Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TELAVIV92
2009-01-13 11:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tel Aviv
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UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000092
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 MACDIL AFB FL FOR POLAD/USIA ADVISOR
COMSOCEUR VAIHINGN GE FOR PAO/POLAD
COMSIXTHFLT FOR 019
JERUSAEM 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:
--------------
Gaza Crisis
--------------
Key stories in the media:
--------------
Leading media reported that yesterday PM Ehud Olmert sent a message
to a number of world leaders that Israel wants to see a diplomatic
move through Egypt that would lead to a cessation of arms-smuggling
into Gaza, before the Gaza operation enters its third phase. The
Jerusalem Post and other media quoted PM Olmert as saying yesterday
that the Security Council Resolution passed on Friday calling for an
immediate cease-fire in Gaza was a source of embarrassment for
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who helped prepare it but
ultimately was ordered to back down from voting for it and abstain.
Media also cited OlmertQs claim that the blow delivered to Hamas is
Qunprecedented.
All media quoted Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh as saying yesterday in a
televised speech that his organization would cooperate with
initiatives for a cease-fire and an opening of the crossings in
Gaza. However, Haniyeh said that Hamas would also continue to fight
against the Qoccupation forcesQ of Israel. An Israel Radio
commentator noted that Haniyeh did not use the term Qcease-fire,
which is widely cited in the Israeli media.
Major media quoted President Bush as saying yesterday that QIsrael
has a right to defend herself. I am for a sustainable cease-fire.
And a definition of a sustainable cease-fire is that Hamas stops
firing rockets into Israel.... The choice is HamasQs to make.Q The
Jerusalem Post reported that some in Israel are wondering whether
BushQs support for Israel during these last years has been only
rhetoric. Israel Radio said that presumptive Secretary of State
Hillary ClintonQs Senate confirmation hearings will give an
indication of the Obama administrationQs foreign policy intentions.
Israel Radio reported that an IDF officer was wounded in a
booby-trapped house. Media reported yesterday that one IDF soldier
was injured seriously and three others lightly by friendly fire.
Israel Radio reported that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will
come to the region today in an effort to promote a cease-fire. The
Jerusalem Post quoted Western diplomatic sources as saying that
Turkey is playing a key role in the talks because Hamas -- due to
its tensions with Egypt -Q currently has more confidence in Turkey
than it does in Egypt.
The media reported that yesterday the Knesset Central Elections
Committee (CEC) disqualified Arab parties Balad (National Democratic
Assembly) and United Arab List (UAL) from running in FebruaryQs
elections. The CEC overwhelmingly accused those parties of
incitement, supporting terrorist groups, and refusing to recognize
IsraelQs right to exist. Major media assessed that the High Court
of Justice is unlikely to uphold the ban.
Maariv reported that Israel is active in two channels in efforts to
plug the arms smuggling through the Philadelphi corridor: through
Egypt and through the U.S./NATO. The Jerusalem Post and other media
reported that yesterday Defense Minister Director General Pinchas
Buchris made an unplanned trip to Washington for talks with the
Pentagon about a wide range of issues, including the Iranian nuclear
threat and the ongoing IDF operation. Buchris will also ask the
Americans for technical information on a rapid-fire cannon it is
interested in purchasing to protect strategic installations from
Qassam rockets.
HaQaretz and Yediot quoted the American human rights organization
Human Rights Watch as saying this week that Israel is making illegal
use of phosphor bombs in Gaza. Israel Radio quoted IDF
Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi as saying before the
KnessetQs Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the IDF only
uses internationally accepted weapons.
The Jerusalem Post cited Attorney General Menachem MazuzQs warning
that Israel was preparing for a wave of international lawsuits
related to IDF operations in Gaza.
Maariv and The Jerusalem Post reported that the IDF intends to set
up a field hospital for Palestinians.
Israel Radio and other media reported that this morning shots were
fired at Israeli border policemen from across the Jordanian border.
The radio cited JordanQs denial of the incident.
The Jerusalem Post reported that yesterday, mounting their fifth
attempt to enter the Free Gaza group -Q an organization of
pro-Palestinian activists that opposes the ongoing blockade of Gaza
-Q departed Cyprus, carrying humanitarian supplies, doctors,
lawyers, and 16 journalists from international news organizations.
