader --
to build a society that will be equally so."


V. "Risking Peace"

Editorial Page Editor Saul Singer wrote in Jerusalem
Post (January 7): "Everyone knows that to promote Arab-
Israeli peace in our new post-Arafat era, the world
must help one embattled leader. Problem is, they've
got the wrong one. Ariel Sharon needs the world's
help; Abu Mazen needs its discipline.... The U.S. and
Europe support disengagement.... [But] saying nice
things about Sharon is not enough. Israelis should be
shown that disengagement will shift the diplomatic
landscape fundamentally in their favor. The
international community can do this simply. First, it
could state that the Palestinian claim of a 'right of
return' to Israel conflicts with Israel's right to
exist, with the road map, and with the two-state
solution, and is therefore unacceptable. Second, it
could withhold funding from the Palestinian Authority,
on which it is wholly dependent, until it has ended all
violence against Israel. As a bonus, the U.S. could
demand that Egypt shut down Palestinian smuggling
operations from its territory, or risk harming its
relations with the U.S. These are basic steps that
should have been taken four years ago, and would have
saved countless Israeli and Palestinian lives by ending
the current terror war before it started. They are
still the key to the beginnings of peace. Now that we
are in window-of-opportunity mode, these steps have
become imperative. Otherwise, disengagement will fall
apart, as will the dream of Palestinian reform."

OLSEN