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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 TEL AVIV 000693 
 
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 
 
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SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Mideast 
 
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Key stories in the media: 
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The Jerusalem Post, Ha'aretz, and Israel Radio reported 
that Israeli officials who gathered at FM Tzipi Livni's 
office Wednesday agreed that Israel should not oppose 
humanitarian aid to Palestinians through organizations 
such as the Red Cross and the UN Relief and Works 
Agency.  The radio reported that Livni also expressed 
this view.  The Jerusalem Post wrote that the 
officials' idea is to create a distinction in the 
international arena between aid to the Palestinian 
people and its government.  Ha'aretz and Israel Radio 
quoted a Jerusalem source as saying that Israel does 
not want to cause an economic crisis and see "hungry 
children."  Ha'aretz and Israel Radio quoted Acting PM 
Ehud Olmert's adviser Dov Weisglass as saying: "It's 
like a meeting with a dietician.  We have to make them 
much thinner, but not enough to die."  In its lead 
story, Yediot reported that Israel will impose an 
"economic siege on the Hamas regime."  The newspaper 
reported that on Friday, Olmert is expected to declare 
the beginning of sanctions against the PA: in a first 
stage, the transfer of USD 45 million to the PA would 
be frozen; in a second stage, legislation would be 
enacted to prevent international fund transfers; as a 
last resort, Israel would cut off power in the PA. 
 
Ha'aretz cited a statement issued Wednesday by Hamas 
that two Hamas moderates are slated to head the new 
Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and cabinet.  The 
newspaper wrote that the decision to appoint Dr. Abed 
al-Aziz Duaik as head of the PLC and Ismail Haniyeh as 
PA prime minister is seen as capitulation to 
international pressure on the movement.  Ha'aretz 
quoted Duaik as saying Wednesday that once the new 
government was formed, Hamas would formulate its own 
peace plan, with a long-term truce with Israel.  Israel 
Radio reported that Duaik told the station that a siege 
on the PA is an anti-democratic act, and that Hamas 
members are the representatives of the Palestinian 
people and that Israel should recognize the new reality 
and the Palestinians' choice. 
Ha'aretz and Israel Radio reported that on Wednesday, 
the U.S. House of Representatives determined that U.S. 
aid should not be given to the PA if the party holding 
the majority of seats in the PLC calls for the 
destruction of Israel.  Ha'aretz said that the 
resolution has symbolic, declarative importance. 
Israel Radio reported that the U.S. Senate passed a 
similar resolution. 
 
The Jerusalem Post quoted Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice as testifying Wednesday before the 
Senate Foreign Relations Committee that U.S. tax 
dollars would not be given to a Palestinian government 
in which Hamas plays a leading role.  Ha'aretz and 
Israel Radio quoted Rice as testifying that the U.S. 
will step up its efforts to bring about democratization 
in Iran. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that James Wolfensohn, the Quartet's 
Mideast envoy, met in Moscow Wednesday with Russian 
President Vladimir Putin to discuss the tense situation 
in the Middle East following Hamas's electoral victory. 
Ha'aretz reported that Putin told Wolfensohn he was 
"very glad to have an opportunity to talk about the 
situation currently developing in the region." 
 
Citing AP, Ha'aretz quoted Jibril Rajoub, the PA's 
National Security Adviser, as saying in Cairo Wednesday 
that Hamas does not need to recognize Israel 
immediately as a condition for forming a government, 
hinting it could use recognition as a bargaining chip 
in the future.  However, Rajoub underlined that Fatah 
would not join a Hamas-led government unless it 
recognizes peace agreements with Israel and drops 
Muslim fundamentalist elements from its political 
program.  Rajoub was quoted as saying in an interview 
with Israel Radio this morning that the PA's security 
services currently under the control of the PA's 
Interior Ministry will be placed in the hands of Hamas, 
in accordance with the PA's Basic Law. 
 
The Jerusalem Post and Israel Radio reported that the 
IDF released Ahmed Haj Ali, 66, a Hamas member who was 
elected in the recent PLC elections, after serving five 
months in administrative detention. 
 
Ha'aretz, The Jerusalem Post, and Maariv reported that 
the Dalai Lama, who arrived in Israel on Wednesday, 
called for a renewed Middle East dialogue.  Ha'aretz 
quoted him as saying it was "too early to say" whether 
Israel should talk to Hamas.  He reportedly appealed to 
Hamas to turn away from violence and to approach the 
situation "more realistically." 
 
Ha'aretz and Yediot quoted Transportation Minister Meir 
Sheetrit as saying Wednesday that a number of countries 
in Europe and Asia have approved El Al planes outfitted 
with new anti-missile defense systems to enter their 
airspace.  Ha'aretz quoted Sheetrit was as saying that 
a number of African countries are poised to approve 
Israeli planes equipped with the system. 
 
Yediot reported that the Mauritanian security services 
have thwarted an attack on the Israeli Embassy in 
Nouakchott. 
 
