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

191115Z Oct 05

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TEL AVIV 006124 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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 
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL FOR POLAD/USIA ADVISOR 
COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE FOR PAO/POLAD 
COMSIXTHFLT FOR 019 
 
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.  Mideast 
 
¶2.  Global Economy 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Ha'aretz reported that PA Chairman [President] Mahmoud 
Abbas is expected to demand U.S. intervention in 
halting Israeli construction and dismantling illegal 
outposts in the West Bank when he meets President Bush 
Thursday at the White House.  The newspaper cited the 
hope of Israeli officials that the meeting will boost 
Abbas's status in the PA, and that he will be welcomed 
in a very positive light.  Ha'aretz also cited the 
belief of Israeli officials that the meeting will not 
produce any surprises that could weaken Jerusalem's 
position in future talks.  The newspaper details the 
differences between the U.S. and Israel on issues to be 
discussed at the Bush-Abbas talks: the participation of 
Hamas in the Palestinian legislative elections; 
supplying weapons and ammunition to the Palestinians; 
and measures to ease the lives of the Palestinians. 
Jerusalem Post reported that a source in the Prime 
Minister's Office told the newspaper that Israel 
expects President Bush to take a firm stand against 
terrorism when he meets with Abbas.  Jerusalem Post 
reported that on the eve of Abbas's visit to 
Washington, the PA announced that it has no intention 
of disarming Hamas or other armed groups. 
 
All media (lead story in Hatzofe) quoted State 
Department Spokesman Sean McCormack as saying Monday, 
"We would ask the Israeli Government and we have asked 
the Israeli Government, as you know, in the past, to 
take steps to ease the daily plight of the Palestinian 
people."  The statement came in the wake of travel 
restrictions imposed on the Palestinians by the IDF 
following Sunday's terrorist attacks in the West Bank. 
The media quoted McCormack as saying, "We would hope 
that all sides take into account the potential 
ramifications of whatever steps that they do take and 
keep their eye on the ultimate objective which we all 
know and all sides share of two states living together 
side by side in peace and security."  According to 
Yediot, the U.S. expects Israel not to respond to 
"small" terrorist attacks.  Jerusalem Post quoted 
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mark Regev as saying: "In 
Israel, we have no desire to a return of daily attacks 
against Israeli civilians.  We want to send a very 
strong and sharp message to the Palestinians, and the 
temporary suspension of talks is that message." 
 
Maariv and Israel Radio reported that the IDF's Central 
Command is expanding its plan to build separate roads 
for Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank, in 
order to achieve a complete separation between the two 
populations in the territories. 
 
Leading media reported that at their meeting in Paris 
on Tuesday, Abbas and Lebanese PM Fuad Siniora 
denounced the flow of illegal weapons and terror groups 
into Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.  Jerusalem 
Post reported that over 240 Fatah activists in the Gaza 
Strip resigned on Tuesday "in a move that is likely to 
deepen division in Abbas's ruling party." 
 
Major media cited a story in the German weekly Der 
Stern, according to which the UN team investigating the 
assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri has 
found that Syrian President Bashar Assad's brother-in- 
law and Syrian intelligence chief Gen. Assef Shawkat is 
the main suspect in the murder.  Israel Radio also 
reported that today, UN envoy to Lebanon Terje Roed- 
Larsen will present to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan 
a report about Syria's continued involvement in 
Lebanon. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that NATO and Israel agreed in 
principle to post a senior IDF navy intelligence 
officer permanently at the military alliance's southern 
headquarters in Naples.  The deal is yet to be approved 
by the GOI. 
 
Maariv reported that Noam Chomsky, the Jewish American 
linguistics expert and critic of U.S. and Israeli 
foreign policy, was named the world's top public 
intellectual, according to a poll released on Tuesday 
by the British magazine Prospect/Foreign Policy. 
 
