This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TEL AVIV 001575 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
NSC FOR NEA STAFF 
 
JERUSALEM ALSO FOR ICD 
LONDON ALSO FOR HKANONA AND POL 
PARIS ALSO FOR POL 
ROME FOR MFO 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IS KMDR MEDIA REACTION REPORT
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
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SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶1.  March 11 Madrid Bombings 
 
¶2.  Mideast 
 
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Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
All media -- except Ha'aretz (English Ed.) -- led with 
the multiple, almost simultaneous bombings in Madrid on 
Thursday morning, in which 198 people were killed and 
over 1400 others were wounded, according to the Spanish 
government.  Yediot's banner reads: "In Europe, Too." 
The media reported that the London-based Arabic- 
language Al-Quds Al-Arabi received an e-mailed claim of 
responsibility from Al Qaida, which allegedly states 
that the organization has infiltrated "the heart of 
crusader Europe" and completed its preparations for 
terrorist attacks in the U.S.  Israel Radio reported 
that, like UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Secretary 
of State Colin Powell initially endorsed the Spanish 
government's assertion that the Basque guerrilla group 
ETA is behind the attacks, but that the U.S. 
Administration became open to other options following 
the Al-Qaida announcement.   Jerusalem Post cited PM 
Sharon's expression of "deep grief" over the attack. 
Ha'aretz notes that FM Silvan Shalom also sent his 
condolences to the government and people of Spain. 
Leading media reported that Israel is prepared to send 
aid in various forms to Spain.  Israel Radio reported 
that, due to a lack of need, the Spanish authorities 
declined an offer by an Israeli forensic team to travel 
to Madrid to help in identifying the dead. 
 
Leading media reported on Defense Minister Shaul 
Mofaz's meetings in Washington Thursday and today with 
Secretary Powell, Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense 
 
SIPDIS 
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and National Security Advisor 
 
SIPDIS 
Condoleezza Rice.  Israel Radio and Maariv reported 
that Mofaz asked for U.S. support for Sharon's 
disengagement plan, saying that this support is 
important for him (Maariv), and for the Palestinians, 
the Arab states and the EU (Israel Radio).  Maariv and 
Israel Radio reported that Mofaz told the senior U.S. 
officials he met Thursday that the conflict with the 
Palestinians could last for years and Israel must 
organize toward that possibility, because there is no 
partner on the Palestinian side.  Maariv reported that 
Mofaz told the U.S. officials: "Israel is looking 
toward a historic move" and "The moment there is a 
partner for dialogue, we will resume the negotiations 
with the Palestinians."  Israel Radio's Washington 
correspondent said: "The Americans know the Likud well, 
the disengagement plan a little less."  The radio also 
reported that Immigrant Absorption Minister Tzippi 
Livni (Likud) met with NSA Rice. 
 
The media reported that Thursday Sharon and other 
Israeli officials, including his senior aides Giora 
Eiland and Dov Weisglass, met with the three U.S. 
envoys -- Stephen Hadley and Elliott Abrams from the 
White House and William Burns from the State Department 
-- and that the meetings will continue today.  Israel 
Radio reported that FM Shalom met with the U.S. envoys 
this morning.  Yediot and other media reported that 
Sharon told the American officials that he conditions a 
substantial withdrawal from the West Bank upon a U.S. 
agreement to the annexation by Israel of settlement 
blocks in the West Bank.  Jerusalem Post quoted a 
senior diplomatic official as saying Thursday that 
Israel is seeking written assurances from the U.S. on 
the issue. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that Sharon is considering 
restricting his disengagement plan to the Gaza Strip 
only, without a concomitant withdrawal from the West 
Bank, in light of the growing opposition to the plan 
among Likud ministers.  The newspaper says that Sharon 
will explore this possibility in the next few days, as 
well as the alternative of a small, purely symbolic 
withdrawal from the West Bank.  Ha'aretz and other 
media noted that both the U.S. and Egypt have said they 
will not support the plan unless it includes a 
significant withdrawal from the West Bank.  Leading 
media quoted DAS David Satterfield as saying Thursday 
that one of the biggest questions is the scope of the 
planned withdrawal from the West Bank.  Satterfield 
also spoke about Israel's "humiliation" of the 
Palestinians. 
 