Reporters from Sky News-TV, the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeeera-TV, and
SpainQs El Mundo newspaper are among some of the boatQs
media-affiliated passengers. The Jerusalem Post also blasted what
it said was universal negative media coverage of the Gaza operation,
particularly by TIME Magazine and The Miami Herald.
Leading media reported that thousands of people demonstrated in
support of Israel on ManhattanQs 42nd Street on Sunday. Media
reported that scuffles broke out between Palestinian supporter and
counter-demonstrators in Times Square.
Maariv reported that academics in Ontario have decided to boycott
Israel.
HaQaretz reported that 300,000 illegal foreign workers are now in
Israel, reaching the level attained before the large-scale expulsion
early in this decade.
Maariv and The Jerusalem Post quoted Russian politician Garry
Kasparov as saying in a Wall Street Journal article that Russian PM
Vladimir Putin is exacerbating IsraelQs conflicts with the Arabs and
Iran in order to save Russia from an economic collapse that could
jeopardize his status.
Leading media reported that preliminary tests show that there is
natural gas in the sandy layer beneath the sea floor at the Tamar
offshore drill site, 90 km west of Haifa.
HaQaretz reported that the America Israel Cultural Foundation is in
danger of closing following the loss of $30 million of its endowment
to the Madoff fraud.
--------------
Gaza Crisis:
--------------
Summary:
--------------
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized: QAs the days
pass, there is growing concern that Operation Cast Lead is
undergoing a process of politicization, and that the internal power
struggles are undermining the ability of the transition government
to reach an agreement.
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in Ha'aretz: QI
feel sorry for the people of Gaza, but I feel even sorrier for the
civilian population of southern Israel, which has been bombarded by
rockets for the last eight years.
Senior columnist Nahum Barnea wrote on page one of the
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: QInstead of seeking an
exit strategy, [Olmert] is seeking a success strategy -- to continue
to expand the military pressure.
Chief Economic Editor Sever Plotker wrote in Yediot Aharonot: QOf
course Israel can win.... [But] we don't want to win. Official
Israel does not want to wipe out the Hamas government in Gaza.
Security and intelligence affairs commentator Amit Cohen wrote in
the popular, pluralist Maariv: QWhat might be construed as public
differences of opinion or cracks in Hamas unity attests more
accurately to the doublespeak, the double game that Hamas is
playing.
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: Q[Egypt]
must, finally, overcome its inhibitions vis-a-vis its own Islamists
and take real action to stop arms trafficking. Alternatively, it
must allow an empowered multi-national military presence on its soil
to do the job.
Amnon Rubinstein, Law Professor at the Interdisciplinary Center and
a former education minister from Meretz, wrote in The Jerusalem
Post: QThe Security Council's decision was good for Israel and we
foolishly missed it.
Block Quotes:
--------------
I. "The Danger of Politicization"
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (1/13): QAs the
days pass, there is growing concern that Operation Cast Lead is
undergoing a process of politicization, and that the internal power
struggles are undermining the ability of the transition government
to reach an agreement.... Despite the excessive use of force, which
is inflicting heavy losses and damage to the civilian population in
the Strip, the operation is garnering a consensus among public
opinion makers. The government and most of the opposition supported
the war against Hamas, and they expressed the widespread feeling
among the public that this is an Qinvoluntary war,Q whose objectives
are defined and agreed upon. This pervasive mood, which has
followed the combat troops and has eased the burden on the residents
on the home front, has grown more potent in light of the readiness
on the part of the decision-makers to disassociate the war from the
election campaign and to put off criticizing their colleagues until
quieter days prevail. Only now a row has plowed through the barrier
of silence, and the settling of political scores has begun on the
backs of IDF soldiers and residents of the south, as if there were
no tomorrow. The shrill voices need to be cast aside in favor of
the formulation of a responsible, sober policy, which will yield a
cease-fire as soon as possible.
