ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

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



1. Mideast

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Key stories in the media:
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Ha'aretz and other media extensively covered remarks
made by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at the annual
editors' convention at Sokolov House in Tel Aviv on
Thursday, addressing the major issues concerning
Israel's future. He emphasized that Israel, as well as
other countries, could not accept the prospect of
Iranian nuclear weapons, but Israel was preparing for
such a scenario. Israel "can't accept a situation
where Iran has nuclear arms" and "is making all the
necessary preparations to handle a situation like
this," Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said. Iran's
enemies have "the capability" to use military force to
disrupt Iran's bid for nuclear arms, he said, adding
that "before exercising it, every attempt should be
made to pressure Iran into stopping its activity."
Sharon stressed that "Israel doesn't lead the
struggle" to keep Iran nuclear-free, and he hoped the
UN Security Council would neutralize "this great
danger." "Israel is not without hope and is taking all
necessary measures, as it should," he said. Changing
tack, Sharon referred to international pressure on
Syria as critical, saying he was not inclined to
discuss a return of the Golan Heights or anything else
that might "make things easier for the Syrians." There
are "no contacts" between Israel and Syria now, he
said. Sharon alluded to diplomatic pressure on Israel
when he said Israel had no plans to build an eastern
fence in the Jordan Valley, which he termed "within
Israel's security zone." Sharon reaffirmed his
commitment to the road map plan and retaining the major
settlement blocs in the West Bank. He said he was
unwilling to encourage Israelis living east of the
security barrier to relocate. Sharon reiterated his
opposition to Hamas's participation in the upcoming
Palestinian elections, but indicated he would not
prevent its participation, adding: "It's not a good
thing to interfere in other people's elections."

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Meir Sheetrit,
Transportation Minister and Likud veteran who has
joined Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's new Kadima party,
said he believes not a "single additional house" should
be built in Judea and Samaria because the "true Zionism
of tomorrow" is to settle the Galilee and the Negev.
Ultimately, he said Israel would "have no choice but to
leave most of the territories and let the Palestinians
establish a state next to us" to guarantee that Israel
remain a democratic state with an overwhelming Jewish
majority. Sheetrit, who said he had been promised a
prominent position by Sharon on the Kadima slate for
the elections, tempered his comments somewhat by adding
that he had no objection to someone choosing to build a
home in a West Bank area that would remain under
Israel's permanent control, if there was room to do so.
He indicated that he thought it would be "fair enough"
were Israel to permanently control the 5%-10% of the
West Bank covered by the major settlement blocs. He
pledged that Sharon would be true to his word in ruling
out further unilateral disengagement from the West
Bank, and said Israel would stay put there for as long
as necessary - until or unless the Palestinian
leadership dismantled terrorist organizations and thus
opened the path to a resumption of peace talks. He
also ruled out concessions in Jerusalem and dismissed
Palestinian demands to establish their capital in the
city.
Ha'aretz reports that the Likud is continuing to
plummet in the polls, capturing a mere nine seats in
the latest Haaretz-Dialog survey, while Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon's Kadima party continues to gain strength.
The poll, conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday among 500
voters, found that if elections were held now, Kadima
would win 37 seats, compared to nine (9) for the Likud.
Some 65 percent of those who voted Likud in 2003 said
that they planned to vote Kadima this time, while only
16 percent said that they definitely plan to stick with
the Likud. The poll also found that Labor is currently
holding firm at 26 seats, while Shinui continues to
shrink, and would now win only five seats. Asked for
their preferred candidate for defense minister, 41.5
percent of respondents chose the incumbent, Mofaz.
Other candidates - Ami Ayalon, Ehud Barak, Avi Dichter
and Matan Vilnai - trailed far behind. For finance
minister, the race was much closer: Some 28 percent
chose Amir Peretz, followed by Netanyahu, Avishay
Braverman and Ehud Olmert. Interestingly, 23.5 percent
of Likud voters named Peretz as their preferred
candidate for the treasury. For foreign minister,
Shimon Peres was the favorite, winning 44 percent of
the vote, compared to 26 percent for the incumbent,
Shalom. Peres even outpolled Shalom among Likud voters,
40 percent to 30 percent.
Haaretz reports that, reacting to this and other recent
polls, senior Likud officials lashed out at
disengagement opponents Thursday for causing Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon to leave the party, saying that
Likud's nosedive in the polls shows that Sharon is
taking almost the entire party with him.
The Jerusalem Post reports that dozens of Palestinian
gunmen stormed PA offices in the Gaza Strip on Thursday
in protest against the decision to suspend Fatah's
primary elections. Sources in the Gaza Strip said the
gunmen were members of Fatah's armed wing, Aksa Martyrs
Brigades. No one was hurt in the raid - the latest sign
of growing lawlessness and anarchy in PA-ruled areas.
Meanwhile, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who also heads
Fatah, is seeking to resolve the crisis in his party
quickly. Wednesday night he chaired an urgent meeting
of the Fatah central committee in Ramallah to discuss
the latest crisis and ways of easing tensions between
Fatah's old guard and young guard. It was decided to
form a 24-member review board, chaired by Abbas, to
look into allegations of massive irregularities and
fraud during the voting.
Trouble with the recently opened Rafah crossing is the
top story on Israel Radio this morning and features
high on the Yediot Ahronot news pages. The media report
that at least 15 Hamas militants, described as
prominent fugitives who had been deported by Israel
from the Gaza Strip, took advantage of the recently
opened crossing to reenter unhindered. This was also
confirmed by Palestinian security sources.