Maariv divulged further details about the outline of 
Israel's National Security Council disengagement plan. 
Yediot reported that the council has raised the idea of 
selling the Gaza Strip settlements to the World Bank. 
Maariv cited the right-wing weekly Makor Rishon, as 
quoting, in its latest issue coming out today, a senior 
source as saying that the evacuation of settlers and 
IDF soldiers from the Gush Katif bloc of settlements in 
the West Bank will start on May 1. 
 
Leading media reported that at his meeting with FM 
Shalom in Cairo Thursday, Egyptian President Hosni 
Mubarak promised to secure the border with Israel with 
Egyptian border police.  Mubarak repeated this 
assurance in interviews with the regional 
correspondents of the three Israeli TV channels. 
Mubarak emphasized that any unilateral move should be 
made in accordance with the road map.  Maariv reported 
that Mubarak will send two delegates to the Knesset 
ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Israel- 
Egypt peace treaty -- former ambassador to Tel Aviv 
Mohammed Bassiouny and Mustapha Faki, the Chairman of 
the Egyptian Senate's Foreign Affairs Committee. 
Hatzofe reported that the Cairo Opera has been 
presenting for some time an inciting anti-American 
production. 
 
Jerusalem Post reported that Thursday the High Court 
extended a freeze on the construction of a section of 
the security fence northwest of Jerusalem for another 
six days, pending a hearing on a petition lodged by 
Palestinian villagers in the area. 
 
Maariv reported that the defense establishment is 
considering immunizing Israelis against smallpox, and 
that the Home Front Command could recommend that 
Israelis get small and inexpensive masks granting a 20- 
minute protection period from chemical and biological 
materials. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that a delegation of Likud members 
met with senior Jordanian officials at the Movenpick 
hotel, on the Jordanian shore of the Dead Sea, where 
the Geneva Accord had been drafted.  The Jordanians 
reportedly asked the Likud members to tell Sharon that 
Jordan views a public announcement by Israel that 
Jordan is not the country of the Palestinians as 
extremely important.  Ha'aretz quoted Deputy 
Employment, Industry and Trade Minister Michael Ratzon, 
who took part in the talks, as saying that the Left 
does not have a monopoly on dialogue initiatives. 
 
All media reported that the police have arrested a 
possible fourth member of the "new Jewish terror 
underground" that planned and carried out attacks 
against Israeli Arabs in the Haifa area -- Alexander 
Rabinovich, 22, from Haifa. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that under new legislation awaiting 
approval from the U.S. Senate (an amendment to Title VI 
of the Higher Education Act, already passed by the 
House of Representatives), researchers from all over 
the world -- including Israel -- could be asked to 
present their positions on U.S. policy before 
participating in advanced studies programs at U.S. 
universities. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that at a meeting last week with 
ministers and representatives of agencies involved with 
immigration, Sharon stated his goal of bringing 1 
million Jews to Israel in the next few years. 
 
----------------------------- 
¶1.  March 11 Madrid Bombings: 
----------------------------- 
 
                       Summary: 
                       -------- 
 
Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev 
Schiff wrote on page one of independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz: "Anyone who objects to what the terrorists 
did Thursday in Madrid cannot at the same time justify 
or overlook similar acts of terror against other 
nations." 
Chief Economic Editor and senior columnist Sever 
Plotker wrote on page one of mass-circulation, 
pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "Western Europe, for some 
reason, thought itself protected." 
 
