SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT BUSH DELIVERS MESSAGE

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TAGS: IS KMDR KPAO MEDIA REACTION REPORT
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT BUSH DELIVERS MESSAGE
TO ISRAELI PUBLIC ON ISRAEL'S CHANNEL ONE TV


1. Summary. President Bush granted an exclusive interview to a
national Israeli television station on August 11. Using the
interview to convey a strong message to the Israeli public,
President Bush emphasized U.S. support for Sharon's disengagement
plan, spoke about Abbas's handling to date of the armed groups in
Gaza, and delivered a message to Iran about its nuclear program.
While all mainstream Hebrew and English publications reported on
the interview, actual reaction was limited. End summary.


2. On Thursday, August 11, President Bush granted an exclusive
interview to Israel's Channel One Television. The station
broadcast excerpts on Thursday night and the full interview,
during prime time on Friday and Saturday evenings, August 12 and

13. In addition to President Bush's reiterated support for the
disengagement plan, the media also reported on the President's
comments regarding Abbas's handling of the armed Gaza groups,
Netanyahu's resignation, and future U.S. financial aid for
Israel.


3. All mainstream publications carried limited coverage of the
interview. However, reaction was muted, with President Bush's
statements regarding Iran's nuclear program the only subject
granted editorial space. On August 15, in a piece entitled
"Belligerent Iran," conservative, independent Jerusalem Post
editorialized "President George W. Bush warned this weekend that
the use of force remains an option... Time is running out while
the world's single greatest sponsor of terror is coming closer to
gaining nuclear capability. Before long, the military option may
be the only remaining viable option." Mass-circulation,
pluralist Yediot Ahronot also quoted President Bush as saying
that the U.S. will consider military action against Iran.


4. Local media found President Bush's message supportive of
Sharon's disengagement plan. On August 12, diplomatic
correspondent Herb Keinon of Jerusalem Post quoted a senior
official in the Prime Minister's Office as saying "it was very
important" for President Bush to "reiterate his continuing
support for the plan. It sends a clear message to the
Palestinians, and to those who oppose the plan, that the U.S. is
squarely behind us on this." Israel Radio News broadcast on
August 12, "President Bush believes that disengagement from the
Gaza Strip will help Israel's security." Independent, left-
leaning Ha'aretz, running a Reuters piece on August 12, quotes
Bush as saying that "the planned pullout of Jewish settlers from
the Gaza Strip `will be good for Israel.'"


5. Both Ha'aretz and popular, pluralist Maariv wrote more
extensive reviews on the interview, noting that it seems to have
been timed specifically to bolster Sharon's popular support on
the eve of the politically contentious disengagement. Political
correspondent Yossi Varter of Ha'aretz writes on August 15: "The
relaxed interview Bush gave last Thursday at his ranch in
Crawford, Texas to Channel 1's Washington correspondent Yaron
Dekel was an intentional and carefully timed American attempt to
tip the scales in Sharon's favor. It is easy to imagine the
`Arik' Sharon of yore making a scathing remark about such an
attempt." In a satirical review of the interview, Maariv's
television critic Assaf Schnieder writes on August 14: "When
Israel TV is granted an exclusive interview with the American
President, how many red lights should go off for us? Why, the
suspicious television viewer should ask, why now? Maybe, just
maybe, Bush got some phone call from `Prime Minister' [in
English] Sharon? `I need you, George. Set this up for me;
there'll be a disengagement; I owe you.' ... This is less a
journalistic interview and more Bush's official request to the
Israelis at the last moment before the evacuation begins. The
purpose of this move is to tell us: `This is worth your while -
America promises.'"

KURTZER