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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 TEL AVIV 002323 
 
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 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶1. Bush-Sharon Meeting 
 
¶2. Mideast 
 
¶3. U.S.-Israeli Relations 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Maariv cited Israeli sources from Sharon's entourage as 
confirming that the crisis in US-Israeli security 
relations recently reached a new high as Washington 
suspended Israel's participation in the JSF ("future 
fighter plane") project, in addition to imposing 
restrictions on exports of advanced technology to 
Israel.  The tension is seen as related to the Israeli- 
China drone deal.  A senior Israeli source is cited as 
hoping that "this nightmare" will be over by August, 
when the Americans are expected to complete their 
examination.  Sharon reportedly raised this issue at 
the meeting with Paul Wolfowitz, but the Israeli 
delegation would not confirm that. 
 
In a related report, Yediot Aharonot said that in the 
wake of Sharon's US visit, the US Administration is 
increasingly concerned that, should Israel become 
convinced that Iran is continuing to develop its 
nuclear capability, it might launch a preemptive strike 
against Iranian nuclear facilities.  On his part, 
Sharon gave no such indication.  The IDF Radio cited a 
Sharon interview yesterday on the Fox Network, where he 
said that Israel does not intend to attack Tehran.  He 
said that Israel and the US are sharing intelligence 
information with regard to Iran's nuclear weapons, and 
that there is very close cooperation between them. 
 
Maariv reported that, following conversations Prime 
Minister Sharon held in Washington, it appears that the 
US Administration believes that the Syrian regime is on 
the verge of collapse and that Syrian President al-Asad 
will not remain in power after Syrian troops pull out 
of Lebanon.  From those conversations, it appears that 
the Americans have already "written off" President al- 
Asad, that he is nonexistent for them, and they are 
planning for day the after his downfall and the end of 
the Alawi minority control in Damascus.  The Americans 
are cited as saying that al-Asad is a strange man who 
cannot be trusted, and that the Syrian nation is ready 
to start a democratic process.  They also worry over a 
possible collapse in Lebanon after the Syrian pullout. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that the Israel Defense Forces plan 
to build roads parallel to the existing main roads used 
by Israeli traffic in the Gaza Strip, before the 
disengagement plan gets underway. The new roads will be 
used by troops and police during the pullout 
operations.  The media have already been informed that, 
during the pullout, they will not be able to move 
around freely and will have to travel on buses provided 
by the army that will be equipped with communications 
devices.  The police and army will also set up a joint 
situation room to direct the movement of convoys in the 
Gaza Strip and at the entrance to the western Negev. 
 
Yediot Aharonot reported that after a stormy and 
charged meeting, the Gaza Coast Regional Council 
decided to act toward moving the Katif Bloc settlers to 
Nitzanim and to hold negotiations with the prime 
minister and the various government offices about 
inserting substantive changes in the evacuation- 
compensation law.  This is a groundbreaking decision, 
in which the council -- an official body of Katif Bloc 
residents -- has decided to address issues that up 
until now it has avoided on the grounds that as far as 
it was concerned, "there is no disengagement."  This 
follows the meeting last week of the secretaries of a 
number of Katif Bloc settlements with the prime 
minister, a meeting in which the "Nitzanim plan" was 
raised, and in which the settlers increased pressure on 
the council to take over responsibility for the future 
of the settlers.  The daily added that 15 Israeli 
mayors yesterday met 15 Palestinian mayors in Jericho 
and together called for a truce to stop the violence. 
 
Ha'aretz related that Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Moshe 
Yaalon and Attorney General Meni Mazuz witnessed first 
hand yesterday the mounting right wing protest of the 
disengagement plan.  After succeeding in circumventing 
the chief of staff's array of bodyguards, two right 
wing demonstrators mounted the ceremonial platform, a 
few meters away from Chief of Staff Yaalon, and tried 
to raise a sign entitled 'Jews do not expel Jews,' 
before being removed from the site.  While touring 
Hebron yesterday, Mazuz was surrounded by extreme right 
wing activists, who shouted at him. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reports that amid growing criticism 
of the PA's continued control over the Palestinian 
media, the director of Palestinian Satellite TV, Maher 
al-Rayes, resigned earlier this week, saying he was 
unable to work under the circumstances.  Meanwhile, 
Palestinian journalists in PA-controlled media on 
Wednesday threatened to stop covering news about the 
cabinet unless real reforms are made to make the media 
independent. 
 
----------------------- 
¶1. Bush-Sharon Meeting: 
----------------------- 
 
                       Summary: 
                       -------- 
Correspondent Efraim Ganor wrote in popular, pluralist 
Russian-language Novosty Nedely: "President Bush ... 
believes that straight after the [Gaza] disengagement, 
it will be possible to begin implementing the road 
map....  The conclusion is simple: after the first 
disengagement, other disengagements will follow." 
 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------- 
"Conclusions" 
 
Correspondent Efraim Ganor wrote in popular, pluralist 
Russian-language Novosty Nedely (April 14): "All that 
can be done was done in order to create an 
exceptionally friendly atmosphere [at the Bush-Sharon 
meeting].  Despite the ... pastoral environment, it was 
impossible to overlook the discrepancies between the 
two leaders' [positions], which appeared at the 
meeting....  It is unlikely that these discrepancies 
will have a serious influence on the relations between 
Bush and Sharon, but one shouldn't underestimate them 
either.... Sharon was trying to convince the President 
that the Palestinian leader was not fulfilling the 
obligations he took upon himself and hasn't done 
anything to eradicate terror organizations.... 
President Bush ... believes that straight after the 
[Gaza] disengagement, it will be possible to begin 
implementing the road map....  The conclusion is 
simple: after the first disengagement, other 
disengagements will follow." 
 
