ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000475 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: -------------- ¶1. Mideast ¶2. U.S.-Israel Relations -------------- Key stories in the media: -------------- Yediot reported that Vice President Dick Cheney will arrive in Israel in late March for a farewell visit and to pay tribute to Israel's 60th anniversary. A few media (banner in Maariv) outlets reported that the IDF is now prepared for a large-scale operation in Gaza. Defense Minister Ehud Barak was quoted as saying on Thursday that Israel must be prepared for further escalation and if it should come to it, a large-scale ground incursion to put an end to the incessant attacks. "We are not afraid of taking such a step," Barak said. The defense minister said that Israel would strike at those responsible for the attacks and vowed that Hamas would pay for its actions. The leading Internet news site Ynet reported that Barak also sought to clarify Israel's position to regional and international leaders, among them Tony Blair and Egyptian Intelligence Minister Omar Suleiman. Ha'aretz reported that in Tokyo, PM Ehud Olmert "appeared to suggest" that a major Israeli ground operation against militants in Gaza was not imminent, saying that Israel's fight against them was a "long process" and that it had "no magic formula." However, Israel's Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying later that the violence "may leave us no choice" but to send troops back into Gaza. Yediot reported that all the terror organizations active in Gaza have started to operate joint command rooms. Hamas has placed all its units on the highest alert: All the Hamas leaders have gone underground, and the organizationQs installations and government institutions have been vacated. The imams were asked to hold a special prayer today in the Gaza mosques for the "victory of the mujahideen [fighters]," but the hospitals and clinics in the Gaza Strip are already preparing to receive a large number of casualties. Speaking on Israel Radio this morning, Meretz leader MK Yossi Beilin said that Hamas approached Israel twice via a third party, requesting a cease-fire. All media reported that on Thursday night Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved the installation in Ashkelon of the "Color Red" warning system (it will be activated today). The system has long been in use in Sderot and gives residents a few seconds to seek shelter before rockets thunder in. All media reported that 17 to 20 Palestinians were killed in IDF strikes on Thursday, including six children. The media reported that five of the children were sent to pick up Qassam rocket launchers from their launching site. Ha'aretz and other media quoted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as saying in Tokyo that the issue of rocket attacks must stop. Yediot reported that starting this morning, the security establishment will open the Gaza crossings for the transfer of goods to enable the Palestinians to fill the food warehouses, and prevent a humanitarian crisis that is liable to break out in the coming days. Israel also hopes to show the world that it does not intend to starve the residents of Gaza. Yediot reported that a GOI delegation headed by Foreign Ministry Director General Aharon Abramovitch visited Egypt on Thursday. Abramovitch reportedly told his Egyptian interlocutors that if issues related to the Philadelphi route and blocking smuggling are not raised, no real solution will be found for the Gaza problem. The newspaper reported that Egypt raised its demand to double the number of Egyptian border policemen in Sinai from 750 to 1,500. The Egyptian request to open the Rafah crossing was also raised. Yediot said that Abramovitch's visit was meant to pave the way for a meeting between FM Tzipi Livni and Egyptian FM Ahmed Ali Abu al-Gheit. Ha'aretz quoted former Foreign Ministry director-general Alon Liel as saying that Syria would like to restart peace talks with Israel immediately. Last week Liel met with Syrian Ambassador to Washington, Imad Mustafa. Ha'aretz reported that on Thursday the Israeli-Arab group Adalah petitioned the High Court of Justice to overrule a police decision barring an event to commemorate the 40-day anniversary of the death of George Habash, the founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Police told the event's organizers that the PFLP is recognized as a terrorist organization. Among other acts, its members assassinated Israeli minister Rehavam Zeevi in 2001. Ha'aretz quoted the Israeli human rights orgainzation B'Tselem as saying that 146 Palestinians have been killed by the IDF in the territories in the past two months. At least 42 of those who died were not fighting at the time and 11 were minors. Ha'aretz noted that the group also condemned Qassam rocket attacks from Gaza. Makor Rishon-Hatzofe reported that American media have started revealing that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has had ties with Muslim millionaires, terrorists, and enemies of Israel Leading media quoted the Israel Antiquities Authority as saying on Thursday that an ancient seal bearing an archaic inscription dating back to the 8th century BCE has been uncovered in an archeological excavation in Jerusalem's City of David. Over the past couple of days the media reported that on Wednesday Microsoft bought Israeli startup YaData for tens of millions of dollars. Ha'aretz said that the companies wouldn't name the final price, but YaData investors say they will see "a very nice return on their investment." Ha'aretz presented the results of a Dialog poll: "Were elections held today, for whom would you vote?" (Results in Knesset seats -- in brackets, 2006 elections results.) Likud: 35 (12); Labor Party 17 (19); Kadima: 14 (29); Yisrael Beiteinu: 12 (11); Shas: 9 (12); United Torah Judaism: 7 (6); Meretz-Yahad: 6 (5); National Union-National Religious Party: 4 (9); Arab parties: 10 (10); Social Justice (under Arkady Gaidamak) 3; Pensioners Party: 3 (7). -------------- ¶1. Mideast: -------------- Summary: -------------- Military correspondent Amos Harel and Palestinian affairs correspondent Avi Issacharoff wrote in the independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: "The decision to put Ashkelon, and its 120,000 residents, within permanent range of their rockets from Gaza may turn out to have been a mistake on [Hamas's] part." Security and intelligence affairs commentator Amit Cohen wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv: "Within Hamas, particularly among those who are defined