ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 TEL AVIV 006815

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD

WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM
NSC FOR NEA STAFF

SECDEF WASHDC FOR USDP/ASD-PA/ASD-ISA
HQ USAF FOR XOXX
DA WASHDC FOR SASA
JOINT STAFF WASHDC FOR PA
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL FOR POLAD/USIA ADVISOR
COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE FOR PAO/POLAD
COMSIXTHFLT FOR 019

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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SUBJECT COVERED IN THIS REPORT:
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1. Iranian Nuclear Race

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Key stories in the media:
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The Jerusalem Post and other media reported the IDF is
gearing up for a crackdown on the Islamic Jihad in the
West Bank, wishing to apprehend "all of the terrorists"
there. The report adds that Foreign Minister Silvan
Shalom said Tuesday "Israel was not planning another
wide scope military operation like Defensive Shield,"
adding that he intended to lead a significant
diplomatic operation in order to influence the US and
Europe to pressure the Palestinian Authority. Israel
also suspended VIP entry permits for Palestinian
officials and would buffer its forces in border areas
near the West Bank, Shalom said. His remarks were made
during a meeting with the US ambassador to Israel,
Richard Jones. On the same issue,Israel Radio quoted
this morning Sheickh Hussan, Hamas's head in the West
Bank, currently in an Israeli jail, as saying that all
the Palestinian factions are committed to the
"tahadiya" and the consensus on that issue must be
preserved. He said the reason for the suicide bombings
lies with the Israeli occupation. He refused to condemn
Monday's suicide bombing in Netanya. Yousef said Hamas
leaders are candidates in the Palestinian parliamentary
election and Hamas is willing to cooperate with any
Palestinian party. However, Hamas has not yet decided
whether it will join the Palestinian government.

All media reported on the Counter-Terrorism warning
last night advising all Israeli travelers to leave
Sinai immediately due to threats that Israelis would be
kidnapped there. Earlier in the day, the security
cabinet rejected a plan to overhaul security, most
significantly by erecting a new and robust security
fence along the border with Egypt at a cost of NIS 1.5
billion over three years. Instead, the cabinet
approved an allocation of NIS 150 million for the time
being.
Maariv bannered on its front page the delay in the
completion of the security fence which is barely half
finished, though it was to have been completed by the
end of 2005. According to the report,only about one-
third of it has been constructed. Palestinian
terrorists have improved their methods of getting past
the fence even in the sectors where it does exist and,
as such, the terrorist who carried out the suicide
bombing two days ago in Netanya could have entered
Israel almost without difficulty. Maariv also found
that the Jerusalem sector is still totally unprotected.
The fence and the wall have been erected only along 20
kilometers in north Jerusalem, leaving the eastern
areas of the city wide open. In addition a huge gap of
about 60 kilometers remains in the Gush Etzion area.
Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim placed most of the
blame on the office of the state attorney. "A lot of
petitions have been submitted to the High Court of
Justice," Boim said, "but sometimes the state
attorney's office makes difficulties for us even before
a petition has been filed with the High Court. The
court's deliberations on each section of the fence drag
on for many months, during which the gaps remain open."