Foreign News Editor Arik Bachar wrote in popular, 
pluralist Maariv: "Thursday, Spain joined the expanding 
club of victims of mega-terrorism." 
 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------- 
 
¶I.  "Madrid Is Not the End of Terrorism's Road" 
 
Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev 
Schiff wrote on page one of independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz (March 12): "Whether Thursday's terrorist 
attack in Madrid was the work of the Basque underground 
or of another terrorist organization, such as Al Qaida 
-- or perhaps even a collaborative effort -- it is 
clear that the massacre at the train station in Spain's 
capital was modeled after acts by Al-Qaida, Hamas, 
Islamic Jihad and their ilk: a massive terror attack 
against innocent civilians in the name of an ideology 
or political demand.... Israelis can empathize with the 
horror and anguish experienced yesterday by residents 
of Madrid.  The irony is that the Spanish media has for 
the last several years shown 'understanding' for 
Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians in public 
places, on buses and in railway stations, and has even 
justified such attacks.  But no political demand, 
however justified it might be, justifies such acts of 
mass murder.... Thus anyone who objects to what the 
terrorists did Thursday in Madrid cannot at the same 
time justify or overlook similar acts of terror against 
other nations." 
 
II.  "Welcome to the Real World" 
 
Chief Economic Editor and senior columnist Sever 
Plotker wrote on page one of mass-circulation, 
pluralist Yediot Aharonot (March 8): "Welcome to the 
Europe of mega-terrorist attacks.  First there was 
September 11.  Now there is also March 11.  Between one 
and the other, citizens of Indonesia, Kenya, Turkey, 
Russia and Iraq were massacred in mass terror attacks. 
But Western Europe, for some reason, thought itself 
protected.  Immune.  It won't happen to us, the 
Europeans said, we are not in terror's gun sights. 
After all, we are not part of imperialistic America or 
Russian imperialism and Zionist imperialism.  We are 
enlightened, post-modern, progressive.... Now it has 
happened to them too.... People ask, why should al 
Qaida, or some organization affiliated with it, 
slaughter civilians in Madrid commuting to work? 
Experts are quick to respond: it is because of Spain's 
participation in the war in Iraq.  What a stupid 
question and what a stupid answer.  And what was al 
Qaida's motive in murdering 3,000 Americans who came to 
work at the World Trade Center in New York?  At that 
time ... it even appeared that Bush was one of the more 
pro-Arab presidents of America.... The game of motive 
guessing leads nowhere.  There is no logic here, what 
there is is seizing opportunities to murder as many 
people as possible.  Let us pay attention to what 
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in a prophetic 
speech a week ago: he said that for him, September 11 
was a day of epiphany.  He realized that zealots had 
declared unlimited war on our world.... Europe still 
refuses to internalize what happened.  It still refuses 
to open its eyes wide and to accept the fact that as of 
this morning, every trip by any child to any school in 
Europe on public transportation is a trip into the 
heart of darkness, filled with fear and trembling.  In 
Madrid as in Jerusalem." 
 
III.  "Crossing a Threshold" 
 
Foreign News Editor Arik Bachar wrote in popular, 
pluralist Maariv (March 12): "Bin Laden did to 
terrorism of the old kind -- that of the 70s and 80s -- 
exactly what Quentin Tarantino did to the shower scene 
of Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho'.... This is only going 
to get worse, because demons of this sort feed 
themselves and compete with one another.  The next big 
target, a real irresistible temptation if you are a 
terrorist on the way to establishing your reputation, 
is the Athens Olympic Games.... Thursday, Spain joined 
the expanding club of victims of mega-terrorism. 
Israelis always feel that the understanding for what 
has accompanied them since the very beginning is 
growing, as more blood of citizens of other nations 
entering that club is being spilled.  But this is a 
double-edged sword.  Finally, everybody remembers that 
international terrorism graduated in our neighborhood." 
 
