ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TEL AVIV 002493 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 CDR USCENTCOM 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 -------------- SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: -------------- ¶1. MIDEAST ¶2. ISRAEL-ICRC RELATIONS -------------- KEY STORIES IN THE MEDIA: -------------- ALL MEDIA REPORTED THAT PM EHUD OLMERT AND PA CHAIRMAN [PRESIDENT] MAHMOUD ABBAS AGREED IN PETRA, JORDAN, ON THURSDAY TO MEET FORMALLY IN A FEW WEEKS. (A YEDIOT HEADLINE READS: "HUG UNDER FIRE"). OLMERT WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT HE REGRETS THE PALESTINIAN CIVILIAN CASUALTIES. MAJOR MEDIA QUOTED OLMERT AS SAYING IN PETRA, IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION BY CONSERVATIVE ISRAELI NOBEL PRIZEWINNER IN ECONOMICS (2005) ROBERT J. AUMANN -- WHO ALSO CLAIMED THAT OLMERT'S REALIGNMENT PLAN WAS A "CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY" -- THAT THE SETTLERS WILL HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER TO LIVE IN ISRAEL OR IN THE NEW PALESTINIAN STATE. MAARIV REPORTED THAT OLMERT'S REMARKS PROVOKED A CONTROVERSY ON THE ISRAELI POLITICAL SCENE. HA'ARETZ CITED THE BELIEF OF DEFENSE MINISTER AMIR PERETZ THAT THE GOVERNMENT MUST BEGIN PREPARING NOW SO THAT THE "REALIGNMENT" PLAN CAN BE IMPLEMENTED IN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, AND TO THIS END, HE FAVORS ENACTING A LAW TO COMPENSATE RESIDENTS OF SETTLEMENTS SLATED FOR EVACUATION UNDER THE PLAN IF THEY LEAVE VOLUNTARILY. HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT PERETZ TOLD THE NEWSPAPER THAT HE WANTS TO SEE TOWNS AND NEIGHBORHOODS THAT AGREE TO ABSORB SETTLERS "TWINNED" WITH PARTICULAR SETTLEMENTS IN PREPARATION FOR EVACUATION. THIS, HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING, WOULD ENABLE ENTIRE SETTLEMENTS TO MOVE TOGETHER AND ALLOW THE DESTINATION COMMUNITIES TO HAVE HOUSING, JOBS AND SCHOOLS READY. THE NEWSPAPER WROTE THAT PERETZ DOES NOT RULE OUT ABSORBING EVACUEES IN THE LARGE SETTLEMENT BLOCS THAT WILL REMAIN IN ISRAEL'S HANDS, BUT THAT HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT ISRAEL MUST OFFER THE PALESTINIANS AN EXCHANGE OF TERRITORY FOR THESE BLOCS. HA'ARETZ QUOTED A SENIOR GOI OFFICIAL AS SAYING THAT THE VOLUNTARY EVACUATION PLAN, WHICH HAS NOT YET BEEN SERIOUSLY DISCUSSED IN ANY GOVERNMENTAL FORUM, RAISES A DILEMMA. ON ONE HAND, THERE IS NO REASON TO PUT OFF EVACUATING THE SETTLERS UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE, AND EARLY COMPENSATION WOULD LESSEN OPPOSITION. ON THE OTHER HAND, OFFERING COMPENSATION WOULD REQUIRE THE GOVERNMENT TO SPECIFY THE EXTENT OF THE WEST BANK WITHDRAWAL NOW, BEFORE A DETAILED PLAN HAS BEEN DRAFTED. SPEAKING ON ISRAEL RADIO THIS MORNING, MK AHMED TIBI (UNITED ARAB LIST/ARAB MOVEMENT FOR RENEWAL) SAID THAT ABBAS IS INTERESTED IN A CEASE-FIRE AND THAT HE MAKES EVERY POSSIBLE EFFORT TO STOP QASSAM ROCKET FIRE. