SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: ISRAEL'S GAZA INCURSION

UNCLAS MUSCAT 001032 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, NEA/P, AND INR/R/MR LONDON FOR TSOU PARIS FOR ZEYA USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR SILAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KPAO KMDR MU SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: ISRAEL'S GAZA INCURSION -------------- COVERAGE -------------- ¶1. Israel's incursion into Gaza was front-paged in Oman's Arabic- language newspapers. Privately-owned "Al-Watan" (circulation 42,000) covered the story most emotionally, with a headline proclaiming, "Israel Begins the Burning of Gaza." An editorial in "Al-Watan" described the Palestinian strike against an Israeli military outpost earlier this week as a "heroic operation." Government-owned daily "Oman" (circulation 38,000) featured Israeli military operations prominently, but in less dramatic terms. Both papers carried photographs of women and children leaving Gaza, giving the impression that they were fleeing hostilities. Oman's English-language papers (frequently up to one full news cycle behind on international reporting) featured news of the impending pact between Hamas and Fatah, but did not highlight the Israeli incursion as their Arabic counterparts did. -------------- -- BLOCK QUOTES: ISRAEL "INFLAMING THE SITUATION" -------------- -- ¶2. On June 28, the privately owned Arabic daily "al-Watan" (circulation 42,000) carried an editorial on the kidnapping of Israelis under the headline, "The Political Solution is the Best One:" "The kidnapping of the Israeli soldier and settler yesterday by the resistance has shed light on the double standards that the international community practices against the Arab world. A military attack on Gaza will only inflame the situation. Israel will always resort to the military option because that serves its political objectives, and because Israel cares neither about the lives of those kidnapped nor human values. It is easy to see that the Israeli statements reflect the depression and chaos prevailing among Israel's politicians and military, which finds expression in the storming of Gaza and assassination and capture of more civilians. Politicians will make the situation worse. The advice of European representative Javier Solana, who calls for political solutions, should be heeded. The Israelis know that the military operation will not save lives...yet Israel is still depending on the military option because it best serves its political goals, regardless of whether the life of their kidnapped soldier, or any other human being, is wasted." -------------- A "HEROIC OPERATION" -------------- ¶3. "Al-Watan" continues its coverage on the same story by publishing a commentary by regular columnist Zuhair Majid, "The Exchange": "The matter of the kidnapped Israeli soldier cannot be taken lightly when Palestinian factions raided the Israeli military complex in a heroic operation that represents the core of the Palestinian resistance. Let the battle about this soldier begin, so that it will open the door to a final exchange with Palestinian prisoners. The Palestinians should consider how to take advantage of this situation in a way that will lead to open negotiation between the two parties. This operation will not pass by easily for the Israelis... A lot of logical thinking is needed." GRAPPO