TUNISIANS PROUD OF "ISRAELI DEFEAT", BUT MANY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TUNIS 002144

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG (MHARRIS),NEA/PPD (AFERNANDEZ)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPAO PHUM TS
SUBJECT: TUNISIANS PROUD OF "ISRAELI DEFEAT", BUT MANY
WORRY WAR MAY STRENGTHEN EXTREMISTS

REF: A. TUNIS 2111


B. TUNIS 2484

Classified By: CDA David Ballard for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: With the passage of UNSCR 1701 and the
cessation of hostilities in Lebanon and Israel, the tense
mood amongst many Tunisians, palpable during the active
fighting, has largely abated. Tunisian newspapers proclaimed
victory for Hizballah, and editorials spoke of the hope "the
Hizballah victory" gave to all Arabs and Muslims. The GOT
officially welcomed UNSCR 1701 and President Ben Ali called
for an emergency Arab League Summit on Lebanon and Palestine.
Post once again received a protest delegation of civil
society leaders, some of whom later traveled to Beirut to
participate in a march to be held in the Lebanese capital on
August 19. Many contacts emphasized that Hizballah had
gained politically from the recent war, and that this may
strengthen Islamist and extremist groups throughout the
region. End Summary.


2. (C) The following are this week's reactions from the GOT,
the press, and civil society groups on the situation in
Lebanon.


GOT REACTION
--------------

-- The GOT has officially welcomed UNSCR 1701 on Lebanon,
releasing a statement expressing its "great satisfaction"
with the resolution, which it characterized as a "first step"
to the return to peaceful efforts in the search for a
negotiated solution. President Ben Ali on August 14 called
for an emergency Arab League summit to discuss the violence
in the Middle East and to pledge support for reconstruction
in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. (Ref A)

-- According to French-daily Le Quotidien, an airplane
carrying medicine, blood, and food products was to depart
Tunis for Beirut on 17 August. The GOT previously had asked
Tunisians to donate blood and money for Lebanese humanitarian
aid (Ref B).

-- On August 13, First Lady Leila Ben Ali sponsored the
launch of the second annual "Elyssa Sea Route", a group of
women skippers sailing in the Mediterranean. Last year the
route was from Tunis to Tyre; This year the route changed,
replacing Tyre with a number of Mediterranean ports. The
event was renamed "the Route of Peace", and dedicated to the
Lebanese people.

MEDIA REACTION
--------------

-- All Tunisian newspapers continued to publish pronounced
anti-Israeli and anti-US articles in coverage of events in
the Levant. Following the cessation of hostilities,
editorials across the board declared Hizballah victors.
Arabic daily Ash-Shourouq, proclaimed the "Hizballah victory
honored all Arabs and Muslims" and added that "the era of
defeat and humility is gone." An editorial in the Arabic
newspaper Akhbar Al Joumhouriya noted that Hizballah leader
Hassan Nasrallah has become the "hero of all the Arab people"
and argued that Hizballah defeated not only Israel but
"Bush's gang" as well. Most papers carried reports and
commentary on New Yorker writer Seymour Hersh's article
claiming the U.S. had advance knowledge of and supported the
Israeli campaign against Hizballah. Le Quotidien's
front-page headline on August 18 claimed: "Bush Helped Israel
to Attack Lebanon."

CIVIL SOCIETY
--------------

-- A delegation of civil society leaders met with Charge and
Pol Section staff August 17 to protest perceived U.S. actions
and policies in the Middle East. The delegation consisted of
leaders of GOT-authorized associations such as the Tunisian
Association for Democratic Women (ATFD),the Tunisian
Association of Women for Research and Development (AFTURD),
the Tunisian General Worker's Union (UGTT),the Tunisian
Human Rights League (LTDH),and the Tunisian Bar Association.
In an hour-long discussion, the delegation's main points
were that a) the actions of the USG and the acute rise of
anti-Americanism in the Middle East were empowering Islamists
and extremists and endangering the position and potential of
moderates and b) the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and the USG's
"illegal, indefensible and unlimited" support for Israel, is

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at the root of most regional problems and conflicts.

-- According to Le Quotidien, a delegation of civil society
leaders was to travel to Beirut August 17 to participate in a
march in the Lebanese capital to be held August 19. Saida
Garraj, Secretary General of ATFD, and a member of the
delegation that came to the Embassy on August 17, was among
those who traveled to Beirut. She said approximately twenty
civil society leaders would participate in the trip. On
August 16, also according to Le Quotidien, a group of civil
society organizations (NFI) met to create a collective of
Tunisian NGOs whose mission was to collect humanitarian aid
for Lebanon.

-- In an August 16 meeting with PolCounselor, Tunisian,
self-described "moderate Islamists", including former
An-Nahda leader Zied Douletli and journalist and civil
society activist Slaheddine Jourchi, said that the war in
Lebanon, and the "U.S. role of supporting Israel", had
strengthened Hizballah and other extremist groups, and
furthered the trend of young Tunisians relating more to the
ideas of jihadist groups such as Al-Qaeda than those of
"non-violent and moderate" Islamist organizations such as
An-Nahda (Septel).

BALLARD