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ISRAEL RADIO THIS MORNING, LIKUD MK AND FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE KNESSET'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE COMMITTEE YUVAL STEINITZ CALLED FOR A GROUND INVASION OF THE GAZA STRIP. ISRAEL RADIO REPORTED ON AN ISLAMIC JIHAD OFFER TO STOP FIRING ROCKETS INTO ISRAEL IN EXCHANGE FOR A CESSATION OF ISRAELI MILITARY ACTIONS. THE RADIO REPORTED THAT SEVERAL QASSAM ROCKETS WERE LAUNCHED INTO ISRAEL THIS MORNING. MAJOR MEDIA REPORTED THAT A NAVY GUNSHIP SPOTTED TWO SWIMMERS TRYING TO SMUGGLE WEAPONS FROM EGYPT TO THE GAZA STRIP EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. THE MEDIA QUOTED IDF OFFICERS AS SAYING THAT SAILORS OPENED FIRE AT THE MEN, WOUNDING AT LEAST ONE OF THEM. HATZOFE QUOTED DANI ARDITI, THE HEAD OF THE ANTI- TERRORISM TEAM AT ISRAEL'S NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, AS SAYING THIS WEEK THAT IF THE CROSSINGS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE GAZA STRIP BECOME TARGETS OF TERRORIST ATTACKS, ISRAEL WILL FIND IT DIFFICULT TO CONTINUE OPERATING THEM. HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT THE CABINET IS EXPECTED TO EXTEND, BY ANOTHER SIX MONTHS, A TEMPORARY LAW PROHIBITING PALESTINIANS WHO ARE MARRIED TO ISRAELI CITIZENS FROM LIVING WITH THEIR SPOUSES IN ISRAEL. THE NEWSPAPER ALSO REPORTED THAT SUNDAY'S CABINET DECISION, WHICH STATED THAT ONE CRITERION FOR GRANTING CITIZENSHIP TO HE CHILDREN OF FOREIGN WORKERS WOULD BE THAT PARENTS ENTERED ISRAEL LEGALLY, WAS BASED ON THE BASIS OF INCORRECT INFORMATION. A HA'ARETZ PROBE FOUND THAT FAR FEWER ARABS WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR RESIDENCY THAN MINISTERS WERE TOLD. THE JERUSALEM POST REPORTED THAT IN A MOVE INTENDED TO FURTHER BOLSTER TIES BETWEEN ISRAEL AND NATO, THE IDF IS PUTTING SEARCH-AND-RESCUE FORCES ON STANDBY SO THEY CAN BE IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED TO PARTICIPATE IN NATO GLOBAL OPERATIONS. HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT FROM THE SPRING OF 2003 UNTIL FALL 2004, THE SHIN BET TRACKED DOWN PALESTINIAN TERROR CELLS IN THE WEST BANK THANKS TO INFORMATION FORM THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER SERVICE, WHICH WAS PASSED ON TO THE FBI. HA'ARETZ NOTED THAT INTELLIGENCE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE US AND ISRAEL HAS INCREASED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, BUT HAT UNTIL NOW, ISRAEL'S USE OF INFORMATION FROM AMERICAN COMPANIES HAD BEEN KEPT SECRET. MAARIV REPORTED THAT KHALED MASHAL, THE HEAD OF HAMAS'S POLITICAL BUREAU, HAS INSTRUCTED HIS ACTIVISTS IN THE TERRITORIES TO THWART ABBAS'S REFERENDUM PROPOSAL AT ANY COST. MAARIV QUOTED ADNAN ASFOUR, ONE OF HAMAS'S LEADERS AND THE ORGANIZATION'S SPOKESMAN IN THE WEST BANK, AS SAYING THAT IF HAMAS WANTS TO KILL ABBAS, IT WILL DO SO. MAARIV