Ha'aretz, Maariv, and Israel Radio reported that Shmuel 
Levy, an Israeli diamond merchant who is also an AmCit, 
disappeared after traveling to Athens on business more 
than a week ago.  Levy entered Greece on his U.S. 
passport.  Ha'aretz reported that the Greek police 
believe that the motive behind his disappearance could 
be either nationalist or criminal, and that they are 
investigating all possibilities.  Ha'aretz wrote that 
the U.S. Embassy in Athens is also taking action to 
find the missing man. 
 
Yediot reported that the annual Corruption Perceptions 
Index of Transparency International, a global NGO 
devoted to combating corruption, which was made public 
on Tuesday, ranked Israel in the 28th place among 159 
countries, with a grade of 6.3  (10 being "highly 
clean" and 0 "highly corrupt").  Yediot notes that 
Israel ranked 18th on the list in 2002, with a 7.3 
grade. 
 
All media reported on, and Yediot bannered, former 
Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's trial, which is due to 
start today in Baghdad. 
 
Maariv cited a Washington Post story, according to 
which the Israeli company Foxcom is suspected of 
involvement in a corruption scandal in Washington. 
According to The Washington Post, Foxcom paid USD 
280,000 to the Jewish American lobbyist Jack Abramoff 
in order to install antennae on the roof of the U.S. 
Congress. 
 
All media reported that the first case of avian 
influenza was reported in Greece, and raised the 
possibility that the pandemic could reach Israel. 
 
------------ 
¶1.  Mideast: 
------------ 
 
                       Summary: 
                       -------- 
 
Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized: 
"Israel ... is obligated to use an appropriate degree 
of caution fighting terrorism.  Such an attitude is 
guided not by vengeance for a terrible terrorist 
attack, but rather by the need to build a powerful 
Palestinian partner that will be capable of replacing 
Israel in this war." 
 
Veteran op-ed writer and assistant to the late prime 
minister Yitzhak Rabin Eytan Haber opined in the lead 
editorial of mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot 
Aharonot: "Arik Sharon handed [the Palestinians] a gift 
on a golden platter, and they spit (fire) at him." 
 
Conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: 
"Abbas should be told, simply, that if he doesn't take 
real action, he will not be propped up.  This is a 
critical test of America's resolve to defeat terrorists 
-- not just some terrorists, but all terrorists." 
 
Nationalist, Orthodox Hatzofe editorialized: "If the 
U.S. administration does not care for the Israeli 
norms, perhaps we should adopt their norms." 
 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------- 
 
¶I.  "A Partner in the War on Terror" 
 
Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized 
(October 19): "In the absence of magical solutions to 
eliminate terrorism, the Defense Minister has elected 
to reinstate harsh measures that were in practice 
during the worst days of the Intifada, such as barring 
Palestinians from driving on main roads in private 
vehicles.... These measures rely on the assumption that 
there is nobody reliable on the Palestinian side, and 
that apparently also will be the assessment Abbas hears 
in his upcoming meeting with the President of the 
U.S.... Abbas's difficulties in thwarting all attacks 
while the occupation remains in effect throughout the 
West Bank do not call for Israel's forgiving attitude 
toward terrorists, but do demand viewing Abbas as a 
worthy partner in the anti-terror campaign: a partner 
who appears to be willing to adopt the old adage that 
you should fight terrorism as if there were no peace 
process, and advance the peace process as though there 
were no terrorism.  Israel, which drew optimism from 
the political developments in the territories in recent 
months, therefore is obligated to use an appropriate 
degree of caution fighting terrorism.  Such an attitude 
is guided not by vengeance for a terrible terrorist 
attack, but rather by the need to build a powerful 
Palestinian partner that will be capable of replacing 
Israel in this war." 
II.  "What a Messed Up People (the Palestinians)" 
 
Veteran op-ed writer and assistant to the late prime 
minister Yitzhak Rabin Eytan Haber opined in the lead 
editorial of mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot 
Aharonot (October 19): "Beyond the tragedy of the 
Etzion Bloc, the problem of our terrible neighbors, 
whom we did not choose, once again faces us.  After 100 
years of terror and blood, the Palestinians are still 
missing every opportunity to establish a state, and 
appear as a collection of gangs with no law and no 
judge, where every gun holder is a prime minister and a 
Supreme Court justice in his own right.  A band of 
corrupt officials and money gatherers, and what should 
be their government and authority looks more like a 
circus performance in a madhouse.  One cannot help but 
mull over their bitter fate: what a messed up people. 
How is it that they did not succeed in producing a 
leader -- one, just one -- who would take them out of 
darkness into the great light.  Arik Sharon handed them 
a gift on a golden platter, and they spit (fire) at 
him." 
 