II. "Strong Nerves and Crocodile Tears"
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in Ha'aretz
(1/13): QI feel sorry for the people of Gaza, but I feel even
sorrier for the civilian population of southern Israel, which has
been bombarded by rockets for the last eight years.... I feel sorry
for the Color Red sirens that send our citizens on a mad dash for
shelters, if there are any, in the hopes of finding cover within 15
seconds. I feel sorry about the homes that have been damaged, the
cities that have been drained of their citizens and the schools hit
by rockets that were miraculously empty at the time.... If Israel
had not acted now, we would have woken up one morning to find
missiles in Tel Aviv, special delivery from Iran via the Philadelphi
tunnels. Operation Cast Lead is not a reprisal raid but a defensive
war meant to clip Hamas's wings before it surprises us with a
Palestinian version of the Yom Kippur War. It's not our fault we
have a strong, well-run army and state-of-the-art weaponry. What
did Hamas think? That we were going to sit around twiddling our
thumbs forever?.... Operation Cast Lead is one of the most justified
of Israel's wars, to use Ariel Sharon's turn of phrase.... The Hamas
regime has lost its trappings. It has been exposed as an empty
vessel in the eyes of the people who voted it into power. Its
leaders are hiding, leaving the Palestinians in a lurch. One day
they will pay for it, I'm sure. As for us, we have no objective
reason to put pressure on the government right now. Despite the
defense minister's cold feet, strong nerves are the army's ABCs,
ensuring that every step is calculated with care and no irreversible
mistakes are made as the reservists enter Gaza.
III. "OlmertQs Move"
Senior columnist Nahum Barnea wrote on page one of the
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (1/13): QFrom the first
day of the operation the decision-makers, including Barak and Livni,
have been troubled by the question of how and when do we finish this
thing. Olmert is now seeking to take a different route. Instead of
seeking an exit strategy, he is seeking a success strategy -- to
continue to expand the military pressure.... [At a meeting with
mayors of southern cities yesterday, Ehud Olmert] spoke about the
Qiron fist of the Israeli people.Q QWe will continue to strike with
all our might,Q he promised. QThe fighting spirit in the people is
enormous. The army is doing a wonderful job. The Shin Bet is doing
a wonderful job. Now is the time in which willpower -- ours and
theirs -- is measured.Q Something has happened to him in between
the speech that he delivered to the cabinet on the eve of the
operation, a glum speech that was full of blood, sweat, and tears,
and the stern and optimistic speech he gave yesterday. At the end,
the mayors learned what he truly felt. QDonQt expect any thanks or
appreciation for your work,Q he said. QTwo years from now no one is
going to remember.Q Why two years, one of them asked. Is there
going to be another war in another two years?
IV. "Israel Doesn't Want to Win"
Chief Economic Editor Sever Plotker wrote in Yediot Aharonot (1/13):
QTIME Magazine contended this week that Israel could not defeat
Hamas. As usual, TIME is wrong. Of course Israel can win. Hamas
is not a mass national liberation movement of the Palestinian
people: it is a tiny Islamic-fascist organization that forcibly took
over a desperate region and turned it into the nightmare of an
Islamic state. Is there no efficient way to defeat Hamas? There
is. For example, for every Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip,
bomb Hamas headquarters in Damascus. For example, for every Qassam
rocket at Israel, assassinate a Hamas leader, either a military one
or a QcivilianQ one. Israel put down the second Intifada not by
bombing cities and neighborhoods and Palestinian refugee camps, but
by the gradual and systematic assassination of those who led terror.
Back then, we wanted to win. Now, we don't want to win. Official
Israel does not want to wipe out the Hamas government in Gaza. Even
though the entire world, including the Arab world, has given us
permission to do this. It even begged us to do this, on condition
that an ocean of Palestinian blood not be spilled. But we are
disappointing them: We are both spilling an ocean of blood and not
intending to win. Perhaps because of the upcoming elections, who
knows.... The Israeli leadership is making an historic mistake,
which could be fatal. This is a cancerous growth that has to be
removed in time.... If we don't defeat Hamas now, but only Qrespond
savagelyQ and take punitive action -- not with intent but in deed --
against the Palestinian civilian population, Israelis will be
considered savages that have no place among civilized people, and
Hamas will emerge the winner.
