ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 001604

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 ICD
LONDON ALSO FOR HKANONA AND POL
PARIS ALSO FOR POL
ROME FOR MFO

SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS

SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

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

Mideast

--------------
Key Stories in the Media:
--------------

The lead articles of the two largest-circulation newspapers (Yediot
and Maariv) address tensions with Syria in the north. Yediot
reported that Syria is preparing for war this summer; the paper
reported that the Syrian army has held lately a series of military
maneuvers in preparation for a possible conflict with Israel. The
paper also cited estimates by Israeli officials that if there is no
diplomatic process with Syria it is highly possible that Syria will
try to draw Israel into a war. Yediot also reported that Minister of
Transportation Sahul Mofaz intends to tell Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice in their upcoming meeting in Washington that Israel
should open a discreet channel with Syria to neutralize the tension
on Israel's northern border.

Yediot and Ha'aretz reported that US President George Bush is
considering an updated "two state" speech. The papers note that June
24 will mark the fifth anniversary of President Bush's famous speech
calling for a two states solution. They speculate that Bush may
speak again and supplement the original speech with new ideas.
Maariv reported that in his coming visit to Washington, Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert may be surprised by a new US peace initiative,
"an outline for a permanent arrangement" between Israel and the
Palestinians.

Maariv cited PM Olmert as claiming in closed meetings that he has
accepted the Saudi Initiative with reservations regarding the
refugees' issue.

The Jerusalem Post reported that PM Olmert is considering the
release of some of the PA tax revenues frozen by Israel after Hamas
took power last year. According to the paper, PM Olmert may accede
to a request on the matter by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

Ha'aretz reported that Israel will present this week its formal
response to the "benchmarks" document, prepared by top American
envoy to the PA, Major General Keith Dayton. According to the
newspaper, the Israeli response will be a rejection of the US's time
line and a stipulation that lifting roadblocks would be subject to
Israel's security considerations.

Ha'aretz reported that after 30 years Egypt and Iran are about to
discuss renewing diplomatic ties.

Israel radio reported that the IDF is operating in the Gaza Strip.
According to the radio, more than 15 IDF tanks pushed 1 km into
Gaza, took over houses, and questioned their habitants. No
casualties were reported.

All media reported that six IDF soldiers were moderately wounded in
a mortar attack on the Erez Crossing on Sunday.

All media published Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni's
testimony before the Winograd Committee regarding the Second Lebanon
War. According to her testimony, she thought the military operation
in Lebanon would last one day and that she tried to meet PM Olmert
for 11 days without success. The goal of the meeting was to try to
and convince PM Olmert to promote the diplomatic process.

All media quoted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying in
a speech Sunday that the "clock is ticking on Israel's destruction."


All media reported that current Labor Party leader Amir Peretz
called on his supporters to vote for candidate Ami Ayalon in the
second round of Labor Party elections set for June 12.

Yediot reported that Israel has rejected an offer to place an
anti-rocket system in the southern town of Sderot. According to the
paper, the American system (C-RAM) is being used successfully by the
British army in Iraq. The reason for the rejection is reportedly
budget debates within the security establishment.

Ha'aretz reported that Right-wing activists and settlers plan to
hold a mass rally next week with the army's permission in Homesh -
the site of a former West Bank settlement.

All media noted the uprising tension between the US and Russia,
quoting Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying that if the US
stations missile defense systems in Europe Russia will aim missiles
at Europe.

--------------

1. Mideast:
--------------

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

Senior commentator Nahum Barnea wrote in the popular, pluralist
Yediot: "The current government has three negotiation tracks that
require discussion.... Each track involves great risks, but
refraining from making a choice is no less dangerous. Whoever does
not decide, leaves the choice in the hands of others."

The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: "Egypt
does have a peace treaty with Israel. Yet it is Egypt, with its
refusal to take seriously its obligation to prevent weapons
smuggling into Gaza, that is fueling the Palestinian civil war and
paving the way to the next war between Israel and the
Palestinians."

Columnist Akiva Eldar wrote in the independent, left-leaning
Ha'aretz: "It is true that there were times when the other side was
unwilling to discuss anything, not even the borders of June 4, 1967.
But nowadays, the 22 member states of the Arab league declare that
they view this border as a basis for peace -- an accomplishment no
one would have dreamed of 40 years ago. And so, Israel is missing
the opportunity to transform its military victory into its biggest
achievement ever. It is losing the war of independence from
controlling the lives of others."

Columnist Bambi Sheleg wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv:
"Despite the great respect that many Israelis have for Europe, it
should be clear that it will not teach us what morality is. Europe
can treat the countries within its boundaries as it pleases. It
cannot define the Jewish people's scale of values for it."

Ultra-Orthodox Hamodia editorialized: "Israel should not enter
negotiations on a 'cease fire' without proper guarantees that this
time it is an agreement with teeth and not like previous cease fires
that were violated a day after being signed."

