ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 TEL AVIV 000604

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


--------------
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT:
--------------

Mideast

--------------
Key stories in the media:
--------------

All media (lead story in The Jerusalem Post) reported
that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and FM Tzipi
Livni held a joint press conference Wednesday in
Washington. Minister Livni was quoted as saying that
any Hamas-led PA would be a "terrorist entity" that
should be dealt with harshly by the world. Media
quoted Secretary Rice as saying: "There simply has to
be a recognition of the State of Israel's right to
exist. It simply has to be. Israel is a member of the
United Nations. It cannot be that you have a
government that does not accept even its right to
exist." The Jerusalem Post quoted Secretary Rice as
saying in response to reporters' questions that she did
not endorse Israel's plans for further unilateral steps
in the West Bank. Media quoted Livni as saying she was
pleased with the U.S. reaction to the Palestinian
Legislative Elections and that "the U.S., as a leader
of the free world, stands wholeheartedly behind the
demands [of] Hamas." Israel Radio reported that Livni
will meet with National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley
today, and that President Bush will join them briefly.
Israel Radio quoted Israel's Representative to the UN
Danny Gillerman as saying that Livni's scheduled
meeting today with the representatives of the five
permanent members of the UN Security Council is an
unprecedented opportunity to present Israel's position
to people who will have to deal with the Iranian issue.

All media reported that on Wednesday, a Qassam rocket
landed close to a sensitive infrastructure installation
near Ashkelon. Major media cited an AP report that the
rocket landed close to the Ashkelon power station. In
its lead story, Yediot reported that senior officials
of the Israeli defense establishment demanded that
Israel respond by striking Palestinian power stations.

Ha'aretz reported that Israeli security sources told
the newspaper that some elements of the Fatah military
wing have recently resumed terrorist activities,
following Hamas's victory in the PLC elections. The
electronic media reported that before daybreak this
morning, three armed Palestinians attacked IDF troops
at the Erez checkpoint between Israel and Gaza. The
troops returned fire, killing two of the three
attackers. No soldiers were reported wounded in the
incident. Leading media reported that the Popular
Resistance Committees and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
claimed joint responsibility for the attack. Israel
Radio and the Jerusalem Post's web site cited the
suspicion of Israeli security officials that PA police
knew of the attack beforehand and did nothing to
prevent it. Israel Radio reported on a subsequent
attack south of the Erez crossing. The station
reported that this morning, shots were fired at police
north of Jerusalem, slightly injuring a policewoman,
and that a Palestinian was arrested and that another
escaped.

Maariv reported that due to Hamas's win in the
Palestinian elections, Egypt has decided to remove all
its observers and experts from the Gaza Strip. The
newspaper quoted King Abdullah II of Jordan as saying
recently in private forums that the ascendancy of Hamas
and the seizure of control in regional foci of power in
the region by extremist Islamists are putting the
entire Middle East at risk.

Leading media quoted Khaled Mashal, the head of Hamas's
political bureau, as saying in Cairo that Hamas has not
abandoned the option of armed struggle. Ha'aretz wrote
that Mashal spoke a few hours after the Islamic Jihad
leaders convened a press conference during which they
attacked Hamas for its change following the elections
and its moderate statements.

Yediot cited an annual intelligence assessment report
put out by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, according to
which international pressure on Iran could cause it to
encourage attacks against Israeli or Jewish targets
around the world.

All media reported that on Wednesday, 18 parties --
only four of which were represented in the outgoing
Knesset -- submitted lists for the Knesset elections to
the Central Election Committee. The registration will
close tonight at midnight. Hatzofe and Israel Radio
reported that National Union and the National Religious
Party (NRP) have reached an accord to run on a joint
list.
All media reported that on Wednesday, the Knesset
plenum voted 37-32 to appoint a parliamentary committee
of inquiry into the violent evacuation of the Amona
settler outpost, where more than 200 police officers
and right-wing protesters were wounded.

Ha'aretz reported that IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz
has issued new directives for investigating IDF
killings of Palestinian civilians, following the High
Court of Justice's examination of the issue. The human
rights group B'Tselem had petitioned the court to
oblige the IDF to open an inquiry into the death of
every Palestinian killed by the army.

