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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TEL AVIV 001575 
 
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.  Iran 
 
¶3.  Lebanon 
 
¶4.  Jonathan Pollard 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
The Jerusalem Post quoted Senator Joseph Lieberman, the 
former Democratic vice presidential candidate and a 
serving member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, 
as saying in an interview with the newspaper, whose 
full version was published today, that there is now 
solid, bipartisan American support for Israel's 
retention of the major settlement blocs as part of a 
peace settlement. 
 
Major media and Internet news web sites reported that 
Israel and the US condemned Thursday's nomination by PA 
Minister of the Interior and National Security Said 
Siam of Jamal Abu Samhadana as "the inspector general 
of the Interior Ministry and the person in charge of 
rehabilitating the security services."  Yediot and 
Israel Radio quoted State Department Spokesman Sean 
McCormack as saying that this was a "demonstration of 
the true nature and the true tactics of this particular 
Hamas-led government."  Yediot further quoted McCormack 
as saying: "What this Hamas-led government is doing, is 
standing in the way of progress towards what all 
Palestinians want, and that is a Palestinian state that 
is a stable state, that is a secure state in which the 
children of the Palestinian people today can realize a 
better future.  What they're doing is standing in the 
way of that."  Israel Radio quoted Deputy Defense 
Minister Zeev Boim as saying that Israel has a long 
account with Abu Samhadana and that it he does not 
enjoy immunity.  Leading media said that Abu Samhadana, 
the founder of the Popular Resistance Committees, was 
responsible for the October 2003 attack on a US convoy 
in the Gaza Strip, in which three Americans were killed 
and another wounded.  Ha'aretz wrote that Abu Samhadana 
is a former Fatah member who became a Hamas supporter 
during the course of the Intifada.  The leading web 
site Ynet quoted Abu Samhadana, whom it dubbed "king of 
the Qassam rockets," as saying that the PA will 
cooperate with armed militants and guide them regarding 
the defense of the Palestinian people. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that on Thursday, Siam announced the 
formation of a new armed "operational force" at his 
ministry that will constitute a police arm directly 
subordinate to him. 
 
OC Central Command Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant was quoted as 
saying in an interview with Maariv that the IDF is 
training ahead of the reoccupation of the Gaza Strip 
and that IDF troops are already active inside the 
Strip.  Ha'aretz quoted IDF General Staff sources as 
saying that it was still too early for a head-on clash 
with the PA and the Hamas government, and that Israel 
was "scoring points" in the international arena in view 
of its restraint following the suicide bombing in Tel 
Aviv.   Maariv quoted an Israeli defense source as 
saying that "in any other country Hamas members and 
their leaders would already have turned into legitimate 
targets."  Ben Caspit, the newspaper's diplomatic 
correspondent, surmised that the source was referring 
to the US. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that on Thursday, FM Tzipi 
Livni appealed to the 25 EU ambassadors in Israel to 
stay firm in their stand against dealing with Hamas 
until the organization recognizes Israel, forswears 
terrorism, and accepts previously signed agreements 
between Israel and the Palestinians. 
 
Leading media reported that on Thursday, the British 
government reassured Israel that it has not modified 
its stance regarding Hamas, despite British Foreign 
Secretary Jack Straw's call, during a visit to Saudi 
 
SIPDIS 
Arabia, to normalize relations with Hamas.  Yediot 
quoted GOI sources as saying that Straw's remarks are 
strange and that he appeared to be flattering the 
Saudis and Muslim voters in his constituency.  Yediot 
quoted the sources as saying that Straw's remarks 
utterly contradicted messages conveyed by British PM 
Tony Blair to Interim PM Ehud Olmert in the wake of the 
Tel Aviv bombing.  Maariv reported that Israeli Foreign 
Ministry sources were taking Straw's remarks into 
account, linking them to a series of moves made by 
various governments throughout the world to establish 
ties with the Hamas government.  The media reported 
that on Thursday, two Knesset members from the Israeli 
Arab faction Balad (National Democratic Assembly) met 
with Hamas members of the Palestinian Legislative 
Council (PLC).  The Jerusalem Post reported that former 
FM Shlomo Ben-Ami, in an interview with the newspaper, 
criticized calls to punish Arab MKs for meeting with 
Hamas members of the PLC. 
 
Ha'aretz and The Jerusalem Post cited news agency 
reports that on Thursday, Syria announced a series of 
measures to support the Hamas government, saying it 
would raise funds for the Palestinians and establish 
direct phone links with them.  Both newspapers wrote 
that Syrian FM Walid Mualem told reporters during a 
joint press conference with Palestinian FM Mahmoud 
Zahar: "We are not afraid of anyone in our support for 
the Palestinian cause." 
 
Maariv reported that Labor Party MK Ephraim Sneh met 
with PA Chairman [President] Mahmoud Abbas two days 
before the Tel Aviv bombing. 
 
