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


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SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT:
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1. MIDEAST


2. ISRAEL-ICRC RELATIONS

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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.

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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."

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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