V. QSofter Tone, Same Content
Security and intelligence affairs commentator Amit Cohen wrote in
the popular, pluralist Maariv (1/13): QWhen Ismail Haniyeh began his
speech yesterday, one might have forgotten that just a few hours
before Hamas had threatened to derail the entire process. Within a
very short period of time the Hamas leaders presented conflicting
positions. While the delegation to Cairo, to which representatives
from Gaza were also party, scornfully rejected the Egyptian
initiative, the Hamas prime minister in Gaza, Haniyeh, announced
that he embraced that initiative warmly. But what might be
construed as public differences of opinion or cracks in Hamas unity
attests more accurately to the doublespeak, the double game that
Hamas is playing.... If Hamas agrees to an unconditional cease-fire,
the damage that will be caused to its image will set it back by
years. That is why Hamas, even though it is eager for a cease-fire,
feels that it is more important for it to achieve a cease-fire from
a position of power or, at the very least, to be in a position in
which the Gazan public will believe the lie.
VI. QEgypt at the Crossroads
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (1/13):
QHosni Mubarak's regime failed to make the cessation of smuggling
its own priority. While on the one hand, it didn't want Hamas to
grow ever stronger, it didn't, on the other hand, want to be seen as
collaborating with Jerusalem against Hamas. Trying to have it both
ways has now come back to bite the regime. It inadvertently helped
create the explosive situation that forced Israel into Operation
Cast Lead. Egypt is in a bind. Its own national interest isn't far
from Israel's, yet it dare not inflame its domestic Islamist
opposition, the Muslim Brotherhood, which is closely tied to Hamas.
It is understandably loath to allow a free flow of Gazans -- who
might have Brotherhood or Iranian ties and stir up more unrest
inside Egypt. Keeping the current situation on a low flame may
strike Egypt as the least distasteful of a poor menu of choices.
Yet it is a recipe for further bloodshed. If the Philadelphi
Corridor isn't permanently secured, another -- worse -- round of
warfare is inevitable. It would leave Hamas approaching Hizbullah
in strength and posing an even greater risk of destabilization
within Egypt. Egypt stands at a fateful crossroads. It must,
finally, overcome its inhibitions vis-a-vis its own Islamists and
take real action to stop arms trafficking. Alternatively, it must
allow an empowered multi-national military presence on its soil to
do the job. Either way, Egypt ought to desire the most effective
supervisory mechanism, one it can oversee and coordinate, thereby
cementing its status as regional leader.
VII. QSaying QNoQ Was a Mistake
Amnon Rubinstein, Law Professor at the Interdisciplinary Center and
a former education minister from Meretz, wrote in The Jerusalem Post
(1/13): QLast Friday, the Security Council decided by a vote of 14
for and one (U.S.) abstention on an immediate and durable cessation
of hostilities. Almost instinctively, the Israeli cabinet said 'no'
to the decision. Had Israel accepted the decision, there would
have been two possibilities: The Hamas would either accept it and
cease its shelling or, alternatively, it would have ignored the
decision and continue to target Israel's south. In the latter case,
the war would have continued, but the burden for its continuation
would fall squarely and directly on Hamas, a criminal organization
which is responsible for the war in the first place. Israel would
have improved her international standing, which was gravely hurt
both in public opinion and among friendly governments who sponsored
the decision. On the other hand, had Hamas accepted the decision
and would have stopped its rockets, this would have been a victory
for Israel. After all, it was for this purpose that the whole
military operation came into being. True: Hamas would have declared
victory, but this would happen anyway.... Most important, the
Council's decision gave Israel a good point of exit from the war.
The head of IDF Intelligence described the situation in Gaza: QThe
leadership is paralyzed; Hamas military arm evades battle and there
are cracks in Hamas' position.Q This may be an overstatement, but
even if partially true, what better time for Israel to accept a
cease-fire proposal and concentrate on arrangements and guarantees
which would prevent the smuggling of arms from Egypt into Gaza? One
cannot think of a better, more opportune point of exit. Actually,
the Security Council's decision was good for Israel and we foolishly
missed it.