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


I. "Three Possible Tracks"

Senior commentator Nahum Barnea wrote in the popular, pluralist
Yediot (06/04): "The current government has three negotiation tracks
that require discussion. One is negotiations with Syria. Officials
inside and outside the IDF are convinced that this is a mandatory
track. If the government ignores it, it could find itself at war
with Syria this coming summer. Olmert is deliberating. He fears
that this is a trick: All Assad wants to get is a seal of legitimacy
from Israel that will relieve him of the burden of Hariri's
murder.... A second possible track is negotiations with Abu Mazen
over the final status arrangement. Condoleezza Rice is in favor:
She would be glad to end her term as secretary of state with an
Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. The leaders of the two sides
have never been so close in their positions. Why not give it a try.
Abu Mazen can promise peace. The problem is that he cannot
deliver. He has effectively lost Gaza, and it is highly doubtful
that his regime will survive in the West Bank. What is nearly the
last chance to save Fatah is establishing a Jordanian-Palestinian
confederation, which would rule the West Bank by the bayonets of the
Jordanian Legion. Without Jordanian involvement, negotiations with
Abu Mazen will lead only to frustration. A third possible track is
an understanding with Hamas on a 'tahdiya' -- a truce -- for a
period of 10 or 20 years. Here too the risk is great: Hamas will
take advantage of the cease-fire to take control of the West Bank
and to upgrade its arsenal of weapons. No one will be able to
guarantee that the quiet will not be broken within a few months....
Each track involves great risks, but refraining from making a choice
is no less dangerous. Whoever does not decide, leaves the choice in
the hands of others."

II. "Pressure Egypt Now"

The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (06/04):
"Egypt does have a peace treaty with Israel. Yet it is Egypt, with
its refusal to take seriously its obligation to prevent weapons
smuggling into Gaza, that is fueling the Palestinian civil war and
paving the way to the next war between Israel and the
Palestinians.... Yet even more mysterious than Egypt's behavior is
Israel's. Why has our government been so reluctant to openly
criticize Egypt for failing to stop the flood of weapons going into
Gaza?.... Given this Israeli reticence, it should not be surprising
that the US has not made this issue a major priority with Egypt....
We are, by all accounts, possibly on the brink of war in Gaza in
order not only to stop the Kassam attacks on Sderot, but to address
an ongoing buildup of exactly the sort that Israel mistakenly turned
a blind eye toward in the six years following the unilateral
withdrawal from Lebanon."

III. "Living the Lives of Others"

Columnist Akiva Eldar wrote in the independent, left-leaning
Ha'aretz (06/04): "As the years progressed, short-sighted Israeli
politicians and Jewish religious leaders transformed 'the fight for
home' into 'the fight for other people's home.' It is true that
there were times when the other side was unwilling to discuss
anything, not even the borders of June 4, 1967. But nowadays, the
22 member states of the Arab league declare that they view this
border as a basis for peace -- an accomplishment no one would have
dreamed of 40 years ago. And so, Israel is missing the opportunity
to transform its military victory into its biggest achievement ever.
It is losing the war of independence from controlling the lives of
others."

IV. "The Moralizers"

Columnist Bambi Sheleg wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv
(06/04): "Israel is a state at the start of its path. There is no
doubt that the society taking form in Israel is committing wrongs in
many areas of life towards the Palestinian public living in Judea,
Samaria, and Gaza. Conversely, there is no doubt that this is not
the whole picture. The Palestinians also have a great measure of
responsibility for their current situation. The disregard of the
UCU [the British University and College Union] towards the sins of
the Palestinians and attribution of blame for the current situation
solely to Israeli sins, are proof of the fact that too many people
in Europe are inclined to identify the Jewish state with all the
misdeeds of humanity. Despite the great respect that many Israelis
have for Europe, it should be clear that it will not teach us what
morality is. Europe can treat the countries within its boundaries
as it pleases. It cannot define the Jewish people's scale of values
for it."


V. "A Valid Cease Fire"

Ultra-Orthodox Hamodia editorialized (06/04): "There is military
activity in the Gaza Strip, some of it known and some hidden. There
is no doubt that the focused military pressure is creating hard
physical anxiety on Hamas's leaders, who live in constant fear of
Israeli aircraft that fly over the Gaza Strip and force them to
search for hiding places every few hours.... It's been proven that
targeted killings create pressure on the leadership.... Israel
doesn't want wars unless it needs to protect its citizens. This is
the country's duty and it cannot avoid it. The IDF activity in the
Gaza Strip, even if until this day it has not solved the problem,
has decreased significantly Qassam rocket fire, and thus these
actions must be strengthened. Israel should not enter negotiations
on a 'cease fire' without proper guarantees that this time it is an
agreement with teeth and not like previous cease fires that were
violated a day after being signed."
JONES