Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TELAVIV1995
2006-05-22 13:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:  

ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

Tags:  IS KMDR MEDIA REACTION REPORT 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TEL AVIV 001995

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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SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT:
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Mideast

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Key stories in the media:
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Israel Radio reported that today PM Ehud Olmert will
meet with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; on
Tuesday, Olmert will meet with Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld, and President Bush for six hours; and
on Wednesday, Olmert will deliver a speech to Congress,
meet with the Senate leadership, and later with Jewish
leaders. The radio reported that Olmert's advisers Dov
Weisglass, Shalom Turgeman, and Yoram Turbowicz will
meet with Deputy National Security Advisor Elliott
Abrams and Assistant Secretary of State David Welch
this afternoon to conclude the preparations for
Olmert's meeting with the President. Israel Radio
reported that it was agreed that Abrams and Welch would
come to Israel in two weeks to continue talks of the
convergence plan. Israel Radio reported that political
sources in Washington told the station that Secretary
Rice might visit the region in the fall to examine the
influence of political pressure being put on Hamas and
the possibility of unilateral steps.

Ha'aretz wrote that during Olmert's visit to Washington
this week, by prior agreement, President Bush will
express interest in Olmert's "new ideas" but will not
offer explicit American support for the plan, and no
timetable will be set for its implementation. However,
in the main point of its lead story, Ha'aretz quoted a
senior US administration official as saying this week
that the administration will present "new ideas for
advancing the peace process, and that American
officials will present these ideas to Olmert during his
visit. The official was quoted as saying that among
other things, it is necessary to bring "additional
countries" into the circle of those supporting the
peace process. Ha'aretz further quoted the official as
saying that the administration will make it clear to
Olmert that America believes the way to solve the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is via the Roadmap and

direct negotiations with the Palestinian leadership.
The official was quoted as saying that at the same
time, the administration recognizes that the current
Hamas government "is not an address for negotiations,"
and that PA Chairman [President] Mahmoud Abbas has not
lived up to expectations -- and may therefore not be
able to serve as such an address either. Ha'aretz
(today) and The Jerusalem Post (Sunday) wrote that the
US is also worried about the effects of Olmert's
convergence plan on Jordan, and that it plans to make
this clear to the PM during his visit. Ha'aretz said
that administration officials plan to insist that
Olmert present ideas on how to prevent the PA from
degenerating into total chaos. Nevertheless, the
senior administration official was quoted as saying
that Washington is even less enthusiastic about
funneling aid to the PA, as the US never used to pay
the salaries of PA employees, and that "there is no
reason for us to do so now." Maariv quoted senior
Israeli officials as saying that during 2006, President
Bush will announce his support for the convergence
plan.

Major media (banner in The Jerusalem Post) cited an
interview Olmert granted CNN's Wolf Blitzer before his
departure for Washington. Olmert was quoted as saying
in the interview that Iran is much closer to mastering
nuclear technology than previously thought, and that
Iran was only a few months away from acquiring the
technology needed for building a nuclear bomb. On
Sunday, Maariv reported that Olmert's chief message to
Bush would be that Iran is accelerating its uranium
enrichment process. Israel's Ambassador to the US,
Danny Ayalon, was quoted as saying in an interview with
The Jerusalem Post that Iran's nuclear program was
expected to be a major issue on the agenda of Olmert's
meeting with President Bush. On Sunday, Yediot
reported that Olmert would request that President Bush
coordinate steps vis-a-vis Iran with Israel. Leading
media reported that -- in Yediot's words, "following
the US model" -- Olmert intends to create a "forum of
prime ministers" (including former PMs Shimon Peres,
Ehud Barak, and Binyamin Netanyahu) who would consult
one another on the issue of coping with Iran's nuclear
race.

Yediot reported that following Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's call to destroy Israel, Israeli
diplomats will soon file a suit against him at the
International Court of Justice in The Hague, citing
conspiracy to carry out crimes against mankind.