Hatzofe quoted Palestinian sources as claiming that 
USAID continues to fund and construct several road and 
water projects in the Jericho district and the Jordan 
Valley.  Hatzofe also reported on recent alleged 
meetings between US and British diplomats and Hamas 
representatives in order to understand the Muslim 
Brotherhood's ideology. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that in an interview with 
the newspaper, Iranian-born Israeli President Moshe 
Katsav warned the people of Iran that their radical 
regime, with its insistent drive for a nuclear 
capability, poses a grave danger to global peace and 
security and that it is leading them toward the abyss. 
Katsav was quoted as saying in the interview that 
"Israel" is not against the Iranian people," and that 
he himself had "great love for Persian culture and 
history." 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that "in an unusual move," 
Judge T. S. Ellis of the US District Court in 
Alexandria, Virginia, has scheduled a second oral 
hearing on the request of former AIPAC lobbyists to 
dismiss the case against them. 
The Jerusalem Post and Yediot reported that Husam  Abu 
Baker (or A-Latif Abu-Baker), a 32-year-old Palestinian 
resident of the village of Ya'bad near Jenin, who had 
enlisted in Al Qaida, was killed a few days ago in a US 
bombardment in Afghanistan. 
 
Ha'aretz (English Ed.) reported that the United States- 
Israel Educational Foundation (USIEF), in conjunction 
with several other binational organizations, will 
convene a symposium at Kibbutz Ma'aleh Hahamisha on 
April 23-24 to discuss "The State of US-Israel 
Scientific and Technological Cooperation."  Keynote 
speakers at the event will include John Marburger 
(director of the White House Office of Science and 
Technology Policy), Eric Benhamou (chairman of 3Com), 
Aaron Ciechanover (2004 Nobel Prize laureate in 
chemistry and Technion professor), and Alan I. Leshner 
(CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of 
Science).  Both Ciechanover and Leshner are Fulbright 
alumni.  The symposium is one of a series of events 
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Fulbright 
Program in Israel, which is administered by USIEF. 
Ha'aretz (English Ed.) quoted USIEF Executive Director 
Neal Sherman as saying that while the state of US- 
Israel scientific and technological cooperation is very 
strong, there is some concern that the centrality of 
this cooperation may be eroding.  Sherman noted that 
Supreme Court President Aharon Barak is also a 
prominent Fulbright alumnus. 
 
Leading media reported that American actor Will Smith 
arrived in Israel Thursday for a brief visit. 
 
------------ 
¶1.  Mideast: 
------------ 
 
                       Summary: 
                       -------- 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Herb Keinon wrote in the 
conservative, independent Jerusalem Post: "In taking 
stock of how Olmert operates under fire, it is telling 
to see that ... [Foreign Minister Tzipi] Livni's voice 
held sway, apparently over that of the defense 
establishment." 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: "We need shortened 
lines for our own good, even if the Palestinians 
perceive it as a victory." 
 
The Jerusalem Post editorialized: "Arab Knesset members 
do themselves, their community, and their country a 
disservice in initiating overtures to enemy states, 
terrorist entities, and their leaders." 
 
Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev 
Schiff wrote in Ha'aretz: "Technological progress 
creates new possibilities for creating surprise that 
will affect the battlefield." 
 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------- 
 
¶I.  "Who Has Olmert's Ear?" 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Herb Keinon wrote in the 
conservative, independent Jerusalem Post (4/21): "In 
taking stock of how Olmert operates under fire, it is 
telling to see that on Tuesday [the day after the Tel 
Aviv suicide bombing], [Foreign Minister Tzipi] Livni's 
voice held sway, apparently over that of the defense 
establishment, where voices were raised -- as is almost 
reflexively the case -- for a harsh, widespread 
military response.  As expected, Foreign Ministry 
officials, who felt to a large degree marginalized 
during Ariel Sharon's tenure because [Silvan] Shalom's 
voice was not taken too seriously in the inner 
chambers, were thrilled with their new boss's 
influence." 
 
II.  "Until They Get Some Brains" 
 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (4/21): "Olmert must 
not be swayed by the whims of the two resistance fronts 
-- internal or external.  Continuing the disengagement 
in coordination with the Palestinian leadership is 
best.... Aim for an agreement, but if it doesn't work, 
go for second best. We didn't leave Gaza to reward the 
Palestinians but to make things easier for ourselves. 
Their objections don't have to rub off on us. We need 
to separate ourselves from them.  We need shortened 
lines for our own good, even if the Palestinians 
perceive it as a victory.  Continuing the disengagement 
is a Zionist, military and political imperative.... We 
may have to wait many more years until the problem is 
fully resolved, or until the Palestinians get some 
brains and understand what Sharon's Israel now 
understands -- that there is no peace without 
concessions, and no independent state with permanent 
borders without negotiation and compromise." 
 
