ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TEL AVIV 001267

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

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SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT:
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1. Mideast


2. Lebanon


3. Iran: Nuclear Program

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Key stories in the media:
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Ha'aretz cited the IDF's expectation that the PA will
act soon to replace the senior echelon in the PA's
security services in the West Bank. The newspaper
quoted a senior Israeli military source as saying that
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is not making personnel
changes in the leadership of the West Bank security
services demonstrates a lack of seriousness in the PA's
part in fighting terrorist networks in the region. The
source was quoted as saying that Abbas has ousted many
of the top brass in the security services in the Gaza
Strip, bringing about a real improvement in the
security situation. Maariv led with "real" arrests of
Islamic Jihad activists by the PA in recent days,
following Friday's suicide bombing in Tel Aviv.

All media stressed the uncovering of Qassam rockets
near Jenin on Wednesday. Yediot bannered: "Qassam Near
Afula." Israel Radio reported that a booby-trapped car
exploded next to IDF troops in Nablus last night.
There were no casualties.

Israel Radio reported that the Likud Central Committee
is expected to vote massively in favor of the
compromise formula shaped by Minister-Without-Portfolio
and committee chairman Tzachi Hanegbi, which requires a
national referendum on disengagement.

Leading media quoted Disengagement Administration head
Yonatan Bassi as saying Wednesday that 66 (or 63,
depending on the sources) settler families from the
Gaza Strip have already concluded a compensation and
evacuation agreement with his administration, although
hundreds more families are now negotiating. Leading
media (main story in Jerusalem Post) reported that Vice
Premier Shimon Peres and PA Civilian Affairs Minister
Muhammad Dahlan met Wednesday and discussed the
possible transfer of the Katif Bloc's hothouses to the
Palestinians. Israel Radio also quoted Dahlan as
saying that he has devised a security agreement with
Israel, which must be implemented, and that Israel is
not respecting the commitments made at his meeting with
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz regarding the lifting of
roadblocks.

Over the past few days, the media discussed a remark
made by Police Insp. Gen. Moshe Karadi at Sunday's
cabinet meeting, according to which a Jewish religious
ruling has been issued, allowing shooting at Druze and
Bedouin IDF soldiers participating in the disengagement
move. Last night, Channel 2-TV reported on a ruling by
a Bedouin religious man that people attempting to kill
Bedouin soldiers should be shot at.

Ha'aretz reported that Palestinian and Israeli
officials who attended a meeting called by the UN
Environmental Program (UNEP) in Helsinki decided that
the joint environmental committee, which ceased at the
beginning of the Intifada, will resume its work in the
area in two months.

Leading media reported that President Bush on Wednesday
reiterated his demand that Syria withdraw from Lebanon.
He said that the world "is speaking with one voice when
it comes to making sure that democracy has a chance to
flourish in Lebanon." Jerusalem Post quoted Hizbullah
officials as saying in interviews with the newspaper
that Israel should have no illusions that the rise of
the opposition tide in Lebanon, and even the possible
departure of Syrian troops from that country, will
smooth a path to warmer relations between Jerusalem and
Beirut.

Israel Radio reported that Abbas is slated to meet with
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Saudi FM Saud al-
Faysal in Sharm-el-Sheikh today.

Jerusalem Post reported that a delegation of some 15-20
Israelis of Libyan origin will visit Libya within the
next couple of weeks. This is the first time Israelis
will travel to that country.

Ha'aretz reported that the U.S. is toughening its
stance on Iran's nuclear program, following the
publication of a report by the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) that states that Iran continues to
violate its commitments and refuses to admit inspectors
at sites where nuclear weapons are possibly being
developed.

Jerusalem Post reported that Yitschak Ben-Gad, Israel's
new Consul-General in Miami, has recently published a
book entitled "The Road Map to Hell." The newspaper
quoted Ben-Gad as saying that the publisher changed the
book's name from "Jihad: License to Kill" against Ben-
Gad's wishes, and that he does not believe that the
book would harm his relations with Florida Governor Jeb
Bush.