Major media reported that on Sunday, FM Tzipi Livni met
with Abbas at a World Economic Forum meeting in Sharm
el-Sheikh, Egypt. Ha'aretz wrote that Livni described
the meeting as important and positive, and quoted her
as saying that the next step would be a meeting between
Abbas and Olmert. However, following Olmert's comments
to CNN that although he respects Abbas, he is powerless
and unable to conduct negotiations with Israel, Israel
Radio quoted Olmert associates as saying that Olmert's
remarks constitute a harsh strike in the fight against
Hamas. Israel Radio said that an official in Abbas's
bureau told the station that an Olmert-Abbas meeting is
not on the horizon. The station later quoted
Palestinian sources as saying that on Sunday, Egyptian,
Israeli, and Palestinian officials decided that there
would be a three-way meeting between Olmert, Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak, and Abbas in Sharm el-Sheikh
in two weeks. On Sunday, Yediot quoted Vice PM Shimon
Peres as saying: "We will not discuss with Abu Mazen
renewing negotiations until the PM returns from
Washington." Israel Radio quoted Egyptian PM Ahmed
Nazif as saying with the London-based Ash-Sharq Al-
Awsat that he expects positive developments after
Olmert's return from Washington and his expected
meeting with Mubarak (according to Yediot, in Sharm el-
Sheikh in two weeks),and that Nazif stressed Egyptian
and US efforts toward the resumption of the Israel-
Palestinian dialogue. Ha'aretz quoted Livni as saying
Sunday that the route of the separation fence can be
changed during negotiations on a final-status agreement
with the Palestinians. Ha'aretz and The Jerusalem Post
reported that on Sunday, the government approved the
transfer of 50 million shekels (around USD 11.2
million) worth of medical supplies to Palestinian
medical centers.

Turki al-Faysal, the Saudi Ambassador to the US, was
quoted as saying in an interview with Yediot that the
Saudi peace initiative is the only solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Jerusalem Post and Israel Radio reported that
Olmert has named Justice Minister Haim Ramon Chairman
of a new interministerial committee that will deal with
illegal outposts.
Ha'aretz reported that over the past few weeks, the IDF
authorized the expansion of the municipal boundaries of
four settlements -- Givat Zeev, north of Jerusalem;
Oranit, on the Green Line in the northern West Bank;
Maskiot, in the northern Jordan Valley; and Betar
Illit, southwest of Jerusalem. The newspaper wrote
that the expansion of Betar Illit is meant to create
contiguity between Jerusalem and the Green Line. The
Jerusalem Post also reported on the issue.

Over the weekend, all media reported that missiles
fired by IAF planes slammed into a jeep in Gaza City
Saturday evening, killing Muhammad Dadouh, considered
Islamic Jihad's most senior military commander in the
Gaza Strip. Three members of his family were also
killed in the strike. All media reported that four
Qassam rockets were fired Sunday from the Gaza Strip
into Israel, causing no injuries but some damage, as
one slammed into an empty classroom in Sderot. Leading
media reported that the IDF responded with a massive
artillery bombardment against areas thought to have
been used to launch the rockets. Two Palestinians were
reportedly injured in the retaliatory attack. Ha'aretz
cited claims by Palestinians that a 48-year-old woman
was killed by IDF fire at the Balata refugee camp in
Nablus on Sunday. Ha'aretz cited an IDF denial.

On Sunday, all media reported on an assassination
attempt on Gen. Tareq Abu Rajab, chief of the PA
intelligence service in the Gaza Strip. Abu Rajab's
nephew Ala Abu Hasira was killed in the blast. The
media cited assessments that Hamas was behind the
operation. Over the weekend, major media reported that
last Tuesday, Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas's spokesman in Gaza
attempted to smuggle approximately USD 900,000 into the
Gaza Strip in an attempt to evade the economic blockade
imposed on the PA since the movement came to power.

Maariv reported that the US has decided not allow
Israel to upgrade the Joint Strike Fighter plane (F-
35). The newspaper said that this constitutes a
problem for the Israeli military and aeronautical
industries, as well as for IAF operations.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel will boycott an
EU-sponsored conference on "Racism, Xenophobia, and the
Media" being held Monday in Vienna because the issue of
anti-Semitism is not on the agenda.
The Jerusalem Post reported that on Sunday, Iran expert
Menashe Amir discredited a report widely cited over the
weekend, according to which Iran was preparing to
require Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians to wear
colored ribbons on their clothing to distinguish them
from Muslims. On Sunday, major media cited an Iranian
denial of those reports.