CUNNINGHAM
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 MACDIL AFB FL FOR POLAD/USIA ADVISOR
COMSOCEUR VAIHINGN GE FOR PAO/POLAD
COMSIXTHFLT FOR 019
JERUSAEM 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:
--------------
Gaza Crisis
--------------
Key stories in the media:
--------------
Leading media reported that yesterday PM Ehud Olmert sent a message
to a number of world leaders that Israel wants to see a diplomatic
move through Egypt that would lead to a cessation of arms-smuggling
into Gaza, before the Gaza operation enters its third phase. The
Jerusalem Post and other media quoted PM Olmert as saying yesterday
that the Security Council Resolution passed on Friday calling for an
immediate cease-fire in Gaza was a source of embarrassment for
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who helped prepare it but
ultimately was ordered to back down from voting for it and abstain.
Media also cited OlmertQs claim that the blow delivered to Hamas is
Qunprecedented.
All media quoted Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh as saying yesterday in a
televised speech that his organization would cooperate with
initiatives for a cease-fire and an opening of the crossings in
Gaza. However, Haniyeh said that Hamas would also continue to fight
against the Qoccupation forcesQ of Israel. An Israel Radio
commentator noted that Haniyeh did not use the term Qcease-fire,
which is widely cited in the Israeli media.
Major media quoted President Bush as saying yesterday that QIsrael
has a right to defend herself. I am for a sustainable cease-fire.
And a definition of a sustainable cease-fire is that Hamas stops
firing rockets into Israel.... The choice is HamasQs to make.Q The
Jerusalem Post reported that some in Israel are wondering whether
BushQs support for Israel during these last years has been only
rhetoric. Israel Radio said that presumptive Secretary of State
Hillary ClintonQs Senate confirmation hearings will give an
indication of the Obama administrationQs foreign policy intentions.
Israel Radio reported that an IDF officer was wounded in a
booby-trapped house. Media reported yesterday that one IDF soldier
was injured seriously and three others lightly by friendly fire.
Israel Radio reported that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will
come to the region today in an effort to promote a cease-fire. The
Jerusalem Post quoted Western diplomatic sources as saying that
Turkey is playing a key role in the talks because Hamas -- due to
its tensions with Egypt -Q currently has more confidence in Turkey
than it does in Egypt.
The media reported that yesterday the Knesset Central Elections
Committee (CEC) disqualified Arab parties Balad (National Democratic
Assembly) and United Arab List (UAL) from running in FebruaryQs
elections. The CEC overwhelmingly accused those parties of
incitement, supporting terrorist groups, and refusing to recognize
IsraelQs right to exist. Major media assessed that the High Court
of Justice is unlikely to uphold the ban.
Maariv reported that Israel is active in two channels in efforts to
plug the arms smuggling through the Philadelphi corridor: through
Egypt and through the U.S./NATO. The Jerusalem Post and other media
reported that yesterday Defense Minister Director General Pinchas
Buchris made an unplanned trip to Washington for talks with the
Pentagon about a wide range of issues, including the Iranian nuclear
threat and the ongoing IDF operation. Buchris will also ask the
Americans for technical information on a rapid-fire cannon it is
interested in purchasing to protect strategic installations from
Qassam rockets.
HaQaretz and Yediot quoted the American human rights organization
Human Rights Watch as saying this week that Israel is making illegal
use of phosphor bombs in Gaza. Israel Radio quoted IDF
Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi as saying before the
KnessetQs Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the IDF only
uses internationally accepted weapons.
The Jerusalem Post cited Attorney General Menachem MazuzQs warning
that Israel was preparing for a wave of international lawsuits
related to IDF operations in Gaza.
Maariv and The Jerusalem Post reported that the IDF intends to set
up a field hospital for Palestinians.
Israel Radio and other media reported that this morning shots were
fired at Israeli border policemen from across the Jordanian border.
The radio cited JordanQs denial of the incident.
The Jerusalem Post reported that yesterday, mounting their fifth
attempt to enter the Free Gaza group -Q an organization of
pro-Palestinian activists that opposes the ongoing blockade of Gaza
-Q departed Cyprus, carrying humanitarian supplies, doctors,
lawyers, and 16 journalists from international news organizations.