The Jerusalem Post carries a report on an interview
with Attorney Talia Sasson, author of the state-
commissioned report on unauthorized outposts in the
West Bank, who says that ever since the report was
published last March, "only a handful of remedial steps
have been taken." Sasson added that the ministerial
committee headed by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni
appointed to study Sasson's recommendations on
instituting proper governmental procedures for building
legally in the territories has disintegrated without
coming to any decisions on how to implement the
recommendations. Sasson said that though she had
called on the government to immediately dismantle all
of the unauthorized outposts, so far not a single such
outpost has been removed. She added that the army had
agreed to implement some of her other recommendations,
but had not done so.
Yediot Aharonot and The Jerusalem Post reported that
the Israeli public has deemed poverty as the most
urgent problem the government needs to tackle,
according to the "Alternative Poverty Report" published
by the "Latet" ["To Give"] Organization on Tuesday.
The second most urgent problem, according to the
public, is the level of education, while the security
problem came in at only third. Nearly one third of
Israelis said they were concerned that they or their
family could descend into poverty in the near future,
while over one half said that they knew at least one
person who had been able to live at a decent level but
was now unable to. According to the report, 80 percent
of the public thinks that the government doesn't help
and only makes matters worse.
The media carry public opinion polls held after the
Netanya attack. The Haaretz-Dialog survey conducted
Monday and Tuesday, shows that if the elections were
held today, Kadima under P.M. Sharon would win 39
Knesset seats, 2 seats up from last week's poll, while
"leaderless" Likud goes up from nine to 12 seats; and
Labor loses four seats, with 26 in the current poll.
Other parties seem unaffected. A Maariv poll shows
Kadima keeping the 39 seats previous polls had given
it, while Labor is seen losing steam here as well. The
Maariv report cites associates of Labor Secretary
General Peretz saying they are worried by this trend
and thus wish to advance the party primaries "to stop
party infighting as soon as possible," while Sharon's
associates say they are concerned by the quick rise of
the new party, as they would rather a slower growth
rate.
Israel Radio and The IDF Radio reported this morning
that recently appointed Likud Secretary General Tzahi
Hanegbi will announce this morning that he is quitting
his party and joining Sharon's Kadima Party. At the
same time, upon concluding their investigation, the
police are recommending that a charge sheet be filed
against Hanegbi on suspicions of political misconduct
and favoritism.
Yediot Aharonot reports that "Prime Minister Ari'el
Sharon has a new and surprising supporter." Speaking
yesterday at an international media conference in
Dubai, Saudi billionaire prince Walid Bin Tallal said
that it seems Sharon has changed and toned down his
stands, formed a new Israeli party, Peres joined him,
and he presents moderate stands. The Saudi prince
said, "Sharon should be given a chance to prove his
intentions and, if he attains peace, he must be
encouraged."


1. Iranian Nuclear Race

Summary
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The Jerusalem Post editorialized: "On the one hand,
the head of the IAEA cannot say for sure that Iran is
developing a bomb, even though Teheran has been
claiming its right to do so from the roof tops, and the
most of the world is convinced that the mullahs would
like to build a bomb as quickly as they can. On the
other hand, the IAEA is admitting its own limitations
at knowing exactly what Iran is doing at this moment,
given that nation's strenuous and proven efforts to
fool the international community.. If Iran obtains a
bomb, it will be because free nations have not banded
together to use their extensive economic, diplomatic,
and, if necessary, military assets to protect
themselves. Where there is a will, there is a way."

Bloc quotes
--------------

"Iran Can Be Stopped"

The Jerusalem Post editorialized: "In London
yesterday, International Atomic Energy Agency chief
Mohamed ElBaradei said he found no 'smoking gun' in
Iran that would indicate a nuclear weapons program. He
also admitted that, for 18 years, Iran had a nuclear
program that the IAEA failed to detect. These two
statements by ElBaradei express a large part of the
predicament facing those who would rely on his
international agency to prevent Iran from developing a
bomb. On the one hand, the head of the IAEA cannot say
for sure that Iran is developing a bomb, even though
Teheran has been claiming its right to do so from the
rooftops, and most of the world is convinced that the
mullahs would like to build a bomb as quickly as they
can. On the other hand, the IAEA is admitting its own
limitations at knowing exactly what Iran is doing at
this moment, given that nation's strenuous and proven
efforts to fool the international community.. Our
leadership has indeed been outspoken. In addition to
the comments by [Chief of Staff] Dan Halutz, Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon said that 'Israel, and other
countries cannot accept a situation where Iran has
nuclear arms. The issue is clear to us and we are
making all the necessary preparations to handle a
situation of this kind.' Indeed, almost everyone - the
US, Israel, and Europe - says that an Iranian bomb is
unacceptable. This begs the obvious question: What is
the international community going to do about it? .
this is no time for leaders in any Western capital to
throw up their hands and assume that an Iranian bomb is
unstoppable. If Iran obtains a bomb, it will be
because free nations have not banded together to use
their extensive economic, diplomatic, and, if
necessary, military assets to protect themselves.
Where there is a will, there is a way."
Jones