------------ 
¶2.  Mideast: 
------------ 
 
                       Summary: 
                       -------- 
 
Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev 
Schiff wrote in independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: 
"The significance of Sharon's outlook is broader -- the 
doctrine that the importance of territory is supreme 
has been called into question." 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Herb Keinon wrote on page one 
of conservative, independent Jerusalem Post: "Sharon is 
embarking on something that is completely untested, and 
he is doing it at a time when Bush least needs 
surprises." 
 
Extreme right-wing columnist Caroline B. Glick wrote on 
page one of Jerusalem Post: "The [Greater Middle East 
Initiative] is low risk and entails a potentially 
enormous payoff.  In sharp contrast, Sharon's plan is 
being advanced despite its high risks and unclear 
payoffs." 
 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------- 
 
¶I.  "Hints of Change?" 
 
Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev 
Schiff wrote in independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz 
(March 12): "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's 
disengagement plan has not been finally formulated, but 
even now it is clear that with his plan, he has 
succeeded into calling into question tactical security 
doctrines that he held and also convinced many other 
people to support.  The significant change that emerges 
from the disengagement plan is that Sharon has 
apparently concluded that the Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict has no military solution.... The trouble is 
that there is no certainty at all that the conflict 
with the Palestinians has a political solution.  This 
is what we learned during the tenures of previous prime 
ministers -- Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Ehud 
Barak.  Today, too, the big question is whether the 
current Palestinian leadership, headed by Palestinian 
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, wants to and is 
capable of arriving at a true political solution.  For 
Sharon a fundamental change has occurred with respect 
to the security importance of the Jewish settlements in 
the territories.  He is now adopting the outlook of 
Yitzhak Rabin and Haim Bar-Lev, who said that not all 
the settlements are important for the country's 
security.... The significance of Sharon's outlook is 
broader -- the doctrine that the importance of 
territory is supreme has been called into question." 
 
II.  "U.S. Planning Versus Israeli Improvisation" 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Herb Keinon wrote on page one 
of conservative, independent Jerusalem Post (March 12): 
"Israel and the U.S. are currently in the midst of an 
intense round of shuttle consultancy.... What is 
emerging from these deliberations are two very 
different styles of doing things: U.S. planning vs. 
Israeli improvisation.  The American penchant to try to 
plan for every eventuality against the Israeli tendency 
to wing it, to do things -- even very big things -- on 
the run.  Nowhere has this Israeli modus operandi been 
more apparent than in the manner in which the country 
is going about building the fence -- first build, then 
chart the route.... This time the Bush administration 
wants, is demanding, to see the details, the fine 
print.... This time around, the Americans want to leave 
as little to chance or Israeli improvisation as 
possible.  For good reason -- it's a gamble, and nine 
months before a close election, President George W. 
Bush is not in a gambling mood.  Sharon is embarking on 
something that is completely untested, and he is doing 
it at a time when Bush least needs surprises." 
 
III.  "Even Worse Than Oslo" 
 
Extreme right-wing columnist Caroline B. Glick wrote on 
page one of Jerusalem Post (March 12): "In many 
respects Oslo was better than what Sharon is currently 
advocating.... The most stunning aspect of this plan is 
the fact that it is being advanced at the same time as 
another Middle East peace plan that actually could 
bring about a long term change for the better in our 
region.  This plan, the Bush administration's Greater 
Middle East Initiative, involves pressuring Arab 
dictatorships like Egypt's to democratize.  The very 
existence of the U.S. initiative has already caused 
shockwaves throughout the Arab world.... If successful, 
it will advance U.S. national security interests in the 
region by drying up the swamps of extremism that 
flourish in the darkness of totalitarian regimes.  If 
it fails, the U.S. is no worse off than it is today. 
That is, the plan is low risk and entails a potentially 
enormous payoff.  In sharp contrast, Sharon's plan is 
being advanced despite its high risks and unclear 
payoffs.... It emboldens the Europeans and it pushes 
the U.S. into a position where in the interests of 
'progress' in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict it will 
be forced to undermine a plan that can actually bring 
peace." 
 
KURTZER