Reporters from Sky News-TV, the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeeera-TV, and
SpainQs El Mundo newspaper are among some of the boatQs
media-affiliated passengers. The Jerusalem Post also blasted what
it said was universal negative media coverage of the Gaza operation,
particularly by TIME Magazine and The Miami Herald.
Leading media reported that thousands of people demonstrated in
support of Israel on ManhattanQs 42nd Street on Sunday. Media
reported that scuffles broke out between Palestinian supporter and
counter-demonstrators in Times Square.
Maariv reported that academics in Ontario have decided to boycott
Israel.
HaQaretz reported that 300,000 illegal foreign workers are now in
Israel, reaching the level attained before the large-scale expulsion
early in this decade.
Maariv and The Jerusalem Post quoted Russian politician Garry
Kasparov as saying in a Wall Street Journal article that Russian PM
Vladimir Putin is exacerbating IsraelQs conflicts with the Arabs and
Iran in order to save Russia from an economic collapse that could
jeopardize his status.
Leading media reported that preliminary tests show that there is
natural gas in the sandy layer beneath the sea floor at the Tamar
offshore drill site, 90 km west of Haifa.
HaQaretz reported that the America Israel Cultural Foundation is in
danger of closing following the loss of $30 million of its endowment
to the Madoff fraud.
--------------
Gaza Crisis:
--------------
Summary:
--------------
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized: QAs the days
pass, there is growing concern that Operation Cast Lead is
undergoing a process of politicization, and that the internal power
struggles are undermining the ability of the transition government
to reach an agreement.
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in Ha'aretz: QI
feel sorry for the people of Gaza, but I feel even sorrier for the
civilian population of southern Israel, which has been bombarded by
rockets for the last eight years.
Senior columnist Nahum Barnea wrote on page one of the
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: QInstead of seeking an
exit strategy, [Olmert] is seeking a success strategy -- to continue
to expand the military pressure.
Chief Economic Editor Sever Plotker wrote in Yediot Aharonot: QOf
course Israel can win.... [But] we don't want to win. Official
Israel does not want to wipe out the Hamas government in Gaza.
Security and intelligence affairs commentator Amit Cohen wrote in
the popular, pluralist Maariv: QWhat might be construed as public
differences of opinion or cracks in Hamas unity attests more
accurately to the doublespeak, the double game that Hamas is
playing.
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: Q[Egypt]
must, finally, overcome its inhibitions vis-a-vis its own Islamists
and take real action to stop arms trafficking. Alternatively, it
must allow an empowered multi-national military presence on its soil
to do the job.
Amnon Rubinstein, Law Professor at the Interdisciplinary Center and
a former education minister from Meretz, wrote in The Jerusalem
Post: QThe Security Council's decision was good for Israel and we
foolishly missed it.
Block Quotes:
--------------
I. "The Danger of Politicization"
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (1/13): QAs the
days pass, there is growing concern that Operation Cast Lead is
undergoing a process of politicization, and that the internal power
struggles are undermining the ability of the transition government
to reach an agreement.... Despite the excessive use of force, which
is inflicting heavy losses and damage to the civilian population in
the Strip, the operation is garnering a consensus among public
opinion makers. The government and most of the opposition supported
the war against Hamas, and they expressed the widespread feeling
among the public that this is an Qinvoluntary war,Q whose objectives
are defined and agreed upon. This pervasive mood, which has
followed the combat troops and has eased the burden on the residents
on the home front, has grown more potent in light of the readiness
on the part of the decision-makers to disassociate the war from the
election campaign and to put off criticizing their colleagues until
quieter days prevail. Only now a row has plowed through the barrier
of silence, and the settling of political scores has begun on the
backs of IDF soldiers and residents of the south, as if there were
no tomorrow. The shrill voices need to be cast aside in favor of
the formulation of a responsible, sober policy, which will yield a
cease-fire as soon as possible.
