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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 TEL AVIV 002140 
 
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 
 
Please note: no Israel Media Reaction Monday, April 12, 
Last Day of Passover holiday. 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶1. Iraq 
 
¶2. Mideast 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Iraq and the American entanglement continued dominating 
the Israeli press. All media reported about the two 
East Jerusalem Israeli-Arabs who were kidnapped in 
Iraq. The two were apparently working for a North 
Carolina aid organization (RTI), which won a contract 
from USAID for rehabilitation of the local government 
in Iraq.  The kidnapping opens a debate in Israel 
regarding Israel's responsibility towards East 
Jerusalem Palestinian residents. Israel Radio reported 
that the P.A. promised to try and assist the two 
hostages. The media also reported about the kidnapping 
of Japanese citizens, a Canadian and a UK citizen. 
 
Israel radio quoted Secretary of State Colin Powell as 
telling a Senate subcommittee that the U.S. does not 
now plan to cut loan guarantees to Israel because of 
the barrier it is building through Palestinian areas in 
the West Bank. 
 
All media reported that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has 
formally asked the Likud election chief to set the 
party's referendum on his unilateral disengagement plan 
before the end of this month.  The unexpected move has 
angered the right-wing faction in the Likud party, 
which claims that PM Sharon is using this holiday month 
(many national speeches) and the coming visit to 
Washington in order to assist him win the referendum. 
 
All media cited from NSA Condoleezza Rice testimony 
before the commission investigating the 9/11 terror 
attacks. Rice defended the administration against the 
allegations made by Richard Clarke charging that 
President George Bush had failed to take threats of an 
al-Qaida attack seriously. 
 
Jpost reported that the National Unity Coalition for 
Israel, an umbrella group representing millions of 
Christians across the U.S., have issued an "Action 
Alert" against PM Sharon's disengagement plan. 
 
Leading media cited Abdel Aziz Rantisi, the new Hamas 
leader, calling for the formation of a "national 
salvation government" consisting of representatives of 
all Palestinian factions. 
 
In an interview to Yediot Minister Of Defense Shaul 
Mofaz said that the U.S.'s victory in Iraq is essential 
for world peace. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that the IDF has lately changed its 
policy and stopped returning the bodies of armed 
Palestinians killed in clashes with security forces to 
their families and started burying them in Israel.  The 
decision was made as a mean of deterrence and the will 
to have negotiating cards for worst-case scenarios. 
 
Ha'aretz quoted Hamas' spokesmen as saying that despite 
ongoing negotiations between them and P.A. officials 
they have no intention joining the P.A. in its current 
constellation. 
 
Ha'aretz exclusively interviewed a Syrian intelligence 
officer, an ex-spy against Israel, as revealing that 
Syria has details and photos on the Dimona nuclear 
reactor. 
 
Maariv and Ha'aretz reported that the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has 
cancelled its scheduled participant in the Israeli 
Space Agency's convention next month due to what seems 
to be security concerns.  The Minister of Science and 
Technology Eliezer (Modi) Sandberg was quoted as saying 
that this was a political decision. 
 
Roni Shaked interviewed P.A. Chairman Yasser Arafat for 
Yediot.  In the interview Arafat declared that he is 
willing to have an immediate cease-fire and renew 
negotiations. 
 
-------- 
¶1. Iraq: 
-------- 
 
                       Summary: 
                       -------- 
 
Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev 
Schiff wrote on page one of independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz: "The degree of American success will be 
determined not only by military plans, but also in 
keeping with the way in which the Americans will try to 
prevent a joint Sunni-Shiite uprising.  A continued 
increase in the number of casualties among the Iraqi 
civilian population will make it harder and harder for 
the Americans to achieve this objective." 
 
Chief Economic Editor and senior columnist Sever 
Plotker wrote in mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot 
Aharonot: "The American determination in Vietnam paid 
off; the Soviet leadership was convinced it couldn't 
forcefully impose communism on Asia.  It is not certain 
that this will happen in Iraq." 
 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in 
Ha'aretz: "If I were in [President Bush's] shoes, I'd 
send Saddam Hussein back to Iraq.  He would know how to 
organize the mess in no time." 
U.S. expert and Middle East lecturer Professor Ethan 
Gilboa wrote in mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot 
Aharonot: "In the U.S. the pressure on Bush is growing 
to face his people and the world in order to explain 
what he intends to do beyond saying the known and worn 
clich: 'we will not let terror win'." 
 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------ 
 