Yediot reported that this week, President Bush
proclaimed a reform in US immigration policy, which
"would allow tens of thousands of Israelis staying
illegally in the US to regularize their status."

Ha'aretz reported that on Sunday, Shas mentor Rabbi
Ovadia Yosef asked Olmert to request that the US
release convicted spy Jonathan Pollard.

Ha'aretz reported that Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev
has called on Olmert to grant political asylum in
Israel to refugees from the Darfur genocide.

The Jerusalem Post reported that NASDAQ will launch an
Israeli stock index within the next few weeks, which
will be the first ever foreign index on the market.




--------------
Mideast:
--------------

Summary:
--------------

Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: "In the view of
[President George Bush and his aides], the convergence
plan is not a fully matured idea; it has many
shortcomings and is certainly not a 'lifeline.'"

Diplomatic correspondent Ben Caspit wrote on page one
of popular, pluralist Maariv: "George Bush needs a
great deal of respect now. On the other hand, Olmert
needs to be determined, precise, and credible."

Chief Economic Editor Sever Plotker wrote in the
editorial of mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot
Aharonot: "Foreign Minister [Tzipi Livni] was right
when she said some two months ago that Abu Mazen had
become an irrelevant political figure. The contrived
meeting at Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday did not change
that assessment; it only reinforced it."

Mark A. Heller, director of research at Tel Aviv
University's Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, wrote
in the conservative, independent Jerusalem Post:
"Israel will have to satisfy American concerns about
the political context in which convergence takes
place."

Senior columnist Haggai Huberman wrote in the editorial
of nationalist, Orthodox Hatzofe: "Olmert will not be
keeping at least one of the promises to his voters this
term: he will not determine Israel's permanent
borders."

Block Quotes:
--------------


I. "Olmert in the US / First Lesson in Diplomacy"

Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (5/22): "In Israel,
Olmert presented his plan to withdraw from most of the
West Bank and evacuate tens of thousands of settlers as
a 'lifeline for Zionism'.... President George Bush and
his aides support Israel, and will surely not oppose a
withdrawal from the territories and an evacuation of
the settlements; but their priorities differ. In their
view, the convergence plan is not a fully matured idea;
it has many shortcomings and is certainly not a
'lifeline'.... Olmert views Palestinian Authority
Chairman Mahmoud Abbas as an ineffectual nuisance; the
US sees him as the final barrier in the way of complete
chaos in the territories, a situation that may spread
to Jordan and Egypt.... The conceptual disparity is
also evident when it comes to the Iranian issue. The
public in Israel is expecting an aerial assault that
will wipe out Iran's nuclear facilities and put an end
to the apocalyptic threats of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.... A
bellicose Israel sounds logical; but the US has
different considerations, commitments and timetables.
It is now trying out a complex and long-winded
diplomatic approach that will most likely lead it to a
direct dialogue with Iran. The differences in views
will not mar the visit, which both sides want to see
succeed. From Olmert's point of view, the visit will be
a test of his approach, which relies heavily on
interpersonal relations between leaders as the key to a
successful foreign policy. For Bush, the meeting will
be his first with Ariel Sharon's successor, and a
chance to display involvement in external affairs --
and perhaps even capitalize on Jewish support for
Republican candidates in the Congressional elections in
November."

II. "Initiation Ceremony"

Diplomatic correspondent Ben Caspit wrote on page one
of popular, pluralist Maariv (5/21): "The
administration that welcomes Olmert in May 2006 is far
from that which welcomed Ariel Sharon in April 2004.
The President is the same one, but in the meantime he
has become one of the most ridiculous people of the
modern era. He is in trouble in Iraq, getting beaten
up in Iran, in conflict with Russia and clashing with
China. The Americans are stuck with him until January

2009. Olmert is, too, on the assumption that his term
lasts until then. The six hours that they spend
together on Tuesday will indicate the way things will
go. Will there be the famous chemistry that Arik had,
that Rabin had, and that Shamir, Bibi and Barak did
not? Will a relationship be formed? At the moment,
nobody knows. Olmert would do well to let Bush talk
and not take over the conversation. To abandon his
characteristic arrogance and know-it-all tone for a few
hours, and show respect. George Bush needs a great
deal of respect now. On the other hand, Olmert needs
to be determined, precise, and credible. What they
liked about Sharon most of all was his credibility.
The feeling that with him, a promise was a promise."