REPORTED THAT IN THE PAST FEW DAYS ISRAEL'S AMBASSADORS IN EUROPE HAVE REPORTED TO THE FOREIGN MINISTRY THAT THEY ENCOUNTER GREAT DIFFICULTIES IN EXPLAINING ISRAEL'S POLICIES FOLLOWING THE HITS ON PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS IN THE GAZA STRIP. THE JERUSALEM POST REPORTED THAT ISRAEL'S AMBASSADORS ABROAD ARE PREPARING A MORE AGGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN ON THE ISSUE. LEADING MEDIA REPORTED THAT ON MONDAY, PERETZ FIRED COL. DANNY TIRZA (RES.),WHO HAS BEEN IN CHARGE OF PLANNING THE SECURITY FENCE. THIS WEEK, THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE ACCUSED TIRZA OF PRESENTING A FALSE DECLARATION REGARDING THE FENCE. HATZOFE REPORTED THAT THE SAUDI NEWSPAPER AL-RIYADH OPINED ON WEDNESDAY THAT ISRAEL CAN BE DEFEATED THROUGH ECONOMICS. HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON OF NEW YORK, WHO HAD PUSHED FOR THE ADMISSION OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM (THE RED SHIELD OF DAVID) INTO THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES, AND ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE US DANNY AYALON HELD A NEWS CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON THURSDAY TO COMMEND ISRAEL'S ACCEPTANCE INTO THE ORGANIZATION. HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT THE TWO THANKED THE AMERICAN RED CROSS FOR THE STEAMROLLER TACTICS IT USED TO GET INTO THE ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING FREEZING MONEY TRANSFERS TO THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS EVER SINCE 2000. THE JERUSALEM POST REPORTED THAT THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, USA HAS ENDED ITS TWO-YEAR POLICY OF DIVESTING FROM COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS WITH ISRAEL AND ADOPTED A NEW RESOLUTION WHICH DOES NOT SINGLE OUT ISRAEL AS A TARGET FOR DIVESTING FUNDS. THE NEW POLICY WAS ADOPTED WEDNESDAY BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CHURCH GATHERED IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, WINNING AN OVERWHELMING 438-28 MAJORITY. HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT THE ISRAEL POLICE HAS INVITED A CHINESE POLICE DELEGATION TO ISRAEL AHEAD OF THE BEIJING OLYMPICS, THAT A CHINESE FIRM ACCOMPANYING THE DELEGATION IS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING SECURITY-RELATED EQUIPMENT, AND THAT THE ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTRY HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE DELEGATION MEMBERS SHOULD NOT BE HOSTED WITHOUT ITS AUTHORIZATION. HA'ARETZ WROTE THAT THE FEAR OF A US RESPONSE MOTIVATES THE DEFENSE MINISTRY'S QUALMS. HA'ARETZ CITED THE ANNUAL REPORT ISSUED BY UNHCR, THE UN REFUGEE AGENCY, WHICH STATES THAT MORE ISRAELIS WERE ACCEPTED AS REFUGEES OVERSEAS LAST YEAR THAN FOREIGNERS WERE GRANTED ASYLUM IN ISRAEL. MAARIV REPORTED THAT THIS WEEK ISRAEL SENT USD 400,000 WORTH OF DRUGS TO YOUNG AIDS