¶1. "The Iraqi Mud, The Israeli Concern" 
 
Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev 
Schiff wrote on page one of independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz (April 9): "Israel cannot sit by indifferently 
in the face of the current events in Iraq.  Key 
individuals who are dealing with the future of the 
region ... concur that the results of the military 
campaign in Iraq will also influence Israel and will 
also have an effect on the degree of security felt by 
countries in the region over the coming years.... It is 
common belief in Israel that an intensification in the 
fighting could lead to a civil war and an attempt on 
the part of the Iranians to intervene and replace the 
Americans.... As U.S. elections draw closer, the more 
effort the radical elements in Iraq will make to strike 
at the American forces, cause more casualties and 
intensify their guerrilla and terror war.... The degree 
of American success will be determined not only by 
military plans, but also in keeping with the way in 
which the Americans will try to prevent a joint Sunni- 
Shiite uprising.  A continued increase in the number of 
casualties among the Iraqi civilian population will 
make it harder and harder for the Americans to achieve 
this objective." 
 
¶2. "Facing a New War" 
 
Chief Economic Editor and senior columnist Sever 
Plotker wrote in mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot 
Aharonot (April 9): "Without intending to do so, the 
U.S. soldiers found themselves facing a battle not 
against Saddam's junky army but against the Muslim 
jihad army.... If they surrender, give-up, they will 
pave the way before the jihad brigades to Riyadh, Doha 
and Amman.  As it seems, the comparison between Iraq 
and Vietnam is not exaggerated.  In Vietnam the 
Americans tried to stop the Soviet communism, In Iraq 
they are trying to stop the Muslim jihadism.  The 
American determination in Vietnam paid off; the Soviet 
leadership was convinced it couldn't forcefully impose 
communism on Asia.  It is not certain that this will 
happen in Iraq." 
¶3. "Organizing the Mess" 
 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in 
Ha'aretz (April 9): "The resemblance between our 
invasion of Lebanon and America's invasion of Iraq is 
amazing.  Our soldiers were welcomed with cheers and 
rice; their soldiers were greeted with shouts of joy 
and the smashing of Saddam statues.  We wanted to 
create a new order in Lebanon; they wanted to create a 
new order in Iraq.  Within a short time, in our case 
and theirs, the Shiites woke up and the invading armies 
became targets of attack.  Commissions of inquiry were 
appointed, in Israel and America.  Both here and there, 
they called it another Vietnam.  We pulled out without 
achieving a thing, and Bush is still in there, mired in 
a sea of blood from which no good will come.  If I were 
in his shoes, I'd send Saddam Hussein back to Iraq.  He 
would know how to organize the mess in no time." 
 
¶4. "Leave the Clich Behind" 
 
U.S. expert and Middle East lecturer Professor Ethan 
Gilboa wrote in mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot 
Aharonot (April 9): "If the situation in Iraq would 
cause Bush's failure in the coming elections, the 
"Spain syndrome" might strengthen: terror that is 
followed by exchange of leaders in countries that 
supported the war.  This syndrome might reach Blair in 
Britain, Berlusconi in Italy and other leaders who 
supported the U.S.   This outcome might encourage all 
Islamic terror factions to mock the weak western 
liberal democracies and to enhance their efforts to 
hurt them.... This week Bush left to his Easter 
vacation in his farm in Texas but this is no time for 
vacation but for hard work.  Bush should recruit all 
forces -- including the EU and the UN -- for an effort 
to stabilize Iraq.  In the U.S. the pressure on Bush is 
growing to face his people and the world in order to 
explain what he intends to do beyond saying the known 
and worn clich: 'we will not let terror win'." 
 
----------- 
¶2. Mideast: 
----------- 
 
                       Summary: 
                       -------- 
 
Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev 
Schiff wrote in independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: 
"[PM Sharon's] insistence that Israeli actions be 
completely unilateral will eventually lead to 
increasing international involvement, which could get 
Israel entangled in imposed solutions." 
 
 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------ 
 
"Beware of International Involvement" 
 
Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev 
Schiff wrote in independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz 
(April 9): "It turns out that the person whose 
awareness has been most affected in the terrorist war 
of the past two years is Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. 
Proof of this is his decision to withdraw from the Gaza 
Strip, a unilateral step because, he says, Israel has 
no Palestinian partner.  But his insistence that 
Israeli actions be completely unilateral will 
eventually lead to increasing international 
involvement, which could get Israel entangled in 
imposed solutions." 
LEBARON