SPECIAL ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 002275 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: -------------- Mideast -------------- Key stories in the media: -------------- All media reported that despite Israeli lobbying efforts against the Goldstone Report, the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva is set to endorse the document on Friday, a move that will send it on to more powerful U.N. bodies in New York for action. Although it is assumed that the resolution will pass in Geneva, Israel and the Palestinians have focused on the votes of Western countries, which they view as a wider statement of legitimacy. The Jerusalem Post says that it is expected that the U.S. would vote against the resolution on the report but that it was unclear, however, whether or not the European countries would abstain or follow the United StatesQ lead. The U.K. was the only Western power with voting rights on the council to state Thursday that it would not endorse the report or the draft resolution based upon it, but that still left open the possibility of an abstention. Leading media quoted PM Benjamin Netanyahu as saying in Jerusalem lat night that he hoped that all the "responsible countries" would vote against the resolution "that encourages terrorism and harms peace." Speaking at a press conference with visiting Spanish PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the PM said that diplomatic attacks on Israel were standard and had increased since Operation Cast Lead. "It is important that responsible countries say we will not lend a hand to this; we know that Israel is right," he added. "Some, like the U.S., say this clearly. Some say it in a whisper. It is important on this matter not to whisper it. If this report will move forward in a serious manner, it will harm the peace process." Zapatero was quoted as saying that Spain will not prosecute Israelis for alleged war crimes. The Jerusalem Post quoted Israel's Ambassador to the UN institutions in Geneva Aharon Leshno Yaar as saying that the issue here was internal Palestinian politics. "Every person here knows that today's meeting is not about human rights, but an abuse of the integrity and procedures of this organization to make a point to a domestic Palestinian audience," he said. The special session, he added, was "another opportunity for the favorite and most infamous subject of some within this Council, Israel-bashing. There is a call to pass this on to other forums, to any place where politics, buried under the flag of human rights, can be waged against one state, against Israel." He defended Israel's actions in Jerusalem and accused "extremist elements" of "disseminating lies that [Israel] intend[s] to dig, or was actually digging under the Temple Mount." Israel, he said, showed "extreme restraint" in its response to Palestinian rock-throwing from an area around the mosque. He denied that the clashes that took place had anything to do with the Goldstone Report and said that during the recent month of Ramadan, over 100,000 Muslims visited the mosque on the Temple Mount without incident. Leshno Yaar said that the focus on the Goldstone Report "offers a hollow victory for those that want to sow conflict in our region. The moderate forces are weakened, not aided, by these resolutions and conflicts." Leshno Yaar noted that even PA President Mahmoud Abbas had said that during Operation Cast Lead, "the Hamas movement hid in basements. The leaders of Hamas ran away in ambulances to Sinai and left our people to bleed." He continued, "This biased and flawed report accuses Israel of war crimes for having taken action to fight against Hamas -- war criminals who openly call for our destruction, fired thousands of rockets against us and endangered their own population by hiding and fighting from within densely populated areas." The Jerusalem Post reported that yesterday in Geneva, U.S. deputy permanent representative to the Human Rights Council Douglas M. Griffiths urged the council to take a more balanced approach. He spoke against sending the report to the International Criminal Court and said that resolution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians would not happen in a courtroom, but would come from a two-state solution that provided for the peace and security of both peoples. The council must recognize both Israel's fundamental right to self-defense and the civilian casualties that resulted from the Gaza conflict, Griffiths was quoted as saying. "The report makes clear that the Gaza operation was commenced lawfully after civilians in Israel came under sustained attack by Hamas, in violation of international human rights and humanitarian law," he continued, adding that Israel was not the only country faced with the question of how to conduct warfare in a populated area. "Virtually every region of the world has similar conflict situations," he said. In contrast to the