Yedioth Ahronot cites security officials who said this
situation will continue until the first terror attack
after which Israel will be compelled to impose real
supervision on the crossing. Israel also notified
American officials that the Palestinians are not
relaying photographs of those entering the crossing as
per the agreement reached, prompting Prime Minister
Sharon to repeat his warning to the Palestinians that
if they do not fulfill their part of the agreement,
Israel will close the Erez and Karni terminals.
Speaking Israel Radio, Yuval Steinitz, Knesset Foreign
Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman, said that we
can blame only ourselves and that the security envelope
in Gaza has collapsed.

Ha'aretz Internet site reports that IDF troops
operating in the West Bank town of Hebron on Wednesday
arrested a reporter for the Web site of the Arabic
satellite channel Al Jazeera. Awad Rajoub, 29, was
arrested at his home, Walid al-Amari, Al Jazeera bureau
chief for the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem, said on
Thursday. Israel has not explained the arrest, he told
Reuters. "We are checking to find out why they arrested
him." An IDF spokeswoman said that Awad was being held
"for security reasons."

Haaretz reports that US Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice is sending a senior envoy here to monitor the
implementation of the Rafah border crossing agreement
she brokered last month. The envoy, State Department
counselor Philip D. Zelikow, is also expected to
expedite parts of the agreement that have not been
executed yet. Rafah reopened last week, as part of a US-
brokered deal on new border arrangements.
In a follow-up on yesterday's story and main weekend
supplement article, Yedi'ot Aharonot reports that the
Israelis who were reportedly training Kurds in northern
Iraq have been uncovered by Iranian intelligence and
were forced to leave "a few months ago" - showing the
story covers an affair that seems to be over.

1. Mideast
Summary
--------------

Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev
Schiff writes in independent, left-leaning Haaretz:
"Israel must prepare itself for the American withdrawal
from Iraq. especially if it takes place without the
United States achieving its main goals in Iraq.. It
doesn't matter if it is a Democrat or Republican. The
new president will surely do everything possible to
find a convenient formula for a withdrawal from Iraq.
Therefore, Israel must prepare strategically for an
American withdrawal and carefully examine what can be
achieved in the realm of arrangements with the
Palestinians."


Bloc quotes
--------------
Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev
Schiff writes in independent, left-leaning Haaretz:
"Israel must prepare itself for the American withdrawal
from Iraq. An American withdrawal, especially if it
takes place without the United States achieving its
main goals in Iraq, will certainly influence the
strategic situation throughout the region. The American
military deployment in the Middle East in the wake of
the Iraq war is of unprecedented scope. Its forces are
deployed on the flanks of Iran and Syria, opposite
Lebanon and near Jordan and Saudi Arabia. As a result,
Iran and Syria are behaving much more cautiously.
However, the American public is badly influenced by the
events in Iraq and the losses suffered there, without
any sign of a tangible solution approaching. That
feeling has penetrated Congress, and members of the
president's own party are starting to talk about the
need to develop an "exit strategy" from Iraq. President
Bush's popularity is at an unprecedented low. But Bush
keeps reiterating that he will not order an exit from
Iraq until the goals of the war are met.. America's
enemies will certainly exploit those changes to claim
that Washington failed to achieve its minimal goals in
the Iraq war. When defeated in wars in the past, the
Arabs often managed to convince their people that they
won. In any case, an unsuccessful American withdrawal
from Iraq will certainly cause Iran to step up its
involvement there, strengthen Hizballah and further
encourage terror against Israel. Al-Qaida will also
feel more confident in its attacks on moderate and pro-
Western regimes like Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Palestinian extremists will draw encouragement from
such a development. What doesn't get done before the
American withdrawal with regard to Israeli-Palestinian
road map arrangements will be much harder to accomplish
afterward. The results of various elections in the
Middle East could also make things more difficult for
the moderates. In any case, Israel must assume that an
American withdrawal from Iraq will take place in three
years at the latest, when a new president enters
office. It doesn't matter if it is a Democrat or
Republican. The new president will surely do everything
possible to find a convenient formula for a withdrawal
from Iraq. Therefore, Israel must prepare strategically
for an American withdrawal and carefully examine what
can be achieved in the realm of arrangements with the
Palestinians."
Jones