A Dialog poll supervised by Prof. Camille Fuchs and
conducted for Ha'aretz found that the Israeli public is
confident that PM Sharon initiated the disengagement
for the good of Israel, rather than because of the
criminal investigations against him, but at the same
time, a large majority believes that Sharon is corrupt.
-48.6 percent: Sharon initiated the disengagement for
reasons based on the good of Israel.
-62 percent: Sharon is corrupt.
-19 percent: Sharon has undergone a real ideological
transformation with respect to the occupation.
-12.2 percent: The reason for the disengagement
initiative was Sharon's political troubles.
-12.4 percent: The probes of Sharon and his sons are
the real reason for the disengagement.

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1. Mideast:
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Summary:
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Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized: "One
can only hope that Israel will put pressure on the
Palestinians when it comes to matters of security, but
will refrain at the same time from settlement activity
that would further undermine the territorial contiguity
of the Palestinian state to be."

Nationalist, Orthodox Hatzofe editorialized: "Blair is
the person who is urging the President of the U.S. to
be forthcoming with the Palestinians and to act
assiduously for the establishment of a Palestinian
state."

Settler leader Israel Harel wrote in Ha'aretz: "Indeed,
and this is a message for Israel, the rulers of the
region are now internalizing the fact that Bush is
determined to make his declarations come true, which is
something that cannot be said of them and their Israeli
counterparts."

Block Quotes:
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I. "A Question of Balance"

Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (March
3): "The London Meeting on Tuesday dealt primarily with
helping the Palestinians move toward establishing an
independent and democratic state. But one cannot
ignore the determined commitment to implementing the
road map that was expressed by all those who
attended.... The reactions in Jerusalem to the London
Meeting conclusions and the statements by Condoleezza
Rice on the expectations for progress along the road
map track following the disengagement were mixed. On
the one hand, justified concerned was expressed with
regard to the fact that the London Meeting failed to
place sufficient emphasis on the Palestinians' fight
against terror. On the other hand, both Sharon and his
deputy, Ehud Olmert, reiterated Israel's commitment to
the road map. Minister Olmert justifiably said that
the London Meeting declarations could not be set apart
from the events in the field -- namely, the terror
attacks. One can only hope that Israel will put
pressure on the Palestinians when it comes to matters
of security, but will refrain at the same time from
settlement activity that would further undermine the
territorial contiguity of the Palestinian state to be."

II. "Blair, the Palestinians' Friend"

Nationalist, Orthodox Hatzofe editorialized (March 3):
"British Prime Minister Tony Blair is an enthusiastic
supporter of the Palestinians. Moreover, in order to
repel the criticism aired against him from within his
own party ranks about his too cozy relationship with
U.S. President George Bush, he wants to pay a heavy
price, at Israel's expense. Not only that, Blair is
the person who is urging the President of the U.S. to
be forthcoming with the Palestinians and to act
assiduously for the establishment of a Palestinian
state. Abu Mazen emerged from the London conference
with many assets in hand. He was 'painted' a rosy hue
for the consumption of British and European public
opinion, and he also received far-reaching promises to
rehabilitate the Palestinian Authority. Abu Mazen, in
practice, has not been obliged to do anything tangible
and thorough against the terror organizations. For
Tony Blair and his comrades, it is enough that Abu
Mazen air statements in condemnation of terrorism and
make promises that he will do everything in his power
to combat terrorism."

III. "The Dreamer"

Settler leader Israel Harel wrote in Ha'aretz (March
3): "Indeed, and this is a message for Israel, the
rulers of the region are now internalizing the fact
that Bush is determined to make his declarations come
true, which is something that cannot be said of them
and their Israeli counterparts.... Democracies, [Bush
has] said, do not fight each other and do not provide a
haven for terrorism.... And why, one must ask, doesn't
the government of Israel ... adopt this doctrine and
present it as an ultimatum to the Palestinians? After
all, specifically now when Bush has transformed it into
his strategic vision for the Middle East, and the
London Conference is also pushing in that direction,
the Palestinians will not be able to dismiss it easily.
And this is also indeed a way, apart from a more
credible agreement, of also gaining more courageous
presidential support for Israel."


