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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TEL AVIV 002400 
 
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 
CDR USCENTCOM 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: 
-------------------------------- 
 
MIDEAST 
 
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KEY STORIES IN THE MEDIA: 
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MAJOR MEDIA REPORTED THAT PM EHUD OLMERT IS SLATED TO 
MEET WITH PA CHAIRMAN [PRESIDENT] MAHMOUD ABBAS IN 
PETRA, JORDAN, ON THURSDAY.  THE MEDIA SAID THAT THE 
VISIT WILL BE SYMBOLIC AND NOT MARK THE RESUMPTION OF 
ISRAEL-PA NEGOTIATIONS.  ISRAEL RADIO REPORTED THAT 
PERES WILL MEET WITH JORDAN'S KING ABDULLAH II IN PETRA 
ON WEDNESDAY.  THE FRAMEWORK OF THE MEETINGS IS A 
GLOBAL GATHERING OF NOBEL PRIZEWINNERS SPONSORED BY 
KING ABDULLAH II. 
 
ALL MEDIA REPORTED ON THE SDEROT MUNICIPALITY'S SELF- 
IMPOSED BLOCKADE TO PROTEST THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY VIS- 
A-VIS QASSAM ROCKET LAUNCHINGS FROM THE NORTHERN GAZA 
STRIP.   ALL MEDIA REPORTED THAT ISRAELI PRESIDENT 
MOSHE KATSAV AND DEFENSE MINISTER AMIR PERETZ MADE A 
SOLIDARITY VISIT TO THE CITY ON MONDAY.  THE JERUSALEM 
POST QUOTED PERETZ AS SAYING DURING HIS METING WITH 
KATSAV: "I WILL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO AVOID AN 
ESCALATION BECAUSE IT WOULD LEAD TO DAYS OF QASSAM 
BARRAGES."  ON THE OTHER HAND, MAJOR MEDIA (LEAD STORY 
IN YEDIOT) REPORTED THAT PERETZ HINTED MONDAY THAT A 
MILITARY OPERATION IN RESPONSE TO QASSAM ROCKET FIRE 
WAS AT HAND, ("WITHIN DOZENS OF HOURS THERE WILL BE A 
DRASTIC CHANGE ON THE MILITARY MATTER; NONE OF THE 
[PALESTINIAN] TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS IS SAFE.") 
MAARIV BANNERED REMARKS MADE BY VICE PM SHIMON PERES TO 
REPORTERS ON MONDAY THAT "HYSTERIA" AROUND THE QASSAM 
ROCKETS MUST CEASE.  OTHER LEADING MEDIA CITED PERES'S 
COMMENTS.  SPEAKING ON ISRAEL RADIO THIS MORNING, PERES 
CLARIFIED HIS VIEW THAT THE ARAB WORLD SHOULD NOT GET 
THE IMPRESSION THAT ISRAEL IS BECOMING HYSTERICAL. 
 
THE LEADING NEWS WEBSITE YNET REPORTED THAT 
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION 
RECENTLY VISITED ISRAEL AND SUGGESTED THAT ISRAEL 
CONTINUE ITS INVOLVEMENT IN THE NAUTILUS PROJECT, WHICH 
COULD PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM ROCKETS WITHIN TWO YEARS. 
 
YEDIOT REPORTED THAT THREE ISRAELI GIRLS WERE LIGHTLY 
INJURED ON MONDAY BY SHOTS THAT WERE FIRED AT A BUS 
THEY WERE IN NEAR THE SETTLEMENT OF OFRA. THIS WAS THE 
SECOND SHOOTING ATTACK IN THE SPACE OF A SINGLE WEEK. 
MUHAMMAD DAHLAN, ONE OF FATAH'S LEADERS IN THE 
TERRITORIES, WAS QUOTED AS SAYING MONDAY IN AN 
INTERVIEW WITH HA'ARETZ THAT OLMERT'S UNILATERAL 
WITHDRAWAL PLAN IN THE WEST BANK WILL NOT SOLVE THE 
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT AND WILL ONLY PERPETUATE 
THE BLOODY CYCLE OF VIOLENCE.  DAHLAN WAS QUOTED AS 
SAYING THAT THE WITHDRAWAL WILL BRING NEITHER PEACE NOR 
SECURITY TO ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS.  DAHLAN 
COMMENTED ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF UNILATERAL WITHDRAWAL, 
SAYING, "I'M NOT SAYING WHETHER THERE WILL BE SUICIDE 
BOMBINGS OR NOT.  BUT THE CONFLICT, THE VIOLENCE, THE 
HOSTILITY, ALL WILL REMAIN." 
 
HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT ISRAEL'S DEFENSE ESTABLISHMENT 
HAS LAID DOWN RULES FOR CONTACT WITH THE PA, UNDER 
WHICH ALL DIRECT CONTACT WITH HAMAS OFFICIALS IS 
BARRED, BUT TALKS ARE PERMITTED WITH PA FUNCTIONARIES 
NOT ASSOCIATED WITH HAMAS OVER ISSUES DEEMED ESSENTIAL 
BY BOTH SIDES.  THE IDF'S CIVIL ADMINISTRATION IN THE 
WEST BANK FORMULATED THE RULES FOR CONTACTS, WHICH WERE 
APPROVED BY BOTH FORMER DEFENSE MINISTER SHAUL MOFAZ 
AND PRESENT DEFENSE MINISTER AMIR PERETZ. 
 
THE JERUSALEM POST REPORTED THAT ISRAELI AND EUROPEAN 
TEAMS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN TALKS TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY 
ON THE QUARTET-APPROVED INTERNATIONAL FUNDING MECHANISM 
DESIGNED TO CHANNEL AID TO THE PA WHILE BYPASSING ITS 
HAMAS-LED GOVERNMENT.  THE NEWSPAPER WROTE THAT THE 
TEAMS WERE SET UP DURING THE VISIT OF EU COMMISSIONER 
FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS BENITA FERRERO-WALDNER TO 
JERUSALEM ON MONDAY.  THE JERUSALEM POST QUOTED FM 
TZIPI LIVNI AS SAYING THAT ISRAEL HAD RECEIVED MATERIAL 
OUTLINING THE MECHANISM AND WOULD "STUDY THE DOCUMENT, 
CONSULT, AND DETERMINE OUR POSITION IN THE MATTER." 
THE NEWSPAPER QUOTED A SENIOR DIPLOMATIC OFFICIAL AS 
SAYING THAT WORKING-LEVEL MEETINGS WOULD DISCUSS "MANY 
DETAILS" OF THE PLAN.  HA'ARETZ CITED FERRERO-WALDNER'S 
EXPLANATION OF THE MECHANISM.  LEADING MEDIA QUOTED 
FERRERO-WALDNER AS SAYING: "PRIME MINISTER OLMERT'S 
REALIGNMENT PLAN IS A COURAGEOUS AND IMPORTANT STEP, 
AND WE ARE AWARE OF THE TREMENDOUS DIFFICULTIES IN 
EVACUATING SETTLEMENTS."  HOWEVER, SHE ADDED: "THE EU'S 
POSITION IS THAT ANY UNILATERAL STEP, LIKE THE 
REALIGNMENT, WILL NEVER BRING LASTING PEACE TO THE 
REGION.  REAL PEACE WILL BE ACHIEVED ONLY THROUGH A 
PROCESS OF NEGOTIATIONS." 
ON MONDAY EVENING, CHANNEL 10-TV SAID THAT SHRAPNEL 
REMOVED FROM THE BODY OF A YOUNG PALESTINIAN WHO WAS 
WOUNDED IN THE JUNE 10 GAZA BEACH BLAST THAT KILLED 
SEVEN PALESTINIANS SHOWS THAT IT CAME FROM AN IDF- 
ORDNANCE 155-MM SHELL.  THE YOUNG MAN IS BEING TREATED 
IN ISRAEL.  ISRAEL RADIO CITED A STRENUOUS DENIAL BY 
THE IDF.  THE JERUSALEM POST REPORTED THAT WHILE 
STICKING TO ITS DEMAND FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN 
INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO THE BLAST, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH 
CONCEDED MONDAY NIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE 
INCIDENT THAT IT COULD NOT CONTRADICT THE IDF'S 
EXONERATING FINDINGS. 
 