Citing the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Jerusalem 
Post reported that Palestinian political scientist 
Khalil Shikaki, who is affiliated with Brandeis 
University, dismissed allegations that he is linked to 
Islamic Jihad and that he said he is not worried about 
attempts to persuade Jewish groups to cut him off.  The 
Jerusalem Post reported that this week, the Oxford 
University is holding an "Israeli Apartheid Week, 
hosted by the Palestinian Society. 
 
Leading media reported that Attorney General Menachem 
Mazuz decided on Wednesday that the criminal 
investigation of PM Sharon and his son Gilad regarding 
the "Cyril Kern affair" will continue despite Sharon's 
grave health condition.  Mazuz was quoted as saying 
that the prosecution has gathered significant evidence 
in the matter. 
 
Leading media quoted Iran's Ambassador to Portugal 
Mohammed Taheri as saying Tuesday in an interview on 
Tuesday with Portuguese state radio RDP: "When I was 
ambassador in Warsaw, I visited Auschwitz and Birkenau 
twice and made my calculations.  To incinerate 6 
million people, 15 years would be necessary."  The 
Jerusalem Post and Ha'aretz reported that Amitai Sandy, 
a Tel Aviv artist, has launched the Israeli Anti- 
Semitic Cartoon Contest, a challenge, led by Jews, to 
find the best cartoons, caricatures, and short comic 
strips that demonize the Jewish people.  The Jerusalem 
Post quoted Sandy as telling the newspaper that his 
intention was to challenge bigotry by using humor -- an 
approach that officials at Yad Vashem are not convinced 
is the best idea. 
 
Maariv disclosed that Israel's first nuclear accident 
took place at Rehovot's Weizmann Institute in 1956 or 
1957 and that it was silenced. 
 
Maariv reported that a gang of young Muslims tortured 
and killed a young Jew near Paris.  His body was found 
on Wednesday. 
 
A Yediot/Mina Zemach (Dahaf Institute) poll held late 
this week shows a decrease in support for Kadima and a 
rise in support for the far right: 
-"Were elections for the Knesset held today, for whom 
would you vote?"  (Results in Knesset seats -- in 
brackets, results of previous poll.) 
-Kadima 41 (43); Labor Party 20 (20); Likud 15 (15); 
Shas 10 (11); National Union-National Religious Party 8 
(6); Arab parties 9 (8); Yisrael Beiteinu 7 (8); United 
Torah Judaism 5 (6); Meretz 5 (5). 
 
 
 
Maariv printed the results of a TNS/Teleseker Polling 
Institute survey conducted Wednesday evening, which 
shows a decline in support for Kadima: 
-"Were elections for the Knesset held today, for whom 
would you vote?"  (Results in Knesset seats -- in 
brackets, results of last week's poll.) 
-Kadima 39 (40); Labor Party 20 (21); Likud 15 (15); 
Shas 10 (9); United Torah Judaism 10 (9); National 
Union-National Religious Party 9 (9); Arab parties 8 
(8); Yisrael Beiteinu 7 (7); Meretz 6 (6). 
 
Channel 10-TV and Ha'aretz published the results of a 
survey conducted Tuesday night by Prof. Camil Fuchs of 
the Amanet Group's Dialogue Institute: 
-"Were elections for the Knesset held today, for whom 
would you vote?"  (Results in Knesset seats -- in 
brackets, results of poll conducted on February 9.) 
-Kadima 40 (40); Labor Party 19 (21); Likud 13 (15); 
Shas 10 (10); National Union-National Religious Party 
10 (8); Arab parties 10 (9); United Torah Judaism 6 
(7); Yisrael Beiteinu 7 (5); Meretz 5 (5). 
Yediot wrote that the recent Gallup poll about U.S. 
opinion towards Israel and the Palestinians found that 
65 percent of Americans believe there is no chance for 
a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. 
 
-------- 
Mideast: 
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                       Summary: 
                       -------- 
 
Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized: "As 
long as Israel controls the territory and its citizens 
settle there, it must not punish the Palestinians, even 
if it doesn't like how they voted." 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in Ha'aretz: 
"The next [Israeli] government must place the problem 
of Israel's legitimacy in the forefront and invest 
every possible effort to improve Israel's image in the 
world." 
 
Nationalist writer Uri Dan commented in popular, 
pluralist Maariv: "It looks as though Putin is prepared 
to use the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to bring back 
to Russia its place in the Middle East." 
 