U.S., U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay endorsed the report and condemned both Israeli and Palestinian actions. The Jerusalem Post quoted PLO Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Ibrahim Khraishi as saying that the Palestinians had tried to make a conciliatory gesture toward Israel two weeks ago when it agreed to delay the council's endorsement of the report, originally set for the end of the council's 12th session. Nevertheless, Khraishi said that when Israel cracked down on Palestinians in East Jerusalem in the days that followed that gesture, the Palestinians changed their minds and called for a special session to move the matter forward. Israel, he said, had endangered the al-Aqsa Mosque by excavating underneath it. HaQaretz quoted human rights activists monitoring the West Bank as saying that despite commitments Israel made to President Obama's administration last month, widespread building activity commenced three weeks ago in at least 12 settlements. The work consists of ground preparation, pouring concrete and drilling construction foundations. This work is not part of the projects that Israel and the U.S. had reached an understanding on. PM Benjamin Netanyahu and DM Ehud Barak had agreed with the administration to complete some 2,500 housing units that were already in various stages of construction at the time. The dozen sites do not appear on the list of 492 new housing units that the defense ministry issued after Barak approved their construction. Work on these units began after the list was released. Maariv quoted diplomatic officials in Jerusalem as saying that Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the source of his countryQs tensions with Israel. The Jerusalem Post quoted PM Netanyahu as saying yesterday that Israel was QdisappointedQ by the incitement on Turkish television and that it was not Qtaking pleasureQ from the Qdirection we have seen from Ankara for some time. Meanwhile, Turkey announced that it had arrested 33 al-Qaida terror suspects in a plot to target Israelis and others. Some media noted that the timing of the announcement may not have been accidental. Israel Radio quoted senior Turkish cabinet ministers as saying that their countryQs links with Israel have always been strong and that they will continue to remain so. The media carried contradictory reports on the scope of current Israeli tourism to Turkey. HaQaretz reported on a conference held in Washington by the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute, and led by attorney Stuart Eizenstat, which brought together U.S. Jewish leaders and Dan Shapiro, Senior Director of Middle East and North Africa for the National Security Council. Natasha Mozgovaya, the dailyQs Washington correspondent, wrote: QAs could perhaps be expected, there was little agreement on the most contentious issues, such as settlements and borders, but all agreed to recommend that Obama visit Israel soon. The Jerusalem Post reported that ChinaQs Ambassador to Israel, Zhao Jun, has told the newspaper that his country is firmly opposed to an Iranian nuclear arms program. The Jerusalem Post reported that yesterday two top Israeli officials, Yitzhak Molcho and Mike Herzog, extended their stay in the U.S. top continue discussions on a potential settlement freeze and the restarting of peace negotiations. HaQaretz reported that Egypt is threatening to boycott the Union for the Mediterranean foreign ministers' conference scheduled to take place next month in Istanbul if Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, attends. The Egyptian boycott on Lieberman may lead to the conference being canceled altogether. The daily reported that Egyptian FM Ahmed Abu al-Gheit recently told his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner he would not attend the conference if Lieberman was present. The media reported that Israel dubbed videos produced by Hizbullah after the mysterious blast in a southern Lebanese village this week a Qfabrication.Q The tapes show Qmetals poles,Q which Hizbullah says are doors, being loaded from trucks. Maariv reported that SyriaQs Navy is purchasing anti-ship Yahont missiles from Russia. Sources in the Israeli defense establishment fear that such weapons may be given to Hizbullah. Leading media reported that yesterday Lebanon won a seat on the U.N. Security Council. The Jerusalem Post cited the concern of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, quoting it as saying that it expects Lebanon to show a Qspecial responsibility,Q especially on issues pertaining to its own affairs. Makor Rishon-Hatzofe reported that Jews often have a low security clearance in the U.S. Army. Maariv reported that the (American) Carling Institute has awarded its prestigious Man of the Year Prize to Israeli Rabbi Yitzhak Grossman and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Grossman is well known in Israel for his educational work with disadvantaged