YEDIOT REPORTED THAT IN A SPEECH HE DELIVERED MONDAY, 
PRESIDENT BUSH ADDRESSED THE IRANIAN PEOPLE, WARNING 
THAT IRAN WOULD FACE SERIOUS SANCTIONS IF IT CONTINUED 
TO ENRICH URANIUM.  LEADING MEDIA REPORTED THAT ON 
MONDAY, OLMERT CONVENED A "FORUM OF PRIME MINISTERS" 
(INCLUDING FORMER PMS SHIMON PERES, EHUD BARAK, AND 
BINYAMIN NETANYAHU) WHO CONSULTED ONE ANOTHER ON THE 
ISSUE OF COPING WITH IRAN'S NUCLEAR RACE.  NETANYAHU 
REITERATED HIS VIEW THAT REGARDING SOME ISSUES, THERE 
IS NO COALITION OR OPPOSITION.  SPEAKING ON ISRAEL TV 
ON MONDAY, BARAK SAID THAT ALTHOUGH ISRAEL IS THE 
STRONGEST POWER IN THE REGION, THE ARRAY OF THREATS IT 
FACES CREATES A VERY COMPLEX HORIZON AS FAR AS ITS 
NATIONAL SECURITY IS CONCERNED. 
 
MAARIV QUOTED SHEIKH RAED SALAH, THE HEAD OF THE 
NORTHERN BRANCH OF ISRAEL'S ISLAMIC MOVEMENT, AS SAYING 
THAT ISRAEL HAS COMPLETED THE PREPARATIONS FOR BUILDING 
A NEW, 18 SQUARE-KILOMETER JEWISH NEIGHBORHOOD IN EAST 
JERUSALEM. 
 
THE JERUSALEM POST REPORTED THAT ON SUNDAY, THE HIGH 
COURT OF JUSTICE REJECTED TWO PETITIONS FILED BY 
PALESTINIANS AGAINST THE SEPARATION BARRIER IN THE 
JERUSALEM AREA, AND A REQUEST FOR A TEMPORARY 
INJUNCTION AGAINST CONSTRUCTION OF THE "INNER BARRIER" 
IN THE SOUTHERN HEBRON HILLS. 
 
HA'ARETZ PUBLISHES AN INTERVIEW OF BAT YE'OR (PEN 
NAME), A FEMALE JEWISH INTELLECTUAL WHO WAS BORN IN 
EGYPT AND WHO CURRENTLY LIVES IN SWITZERLAND, WHO 
BELIEVES THAT THE EUROPEAN-ARAB ALLIANCE FORMED BY THE 
LATE FRENCH PRESIDENT CHARLES DE GAULLE IN THE WAKE OF 
DECOLONIZATION WILL EVENTUALLY TRANSFORM EUROPE INTO A 
CONTINENT UNDER THE THUMB OF THE ARAB AND MUSLIM WORLD. 
BAT YE'OR IS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO 
RELY ON EUROPE TO HELP SOLVE THE NUCLEAR CRISIS WITH 
IRAN. 
 
YEDIOT AND MAARIV REPORTED THAT ISRAELI AUTHORITIES ARE 
CONCERNED THAT SEWAGE STREAMING FROM THE GAZA STRIP 
INTO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA MIGHT INFECT THE ASHKELON 
DESALINATION PLAN.  WHILE MAARIV WROTE THAT THIS IS 
BECAUSE THE US FROZE THE RENOVATION OF THE PA'S 
PURIFICATION INSTALLATIONS, YEDIOT SAID THAT THE 
PROBLEM IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT SINCE HAMAS CAME TO 
POWER, THE PA DOES NOT HAVE FUNDS TO MANAGE THE SEWAGE. 
YEDIOT QUOTED ENVIRONMENT MINISTER GIDEON EZRA AS 
SAYING THAT A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM MUST BE FOUND. 
 
THE JERUSALEM POST REPORTED THAT THE ISLAM CHANNEL IN 
LONDON -- THE LARGEST ISLAMIC TV IN EUROPE -- SPONSORED 
AN ANTI-ZIONIST DEBATE ON THURSDAY. 
 
HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT ISRAEL HAS BECOME INVOLVED IN A 
WORLDWIDE DISPUTE OVER THE HUNTING OF WHALES, AT THE 
BEHEST OF THE US, WHICH REQUESTED THAT ISRAEL JOIN THE 
INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION.   ON MONDAY, FOR THE 
FIRST TIME, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FOREIGN MINISTRY 
PARTICIPATED IN A DECISIVE VOTE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE 
WHALING TRADE.  TOGETHER WITH THE US AND SEVERAL OTHER 
COUNTRIES, ISRAEL VOTED AGAINST A JAPANESE ATTEMPT TO 
LIFT THE BAN ON WHALE HUNTING, DESPITE PRESSURE FROM 
TOKYO. 
 
THE JERUSALEM POST REPORTED THAT OVER THE WEEKEND, THE 
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, USA ADOPTED A COMPROMISE 
RESOLUTION REGARDING DIVESTMENT FROM ISRAEL WHICH DOES 
NOT CALL DIRECTLY FOR DIVESTING FROM COMPANIES THAT 
PROFIT FROM WHAT IT REFERRED TO AS THE ISRAELI 
OCCUPATION.  THE RESOLUTION, APPROVED BY 53 
COMMISSIONERS AND OPPOSED BY SIX, WAS VOTED ON SATURDAY 
AND REAFFIRMED SUNDAY. 
 
THE JERUSALEM POST QUOTED THE ORGANIZERS OF A PRO- 
ISRAEL CONFERENCE HELD IN CAPE TOWN MONDAY THAT WAS 
SPONSORED BY SOUTH AFRICAN CHRISTIANS AS SAYING THAT 
THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS, THE RULING SOUTH AFRICAN 
POLITICAL PARTY, BOYCOTTED THE CONFERENCE. 
 
HA'ARETZ REPORTED ON A CRISIS BETWEEN THE REFORM 
JUDAISM MOVEMENT IN THE US AND PRESIDENT MOSHE KATSAV, 
WHO REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE MOVEMENT'S "VETERAN AND 
UNDISPUTED LEADER" RABBI ERIC YOFFIE AS "RABBI." 
 
HATZOFE PRINTED A PICTURE OF ULTRA-ORTHODOX JEWS 
PROTESTING AGAINST ZIONISM IN BOSTON ON MONDAY DURING 
THE CITY'S CELEBRATION OF THE 58TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
CREATION OF ISRAEL. 
 
MAARIV CITED THE WASHINGTON POST AS SAYING THAT 
JERUSALEM IS UNDERGOING A CULTURAL REVOLUTION.   MAARIV 
SAID THAT THE AMERICAN NEWSPAPER SINGLED OUT THE LAB, 
AN EXPERIMENTAL THEATER IN THE CITY. 
 
YEDIOT AND HA'ARETZ PRESENTED THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY 
CONDUCTED BY THE PALESTINIAN CENTER FOR POLICY AND 
SURVEY RESEARCH, ACCORDING TO WHICH WHILE 74 PERCENT OF 
PALESTINIANS SAID THAT THEY SUPPORT THE "PRISONERS' 
DOCUMENT," ONLY 47 PERCENT SAID THEY WOULD VOTE IN 
FAVOR OF IT IF A REFERENDUM WERE HELD ON IT TODAY. 
SOME 44 PERCENT WOULD VOTE AGAINST IT. 
 