III. "The Great Missed Opportunity"

Chief Economic Editor Sever Plotker wrote in the
editorial of mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot
Aharonot (5/22): "On Sunday, Foreign Minister Tzipi
Livni popped over to the World Economic Forum meeting
in Sharm el-Sheikh for a few hours, and took the
festive opportunity to meet with the president of the
Palestinian Authority, Abu Mazen. The meeting, which
was also attended by Minister Shimon Peres, had no real
political significance: in the months that have passed
since the Palestinian parliamentary elections, Abu
Mazen's grip on the reins of power has grown
perpetually weaker, while Hamas has entrenched itself
as the only legitimate authority. Even though Yasser
Arafat left behind a regime that grants extensive
powers to the elected president, Abu Mazen hesitated to
use any of these powers even once. He could have, for
example, refused to recognize the Hamas government
since its policies contradict his own -- but he chose
to recognize it and to give it his blessing. He, Abu
Mazen, had the sole power to command the soldiers and
police officers in the Palestinian Authority to disarm
all the armed organizations and groups that are not
directly subordinate to the president's authority --
but he failed to lift a finger to exercise that power.
He made do with issuing vague warnings and repeated
calls for 'dialogue' and 'national unity,' which was
interpreted by Hamas as defeatism and capitulation....
Like Abu Mazen, official Israel also missed the last
date for bringing about -- by means of a combination of
pressure and temptations -- the downfall of the Hamas-
led government and new Palestinian elections. Now
nothing else can be done but to begin to grow
accustomed to the reality in which there is no
government in Palestine except for the Hamas
government. The Foreign Minister was right when she
said some two months ago that Abu Mazen had become an
irrelevant political figure. The contrived meeting at
Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday did not change that
assessment; it only reinforced it."

IV. "Mr. Olmert Goes to Washington"

Mark A. Heller, director of research at Tel Aviv
University's Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, wrote
in the conservative, independent Jerusalem Post (5/22):
"If Israel hopes to get some political and/or material
compensation for its withdrawal, it will have to
satisfy conditions that meet American requirements.
These include the actual extent of withdrawal and its
character: whether along the Gaza model of extracting
both civilians and the army, or the northern West Bank
model of pulling out settlers only. Most importantly,
Israel will have to satisfy American concerns about the
political context in which convergence takes place....
The idea of negotiating with Abu Mazen has gained a lot
of currency in the weeks just before Olmert's
departure, and he will have to adjust to this reality
by the time he walks into the White House.... There is
no logical contradiction between coordinating with the
Americans first about the possibilities of renewed
Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and then discussing
with them the requirements for convergence if further
negotiations are judged to be futile. But moving to
stage two would almost certainly necessitate American-
Israeli agreement about when and how that judgment is
to be made. And that issue seems guaranteed to provoke
some serious differences of opinion."


V. "Olmert Will Not Determine the Permanent Borders"

Senior columnist Haggai Huberman wrote in the editorial
of nationalist, Orthodox Hatzofe (5/21): "Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert will meet with the President of
the US in two days, as the dose of illusions that he
tried to foist on the Israeli public melts away.
Olmert will not be keeping at least one of the promises
to his voters this term: he will not determine Israel's
permanent borders.... [Mr. Olmert], why do you need an
additional commitment from Bush that he will recognize
the separation fence, which was built along the 1967
borders except for tiny deviations of settlement blocs,
as Israel's permanent border? After all, he already
promised that in his letter to Sharon, did he not? It
is good that nobody asked Olmert that question, because
then he would have been compelled to blush and admit
that it is all deception: Bush made no commitment then,
Bush will make no commitment two days from now. It is
all a lie. The US will not oppose any Israeli
withdrawal, including a unilateral one, because its
policy since 1967 is that Israel must withdraw to the
Green Line. It will not oppose the withdrawal, but
neither will it give in exchange what Olmert hopes to
receive. No textual or verbal virtuosity issued by the
White House two days from now will succeed in covering
up this fact."

CRETZ