Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TELAVIV55
2009-01-09 11:43:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:  

ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

Tags:  OPRC KMDR IS 
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PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTV #0055/01 0091143
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 091143Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9941
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAHQA/HQ USAF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEADWD/DA WASHDC PRIORITY
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RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 4835
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 1434
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 5267
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 5641
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 4867
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 3300
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 5641
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 2478
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0703
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 9424
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 6918
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 1864
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS PRIORITY 5927
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 7928
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UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000055 

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:
--------------------------------

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000055

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. Gaza Crisis

--------------
Key stories in the media:
--------------

The media reported that yesterday three IDF soldiers were killed in
the fighting in Gaza.

Media reported that the diplomatic-security cabinet will decide this
morning whether to expand the IDFQs ground operation and send
reservists to Gaza, or agree to the cease-fire. The Jerusalem Post
quoted Israeli sources as saying that no cease-fire resolution would
be acceptable unless it ensured the establishment of a mechanism to
prevent a resumption of arms smuggling into Gaza through tunnels
under the Philadelphi Corridor from Egypt. The media reported that
Amos GiladQs mission to Cairo was unproductive, as Hamas rejected
EgyptQs cease-fire proposal. Major media reported that Egypt is not
prepared to admit forces on its side of the Gaza border. The
Jerusalem Post quoted Israeli officials as saying that they did not
see the end of the Bush administrationQs time in office as a
deadline for the military campaign in Gaza.

Israel Radio reported that last night the UN Security Council passed
a resolution urging an "immediate, durable and fully respected
ceasefire," and for Israel to withdraw from Gaza after a 14-day air
and ground offensive. The U.S. abstained from the vote. Israel
Radio reported that IsraelQs Ambassador Gabriela Shalev told the
Council: The responsibility for the current hostilities lies
squarely with Hamas. The radio quoted Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice as saying that Washington backed the text and had
abstained only because it wanted to see the results of an Egyptian
mediation effort. The radio noted that Hamass name was not
mentioned in the resolution. Yediot said that the world pushed for
the resolution, and that the U.S. yielded. Israel Radio quoted
Hamas as saying that it is not a partner to the resolution since it
was not consulted.

HaQaretz reported that the High Court of Justice is scheduled to

review today a petition from eight Israeli human rights groups who
asked the court to order the IDF to vouch for the safety of medical
teams in Gaza and allow injured people to be evacuated to medical
facilities. The Red Cross, meanwhile, has accused Israel of
delaying ambulance access to the Gaza Strip, and demanded it grant
safe access for Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances to return to
evacuate more wounded without being fired on by Israeli soldiers.
Maariv cited UNWRAQs claim that Israel has shelled an assistance
convoy. The Jerusalem Post reported that there is Qconfusion over
who fired and who helped.

Maariv highlighted President Shimon Peres role in the mediating
efforts.

Leading media reported that Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora condemned the
rocket attacks on Israel from his country yesterday, and announced
that an investigation has been launched into the incident, as
tensions heightened on the northern border.

The Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who is scheduled to visit Israel for
high-level talks Sunday, was quoted as saying in an interview with
HaQaretz: "NATO has never had a discussion about deploying forces to
Gaza; NATO is not a party to the Middle East Peace Process."
Scheffer was quoted as saying that the prospect of Israel's
membership in NATO is virtually impossible.

HaQaretz and other media reported that Attorney Nurit Elstein, the
KnessetQs legal adviser, ruled yesterday that a special majority of
80 of 120 Knesset members is required in order to postpone the
Knesset elections.

HaQaretz and Maariv reported that the presumptive secretary of
state, Hillary Clinton, will put Dennis Ross in charge of the
Iranian nuclear crisis.

HaQaretz cited an internal report drafted by IDF Intelligence that
shows that intelligence assessments on the eve of disengagement were
written to please the government.

Khader Nour Al Din, member of the political council of Hizbullah,
was quoted as saying in an interview with the Arabic-language
newspaper Kull Al-Arab that Nasrallah is confident that the victory
of Hamas would be a victory for the nation but that its failure, God
forbid, would be the end of the Palestinian case.
Abu Mujahid, spokesman of the Popular Resistance Committees, was
quoted as saying in an interview with Kull Al-Arab that the enemy
soldiers have not moved one meter within the Gaza Strip and see only
missiles and rocket but not the fighters on ground.

