Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KUWAIT73
2006-01-08 14:53:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION: Sharon's healthSHARON'S

Tags:  OPRC KPAO PREL KDEM IZ KMDR KU 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000073 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA,
B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN
USAID/ANE/MEA
LONDON FOR TSOU
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KPAO PREL KDEM IZ KMDR KU

SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION: Sharon's healthSHARON'S
HEALTH


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000073

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA,
B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN
USAID/ANE/MEA
LONDON FOR TSOU
PARIS FOR ZEYA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KPAO PREL KDEM IZ KMDR KU

SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION: Sharon's healthSHARON'S
HEALTH



1. Summary: Kuwaiti Arabic daily newspapers' coverage of the
developments surrounding the Israeli Prime Minister's health
mostly focused on the reporting on his conditions and the
possibilities of recovery or death. The two analysis pieces
found below provide an outlook into the possible scenarios
resulting from Sharon's exit from Israeli politics. End
Summary.

Selected Headlines
--------------


21. Saturday, January 07, 2006

-- Al-Qabas p. 38 "Sharon's era has passed in Israel and the
region"

-- Al-Qabas p. 38 "Netanyahu and Olmert will try to inherit
succede Sharon and the `road map' will not return"

-- Al-Watan p. 39 "Sharon is dying; and Rice postpones her
Asia tour; and the peace process moves into the unknown."

-- Al-Watan p. 41 "An American psychic: Sharon was struck by
God's anger"

-- Al-Seyassah p. 26 "Sharon's critical condition becomes
more direr; and very dangerous damagessevere damage to his
hemorrhaging head"

-- Al-Anbaa front page "Sharon's head is still hemorrhaging"

-- Al-Anbaa p. 26 "Who will fill the void left by Israel's
king?"; "Bush and Sharon, ideological sympathy"

Block Quotes
--------------


32. Saturday, January 07, 2006

-- Hisham Melhim wrote on the front page of the moderate
daily Al-Qabas under the title "Israel.the absence of an
extremist and the one to come is more extreme": "The end of
the Sharon era comes after fundamental changes in Israeli
politics thate culminated in the ouster of Sharon from the
Likud party and establishmenting of the new Kadima Pparty,
the election of Amir Peretz as the leader of the Israeli
Llabor Pparty, and the return of Benjamin Netanyahu's
control over the Likud. Many observers see that in Sharon's
absence the interim period in Israel will not be an easy
time. Even if a new coalition government is formed under the
leadership of the Kadima pParty the freeze on Israeli-
Palestinian relations and communications will remain because
the new Prime Minister whether it is Netanyahu, Ehud, or
Olmert will take a strong stance towards the Palestinians in
order to bolster his domestic support and will continue with
the policy of unilateral actions especially in light of the
current tensions on the Palestinian side that seem like
they will not come to and end any time soon."

-- Nabil Al-Fadl wrote for the moderate daily Al-Watan under
the title "Jews' heaven or Muslims' hell?": "Sharon's
absence from Israeli politics will be a catastrophe for
Palestinians and their cause. In situations of dispute such
as that of the Israeli-Palestinian situation, it is the men
of war who make peace. It was Anwar Al-Sadat would not have
taken a single step in the direction of peace with Israel
had he not fought the `73 war. . No matter how black and
painted in Arab blood Ariel Sharon's history may be,
Israelis consider him a hero and none of their extremists
can claim to be more of a nationalist than he. . Sadly, the
evaluation of Sharon by Arabs and especially the
Palestinians does not surpass an emotional superficial
judgment as Hamas did when it considered his departure
`better for the world.' Steps will be halted on the road map
and the next leader of Israel will be compelled to be cruel
and suppressive towards Palestinians in order to win the
confidence of the Israeli people and in order to clear
himself of the stigma of being easy on the Palestinians.
Palestinians will suffer more and more at the hands of the

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new leader no matter who it is before he can open up the
peace files and move on the road map. Thereby, the curse
will remain upon the Palestinians be it a result of changes
in their own leadership or in that of their enemy."

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