----------- 
¶2. Mideast: 
----------- 
 
                       Summary: 
                        ------- 
 
Columnist Nadav Shragay wrote in left-leaning, 
independent Ha'aretz: "Something bad is happening to 
the Israeli democracy on the way to the disengagement 
as more and more lines, differentiating between tyranny 
and a tolerant and pluralistic regime, are crossed." 
 
Middle East affairs commentator Guy Bechor, a lecturer 
at the Interdisciplinary Center wrote in mass- 
circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "Hizballah has 
been at a low for several years, ever since the Israeli 
'enemy' pulled out of Lebanon, and has been clearly 
weakening ever since Syria started pulling out.... The 
lesson for Israel is clear:  We must not fall into the 
trap.  Any military reference to Hizballah's veiled 
threats will serve them.  This might lead to a paradox, 
so typical of the Middle East, in which the enemy of 
Hizballah might actually save it from its demise." 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------- 
¶1.  "Silence, We're Disengaging." 
Columnist Nadav Shragay  wrote in left-leaning, 
independent Ha'aretz (April 14):  "Something bad is 
happening to the Israeli democracy on the way to the 
disengagement as more and more lines, differentiating 
between tyranny and a tolerant and pluralistic regime, 
are crossed.  The 'commander's spirit' which brutally 
fired cabinet ministers, cheated its voters, denied its 
political platform and party institutions, and finally 
refused to let the people vote on an unprecedented 
historic move, that spirit is now sipping down to the 
ground levels.... The media, quick to document and 
cover every violation of human rights and freedom of 
speech when they happen to Palestinians or left-wing 
activists, is denying its duty when the other side 
protests.  Over the past few months, it has even forgot 
how to ask questions.  The prime minister should have 
been asked many questions these days, but nobody does.. 
It seems that the disengagement is an end that 
sanctifies every means.  The media are willingly 
silent, and too many stand idly by and do not react to 
violence, mouth-gagging, and denying the freedom to 
speak and demonstrate -- which would have been 
intolerable any other time.  The most important thing 
is to keep it quiet.  We are disengaging." 
 
¶2.  "Who's Afraid of Hizballah?" 
 
Middle East affairs commentator Guy Bechor, a lecturer 
at the Interdisciplinary Center wrote in mass- 
circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (April 14): 
"Recently, Hizballah and its leader have been often 
described in Israel as a body that might heat up the 
northern sector and whose political and military 
struggle against Israel is at its peak.  Last week's 
launching of the pilotless drone was, therefore, 
perceived as an escalation that put the military system 
on the alert.  The truth is the exact opposite: 
Hizballah has been at a low for several years, ever 
since the Israeli 'enemy' pulled out of Lebanon, and 
has been clearly weakening ever since Syria started 
pulling out.  Hizballah members know that they would 
not be able to remain the only armed militia in Lebanon 
without the Syrian umbrella.  The Lebanese public 
opinion would not tolerate that.... The lesson for 
Israel is clear:  We must not fall into the trap.  Any 
military reference to Hizballah veiled threats will 
serve them.  This might lead to a paradox, so typical 
of the Middle East, in which the enemy of Hizballah 
might actually save it from its demise, which is 
already written on the region's walls in red letters." 
 
-------------------------- 
¶3. U.S.-Israeli Relations: 
-------------------------- 
                       Summary: 
                        ------- 
 
Columnist Larry Derfner wrote in conservative, 
independent Jerusalem Post (April 14):  "Why are 
American taxpayers giving Israel another $2.5 billion 
this year?  Why will they give Israel about the same 
$2.5 billion next year? And the year after that? And, 
barring a radical change, indefinitely?  Everybody 
knows why.  We get oceans of money from American 
taxpayers simply because we can get their elected 
representatives to give it to us..  It is time, it is 
past time, to stop asking Americans for money.  It's 
time to say thank you -- really -- for the $100 billion 
you've given us, but we're in good shape now, so 
please, keep your money, or if you want to give it 
away, give it to somebody who needs it." 
 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------- 
 
"Rattling the Cage: Welfare state" 
 
Columnist Larry Derfner wrote in conservative, 
independent Jerusalem Post (April 14):  "The recession 
is over, folks -- Israel is booming.  Finance Minister 
Binyamin Netanyahu announced it on Sunday, and while he 
was lying about how good the poor are doing, he was 
telling the truth about Israelis as a whole 
(especially, of course, the rich).... So here's my 
question: Why are American taxpayers giving Israel 
another $2.5 billion this year?  Why will they give 
Israel about the same $2.5 billion next year? And the 
year after that? And, barring a radical change, 
indefinitely?  Everybody knows why.  We get oceans of 
money from American taxpayers simply because we can get 
their elected representatives to give it to us.  The 
Israel lobby in Washington is much too powerful for 
Congress to turn down, and Israel is, after all, 
something between an ally and a satellite of America's, 
so they give us the money, no questions asked.  What 
are they going to do, say no?  But when I ask why, I 
mean how can we -- we Israelis and the American Jews 
and evangelical Christians who lobby for us -- possibly 
justify asking for this money anymore...?  Now wait, 
say Israelis and their lobbyists, most of this money we 
get from the Americans is military aid, and in a few 
years it'll be strictly military aid, and most of it 
has to be spent on US-made military goods.  So you see, 
American defense jobs depend on Israel getting this 
American foreign aid.... The Israel of 2005 can afford 
its own weapons.  It does not need American taxpayers 
to pay for them -- not anymore, and not in the likely 
future.  Israel has always said that it was only asking 
for American aid until it became economically 
independent, until it could stand on its own feet. 
Well, that day has come.  It is time, it is past time, 
to stop asking Americans for money." 
CRETZ