Liberal columnist Yael Paz-Melamed wrote in Maariv: "Of 
all the annoying cliches spouted during an election 
period, the most annoying is the one that talks about 
the unity of the people." 
 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------- 
 
¶I.  "Go For the Political Approach" 
 
Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized 
(February 16): "The Hamas victory in the elections, 
with all its drawbacks, does not free Israel of its 
responsibility for the welfare of the population.  If 
it plans to disengage from the Palestinians, it must 
withdraw from the West Bank and evacuate the 
settlements. Then it can stop providing supplies, 
electricity, water and medication as a means of 
deterrence or punishment in its struggle against its 
hostile neighbor.  But as long as Israel controls the 
territory and its citizens settle there, it must not 
punish the Palestinians, even if it doesn't like how 
they voted.  The Gaza Strip, even after the 
disengagement, is considered to form a 'single 
territorial unit' with the West Bank, according to 
agreements that obligate Israel.  Moreover, it's 
doubtful that there is political wisdom in pushing 
Hamas against the wall and shattering the cease-fire, 
which has led to relative calm over the past year. 
Olmert is subject to pressure: the Likud is accusing 
him of capitulating to Hamas and demanding that he 
cease transferring tax monies that belong to the 
Palestinians.  But Olmert would do well to take the 
election considerations into account less and give 
greater thought to the political and ethical 
responsibility he bears." 
 
II.  "Improve the Image" 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in Ha'aretz 
(February 16): "Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni says that 
today's UN would not pass the November 29, 1947, 
decision that called for the partition of the Land of 
Israel and the establishment of the State of Israel. 
Livni is pointing to a genuine problem: Israel is 
struggling to maintain its existential legitimacy as 
the Jewish state.  The question is what the Foreign 
Minister and her colleagues in the government are doing 
in the face of the danger.... Israel is losing its grip 
on important, influential parts of public opinion in 
the West, and is being shoved into the corner with 
rightist, Christian groups that preach in favor of a 
war of civilizations with Islam.  As a result, there is 
a growing gap between the Israeli interpretation of 
reality and the way Israel is perceived in the 
world.... Force is a necessary condition for the 
state's existence, but it is not a sufficient condition 
on its own.  The time has come to change priorities, 
and to give some importance to Israel being just.  That 
doesn't mean getting up and running out of all the 
territories.  Even after such a withdrawal, there will 
be things that Israel will be blamed for and accused 
of.  But the next government must place the problem of 
Israel's legitimacy in the forefront and invest every 
possible effort to improve Israel's image in the 
world." 
 
III.  "Russian Double Game" 
 
Nationalist writer Uri Dan commented in popular, 
pluralist Maariv (February 16): "Putin's grave decision 
-- inviting the heads of Hamas to the Kremlin -- 
recalls the somber days of the former Soviet Union, 
when Moscow embraced the PLO and Arafat when their 
Palestinian Charter called for the elimination of 
Israel.... The Russian Foreign Ministry's cynical 
attempt to explain Putin's move as a step that would 
demand of Hamas the cessation of terrorism and the 
recognition of Israel is only lip service.  It looks as 
though Putin is prepared to use the Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict to bring back to Russia its place in the 
Middle East.  Reports from Russia have long indicated a 
change in Putin's policy vis-a-vis his 20 million 
Muslim citizens.  The Russian President is trying to 
reassure the Muslim community by saying that the 
'Russian people is multi-ethnic.'  But he is 
simultaneously fighting Chechnyan terror and its 
supporters with all his might.... [In this context, it 
is worthwhile recalling that in early 1999, then 
foreign minister Ariel] Sharon and [then advisor to the 
prime minister in the fight against terror Meir] Dagan 
promised intelligence cooperation with the Kremlin in 
the war on terror -- with the knowledge of the U.S. 
administration." 
 
IV.  "Forget Unity" 
 
Liberal columnist Yael Paz-Melamed wrote in Maariv 
(February 16): "Of all the annoying cliches spouted 
during an election period, the most annoying is the one 
that talks about the unity of the people.... As someone 
very familiar with the level of verbal violence that 
burns up the Internet every time an article appears 
condemning the settlers' behavior, I know how stupid 
and baseless is the desire that we all be brothers. 
The curses, the vilification, even the threats, and 
mainly the unwillingness to print even one convincing 
opposing argument, is the path chosen by these 
'brothers' to react to a different world view.... All 
the soldiers, men and women, who took part in the 
evacuation of Gush Katif and were met by screams and 
cures, with the word Nazis not being the worst of them, 
know that we have to stay silent and move on.   There 
is consolation from both sides: there will be no civil 
war [literally war of brothers in Hebrew] here.  Not 
only because we are not brothers, but because those 
that are capable of starting such a war are so few, 
that the maximum they can do is to set up a few 
underground cells, burn a few cars, attack Arabs, but 
that's all.  They don't have the power, they don't have 
the support and they don't have the means.  To the same 
degree, looking from the other side, there will be no 
unity here.  It is our fate to be part of the same 
Israeli people, part of the same Jewish faith.  That is 
hard enough in itself.  We also have to send our 
children to the army to defend us from radical 
settlers, to pay taxes so we can fund the illegal 
outposts in the heart of Palestinian towns.  To ask for 
anything beyond would be wild exaggeration, and we 
should therefore drop it.  Enough already, forget 
unity." 
 
JONES