PATIENTS IN ETHIOPIA. ALL MEDIA REPORTED THAT DURING A CONCERT HE GAVE AT THE MIXED ARAB-JEWISH COMMUNITY OF NEVE SHALOM LAST NIGHT BEFORE A 55,000-STRONG AUDIENCE, BRITISH ROCK STAR ROGER WATERS -- THE FOUNDER OF PINK FLOYD, WHICH PRODUCED THE LEGENDARY ALBUM THE WALL -- CALLED ON THE YOUNG ISRAELI GENERATION TO "TEAR DOWN THE WALLS" AND BRING PEACE. ALL MEDIA REPORTED ON A 10-PERCENT DROP OF THE SHARES OF THE MAJOR ISRAELI PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY TEVA ON THE TEL AVIV STOCK MARKET (AND A 12.4-PERCENT FALL ON WALL STREET IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS). IN ITS LEAD STORY, MAARIV WROTE THAT TEVA LOST USD 14 BILLION IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS FOLLOWING A COMPETITION WITH THE AMERICAN MEDICAL INSURANCE FIRM UNITEDHEALTH OVER A CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING DRUG. LEADING MEDIA REPORTED THAT ON THURSDAY, MINISTER- WITHOUT-PORTFOLIO EITAN CABEL APPOINTED BUSINESSMAN EREL MARGALIT DG OF THE ISRAEL BROADCASTING AUTHORITY. LEADING MEDIA REPORTED THAT LUTFI MASHOUR -- "PERHAPS THE MOST WELL-KNOWN ISRAELI ARAB JOURNALIST," ACCORDING TO THE RADIO -- PASSED AWAY ON THURSDAY AT THE AGE OF ¶59. MASHOUR WAS THE FOUNDER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF ASSENNARA, THE MOST WIDELY READ ISRAELI ARAB NEWSPAPER. HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT THE FORMER MAYOR OF BAKA AL- GHARBIYEH IN CENTRAL ISRAEL, JALAL ABU TOAMEH, DIED THURSDAY AT THE AGE OF 60. HA'ARETZ SAID THAT ABU TOAMEH, WHO WAS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE ABRAHAM FUND, A JEWISH-ARAB COEXISTENCE ORGANIZATION, WAS DESCRIBED BY HIS FRIENDS AS A "PIONEER OF COEXISTENCE" BETWEEN JEWS AND ARABS IN ISRAEL. HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT ON THURSDAY, THE 35TH ZIONIST CONGRESS VOTED TO OBLIGATE THE JEWISH AGENCY TO INCLUDE ISRAEL'S ARAB COMMUNITIES IN ITS DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR ISRAEL. MAARIV REPORTED THAT THE AL-QASMI COLLEGE IN BAKA AL-GHARBIYEH TEACHES JEWISH-ARAB COEXISTENCE. HA'ARETZ (ENGLISH ED.) REPORTED THAT VETERAN "ANGLO ISRAELI" JOURNALIST SASSON JACOBY PASSED AWAY LAST WEEK IN JERUSALEM AT THE AGE OF 88. JACOBY WORKED AT THE JERUSALEM POST FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS. HA'ARETZ (ENGLISH ED.) REPORTED THAT PRODUCER PHIL BLAZER IS ABOUT TO LAUNCH A JEWISH TELEVISION NETWORK IN THE US -- THE JEWISH LIFE TELEVISION NETWORK (JLTV). THIS MORNING, ISRAEL RADIO REPORTED THAT US FORCES HAVE ARRESTED A KEY AL-QAIDA MEMBER IN IRAQ. -------------- ¶1. MIDEAST: -------------- SUMMARY: -------------- SENIOR OP-ED WRITER AKIVA ELDAR COMMENTED IN INDEPENDENT, LEFT-LEANING HA'ARETZ: "THERE IS A RISK THAT EVEN US PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH WILL REALIZE THAT CRITICIZING THE PALESTINIAN FAILURE TO FIGHT TERROR, AS SHARON USED TO DO IN MEETINGS WITH ABU MAZEN, IS NOT CONSIDERED 