OMAN MEDIA REACTION: ISRAELI CHALLENGE TO PEACE IN THE

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000404 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, NEA/PI, AND INR/R/MR LONDON FOR TSOU PARIS FOR ZEYA FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR SILAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KPAO KMDR MU SUBJECT: OMAN MEDIA REACTION: ISRAELI CHALLENGE TO PEACE IN THE MIDDLE MEAST ¶1. SUMMARY: Commentaries this week focused on the scandal surrounding Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, presenting it as a diversion, likely intentionally created, to stall peace talks and progress on a Golan deal. State Arabic daily "Oman" called on Israel to initiate a prisoner exchange with Hamas and Hezbollah as a hopeful overture to normalize their relations. END SUMMARY. -------------- New Mechanisms to Equivocate -------------- ¶2. On June 2, private Arabic daily "Al-Watan" (circulation 42,000) claimed the Olmert bribery scandal is a wag-the-dog strategy to end negotiations for leaving the Golan Heights. But, the article notes, not even a scandal of this nature can derail Israel's settlement expansion. According to "Israel between the Stage of Negotiation and Continuation of Judaization": "Israeli polices become clear every time they enter a new phase of negotiations for peace in the Middle East. When pressured to sit at the negotiating table, they invent new mechanisms to equivocate. With the onset of negotiations with Syria on the Israeli withdrawal from Golan, we see political tension erupt in ISRAEL over Prime Minister Olmert. He has the authority to negotiate the final solution, but can no longer do so because of his bribery scandal. It is so obvious that his partners are trying to replace him because he started to negotiate for sacrifices in Golan." -------------- The "Olmert Spiral" -------------- ¶3. Government-owned Arabic daily "Oman" (circulation 38,000) commented on May 31 that the scandals surrounding Olmert will prevent any substantial peace progress. "Olmert Spiral ... Does it Defer all Dues?" said: "After President George Bush's visit for the 60th anniversary of Israel and his unprecedented pledges of support, the question now is:: what would make Olmert and his government work towards peace to make way for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state? If this were to happen, there will be a vital strategic shift in the region, and it would open the way for great opportunities for its people. However, there are forces in ISRAEL that do not want peace and do not want to recognize Palestinian rights. In this light, we find ourselves facing a new downward spiral in Israeli policy, possibly termed the "Olmert spiral", in which peace talks are suspended because ISRAEL is busy with Olmert issues. This spiral will stop any Israeli movement towards peace or negotiations with the Palestinians." -------------- Prisoner Exchange to Ease Tension -------------- ¶4. On May 28, "Oman" called on ISRAEL to use the opportunity of prisoner exchanges to possibly normalize relations with Hamas and Hezbollah, asking "Will ISRAEL Respond to the Pacification Efforts in Gaza?": "Hopefully, the potential exchange of prisoners of war between Israel and Hezbollah and Hamas will open the way for opportunities to calm the situation in the region. This exchange would be a step in the right direction for releasing large numbers of Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners in return for the release of the Israeli soldiers who were kidnapped in mid-2006. But, if ISRAEL continues its aggressive practices, it will miss this opportunity to ease the tension with Hamas, leading to further confrontations." GRAPPO