as the 'moderate camp' headed by Ismail Haniyeh, there are people who are willing to engage in pragmatic talks with Israel." The nationalist, Orthodox Makor Rishon-Hatzofe editorialized: "Hamas is winning.... Israel's representative leadership must recover and take the necessary steps to put an end to the rocket terror, be it through deterrence or physical occupation of vital territories." Block Quotes: -------------- ¶I. "Long-Range Strikes Could Spark Invasion" Military correspondent Amos Harel and Palestinian affairs correspondent Avi Issacharoff wrote in the independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (2/29): "In another few months, when Hamas leaders find time to retrace the steps that led to a large-scale IDF operation in the Gaza Strip, it may be that they will focus on the events of this past week. The decision to put Ashkelon, and its 120,000 residents, within permanent range of their rockets from Gaza may turn out to have been a mistake on their part.... Hamas ... has adopted an extreme, uncompromising stance. Conversations with its leaders sometimes give rise to the suspicion that they are out of touch with the military reality on the ground, in which their forces are suffering more and more casualties.... Hamas is in trouble. This stems not only from the losses it is suffering, but also from a decline in its level of support among the Gazan public. The organization has been criticized in the Strip, inter alia, for the way it distributes humanitarian aid from Arab states, providing food only to its supporters. When four out of every five Gazans live below the poverty line, this is not the kind of behavior that makes Hamas popular, even if residents do not dare express their anger in public or in the media." II. "Break the Taboo and Talk" Security and intelligence affairs commentator Amit Cohen wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv (2/29): "This is considered the greatest taboo today. Talking with Hamas means recognition -- even if partial -- of the terror organization responsible for the most severe terror attacks that Israel has known. Hamas's unwillingness to recognize Israel and to try to reach a final status arrangement also makes the question almost theoretical. But within Hamas, particularly among those who are defined as the 'moderate camp' headed by Ismail Haniyeh, there are people who are willing to engage in pragmatic talks with Israel. There are no aspirations or pretensions here to a peace agreement or conciliation, only a long-term hudna [truce], for pragmatic considerations, as proposed by Sheikh Yassin back in 1996. Hamas knows that they will sacrifice the rocket fire in exchange for establishing their rule in Gaza. Israel's logic in going for such a deal with Hamas is self-evident. Gaza finally has a clear boss, which can instate order there.... On the other hand, the consensus in the political and military establishments overwhelmingly rejects any contact with Hamas. Israeli officials understand that normalizing relations with Hamas in Gaza would prevent any shred of hope, even the slimmest, for the collapse of the Islamic regime there. Such a step would eliminate Abu Mazen, Fatah and perhaps the entire political-secular stream among the Palestinians. Another fear is of an even greater military buildup of Hamas in Gaza.... Among ... released Hamas prisoners, who are ostensibly softened, nothing has changed with regard to their ideology, which remains extreme and uncompromising. They believe fervently, as only a devoutly religious person can believe, that Israel is a temporary matter. They say openly that Hamas will never recognize Israel and that there will never be peace with a Jewish-Zionist state. But a hudna is a different story, and that may be possible to achieve." III. "Hamas Is Winning" The nationalist, Orthodox Makor Rishon-Hatzofe editorialized (2/29): "The Israeli government must reconsider the grave meaning of a victory of Hamas that freely launches rockets at [Israeli] citizens. Hamas is winning. Israel's activity signals to the world that its legal status is weakening; as far as Israel's citizens are concerned, demoralization is deepening. There is a feeling of impotence in front of [Israel's] security, political, and judicial leadership that is incapable of getting together in order to provide Israelis with a proper response. Israel's representative leadership must recover and take the necessary steps to put an end to the rocket terror, be it through deterrence or physical occupation of vital territories. If this means contradicting the High Court of Justice, the Attorney General, or the international collaborators of terror, we should not constrain ourselves." -------------- ¶2. U.S.-Israel Relations: -------------- Summary: -------------- The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: "At the feverish height of a close-fought campaign, those who take on the responsibility of authoring and spreading news and analysis about Obama, and about his rivals, should redouble their guard against disseminating resonant falsehoods." Block Quotes: -------------- "Resonant Falsehoods" The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (2/29): "The debate about Sen. Barack Obama's policies on Israel is intensifying. Some opponents have distributed venomous e-mails and articles claiming he is anti-Israel and a closet Muslim, while his supporters insist that he is a staunch ally of the Jewish state.... Some of the critics are indeed false. Some of the legitimate concerns are being directly addressed by the candidate.... American voters are closely evaluating their candidates for president. Those who care passionately about Israel will try to gauge whether Obama -- and his rivals -- will take positions likely to safeguard the well-being of our state. They will look at the candidates' records, listen to their speeches, read the newspaper profiles, and compare impressions with friends. Conventional wisdoms may prove well-founded or way out of line. Few observers, to take only the latest example, would have anticipated the incumbent being regarded by the Israeli mainstream as an exemplary president given the frictions that scarred Washington-Jerusalem relations under his father. Voters have the right to expect accurate information and responsible commentary in order to reach their conclusions. At the feverish height of a close-fought campaign, those who take on the responsibility of authoring and spreading news and analysis about Obama, and about his rivals, should redouble their guard against disseminating resonant falsehoods." JONES