III.  "Closing Loopholes" 
 
The Jerusalem Post editorialized (4/21): "The 
consequences of Hamas's continued insistent commitment 
to terrorism are clear: no negotiations, no funding, no 
safe haven within Israel from which to encourage 
extremism and, through the ongoing construction of the 
security fence in the West Bank, increasingly 
constrained access to our buses, restaurants and 
markets.  Consequences may also be relevant in dealing 
with the group of Arab Knesset members who, two days 
after the latest suicide-bomb outrage, went to meet 
with a Hamas parliamentarian from east Jerusalem.... 
Israeli Arab MKs have often sought to serve as a bridge 
of conciliation between Israelis and Palestinians -- 
and potentially usefully so when asked to play that 
role by the Israeli government.  That was emphatically 
not the case this time.... Arab MKs do themselves, 
their community and their country a disservice in 
initiating overtures to enemy states, terrorist 
entities, and their leaders." 
 
IV.  "A Different War Outline" 
 
Senior columnist and chief defense commentator Zeev 
Schiff wrote in Ha'aretz (4/21): "There is a 
fundamental change occurring among IDF officials in the 
thinking about the outline of the next war.  Israel's 
strategic situation is no longer viewed only on two 
planes -- a large war versus prevailing quiet -- but 
there are also intermediate situations that can be 
called 'limited war' or 'asymmetric war'.... The 
fundamental change in the outline is expressed in the 
fact that the likelihood of a surprise attack, as took 
place in the past on the Golan Heights and in Sinai, 
has diminished considerably.... Surprise is an 
important element in every war outline.  Technological 
progress creates new possibilities for creating 
surprise that will affect the battlefield.... Despite 
the expected cuts in the defense budget, Israel must 
not make cuts in the research and development budget 
and, more so than ever before, it must aim to be at the 
cutting edge of technology." 
 
--------- 
¶2.  Iran: 
--------- 
 
                       Summary: 
                       -------- 
 
Washington correspondent Nathan Guttman wrote in the 
conservative, independent Jerusalem Post: "Americans 
might support military action against Iran, even if it 
is carried out by an administration they do not trust 
on such issues." 
 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------- 
 
"The Pentagon's Potential Pyrrhic Victory" 
 
Washington correspondent Nathan Guttman wrote in the 
conservative, independent Jerusalem Post (4/21): "Even 
without the latest round of accusations, it is hard to 
see the Bush administration persuading the public to 
support another military operation in light of public 
opinion polls showing a constant decline in support for 
the war in Iraq and a steady increase in the number of 
Americans who think the war was a mistake 
altogether.... At the same time, however, other polls 
indicate that since the Iranian nuclear issue was 
introduced to the American public as an actual threat 
more than a year ago, there has been a steady increase 
in public interest and concern.  This fact, combined 
with Ahmadinejad's belligerent statements, could lead 
Americans to support military action against Iran, even 
if it is carried out by an administration they do not 
trust on such issues." 
 
------------ 
¶3.  Lebanon: 
------------ 
                       Summary: 
                       -------- 
 
Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized: "[UN 
envoy Terje] Larsen and UN Secretary-General Kofi] 
Annan would not have been able to advance their 
positions had they not leaned on a rare American-French 
agreement.... Larsen and Annan have correctly 
identified the only way out of the labyrinth." 
 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------- 
 
"The UN Versus Hizbullah" 
 
Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized 
(4/21): "Six years minus one month after the IDF 
completed its withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the 
UN drew the 'blue line' as the Israeli-Lebanese border, 
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan this week took the next 
required step.  Annan called on the Lebanese government 
to implement previous decisions and disarm Hizbullah -- 
an armed militia in the guise of a political and social 
movement.  Annan also demanded completing 
implementation of the Security Council resolutions to 
end the Syrian presence and influence in Lebanon.  In 
addition, Annan called to finally draw the border 
between Syria and Lebanon, which used to be one country 
(during the French Mandate).  Carrying out this demand 
may solve the ongoing crisis -- or remove Hizbullah's 
favorite excuse.... [UN envoy Terje] Larsen and Annan 
would not have been able to advance their positions had 
they not leaned on a rare American-French agreement.... 
Larsen and Annan have correctly identified the only way 
out of the labyrinth." 
 
--------------------- 
¶4.  Jonathan Pollard: 
--------------------- 
 
                       Summary: 
                       -------- 
 
Senior columnist Dan Margalit wrote in popular, 
pluralist Maariv: "[Jonathan] Pollard has no 
embarrassing information against [Pensioners' Party 
leader Rafi] Eitan." 
 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------- 
 
"The Letter That Wasn't" 
 
Senior columnist Dan Margalit wrote in popular, 
pluralist Maariv (4/21): "Jonathan Pollard is 
threatening to reveal facts embarrassing to Israel if 
Rafi Eitan of the Pensioners Party is appointed as a 
minister in the government.... Pollard has no 
embarrassing information against Eitan.... The story 
according to which Eitan had a letter from Shimon Peres 
that proves that he knew about the handling of Pollard 
is baseless.... Eitan was part of an Israeli-American 
agreement and no indictment was presented against him, 
even if he hasn't visited the US since that time.... 
Eitan and [Pollard's handler Aviem] Sella have often 
admitted that using Pollard in a friendly country was a 
mistake." 
 
JONES