THE JERUSALEM POST CITED THE RESULTS OF A POLL 
CONDUCTED ON BEHALF OF B'NAI BRITH ISRAEL BY THE 
GEOCARTOGRAPHIA INSTITUTE, ACCORDING TO WHICH CLOSE TO 
90 PERCENT OF ISRAELI JEWS BELIEVE THAT THEIR COUNTRY 
STILL NEEDS THE SUPPORT OF AMERICAN JEWRY, AND THAT 50 
PERCENT OF THOSE THINK THEY SHOULD BE MORE SUPPORT FROM 
AMERICAN JEWRY.  ACCORDING TO HA'ARETZ, THE SURVEY 
FOUND THAT ONLY 11 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS FELT 
ISRAEL NEEDED LESS SUPPORT FROM AMERICAN JEWRY NOW THAT 
THE LARGEST NUMBER OF JEWS IS TO BE FOUND IN ISRAEL. 
ACCORDING TO HA'ARETZ, SOME 24 PERCENT SAID THAT ISRAEL 
NEEDS MORE SUPPORT FOR AMERICAN JEWRY THAN IN THE PAST 
AND 26 PERCENT SAID THAT ISRAEL NOW NEEDS "MUCH MORE" 
SUPPORT FROM AMERICAN JEWRY.   THE NEWSPAPERS REPORTED 
THAT 59 PERCENT OF ISRAELI JEWS HAVE RESERVATION ABOUT 
THE CRITICISM VOICED BY THE WRITER A. B. YEHOSHUA 
CONCERNING THE JEWS OF THE DIASPORA.  LAST MONTH IN 
WASHINGTON, YEHOSHUA HAD PRAISED THE SUPERIORITY OF THE 
ISRAELI EXPERIENCE OVER JEWISH LIFE ABROAD. 
 
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MIDEAST: 
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                       SUMMARY: 
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INDEPENDENT, LEFT-LEANING HA'ARETZ EDITORIALIZED: 
"AFTER ISRAEL'S HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE HAS RULED TIME 
AFTER TIME THAT EXTRANEOUS CONSIDERATIONS LIE BEHIND 
THE PLANNING OF THE FENCE, IT IS DIFFICULT TO EXPECT 
FOREIGNERS TO RECOGNIZE THE ROUTE, EVEN TEMPORARILY, AS 
THE LINE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE WEST BANK." 
 
VERY LIBERAL COLUMNIST B. MICHAEL WROTE IN MASS- 
CIRCULATION, PLURALIST YEDIOT AHARONOT: "I CAN ONLY 
WISH THAT WE WERE ALREADY AT THAT LONG-AWAITED STAGE OF 
THINGS, IN WHICH ONLY THE SETTLEMENT OUTPOSTS REMAINED 
STUCK OUT THERE, AFTER ALL OF THE OTHER SETTLERS HAD 
ALREADY RETURNED HOME AT LONG LAST." 
 
SENIOR COLUMNIST HAGGAI HUBERMAN WROTE IN THE EDITORIAL 
OF NATIONALIST, ORTHODOX HATZOFE: "THE HEROES OF GUSH 
KATIF NEITHER FLED NOR WHINED.... WE CANNOT AVOID 
REMINDING YOU THAT 'WE TOLD YOU SO.'" 
 
JEROME M. SEGAL, THE DIRECTOR OF THE JERUSALEM PROJECT 
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND'S CENTER FOR 
INTERNATIONAL AND SECURITY STUDIES, WROTE IN HA'ARETZ: 
"OLMERT COULD SEEK, AND LIKELY OBTAIN, AMERICAN 
AGREEMENT TO ACCEPT A UNILATERAL ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL AS 
ESTABLISHING A PERMANENT BOUNDARY, PROVIDED THAT IT IS 
TO A LINE RECOGNIZED BY THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL AS 
FULFILLING THE WITHDRAWAL PROVISIONS OF RESOLUTION 
242." 
 
                     BLOCK QUOTES: 
                     ------------- 
 
¶I.  "NO PLACE FOR FENCE DESTROYERS" 
 
