SPECIAL ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 003014 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: SPECIAL ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION -------------- SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: -------------- Secretary Rice to Israel, West Bank, October 14-18, 2007 SIPDIS -------------- Key stories in the media: -------------- Leading media reported that during their joint press conference on Wednesday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that the Palestinians should lower their expectations. Ha'aretz reported that a senior GOI official told the newspaper on Wednesday that Israel is prepared to make a joint declaration with the Palestinians that will address the core issues of Jerusalem, refugees, and permanent borders. Ha'aretz also reported that Palestinian officials demanded that Israel commit to a timetable for negotiations. The senior source in Jerusalem was quoted as saying that Secretary Rice has reached an agreement with the Palestinians that the "declaration will address all core issues and point to certain avenues to be pursued through negotiation." But Ha'aretz reported that Rice's dealings with the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah seems to have hit a bump, after she reportedly told the Palestinians that Israel will not commit to a timetable. Palestinian sources were also quoted as saying that Israel is refusing to have the right of return mentioned in the document. The Jerusalem Post reported that a Palestinian official described Rice's current shuttle mission as a failure, saying that she was unable to persuade Israel to change its "tough" position. Ha'aretz reported that Palestinian officials said that Abbas "will not attend the conference at any cost." Ha'aretz reported that the Israeli and Palestinian negotiation teams will meet again either today or Friday, Ha'aretz reported that Secretary Rice told the Palestinians that Israel was prepared to accept a "vague mention" of permanent borders, but according to Palestinian sources, not willing to commit to the 1967 line. Ha'aretz quoted Rice as saying that while the sides are only beginning the process of negotiations, she is optimistic and that "we are showing the parties that there is a basis for moving forward." Rice was also quoted as saying that the current talks are the most serious the two sides have had about core issues in some time. Ha'aretz and Yediot Aharonot quoted President Bush as saying on Wednesday at a White House news conference that it was important for Rice to help Israelis and Palestinians make progress ahead of the international meeting. "We believe that now is the time to push ahead with a meeting at which the Israelis and Palestinians will lay out a vision of what a state could look like," Bush was quoted as saying. "And the reason why there needs to be a vision of what a state could look like is because the Palestinians that have been made promises all these years need to see there's a serious, focused effort to step up a state," the President added. The Jerusalem Post highlighted Bush's comment that the Arab nations have not done enough to encourage a Palestinian state. All media -- lead stories in all major newspapers -- reported that President Bush warned of a possible "World War III" should Iran gain the know-how to build a nuclear bomb. All media reported that PM Ehud Olmert is leaving on Thursday for Moscow to hold surprise talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following PutinQs return from Iran. In her press conference with Rice, Livni raised the idea of an additional Security Council resolution. Ha'aretz quoted former Mossad director Ephraim Halevy as saying in a lecture on Wednesday that the Iranian threat to Israel is substantive but not existential. All media reported that an IDF soldier was killed during an operation in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Ha'aretz reported that an Egyptian document distributed in Congress asserts that Egyptian soldiers cooperate with smugglers in allowing arms and military equipment into Gaza. The document was relayed to senior Israeli officials where it has served to intensify concerns about Egypt's willingness to stem the flow of weapons. Ha'aretz reported that on Wednesday Syria denied that one of its representatives at the UN admitted that IsraelQs September strike hit a nuclear installation. Ha'aretz reported that Syria gave UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon a film showing the area Israel hit. SIPDIS -------------- Secretary Rice to Israel, West Bank, October 14-18, 2007: SIPDIS -------------- Summary: -------------- Columnist, Law Professor, and former cabinet minister Amnon Rubinstein, who currently teaches at Columbia University, wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv and the conservative, independent Jerusalem Post: "Ahmadinejad will not be physically present in Annapolis, but his threats will be there, hovering above the conference table." Settler leader Israel Harel wrote in the independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: "Abbas plays the role of the poor, weak victim who must be saved from the jaws of Hamas, and Israel will be asked to foot the bill of the rescue. The price will be more than even the most left-leaning side of Zionism can afford." Diplomatic correspondent Shimon Shiffer wrote in the mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "When he enters the Kremlin today, the Prime Minister will convey an unequivocal message to the Russian President: When Iran has nuclear weapons and Syria procures advanced weapons systems, Israel will have to consider reacting to these threats." Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in Ha'aretz: "In all his speeches Olmert insists that Iran is an 'international, not an Israeli, problem.' If so, the rush to the Kremlin suggests precisely the opposite." Block Quotes: -------------- ¶I. "Ahmadinejad & Annapolis" Columnist, Law Professor, and former cabinet minister Amnon Rubinstein, who currently teaches at Columbia University, wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv (10/12) and the conservative, independent Jerusalem Post (10/18): "Ahmadinejad will not be physically present in Annapolis, but his threats will be there, hovering above the conference table. The response to these threats is to include the Palestinians in the context of a defense alliance. An alliance of this kind would minimize the existential dangers posed to Israel, compared to which the other dangers -- which do indeed exist -- are dwarfed." II. "Paying a High Price" Settler leader Israel Harel wrote in the independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (10/18): "Abbas plays the role of the poor, weak victim who must be saved from the jaws of Hamas, and Israel will be asked to foot the bill of the rescue. The price will be more than even the most left-leaning side of Zionism can afford. If it does so, it will no longer be a Jewish, Zionist state. In the future, it might not be a state at all. Therefore, even Olmert will be forced to break up the party, and the world will once again have a reason to denounce Israel for not restoring Palestinian rights. Justice lovers of the world believe that the strong must defer to the weak, and the rich to the poor. By this logic, if Israel caused the refugee problem, then it bears the responsibility of bringing them back 'home'.... Abbas's negotiating team represented the Palestinians in the meetings that led to the Oslo Accords. It is the same team that will be facing us at Annapolis. Yasser ARAFAT went to the White House to reap the profits and, eventually, the Nobel Peace Prize. This team, headed by Ahmed Qurei, has returned 15 years later to push us into a new corner." III. "Before It Is Too Late" Diplomatic correspondent Shimon Shiffer wrote in the mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (10/18): "When he enters the Kremlin today, the Prime Minister will convey an unequivocal message to the Russian President: When Iran has nuclear weapons and Syria procures advanced weapons systems, Israel will have to consider reacting to these threats.... The open dialogue between the leaders of Israel and Russia is not self-evident: Only 20 years ago any random encounter between Israeli and Russian officials at UN Headquarters in New York would have produced giant headlines in Israel. Israel hopes that the current close ties will allow Olmert to convince Putin to take into account Israel's existential concern about Iran's nuclear plan." IV. "What About National Pride?" Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in Ha'aretz (10/18): "Apparently Prime Minister Ehud Olmert did not learn this lesson from Sharon. His rushed trip to the Kremlin today, for a meeting with Putin immediately following his visit to Iran, does not reflect Israeli national pride. It hints of pressure and concern and bowing before Russian power. And if Olmert thought that Putin does not pay attention to these details, he had an opportunity to hear on Wednesday from US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about her embarrassing visit to Moscow last week.... In all his speeches Olmert insists that Iran is an 'international, not an Israeli, problem.' If so, the rush to the Kremlin suggests precisely the opposite.... The Prime Minister believes that Putin is dealing with Iran cautiously, and in spite of his favorable declarations in Tehran, he is delaying the delivery of nuclear fuel to the plant at Bushehr. Olmert will probably try to strengthen this dual approach in Russia's foreign policy. The statements of President George W. Bush that nuclear weapons in Iran may lead to World War III show that Israel is not alone in the struggle and that it has an important ally in the White House. But Israel appears to be trying to place its concerns before the international community." JONES