Maariv presented the results of a TNS/Teleseker poll on voting
intentions for the Knesset elections:
In brackets: Maariv's January 1 poll):
Likud 29 (28); Kadima: 27 (28); Labor Party: 17 (16): Yisrael
Beiteinu: 13 (12); Shas: 9 (11); Arab parties: 10 (10); United Torah
Judaism: 6 (5); Meretz: 5 (6); National-Religious Party-Jewish Home
4 (4)//.

QEleven days ago the IDF started the fight against Hamas in order to
stop rocket fire against Israel. Do you approve or are you opposed
to this operation?
Approve: 91.4%; opposed: 3.8%; 4.8% are undecided.
QThe Knesset elections are set for February 10, 12009. In light of
the fighting in Gaza, do you favor postponing them or holding them
on the scheduled date?
Postpone the elections: 48.6%; keep the scheduled date: 41%; 10.4%
are undecided.

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

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

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

Defense commentator Amir Oren wrote in the independent, left-leaning
Ha'aretz: QThe influence of the President-elect has been reflected
in the behavior of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is
trying to achieve a legacy of balance -- demonstrating a clear show
of compassion for Muslims -- as distinct from the overall legacy of
her president, George W. Bush.

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

"The Best-Laid Plans"

Defense commentator Amir Oren wrote in the independent, left-leaning
Ha'aretz (1/9): QIsrael has wasted its days of grace and is
approaching the start of the Obama administration. The influence of
the President-elect has been reflected in the behavior of U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is trying to achieve a
legacy of balance -- demonstrating a clear show of compassion for
Muslims -- as distinct from the overall legacy of her president,
George W. Bush. Rice's liaison to the next administration is her
friend retired Gen. James Jones, her security envoy to the region.
He rejected her attempts to have him assigned as her deputy, but has
agreed to serve as Obama's national security adviser. In Bush's
final two weeks, the voice being heard is that of Rice, the hands
are those of Jones, and the policy is already being coordinated with
Obama. Time is not on Israel's side.

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

2. Gaza Crisis:
--------------

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

Senior op-ed writer Akiva Eldar commented in the independent,
left-leaning Ha'aretz: QA decision to reject [the
Egyptian-French-American compromise] may, instead of causing the
collapse of Hamas rule in Gaza, bring about the crash of Abbas' rule
in the West Bank. And that will, by extension, destroy the
Roadmap.

Military correspondent Alex Fishman wrote in the mass-circulation,
pluralist Yediot Aharonot: QThe motivation [of Condoleezza Rice]
these days to take a dip in the dirty waters of the Middle East, to
put it lightly, is not particularly high.

Very liberal columnist Gideon Levy wrote in Ha'aretz: QAnyone who
justifies this war also justifies all of its crimes. Anyone who
sees it as a defensive war must bear the moral responsibility for
its consequences.

Editor-in-Chief David Horovitz wrote on page one of the
conservative, independent Jerusalem Post: QIf Hamas remains
intransigent over the weekend, signs are that a reluctant political
echelon will order a reluctant IDF leadership to send a confident
and well-trained ground force of many thousands to confront Hamas's
fighters as never before.

Arab affairs correspondent Jacky Hoogie wrote in the popular,
pluralist Maariv: QIt was Ehud Olmert who sent the airplanes, but
Mubarak who took the muck.

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


I. "No End sans Hamas"

Senior op-ed writer Akiva Eldar commented in the independent,
left-leaning Ha'aretz (1/9): QAt midnight Friday, according to
Hamas's interpretation of the Palestinian constitution, the tenure
of Mahmoud Abbas as President of the Palestinian Authority comes to
an end. The confrontation in the Gaza Strip has granted Israel the
opportunity to decide whether Abbas will lose his legitimacy before
some of his nation, or will secure continued Fatah rule in the West
Bank. The decision to adopt the Egyptian-French-American compromise
may bring an end to the fighting in the Strip and create the
conditions for the resumption of the peace process. A decision to
reject it may, instead of causing the collapse of Hamas rule in
Gaza, bring about the crash of Abbas' rule in the West Bank. And
that will, by extension, destroy the Roadmap.... Incorporating the
PA in the running of the crossings would retain Gaza as an
inalienable part of the Palestinian situation. Since its election
victory three years ago, it turns out that including Hamas in
Palestinian government is a necessary condition to solving the
problem.