Ha'aretz reported that Pierre Collignon, a senior
editor of Jyllands-Posten, the Danish newspaper that
published cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, told
Ha'aretz that Jyllands-Posten has canceled plans to
reprint several cartoons dealing with Israel. Leading
Israeli media quoted a Jyllands-Posten editor as saying
on CNN Wednesday that he would cooperate with the
Iranian daily Hamshahri, which announced a competition
of cartoons on the Holocaust. However, Ha'aretz wrote
that Jyllands-Posten hastened to issue a denial.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the Ethical Investment
Advisory Group, which counsels the Church of England on
ethical investment strategies, let the newspaper know
on Wednesday that the Church's resolution calling for
the sale of the Church's USD 2.2 million in the
American firm Caterpillar, whose products are used by
Israel in the territories, was "an advisory one only."
The Jerusalem Post and Ha'aretz reported that Jewish
groups, including the World Jewish Congress, blasted
the Church's decision. Ha'aretz quoted Labor Party MK
Rabbi Michael Melchior as saying that he was surprised
by the support of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr.
Rowan Williams, for the decision, which would "only
hurt the peace process and the chance for the church to
serve as honest broker in the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict."

Maariv reported that the British government is
considering amending legislation that currently allows
private citizens to take legal action against Israeli
officers who allegedly carried out war crimes.
Globes reported that the Tel Aviv-based advertising
agency Asvac (phon.),which focuses on the Israeli-Arab
sector and the territories, is suing USAID in the Tel
Aviv District Court for 541,000 shekels (around USD
115,000) over an alleged breach of contract.

Ha'aretz reported on the new Internet-based visa
services offered by the U.S. Embassy in Israel.

According to a Yediot/Mina Zemach (Dahaf Institute)
poll conducted on Wednesday, Kadima is increasing its
edge over other parties (in brackets, results of
previous poll.): Kadima would get 43 Knesset seats
(42); the Labor Party 20 (21); Likud 15 (15); and Shas
11 (10).

Channel 10-TV and Ha'aretz published the results of a
survey conducted Tuesday night by Prof. Camil Fuchs of
the Amanet Group's Dialogue Institute, which Ha'aretz
says show that the violent evacuation of Amona and
Hamas's victory "have taken a small toll on Acting PM
Ehud Olmert and his Kadima party":
-"Were elections for the Knesset held today, for whom
would you vote?" (Results in Knesset seats -- in
brackets, results of last week's poll.)
-Kadima 40 (43); Labor Party 21 (21); Likud 15 (13);
Shas 10 (9); Arab parties 9 (10); United Torah Judaism
7 (6); National Union 6 (6); Yisrael Beiteinu 5 (5);
Meretz 5 (4); NRP 2 (3).

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

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

Washington correspondent Orly Azolai and New York
correspondent Eitan Amit wrote in mass-circulation,
pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice ... exposed the first difference of
opinion between the U.S. administration and the Acting
Prime Minister."

Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev
Schiff wrote on page one of independent, left-leaning
Ha'aretz: "In a deteriorating situation, there is
clearly no choice [for Israel] but to respond more
forcefully [to attacks from the Gaza Strip]."

Columnist Avraham Tal wrote in Ha'aretz: "Hamas openly
continues [the] line for the extermination of Israel
that Arafat tried to hide. The partial compensation is
that Israel is not alone in dealing with aggressive
fundamentalist Islam."

Middle East affairs commentator Dr. Guy Bechor, a
lecturer at the Interdisciplinary Center, wrote in
Yediot Aharonot: "Paradoxically enough, Israel's
situation is far better than that of the Europeans
insofar as concerns political Islam."

Liberal columnist Larry Derfner wrote in the
conservative, independent Jerusalem Post: "Israel, the
U.S. and Europe have to calm the hell down....
[Otherwise,] the doomsday predictions about the new
Palestine could turn into self-fulfilling prophecies."