II. "Strong Nerves and Crocodile Tears"
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in Ha'aretz
(1/13): QI feel sorry for the people of Gaza, but I feel even
sorrier for the civilian population of southern Israel, which has
been bombarded by rockets for the last eight years.... I feel sorry
for the Color Red sirens that send our citizens on a mad dash for
shelters, if there are any, in the hopes of finding cover within 15
seconds. I feel sorry about the homes that have been damaged, the
cities that have been drained of their citizens and the schools hit
by rockets that were miraculously empty at the time.... If Israel
had not acted now, we would have woken up one morning to find
missiles in Tel Aviv, special delivery from Iran via the Philadelphi
tunnels. Operation Cast Lead is not a reprisal raid but a defensive
war meant to clip Hamas's wings before it surprises us with a
Palestinian version of the Yom Kippur War. It's not our fault we
have a strong, well-run army and state-of-the-art weaponry. What
did Hamas think? That we were going to sit around twiddling our
thumbs forever?.... Operation Cast Lead is one of the most justified
of Israel's wars, to use Ariel Sharon's turn of phrase.... The Hamas
regime has lost its trappings. It has been exposed as an empty
vessel in the eyes of the people who voted it into power. Its
leaders are hiding, leaving the Palestinians in a lurch. One day
they will pay for it, I'm sure. As for us, we have no objective
reason to put pressure on the government right now. Despite the
defense minister's cold feet, strong nerves are the army's ABCs,
ensuring that every step is calculated with care and no irreversible
mistakes are made as the reservists enter Gaza.
III. "OlmertQs Move"
Senior columnist Nahum Barnea wrote on page one of the
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (1/13): QFrom the first
day of the operation the decision-makers, including Barak and Livni,
have been troubled by the question of how and when do we finish this
thing. Olmert is now seeking to take a different route. Instead of
seeking an exit strategy, he is seeking a success strategy -- to
continue to expand the military pressure.... [At a meeting with
mayors of southern cities yesterday, Ehud Olmert] spoke about the
Qiron fist of the Israeli people.Q QWe will continue to strike with
all our might,Q he promised. QThe fighting spirit in the people is
enormous. The army is doing a wonderful job. The Shin Bet is doing
a wonderful job. Now is the time in which willpower -- ours and
theirs -- is measured.Q Something has happened to him in between
the speech that he delivered to the cabinet on the eve of the
operation, a glum speech that was full of blood, sweat, and tears,
and the stern and optimistic speech he gave yesterday. At the end,
the mayors learned what he truly felt. QDonQt expect any thanks or
appreciation for your work,Q he said. QTwo years from now no one is
going to remember.Q Why two years, one of them asked. Is there
going to be another war in another two years?
IV. "Israel Doesn't Want to Win"
Chief Economic Editor Sever Plotker wrote in Yediot Aharonot (1/13):
QTIME Magazine contended this week that Israel could not defeat
Hamas. As usual, TIME is wrong. Of course Israel can win. Hamas
is not a mass national liberation movement of the Palestinian
people: it is a tiny Islamic-fascist organization that forcibly took
over a desperate region and turned it into the nightmare of an
Islamic state. Is there no efficient way to defeat Hamas? There
is. For example, for every Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip,
bomb Hamas headquarters in Damascus. For example, for every Qassam
rocket at Israel, assassinate a Hamas leader, either a military one
or a QcivilianQ one. Israel put down the second Intifada not by
bombing cities and neighborhoods and Palestinian refugee camps, but
by the gradual and systematic assassination of those who led terror.
Back then, we wanted to win. Now, we don't want to win. Official
Israel does not want to wipe out the Hamas government in Gaza. Even
though the entire world, including the Arab world, has given us
permission to do this. It even begged us to do this, on condition
that an ocean of Palestinian blood not be spilled. But we are
disappointing them: We are both spilling an ocean of blood and not
intending to win. Perhaps because of the upcoming elections, who
knows.... The Israeli leadership is making an historic mistake,
which could be fatal. This is a cancerous growth that has to be
removed in time.... If we don't defeat Hamas now, but only Qrespond
savagelyQ and take punitive action -- not with intent but in deed --
against the Palestinian civilian population, Israelis will be
considered savages that have no place among civilized people, and
Hamas will emerge the winner.