'NEGOTIATIONS.'" SENIOR COLUMNIST AND LONGTIME DOVE YOEL MARCUS WROTE IN HA'ARETZ: "THE PALESTINIANS ARE KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY FIRING INDISCRIMINATELY AT CIVILIAN POPULATION CENTERS, WHILE WE ARE LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO ARE DOING THE FIRING AND EXPRESSING REGRET FOR KILLING BY MISTAKE." SENIOR COLUMNIST DAN MARGALIT WROTE IN POPULAR, PLURALIST MAARIV: "THE PALESTINIANS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS IN ISRAEL AND AROUND THE WORLD HAVE NO PRETEXT TO CONTINUE FIRING ROCKETS." SENIOR COLUMNIST AND CHIEF DEFENSE COMMENTATOR ZEEV SCHIFF WROTE IN HA'ARETZ: "WITH A NEW UNILATERAL CONVERGENCE, ISRAEL WILL REPEAT ITS GREAT MISTAKE OF GIVING UP ON THE DEMILITARIZATION OF ANY PALESTINIAN TERRITORY FROM WHICH IT RETREATS." FORMER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MOSHE ISHON WROTE IN NATIONALIST, ORTHODOX HATZOFE: "WHILE IT APPEARS THAT FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH THE WORLD'S GREATEST SUPERPOWER ARE BETTER THAN EVER, THEY SOMETIMES CONSTITUTE A BEAR'S EMBRACE." BLOCK QUOTES: -------------- ¶I. "RETURN OF THE PARTNER" SENIOR OP-ED WRITER AKIVA ELDAR COMMENTED IN INDEPENDENT, LEFT-LEANING HA'ARETZ (6/23): "OLMERT HAS ALREADY LEARNED -- IN HIS PREVIOUS VISIT TO JORDAN AND IN HIS VISITS TO THE UNITED STATES, EGYPT AND EUROPE -- THAT ABU MAZEN IS UNIVERSALLY THOUGHT OF AS THE BOY WHOSE FINGER IN THE DIKE IS PREVENTING FUNDAMENTALIST ISLAM FROM FLOODING OUT. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS ALSO COME TO DISCOVER THAT EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK AND BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR CAN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A GENUINE ATTEMPT TO REACH AN AGREEMENT AND A STAGED PERFORMANCE. THERE IS A RISK THAT EVEN US PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH WILL REALIZE THAT CRITICIZING THE PALESTINIAN FAILURE TO FIGHT TERROR, AS SHARON USED TO DO IN MEETINGS WITH ABU MAZEN, IS NOT CONSIDERED 'NEGOTIATIONS.'" II. "AN EYE FOR AN EYE" SENIOR COLUMNIST AND LONGTIME DOVE YOEL MARCUS WROTE IN HA'ARETZ (6/23): "THE INTERNECINE MOTIVES OF THE WAR OF ATTRITION THAT THE PALESTINIANS HAVE DECLARED ON US -- WHETHER IT IS A COMPETITION BETWEEN HAMAS AND ISLAMIC JIHAD OR AMONG OTHER ORGANIZATIONS -- SHOULD NOT INTEREST US. IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S OBLIGATION TO PROTECT ITS CITIZENS.... THE RESPONSE THAT ISRAEL HAS CHOSEN THUS FAR IS PINPOINT DETERRENCE.... AND WONDER OF WONDERS: THE PALESTINIANS, WHO ARE FIRING EXCLUSIVELY AT CIVILIAN TARGETS, ARE RAISING AN OUTCRY, WHILE WE ARE APOLOGIZING.... THE PALESTINIANS ARE KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY FIRING INDISCRIMINATELY AT CIVILIAN POPULATION CENTERS, WHILE WE ARE LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO ARE DOING THE FIRING AND EXPRESSING REGRET FOR KILLING BY