INDEPENDENT, LEFT-LEANING HA'ARETZ EDITORIALIZED 
(6/20): "DURING [LAST WEEK'S HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE] 
HEARING ON THE PETITION [AGAINST THE ROUTE OF THE 
SECURITY FENCE AROUND THE SETTLEMENT OF TZOFIN], WHICH 
WAS FILED BY MAYORS OF PALESTINIAN VILLAGES ADJACENT TO 
THE DISPUTED ROUTE AND HAMOKED - THE CENTER FOR THE 
DEFENSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL, THE STATE ADMITTED THAT IN 
PLANNING THE ROUTE, WEIGHT WAS GIVEN TO AN UNAPPROVED 
MASTER PLAN THAT WAS DESIGNED TO ENABLE THE 
SETTLEMENT'S EVENTUAL EXPANSION.  THIS CONTRADICTED THE 
STATE'S INITIAL CLAIM THAT THE ROUTE WAS DETERMINED 
SOLELY BY OPERATIONAL SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS.... THE 
GOVERNMENT'S CONVERGENCE PLAN IS BASED ON THE EXISTENCE 
OF THE FENCE, WHICH IS MEANT TO CREATE A SECURITY 
SEPARATION BETWEEN THE TERRITORY OF THE WEST BANK, AND 
THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND THE MAJOR SETTLEMENT BLOCS. 
THE DEFENSE ESTABLISHMENT'S STANCE IN THE TZOFIN 
PETITION AND OTHERS LIKE IT CORRODES THE CENTRAL MORAL 
AND POLITICAL ARGUMENT THAT ISRAEL IS MAKING TO THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.  AFTER ISRAEL'S HIGH COURT OF 
JUSTICE HAS RULED TIME AFTER TIME THAT EXTRANEOUS 
CONSIDERATIONS LIE BEHIND THE PLANNING OF THE FENCE, IT 
IS DIFFICULT TO EXPECT FOREIGNERS TO RECOGNIZE THE 
ROUTE, EVEN TEMPORARILY, AS THE LINE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND 
THE WEST BANK." 
 
II.  "CLINGING TO THE SETTLEMENT OUTPOSTS" 
 
VERY LIBERAL COLUMNIST B. MICHAEL WROTE IN MASS- 
CIRCULATION, PLURALIST YEDIOT AHARONOT (6/20): "FOR 
SOME REASON THE 'EVACUATION OF SETTLEMENT OUTPOSTS' HAS 
BECOME THE SUPREME TEST FACING THE ISRAELI 
GOVERNMENT.... [IN ACTUAL FACT,] IT SUITS THE 
GOVERNMENT'S NEEDS QUITE WELL TO ORGANIZE A NUMBER OF 
PHOTOGENIC 'TRAUMAS' THAT ALSO GIVE IT AN AMPLE 
OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW ITS DETERMINATION.  SO THAT THE 
ENTIRE WORLD KNOWS JUST HOW HARD THINGS ARE FOR IT, THE 
POOR THING.  AND SO THAT THE ENTIRE PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW 
JUST HOW DETERMINED IT IS, THE HEROINE.  AND PERHAPS 
ALSO SO THAT IT MIGHT ONE DAY HIDE BEHIND THE 'PAINFUL 
IMAGES' TO EXCUSE ITS WEAKNESS, HESITANCY, LACK OF 
SERIOUSNESS AND INACTION.  AND THAT WOULD NOT BE THE 
FIRST TIME THAT HAS HAPPENED EITHER.  IF THE GOVERNMENT 
TRULY WANTED TO PROVE JUST HOW SERIOUS IT WAS, IT WOULD 
NOT WASTE ITS TIME AND ENERGY ON THOSE CRIMINAL 
TRIVIALITIES.  IT WOULD BEGIN IMMEDIATELY -- AND 
UNILATERALLY SO, JUST THE WAY IT LIKES -- TO EVACUATE 
ALL OF THOSE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SETTLERS WHO ARE 
DYING TO BE EVACUATED.  IT WOULD LIBERATE THE TENS OF 
THOUSANDS OF HOSTAGES IT HAS CONTINUED TO HOLD IN THE 
WEST BANK, TRAPPED IN SETTLEMENTS THAT EVEN IT NO 
LONGER BELIEVES SERVE ANY PURPOSE.  AND THE SETTLEMENT 
OUTPOSTS CAN BE LEFT STANDING.  LET THEM BE EVACUATED 
AT THE END OF THE PROCESS, OR NOT AT ALL.  WHO CARES? 
I CAN ONLY WISH THAT WE WERE ALREADY AT THAT LONG- 
AWAITED STAGE OF THINGS, IN WHICH ONLY THE SETTLEMENT 
OUTPOSTS REMAINED STUCK OUT THERE, AFTER ALL OF THE 
OTHER SETTLERS HAD ALREADY RETURNED HOME AT LONG LAST." 
 
