ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 TEL AVIV 001870 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: -------------- ¶1. Mideast ¶2. Israel-Chad Relations -------------- Key stories in the media: -------------- All media continued to report on the upcoming Knesset votes on the issues of a popular referendum, which is not likely to be adopted even if Shas party mentor Rabbi Ovadia Yosef endorses the idea of a referendum, and the state budget. The latter vote was practically decided in an agreement reached between PM Sharon and Shinui party leader MK Yosef (Tommy) Lapid on Saturday, according to which Lapid guaranteed his party's support for the budget in exchange for 700 million additional shekels, notably for higher education. Ha'aretz quoted Sharon as saying at Sunday's cabinet meeting: "We can't expect to receive explicit American agreement to build freely in the settlements. Sharon reportedly said that large settlement blocs in the West Bank "will remain in Israel's hands and will fall within the [separation] fence, and we made this position clear to the Americans. This is our position, even if they express reservations." Sharon allegedly said that the U.S. administration make a distinction between his position on the matter and the issues of continued construction in the settlements at the present phase. Sharon further said that the publicity about the plan to connect Ma'aleh Adumim to Jerusalem put the U.S. in a very difficult spot. Sharon was quoted as saying in an interview with Ha'aretz printed Sunday that the agreement with the U.S. on the settlements bloc remains firm. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was quoted as reiterating in an interview with Israel Radio on Saturday President Bush's promises to Sharon and as saying that the President "strongly supports" the Prime Minister's disengagement plan. In the interview, Rice went further than the vague wording of Bush's letter and made it clear that the term "Israeli population centers" refers directly to the "large settlement blocs." Israel Radio quoted GOI sources as saying that far- right activists could try to disrupt Sharon's upcoming trip to the U.S. through actions in Israel. Jerusalem Post quoted Sharon as saying at the cabinet meeting Sunday that the leak of Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer's recent comment to Foreign Ministry cadets was nothing less than an attempt to bring down the Israeli government. On Sunday, Maariv cited similar remarks Sharon made in an interview with the newspaper. Leading media quoted Sharon as saying that the report was an attempt to harm him. Jerusalem Post quoted Sharon as saying at the cabinet meeting: "It saddens me that, because of internal intrigue, diplomatic relations are damaged." Israel Radio reported that FM Silvan Shalom has asked for an investigation into the identity of the person who leaked to Yediot information from Ambassador's Kurtzer's meeting with Foreign Ministry cadets. The radio reported that on Sunday, A/G Menachem Mazuz ruled out a criminal investigation, and quoted Civil Service Commissioner Shmuel Hollander as saying that as long as the Foreign Ministry has not lodged an official claim in the matter, there will be no disciplinary investigation either. Israel Radio reported that last night there were exchanges of fire between the IDF and Islamic Jihad militants in Jenin, eight of whom were arrested. The station says that the group tried to manufacture high- trajectory missiles. Leading media reported that Israel suspects the members of the PA's military intelligence service were involved in smuggling shoulder-launched Strela antiaircraft missiles into the Gaza Strip. During the weekend, all media reported that on Friday, around 100 residents of the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar who celebrated Purim attacked Palestinians and IDF soldiers. On Sunday, Maariv cited the IDF's concern that less than a week after Israel handed over security responsibility of Tulkarm to the PA, it has become a "city of refuge" for terrorists. Maariv reported that Israel Military Industries (IMI) and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) signed an agreement Sunday to jointly develop and market precise artillery rockets with a 150-km range. On Sunday, Maariv reported that a judge at the Tel Aviv District Court ordered the operators of the Dimona nuclear reactor to divulge classified information about radiation levels from the reactor. -------------- ¶1. Mideast: -------------- Summary: -------------- Editor-in-Chief Amnon Dankner wrote in popular, pluralist Maariv: "Whoever tripped up ... Yediot Aharonot with this report had ... clear intentions: to create a tremendous uproar in which Sharon would be accused of having persuaded members of his party to support disengagement on the basis of American commitments that actually do not exist." Conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: "President Bush should do more than hint that it 'seems' that Palestinians have no right to move to Israel; the sooner the U.S. starts saying so clearly and unabashedly, the sooner Palestinians will start abandoning such unacceptable positions themselves." Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: "Once again, Sharon came out on top, and paid neither a domestic nor an international price for his critical decisions to strengthen the 'blocs.'" Diplomatic correspondent Alexander Maistrovoy wrote in popular, pluralist Russian-language Novosty Nedely: "The 'tahdi'a's' durability seems to be dubious.... Should Israel decline the Palestinians' demands, Hamas would definitely return to the track of war with ... or without Abu-Mazen as a formal leader." Block Quotes: -------------- ¶I. "A Pure Fabrication" Editor-in-Chief Amnon Dankner wrote in popular, pluralist Maariv (March 27): "Never before has anything like this happened: On the eve of one of the most fateful political weeks in Israel's history, a large- circulation newspaper threw out a main headline that made a huge noise, but which principally was all just a pure fabrication. Whoever tripped up Shimon Shiffer and Yediot Aharonot with this report had, by all indications, clear intentions: to create a tremendous uproar in which Sharon would be accused of having persuaded members of his party to support disengagement on the basis of American commitments that actually do not exist. Fact: U.S. Ambassador Kurtzer claims that