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2. Lebanon:
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Summary:
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Veteran journalist Yaron London wrote in the lead
editorial of mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot
Aharonot: "The developments in Lebanon conceal threats
that are larger than the hopes."

Diplomatic correspondent Dov Kontorer wrote in
conservative Russian-language daily Vesty: " The mass
demonstrations by the Lebanese opposition make Lebanon
one of the most interesting arenas of current world
politics."

Block Quotes:
--------------


I. "Let Us Be Wary of Our Hopes"

Veteran journalist Yaron London wrote in the lead
editorial of mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot
Aharonot (March 3): "The transformations in Lebanon are
giving Israelis rare hours of satisfaction.... [It
looks as if] through the mediation of the global
broadcasting networks, the democratic zeal in Lebanon
already influences other Arab societies, and as if it
is already possible to witness President Mubarak
somewhat loosening the grip of his dictatorship -- and
some Syrian intellectuals encouraging their president
to leave Lebanon. Israelis often recall that
democratic states have never fought against each other.
Thus, we conclude that democratization of the Arab
world will create a New Middle East at peace with
Israel. One had better cast doubts about all those
assumptions. The power of Syria's fans in Lebanon has
not yet become clear; neither has it become obvious
whether the cohesion of the [Lebanese] opposition is a
stable political phenomenon. Had Israel been in
control of the agenda, it should have demanded that the
Shi'ite militia [Hizbullah] be disarmed even before the
Syrians complete their withdrawal. But the Americans
are pressed for time. Let us conclude by saying that
the developments in Lebanon conceal threats that are
larger than the hopes."

II. "A Cautious Glance at the Independence
Extravaganza in Lebanon"

Diplomatic correspondent Dov Kontorer wrote in
conservative Russian-language daily Vesty (March 3):
"The latest events in Lebanon are a unique example of
mass political protest of the citizens in the Arab
world.... The mass demonstrations by the Lebanese
opposition make Lebanon one of the most interesting
arenas of current world politics ... and are actually
primarily connected to Bashar Assad's constraints and
inability to use military power without the danger of a
[subsequent] smashing American attack.... Bashar Assad
is ... passively observing the Lebanese developments,
which are very unfavorable for Syria, and doesn't find
a possibility of interfering. ... If something
endangers the Lebanese protest movement, it is not
Syrian intervention, but the danger of an internal
split and a ... military confrontation among the
different religious communities ... The possibility of
the escalation of those internal contradictions will be
unavoidably increase towards the Parliamentary
elections scheduled for the second part of May 2005.
Israel is staying away from the events in Lebanon for
several reasons: first of all, [Israel's] public
activity would be counterproductive; secondly, because
of a natural fear that the democratic processes in the
Arab countries would go in the direction of
radicalization and Islamism.... At the same time
involving Israel in the Lebanese events is actually one
of the Syrian interests."

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3. Iran: Nuclear Program:
--------------

Summary:
--------------

Middle East affairs commentator Guy Bechor, a lecturer
at the Interdisciplinary Center, wrote in mass-
circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "[Severe]
forecasts [about the Iranian nuclear program] are
intolerable.... The U.S. must urgently understand that
this is a classical case of the necessity of
prevention."

Block Quotes:
--------------

"Time Is of the Essence"


Middle East affairs commentator Guy Bechor, a lecturer
at the Interdisciplinary Center, wrote in mass-
circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (March 3): "The
news that emanated from President Bush's entourage
during this trip to Europe is not encouraging.
According to The Washington Post, the U.S.
Administration has for the time being abandoned its
militant approach vis-a-vis Iran's nuclearization, and
it prefers instead to offer the Iranians a gift, if
they cease their efforts to develop nuclear weapons,
Bush himself has said: 'Iran is not Iraq,' and
'Democracy is just beginning'.... [Severe] forecasts
[about the Iranian nuclear program] are intolerable.
If the foot-dragging and the light treatment continue,
those predictions could result in an irremediable
strategic threat that would thoroughly change the
balances of power and nuclearization in the entire
world. The U.S. must urgently understand that this is
a classical case of the necessity of prevention."

KURTZER