III.  "No More Excuses" 
 
Conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized 
(October 19): "Once Israel's guard is lowered, more 
carnage can only be expected.  The only surprising 
aspect about Sunday's slaughter was that it didn't 
occur earlier.  The PA claims, without substantiation, 
to have foiled 17 terror plots.  But there have been 
numerous attempts, which Israel fortunately managed to 
preempt via operations that only earned it vehement PA 
condemnation and international rebuke.  However, with a 
number of roadblocks abandoned and Palestinian traffic 
unhindered, it was only a matter of time that luck 
would run out.... Just as it is naive to believe that 
groups like Hamas can be talked into disarming, it is 
naive to expect Abbas to do more than talk unless he is 
forced to do so.  More lives, both Israeli and 
Palestinian, will continue to be lost until Abbas has 
no choice but to take the admittedly difficult steps he 
has been avoiding to date.  The United States and 
Europe, by threatening to withhold their financial 
assistance, have the power to insist that the old 
excuses are no longer acceptable.  Abbas should be 
told, simply, that if he doesn't take real action, he 
will not be propped up.  This is a critical test of 
America's resolve to defeat terrorists -- not just some 
terrorists, but all terrorists." 
 
IV.  "With Thanks to the United States" 
 
Nationalist, Orthodox Hatzofe editorialized (October 
19): "The U.S. administration issued a statement that 
contains implicit criticism of the restrictions imposed 
on Palestinian movement on the roads of Judea, Samaria 
and Gaza [i.e. the territories], or more precisely 
[criticism] of the policy that separates Jewish traffic 
from Palestinian traffic.  Restrictions on Jewish 
movement in Judea, Samaria and Gaza have existed for 
years, and are considered obvious.... It is good that 
the US administration behaved this way, for perhaps 
Israel should adopt the American norms in this area, 
for example [those in force] in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
In these countries, [soldiers manning] the American 
roadblocks shoot every day, usually to death, innocent 
civilians who approach the roadblocks.  This U.S. 
policy does not exist only in regions of tension.  For 
example, when demonstrations were held recently in the 
Philippines against the American presence, the 
Americans announced in advance that at certain points, 
demonstrators who approach the fences of the bases 
would encounter live fire.  They indeed approached, and 
indeed encountered.  Therefore, if the U.S. 
administration does not care for the Israeli norms, 
perhaps we should adopt their norms." 
 
------------------- 
¶2.  Global Economy: 
------------------- 
 
                       Summary: 
                       -------- 
 
Chief Economic Editor and senior columnist Sever 
Plotker wrote in mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot 
Aharonot: "Will the Americans be forever able to eat 
other people's savings?  Of course they won't." 
 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------- 
 
"It's the Economy, Stupid" 
 
Chief Economic Editor and senior columnist Sever 
Plotker wrote in mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot 
Aharonot (October 19): "Contrary to everything that has 
ever been taught about development economy, poor China 
has become the rich United States' greatest financial 
provider.... The U.S. economy has never been as 
dependent upon the good will of the senior officials of 
the Chinese Communist Party and the [Persian Gulf] 
emirates.... If the Chinese change their ways and 
decide to buy dollars, not even God and his 
representative on earth -- Alan Greenspan -- will be 
able to save the dollar from a debacle.... Will the 
Americans be forever able to eat other people's 
savings?  Of course they won't.  The inevitable 
adaptation will happen.  The standard of living in the 
U.S. will have to decline.  This means tightening belts 
... cuts, and social and economic crying." 
 
JONES