MISTAKE." III. "SORRY, WE'RE NOT APOLOGIZING" SENIOR COLUMNIST DAN MARGALIT WROTE IN POPULAR, PLURALIST MAARIV (6/23): "THE PALESTINIANS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS IN ISRAEL AND AROUND THE WORLD HAVE NO PRETEXT TO CONTINUE FIRING ROCKETS FROM THE GAZA STRIP INTO SDEROT AND ITS ENVIRONS. THUS, ISRAEL HAS THE FULL RIGHT TO PROTECT ITS CITIZENS AND TO PREVENT THE TRANSFORMATION OF [THE FORMER NORTHERN GAZA STRIP SETTLEMENTS OF] ELEI SINAI AND DUGIT AND OF VERY DEMOLISHED AREA IN GUSH KATIF INTO LAUNCHING BASES FOR ROCKETS.... [I HAVEN'T RENOUNCED ANY OF MY CONCILIATORY VIEWS] -- BUT WITH ONE CONDITION: THAT THE ZIONIST LEFT NOT ERODE THE IDF'S WILLINGNESS AND CAPABILITY TO FIGHT WITH ALL ITS MIGHT AGAINST A CRUEL FOE WHO THIS WEEK DECLARED A KIND OF GENOCIDE, SAYING IT WAS WAGING WAR TO DESTROY A CITY. THIS IS GENOCIDE AGAINST SDEROT, WITHOUT THE WORLD, THE ARAB STATES, AND THE PALESTINIANS' SUPPORTERS IN ISRAEL RAISING ... LAMENTS." IV. "CONVERGENCE TO COMBAT LINES" SENIOR COLUMNIST AND CHIEF DEFENSE COMMENTATOR ZEEV SCHIFF WROTE IN HA'ARETZ (6/23): "WITH A NEW UNILATERAL CONVERGENCE, ISRAEL WILL REPEAT ITS GREAT MISTAKE OF GIVING UP ON THE DEMILITARIZATION OF ANY PALESTINIAN TERRITORY FROM WHICH IT RETREATS. DEMILITARIZATION WAS A KEY ISSUE IN EVERY PLAN FOR AN AGREEMENT WITH THE PALESTINIANS AND WAS DISCUSSED WITH THEM AT LENGTH. THE UNILATERAL CONVERGENCE WILL GIVE NEW MOMENTUM TO HAMAS, NOT TO ABBAS. AND IT WILL BE A FAILED STRATEGIC MOVE, BECAUSE ISRAEL WILL ENDANGER JORDAN AND THE HASHEMITE REGIME.... TO ALL THIS MUST BE ADDED THE SUSPICION THAT OLMERT DOES NOT REALLY WANT TO NEGOTIATE WITH ABBAS. IT SEEMS THAT HE IS READY TO 'TALK' WITH HIM, BUT NOT TO NEGOTIATE. HE IS APPARENTLY AFRAID OF A CRISIS EARLY IN THE NEGOTIATIONS. IF OLMERT IS READY TO WITHDRAW, TO 'CONVERGE' AND STRAIGHTEN LINES, HE SHOULD DO SO THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS, WITH MUTUAL UNDERSTANDINGS AND CONCESSIONS MADE TO ABBAS PERSONALLY. IF HE WANTS TO EVACUATE SETTLEMENTS, LET HIM START EVACUATING THE ISOLATED SETTLEMENTS, IN ADDITION TO GETTING RID OF THE ILLEGAL OUTPOSTS." ¶V. "WAITING FOR DICTATES" FORMER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MOSHE ISHON WROTE IN NATIONALIST, ORTHODOX HATZOFE (6/23): "AS LONG AS ISRAEL DEMONSTRATES A SOVEREIGN STANCE, ITS STATUS IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA AND IN THE US IN PARTICULAR IS MORE COMFORTABLE. AND WHILE IT APPEARS THAT FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH THE WORLD'S GREATEST SUPERPOWER ARE BETTER THAN EVER, THEY SOMETIMES CONSTITUTE A BEAR'S EMBRACE.... IT TURNS OUT THAT ISRAEL ISN'T THAT 'SOVEREIGN.' SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT .. LARGER AND STRONGER COUNTRIES THAN ISRAEL ARE BEING SUPERVISED BY THE WASHINGTON LANDLORD. ONE THE OTHER HAND, ONLY ISRAEL WAS ORDERED TO DISMANTLE SETTLEMENTS. IF WE DON'T INSIST ON OUR RIGHTS, WE'LL