children. HaQaretz and Yediot reported that yesterday American actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow visited the city of Sderot, two days after visiting Gaza and meeting with Palestinian children injured during Operation Cast Lead. HaQaretz (English Ed.) cited a claim by 83-year-old Iranian-Israeli billionaire Izak Nazarian from Beverly Hills that he will engineer a change in Israel's system of government in the very near future. His group reportedly proposes a form of government closer to that of the U.S. -- instead of IsraelQs multi-part system, it is promoting a presidential system that has regional system. Nazarian and a few industrialists reportedly helped forge an alliance on restructuring the system between Kadima chairperson Tzipi Livni and her political rival, Avigdor Lieberman. -------------- Mideast: -------------- Block Quotes: -------------- ¶I. "The Noose Tightens" Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in the independent, left-leaning HaQaretz (10/16): QOperation Cast Lead in Gaza was perceived in Israel as a shining victory.... Ten months later, it seems the victory was a Pyrrhic one. Israel did not realize that the rules have changed with Barack Obama's election as U.S. president. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert timed Cast Lead to take place during the twilight period between the outgoing and incoming U.S. administrations, and rightly assumed that the incumbent, George W. Bush, would fully back Israel. However, in contrast to the Lebanon war of 2006, which ended with a cease-fire, the Gaza campaign continues being fought -- in the diplomatic arena and in public opinion -- and Israel must cope with its consequences in a less-friendly Obama era. II. "No Big Deal" Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in Ha'aretz (10/16): QAnyone who expected Obama to put Israel at the top of his priorities made a mistake. After eight months in the White House, one can see that his emissary George Mitchell has drawn a blank. But Obama has no intention of subduing Israel. He is a president who believes in dialogue but who can be resolute when necessary. For Israel's good. Netanyahu took a giant step forward when he proposed two states for two peoples. But that is not enough for them and they want more and more. To be more accurate, they themselves do not know what they want. the fact that the Palestinians are once again missing an opportunity does not free Netanyahu of the need to do everything possible to implement his plan for two states for two peoples. That is the only way for him to be recognized as Israel's leader. III. "No Big Deal" Columnist and former Meretz Party Chairman Yossi Sarid wrote in Ha'aretz (10/16): QTo force the chairman of the Palestinian Authority, of all people, to withdraw his demand for a discussion of the report -- that is an Israeli-American dictate tantamount to pressuring him to commit hara-kiri. Extortion through the use of threats has paid off, and once again there is no party to speak with, nor will there be in the near future. This is what happens when one turns a partner into a collaborator. Now efforts are being made to revive Abbas (Abu Mazen) -- there's even talk of removing two or three roadblocks to help restore his pulse. Netanyahu does not merely want to win; he also wants to humiliate. He does not merely want to stab a knife in the back, but also turn it in the stomach. Bibi understands the nature of the beast's soul -- that of Israeli public opinion, which cheers on the toreador who places his foot on the bull when it is already dead. IV. "A Big Migraine" Columnist Shmuel Rosner, who was HaQaretzQs correspondent in Washington, wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv (10/16): QThe [U.S.] administration has three key concerns regarding the [Goldstone] report: the Americans understand that Israel is under heavy pressure and the Goldstone report might be the last nail in the coffin of the Obama initiative; on the other side, they understand that Abu Mazen is under great pressure as well and that he cannot be required now to do anything that could be construed as a surrender to an American or Israeli dictate; they also have political concerns: Obama cannot afford to clash with international institutions, to humiliate them, or to ignore them, as the previous president had done. He believes in those institutions -- furthermore, he knows that his enthusiastic supporters in the United States believe in them. ¶V. QObama and the Anti-Israel Tsunami The nationalist, Orthodox Makor Rishon-Hatzofe editorialized (10/16): Q[President Obama] is guilty of having let [the world] understand that Israel is responsible for its illegitimate status and for the fact that it threatens world peace.... He kowtowed to the Muslim world in Cairo and blessed [sic] the anti-Semitic genocidal inciters in Iran. With those acts he stripped off IsraelQs diplomatic defenses. CUNNINGHAM