there are no understandings between Israel and the U.S. on the matter of settlement blocs. Some of the top Likud officials who were persuaded, already have announced in the wake of this false report that they are reconsidering their support. The person who leaked the information achieved his goal. But what is the truth? The truth is that in the transcript of the statements made by Ambassador Kurtzer, the very same transcript Yediot Aharonot flaunts and says 'we have the full version,' shows that Ambassador Kurtzer made no reference to that matter. Plain and simple. No settlement blocs, no understandings or misunderstandings about them, no commitments or the lack thereof.... This quote ... created an enormous political tempest over nothing.... Is it conceivable that because of an incorrect report that is dealt with irresponsibly, a stick will be stuck in the spokes of the disengagement plan?.... The uproar ... was over nothing. We can move on." II. "The Kurtzer Flap" Conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (March 28): "There is no reason to believe that [U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel] Kurtzer, a careful diplomat, contradicted existing presidential understandings. Since the Yediot [Aharonot] report, both Kurtzer and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have strongly reaffirmed Bush's April 14 letter. Yet confusion remains, and it arises from the Bush letter itself.... What is striking about both of these statements is that the U.S. was careful not to take a firm position on what it emphasizes are final-status issues. In other words, the U.S. is saying to Israel and the Palestinians, it is up to you to negotiate on borders and refugees, but if anyone asks us, we will probably back Israel on not returning completely to the 1967 lines and on not settling Palestinians in Israel.... If Israel cannot show a tangible diplomatic reward for disengagement, then disengagement can only be perceived as a reward for four years of terrorist attacks. Is it in the American interest, let alone Israel's, to fuel such a perception, much less such a reality?.... Israel, obviously, could not go to a final- status negotiating table denying the Palestinians right to a state. Yet the Palestinians are openly doing just that to Israel when they claim a 'right' to move to Jaffa, Acre and elsewhere in Israel. President Bush should do more than hint that it 'seems' that Palestinians have no right to move to Israel; the sooner the U.S. starts saying so clearly and unabashedly, the sooner Palestinians will start abandoning such unacceptable positions themselves." III. "Sharon, Bush and the Settlements" Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (March 27): "Sharon is in a bind. He needs to show he is holding onto the settlement blocs to avoid further desertions to the Likud rebel camp. Yet on the foreign policy front, he has had to keep a low profile on construction. But according to statements by U.S. Ambassador Dan Kurtzer to the mass-circulation Hebrew daily Yediot Aharonot, there is no understanding between the U.S. and Israel concerning the settlement blocs. Both left and right rejoiced at the report -- here was the proof that Sharon had lied and had received nothing from Bush in return for the disengagement. Kurtzer subsequently denied the report, reiterated the president's promise regarding the settlement blocs, and praised Sharon's credibility. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also backtracked on her harsh criticism of the E-1 plan, and in a Washington Post interview returned to ambiguous requests for clarifications. Once again, Sharon came out on top, and paid neither a domestic nor an international price for his critical decisions to strengthen the 'blocs.'" IV. "The Price of a Cease-Fire" Diplomatic correspondent Alexander Maistrovoy wrote in popular, pluralist Russian-language Novosty Nedely (March 24): A conditional Tahdi'a -- a cease-fire limited in time ... declared by PA President Abu Mazen. One can only guess what will be follow it.... IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon is not hiding his suspicions about Hamas using the 'tahdi'a' for regrouping and strengthening its forces before a new twist in the conflict.... The 'tahdi'a's' durability seems to be dubious. The terror will most probably stop in the short term -- the period of disengagement from Gaza and [withdrawal] from northern Samaria [the northern West Bank], making Ariel Sharon's task much easier. The question is for how long the current cease- fire would make Israel's life easier.... Obviously, the pressure on Israel for a final resolution [of the conflict] would grow significantly after the disengagement is completed. Should Israel decline the Palestinians' demands, Hamas would definitely return to the track of war with ... or without Abu Mazen as a formal leader." -------------- ¶2. Israel-Chad Relations: -------------- Summary: -------------- Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized: "It's important to renew relations with Chad.... Chad's action might have a ripple effect." Block Quotes: -------------- "Chad As a Parable" Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (March 27): "Chad -- a majority of whose territory is desert and about half of whose population of 9 million is Muslim -- does not in and of itself constitute a particularly important objective for Israeli foreign policy. Nevertheless, it's important to renew relations with Chad. If it goes through, Chad will join Mauritania as a nation in the Sahara region that maintains good diplomatic relations with Israel. Chad's action might have a ripple effect. First of all, its intention shows that its neighbor Libya -- which has tremendous influence over it (President Deby came to power in 1991 with the support of Muammar Qadhafi) -- is not opposed to ties with Israel. Until now, the Foreign Ministry and the Mossad have been greatly frustrated that recent positive signals from Qadhafi have not resulted in concrete political action. Relations with Chad could send a message to other African countries, particularly those in the Maghreb, to follow in Chad's footsteps. Important countries outside Africa, too, might display interest in renewing ties: the Foreign Ministry has been making a great effort in recent months to persuade Muslim countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Malaysia to establish diplomatic relations." KURTZER