V. QSofter Tone, Same Content
Security and intelligence affairs commentator Amit Cohen wrote in
the popular, pluralist Maariv (1/13): QWhen Ismail Haniyeh began his
speech yesterday, one might have forgotten that just a few hours
before Hamas had threatened to derail the entire process. Within a
very short period of time the Hamas leaders presented conflicting
positions. While the delegation to Cairo, to which representatives
from Gaza were also party, scornfully rejected the Egyptian
initiative, the Hamas prime minister in Gaza, Haniyeh, announced
that he embraced that initiative warmly. But what might be
construed as public differences of opinion or cracks in Hamas unity
attests more accurately to the doublespeak, the double game that
Hamas is playing.... If Hamas agrees to an unconditional cease-fire,
the damage that will be caused to its image will set it back by
years. That is why Hamas, even though it is eager for a cease-fire,
feels that it is more important for it to achieve a cease-fire from
a position of power or, at the very least, to be in a position in
which the Gazan public will believe the lie.
VI. QEgypt at the Crossroads
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (1/13):
QHosni Mubarak's regime failed to make the cessation of smuggling
its own priority. While on the one hand, it didn't want Hamas to
grow ever stronger, it didn't, on the other hand, want to be seen as
collaborating with Jerusalem against Hamas. Trying to have it both
ways has now come back to bite the regime. It inadvertently helped
create the explosive situation that forced Israel into Operation
Cast Lead. Egypt is in a bind. Its own national interest isn't far
from Israel's, yet it dare not inflame its domestic Islamist
opposition, the Muslim Brotherhood, which is closely tied to Hamas.
It is understandably loath to allow a free flow of Gazans -- who
might have Brotherhood or Iranian ties and stir up more unrest
inside Egypt. Keeping the current situation on a low flame may
strike Egypt as the least distasteful of a poor menu of choices.
Yet it is a recipe for further bloodshed. If the Philadelphi
Corridor isn't permanently secured, another -- worse -- round of
warfare is inevitable. It would leave Hamas approaching Hizbullah
in strength and posing an even greater risk of destabilization
within Egypt. Egypt stands at a fateful crossroads. It must,
finally, overcome its inhibitions vis-a-vis its own Islamists and
take real action to stop arms trafficking. Alternatively, it must
allow an empowered multi-national military presence on its soil to
do the job. Either way, Egypt ought to desire the most effective
supervisory mechanism, one it can oversee and coordinate, thereby
cementing its status as regional leader.
VII. QSaying QNoQ Was a Mistake
Amnon Rubinstein, Law Professor at the Interdisciplinary Center and
a former education minister from Meretz, wrote in The Jerusalem Post
(1/13): QLast Friday, the Security Council decided by a vote of 14
for and one (U.S.) abstention on an immediate and durable cessation
of hostilities. Almost instinctively, the Israeli cabinet said 'no'
to the decision. Had Israel accepted the decision, there would
have been two possibilities: The Hamas would either accept it and
cease its shelling or, alternatively, it would have ignored the
decision and continue to target Israel's south. In the latter case,
the war would have continued, but the burden for its continuation
would fall squarely and directly on Hamas, a criminal organization
which is responsible for the war in the first place. Israel would
have improved her international standing, which was gravely hurt
both in public opinion and among friendly governments who sponsored
the decision. On the other hand, had Hamas accepted the decision
and would have stopped its rockets, this would have been a victory
for Israel. After all, it was for this purpose that the whole
military operation came into being. True: Hamas would have declared
victory, but this would happen anyway.... Most important, the
Council's decision gave Israel a good point of exit from the war.
The head of IDF Intelligence described the situation in Gaza: QThe
leadership is paralyzed; Hamas military arm evades battle and there
are cracks in Hamas' position.Q This may be an overstatement, but
even if partially true, what better time for Israel to accept a
cease-fire proposal and concentrate on arrangements and guarantees
which would prevent the smuggling of arms from Egypt into Gaza? One
cannot think of a better, more opportune point of exit. Actually,
the Security Council's decision was good for Israel and we foolishly
missed it.
CUNNINGHAM