II. Condoleezza's Memoirs

Military correspondent Alex Fishman wrote in the mass-circulation,
pluralist Yediot Aharonot (1/9): QAlready in the first week of
Operation Cast Lead, the State Department began the process of
searching for a mechanism to end the Israeli military operation. A
draft of an American document, which made its way to Israel already
at the end of last week, tried to tackle the issue of supervising
Philadelphi Road. The draft spoke of American involvement in the
area to a much greater degree than at present and with strict
supervision from Washington in implementing the agreements....
Defense Minister Ehud Barak fully embraced the American plan.
However, while Rice was writing the document with her right hand,
her left hand was busy writing the memoirs of her golden days at the
White House. In other words, her motivation these days to take a
dip in the dirty waters of the Middle East, to put it lightly, is
not particularly high. At first the Americans tried to pass their
plan for a cease-fire through a conference of the Arab League. That
turned out to be a bad joke. The Egyptian were not willing to play
the role which the Americans had designated for them on the issue of
smuggling. They oppose a high profile American presence on their
side of the Philadelphi Road -- a matter of national prestige and
protecting their sovereignty. And no less important: so not to
anger the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. The American plan
evaporated. The mediating ball fell back into the Egyptian court.
Sarkozy added a European touch to the American initiative and nearly
stole the show away from the Egyptians. As of now the
French-Egyptian proposal is the only one on the table. But the
Americans have not completely disappeared. They have simply
forfeited the lead and are staying backstage.

III. "The Time of the Righteous"

Very liberal columnist Gideon Levy wrote in Ha'aretz (1/9): QThis
war, perhaps more than its predecessors, is exposing the true deep
veins of Israeli society.... The unbridled aggression and brutality
are justified as exercising caution: the frightening balance of
blood -- about 100 Palestinian dead for every Israeli killed, isn't
raising any questions, as if we've decided that their blood is worth
one hundred times less than ours, in acknowledgement of our inherent
racism.... Anyone who justifies this war also justifies all of its
crimes. Anyone who sees it as a defensive war must bear the moral
responsibility for its consequences. Anyone who now encourages the
politicians and the army to continue will also have to bear the mark
of Cain that will be branded on his forehead after the war. All
those who support the war also support the horror.



IV. "Time Is Running out for an Escalation Israels Leaders Dont
Really Want"

Editor-in-Chief David Horovitz wrote on page one of the
conservative, independent Jerusalem Post (1/9): QIf Hamas remains
intransigent over the weekend, signs are that a reluctant political
echelon will order a reluctant IDF leadership to send a confident
and well-trained ground force of many thousands to confront Hamas's
fighters as never before. Israel would do so knowing that the
international Qwindow of opportunity is narrowing, that the UN
Security Council is getting impatient, and that anything resembling
Tuesday's shelling of an UNRWA school that causes heavy civilian
casualties would be terminal. Beyond that phase would lie a
full-scale invasion to overthrow Hamas and reoccupy the Gaza Strip,
involving the participation of many tens of thousands of reservists.
This was emphatically not a declared goal of Operation Cast Lead,
not least because there is no clarity whatsoever as to how the
ensuing vacuum could or would be filled.


V. QThe Guardian of Israel

Arab affairs correspondent Jacky Hoogie wrote in the popular,
pluralist Maariv (1/9): QThose who followed the debates around the
[Gaza] operation were certainly exposed to a strange development:
It was Ehud Olmert who sent the airplanes, but Mubarak who took the
muck. If Hamas survives the bloody cycle, Cairo will be the big
loser among all partners who handled the Israeli operation.... For
Arab governments, the successes of Hamas and Hizbullah in holding on
in confrontations with strong regular armies are particularly
significant in strategic terms.... Resistance will remain
unvanquished.

CUNNINGHAM