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


I. "First Difference of Opinion Between Olmert and
Washington"

Washington correspondent Orly Azolai and New York
correspondent Eitan Amit wrote in mass-circulation,
pluralist Yediot Aharonot (February 9): "Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice responded last night for the
first time to Ehud Olmert's political plan, and exposed
the first difference of opinion between the U.S.
administration and the Acting Prime Minister.
Permanent borders will be established in negotiations
between the parties over the final status, said Rice in
response to Olmert's statements that Israel would have
to part with the Palestinians and fashion its borders
on its own. We are opposed to unilateral steps, said
Rice at the end of her meeting with Foreign Minister
Tzipi Livni. With that having been said, the Secretary
of State reiterated President Bush's commitment to
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that in the final status
arrangement the new realities on the ground would have
to be taken into account, namely, the settlement blocs
that would remain in Israeli possession."

II. "Turn Up the Heat"

Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev
Schiff wrote on page one of independent, left-leaning
Ha'aretz (February 9): "A look at the steps Israel has
taken so far against the Qassam rockets makes clear
that it will soon have to decide to escalate its
responses. Israel will certainly put this off until
the nature of the new government in the Palestinian
Authority, and Hamas's place in it, is revealed. A
successful targeted killing in Gaza or Khan Yunis and a
massive artillery barrage on empty areas in the
northern Gaza Strip do not give a full response to the
launching of Qassam rockets on targets considered
strategic in the Ashkelon area, or on Negev communities
like Sderot. In a deteriorating situation, there is
clearly no choice but to respond more forcefully,
whether by firing on populated areas, by inserting
military forces into the northern Gaza Strip, or by
cutting off the electricity."

III. "We Are Not Alone In This Struggle"

Columnist Avraham Tal wrote in Ha'aretz (February 9): "
We are back to the 1960s, when the late [Israeli]
Orientalist, Yehoshafat Harkaby, analyzed the trends
for the extermination of Israel in the Palestinian
liberation movement, trends that included unequivocal
anti-Semitic tones. Hamas openly continues that line
for the extermination of Israel that Arafat tried to
hide. The partial compensation is that Israel is not
alone in dealing with aggressive fundamentalist Islam.
It's now being made tangible to European countries --
by the street rioting and the torching of embassies --
that their culture and the lives of their citizenry are
in real danger."

IV. "The Conflict Is Migrating to Europe"
Middle East affairs commentator Dr. Guy Bechor, a
lecturer at the Interdisciplinary Center, wrote in
Yediot Aharonot (February 9): "Until the explosion, pun
intended, of the cartoon scandal in Europe,
conventional wisdom posited that when it comes to Islam
and the clash of cultures, the Middle East was
responsible for producing and Europe merely responded.
It was the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that created
the shockwaves that became sensible as far away as in
France, for instance. Now, however, a shift of
historic proportions is occurring right in front of our
very eyes.... The heart of the conflict is migrating to
Paris and Copenhagen.... No one can bury their head in
the sand any longer and blame Israel, as the Europeans
tried to do at the 2001 Durban conference, hoping that
the Islamic tiger would devour Israel and not them....
The border between the two countries [Israel and the
future Palestinian state] will mark the line between
the first world and the third world, with all the
political, religious and social conflicts that go hand
in hand with that. The rise of Hamas to power and the
cultural conflagration in Europe evince the advantages
of disengagement-- be it unilateral or through
agreement, it makes no difference. In that sense, the
existence of a Palestinian state is one of Israel's
most important interests nowadays, against the backdrop
of the world order that is changing before our very
eyes.... And so, paradoxically enough, Israel's
situation is far better than that of the Europeans
insofar as concerns political Islam."


V. "Panicking Over Palestine"

Liberal columnist Larry Derfner wrote in the
conservative, independent Jerusalem Post (February 9):
"Between war and peace there's a lot of ground, and
that is the ground Israel should be exploring with the
PA once Hamas moves in. In diplomatic terms, Israel
should downgrade its relations with the PA slightly,
more in style than substance. There's not much to
downgrade, anyway; Israel may have formally recognized
the PA under Fatah, but the IDF has done most of the
government's talking since the Intifada ended the peace
process. I don't see any reason why this shaky but
tolerable status quo can't be maintained with Hamas....
And above all, Israel, the U.S. and Europe have to calm
the hell down. They have to stop threatening to lay
siege to the West Bank and Gaza, to try forcing Hamas
into submission, to punish the Palestinians for
rejecting democracy, Fatah-style. It's going to
backfire. And if that happens, the doomsday
predictions about the new Palestine could turn into
self-fulfilling prophecies."

JONES