CEASE TO EXIST AS A SOVEREIGN STATE. THEN, THE ONLY THING LEFT TO ISRAEL WILL BE TO COMPLY WITH WHITE HOUSE GUIDANCE.... HARMING ESTABLISHED SETTLEMENTS MUST BE AVOIDED, EVEN IF THEY'RE INCLUDED IN THE AMERICAN LIST. THE LIST DISTRIBUTED BY PEACE NOW SHOULD CERTAINLY BE IGNORED. ITS DATA AREN'T WORTH RELATING TO." -------------- ¶2. ISRAEL-ICRC RELATIONS: -------------- SUMMARY: -------------- INDEPENDENT, LEFT-LEANING HA'ARETZ EDITORIALIZED: "BY RECOGNIZING THE JEWISH STATE'S SYMBOL ... THE [ICRC] CORRECTS AN ONGOING INJUSTICE." THE CONSERVATIVE, INDEPENDENT JERUSALEM POST EDITORIALIZED: "IS THERE NO FORUM TO WHICH OFFICIAL ENMITY AGAINST ISRAEL -- NOT A PARTICULAR ISRAELI POLICY -- DOES NOT EXTEND?" BLOCK QUOTES: -------------- ¶I. "NOT MERELY A SYMBOLIC CORRECTION" INDEPENDENT, LEFT-LEANING HA'ARETZ EDITORIALIZED (6/23): "THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES ON THURSDAY ADMITTED MAGEN DAVID ADOM [MDA] TO THE ORGANIZATION, ENDING A BATTLE THAT BEGAN 60 YEARS AGO, EVEN BEFORE ISRAEL WAS FOUNDED.... THE DECISION MADE BY RED CROSS IN ITS GENEVA HEADQUARTERS YESTERDAY IS NOT ONLY SYMBOLIC, BUT PRIMARILY POLITICAL. IT WAS MADE BY MAJORITY VOTE, OVER THE OPPOSITION OF ARAB AND MUSLIM STATES, WHICH OBJECTED TO MDA JOINING THE ORGANIZATION AND TO RECOGNIZING MDA'S SYMBOL AS LONG AS THE OCCUPATION CONTINUES. THEIR POSITION WAS COMPLETELY REJECTED.... ULTIMATELY, THURSDAY'S DECISION IS A COMPROMISE..... BEING A FULL MEMBER OF THE RED CROSS HAS ITS PERKS. MDA WILL BE ENTITLED TO RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT GRANTS, INFORMATION EXCHANGES AND FULL PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES. BUT THE DECISION MAY ALSO BE SEEN AS HISTORIC REDRESS. IN WORLD WAR II, THE RED CROSS -- LIKE SWITZERLAND, THE COUNTRY OF ITS BIRTH -- SUFFERED FROM MORAL FAILURE. IT TURNED A BLIND EYE TO THE MURDER OF JEWS AND AT TIMES EVEN COOPERATED WITH THE NAZIS. BY RECOGNIZING THE JEWISH STATE'S SYMBOL IN THIS WAY, THE ORGANIZATION CORRECTS AN ONGOING INJUSTICE." II. "ENMITY WITHOUT BORDERS" THE CONSERVATIVE, INDEPENDENT JERUSALEM POST EDITORIALIZED (6/23): "IT IS PARTICULARLY UNFORTUNATE THAT SUCH BLATANT BIAS [BY THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE RED CROSS AND THE RED CRESCENT] AGAINST ISRAEL EXTENDED FOR SO LONG IN THE FLAGSHIP OF HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS, WHOSE WATCHWORDS ARE 'NEUTRAL, IMPARTIAL,, AND INDEPENDENT.' BUT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE TRAGIC DISTORTION OF THE ICRC'S CREED IS NOT THE PROFESSIONAL BRAVING BATTLE ZONES AND DISASTER AREAS TO SAVE LIVES, NOR THE ORGANIZATION ITSELF IN GENEVA, BUT THE DECISION OF ARAB AND ISLAMIC NATIONS TO EXPLOIT EVEN HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS IN THEIR CAMPAIGN TO ELIMINATE ISRAEL.... IS THERE NO FORUM TO WHICH OFFICIAL ARAB ENMITY AGAINST ISRAEL -- NOT A PARTICULAR ISRAELI POLICY -- DOES NOT EXTEND?" JONES