III.  "THE WAIL OF SDEROT VERSUS THE HEROISM OF GUSH 
KATIF" 
 
SENIOR COLUMNIST HAGGAI HUBERMAN WROTE IN THE EDITORIAL 
OF NATIONALIST, ORTHODOX HATZOFE (6/20): "WITH ALL THE 
SYMPATHY I FEEL FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SDEROT AND IN 
KEEPING WITH THE MAXIM OF 'THOU SHALT NOT JUDGE THINE 
BROTHER' AND SO FORTH, ONE CANNOT BUT RECALL THOSE 
FOLKS WHO CERTAINLY WERE IN THE SHOES OF THE SDEROT 
RESIDENTS, BUT IN WHOSE SHOES THE SDEROT RESIDENTS HAVE 
NOT YET BEEN -- THE TRUE HEROES OF GUSH KATIF.  THOSE 
WHO DID NOT WIN SYMPATHY AND WERE NOT THE RECIPIENTS OF 
PRESIDENTIAL VISITS OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND HELP WHEN 
THOUSANDS, NOT HUNDREDS, OF QASSAM ROCKETS AND MORTAR 
SHELLS RAINED DOWN ON THEM DAY AFTER DAY.  THEY DID NOT 
GET UP AND THEY DID NOT PACK THEIR BAGS AND THEY DID 
NOT FLEE EVEN WHEN THE GOVERNMENT WAS ABOUT TO EXPEL 
THEM FROM THEIR HOME.  THEY WERE THE ONES WHO CLUNG TO 
THEIR LAND WHEN THE BARRAGES OF ROCKETS WERE 
COMPLEMENTED BY INCESSANT 'BARRAGES' OF CALUMNY, 
COURTESY OF THE POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT AND THE FORMAL 
ISRAELI ESTABLISHMENT.  THEY, THE HEROES OF GUSH KATIF, 
NEITHER FLED NOR WHINED.... WE CANNOT AVOID REMINDING 
YOU THAT 'WE TOLD YOU SO.'  WE SAID THAT THIS WAS 
EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AFTER THE WITHDRAWAL 
FROM THE GAZA STRIP, AND AT LEAST ONE RESIDENT OF 
SDEROT WHOSE CURRENT JOB IS TO STOP THE ROCKET FIRE BUT 
WHO IS HELPLESS TO DO SO, THEN PUBLICLY MOCKED US.  HE 
WHO CRIES LAST CRIES LONGEST." 
 
IV.  "CONVERGENCE AND THE LEBANON MODEL" 
 
JEROME M. SEGAL, THE DIRECTOR OF THE JERUSALEM PROJECT 
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND'S CENTER FOR 
INTERNATIONAL AND SECURITY STUDIES, WROTE IN HA'ARETZ 
(6/20): "[UN SECURITY COUNCIL] RESOLUTION 242, UNLIKE 
RESOLUTION 425 [WHICH CALLED ON ISRAEL TO WITHDRAW FROM 
'ALL LEBANESE TERRITORY.'] WAS DELIBERATELY VAGUE ABOUT 
WHETHER ISRAEL IS REQUIRED TO WITHDRAW FROM ALL OF THE 
TERRITORY OCCUPIED OR JUST FROM SOME OF IT.  THE 
PALESTINIAN POSITION HAS BEEN THAT ISRAEL SHOULD RETURN 
TO THE GREEN LINE, WHILE ALL ISRAELI GOVERNMENTS, AS 
WELL AS THE US, HAVE REJECTED THAT INTERPRETATION. 
WITH THIS IN MIND, OLMERT COULD SEEK, AND LIKELY 
OBTAIN, AMERICAN AGREEMENT TO ACCEPT A UNILATERAL 
ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL AS ESTABLISHING A PERMANENT 
BOUNDARY, PROVIDED THAT IT IS TO A LINE RECOGNIZED BY 
THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL AS FULFILLING THE WITHDRAWAL 
PROVISIONS OF RESOLUTION 242.  MOREOVER, OLMERT COULD 
ALSO GAIN AN AMERICAN COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH THE 
ISRAELI GOVERNMENT TO WIN SECURITY COUNCIL SUPPORT FOR 
THE LINE THAT ISRAEL WOULD PROPOSE, ONE THAT WOULD 
ALLOW ISRAEL TO ANNEX LIMITED AREAS ALONG THE GREEN 
LINE TO ACCOMMODATE CERTAIN ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS." 
 
JONES