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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TEL AVIV 002493 
 
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: 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶1.  MIDEAST 
 
¶2.  ISRAEL-ICRC RELATIONS 
 
------------------------- 
KEY STORIES IN THE MEDIA: 
------------------------- 
 
ALL MEDIA REPORTED THAT PM EHUD OLMERT AND PA CHAIRMAN 
[PRESIDENT] MAHMOUD ABBAS AGREED IN PETRA, JORDAN, ON 
THURSDAY TO MEET FORMALLY IN A FEW WEEKS.  (A YEDIOT 
HEADLINE READS: "HUG UNDER FIRE").  OLMERT WAS QUOTED 
AS SAYING THAT HE REGRETS THE PALESTINIAN CIVILIAN 
CASUALTIES. 
 
MAJOR MEDIA QUOTED OLMERT AS SAYING IN PETRA, IN 
RESPONSE TO A QUESTION BY CONSERVATIVE ISRAELI NOBEL 
PRIZEWINNER IN ECONOMICS (2005) ROBERT J. AUMANN -- WHO 
ALSO CLAIMED THAT OLMERT'S REALIGNMENT PLAN WAS A 
"CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY" -- THAT THE SETTLERS WILL HAVE 
TO DECIDE WHETHER TO LIVE IN ISRAEL OR IN THE NEW 
PALESTINIAN STATE.  MAARIV REPORTED THAT OLMERT'S 
REMARKS PROVOKED A CONTROVERSY ON THE ISRAELI POLITICAL 
SCENE.  HA'ARETZ CITED THE BELIEF OF DEFENSE MINISTER 
AMIR PERETZ THAT THE GOVERNMENT MUST BEGIN PREPARING 
NOW SO THAT THE "REALIGNMENT" PLAN CAN BE IMPLEMENTED 
IN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, AND TO THIS END, HE FAVORS 
ENACTING A LAW TO COMPENSATE RESIDENTS OF SETTLEMENTS 
SLATED FOR EVACUATION UNDER THE PLAN IF THEY LEAVE 
VOLUNTARILY.  HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT PERETZ TOLD THE 
NEWSPAPER THAT HE WANTS TO SEE TOWNS AND NEIGHBORHOODS 
THAT AGREE TO ABSORB SETTLERS "TWINNED" WITH PARTICULAR 
SETTLEMENTS IN PREPARATION FOR EVACUATION. THIS, HE WAS 
QUOTED AS SAYING, WOULD ENABLE ENTIRE SETTLEMENTS TO 
MOVE TOGETHER AND ALLOW THE DESTINATION COMMUNITIES TO 
HAVE HOUSING, JOBS AND SCHOOLS READY.  THE NEWSPAPER 
WROTE THAT PERETZ DOES NOT RULE OUT ABSORBING EVACUEES 
IN THE LARGE SETTLEMENT BLOCS THAT WILL REMAIN IN 
ISRAEL'S HANDS, BUT THAT HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT 
ISRAEL MUST OFFER THE PALESTINIANS AN EXCHANGE OF 
TERRITORY FOR THESE BLOCS.  HA'ARETZ QUOTED A SENIOR 
GOI OFFICIAL AS SAYING THAT THE VOLUNTARY EVACUATION 
PLAN, WHICH HAS NOT YET BEEN SERIOUSLY DISCUSSED IN ANY 
GOVERNMENTAL FORUM, RAISES A DILEMMA.  ON ONE HAND, 
THERE IS NO REASON TO PUT OFF EVACUATING THE SETTLERS 
UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE, AND EARLY COMPENSATION WOULD 
LESSEN OPPOSITION.  ON THE OTHER HAND, OFFERING 
COMPENSATION WOULD REQUIRE THE GOVERNMENT TO SPECIFY 
THE EXTENT OF THE WEST BANK WITHDRAWAL NOW, BEFORE A 
DETAILED PLAN HAS BEEN DRAFTED. 
 
SPEAKING ON ISRAEL RADIO THIS MORNING, MK AHMED TIBI 
(UNITED ARAB LIST/ARAB MOVEMENT FOR RENEWAL) SAID THAT 
ABBAS IS INTERESTED IN A CEASE-FIRE AND THAT HE MAKES 
EVERY POSSIBLE EFFORT TO STOP QASSAM ROCKET FIRE.  IN 
AN INTERVIEW WITH ISRAEL RADIO THIS MORNING, LIKUD MK 
AND FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE KNESSET'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
AND DEFENSE COMMITTEE YUVAL STEINITZ CALLED FOR A 
GROUND INVASION OF THE GAZA STRIP.  ISRAEL RADIO 
REPORTED ON AN ISLAMIC JIHAD OFFER TO STOP FIRING 
ROCKETS INTO ISRAEL IN EXCHANGE FOR A CESSATION OF 
ISRAELI MILITARY ACTIONS.  THE RADIO REPORTED THAT 
SEVERAL QASSAM ROCKETS WERE LAUNCHED INTO ISRAEL THIS 
MORNING.  MAJOR MEDIA REPORTED THAT A NAVY GUNSHIP 
SPOTTED TWO SWIMMERS TRYING TO SMUGGLE WEAPONS FROM 
EGYPT TO THE GAZA STRIP EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.  THE 
MEDIA QUOTED IDF OFFICERS AS SAYING THAT SAILORS OPENED 
FIRE AT THE MEN, WOUNDING AT LEAST ONE OF THEM. 
 
HATZOFE QUOTED DANI ARDITI, THE HEAD OF THE ANTI- 
TERRORISM TEAM AT ISRAEL'S NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, 
AS SAYING THIS WEEK THAT IF THE CROSSINGS BETWEEN 
ISRAEL AND THE GAZA STRIP BECOME TARGETS OF TERRORIST 
ATTACKS, ISRAEL WILL FIND IT DIFFICULT TO CONTINUE 
OPERATING THEM. 
 
HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT THE CABINET IS EXPECTED TO 
EXTEND, BY ANOTHER SIX MONTHS, A TEMPORARY LAW 
PROHIBITING PALESTINIANS WHO ARE MARRIED TO ISRAELI 
CITIZENS FROM LIVING WITH THEIR SPOUSES IN ISRAEL.  THE 
NEWSPAPER ALSO REPORTED THAT SUNDAY'S CABINET DECISION, 
WHICH STATED THAT ONE CRITERION FOR GRANTING 
CITIZENSHIP TO HE CHILDREN OF FOREIGN WORKERS WOULD BE 
THAT PARENTS ENTERED ISRAEL LEGALLY, WAS BASED ON THE 
BASIS OF INCORRECT INFORMATION.  A HA'ARETZ PROBE FOUND 
THAT FAR FEWER ARABS WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR RESIDENCY 
THAN MINISTERS WERE TOLD. 
 
THE JERUSALEM POST REPORTED THAT IN A MOVE INTENDED TO 
FURTHER BOLSTER TIES BETWEEN ISRAEL AND NATO, THE IDF 
IS PUTTING SEARCH-AND-RESCUE FORCES ON STANDBY SO THEY 
CAN BE IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED TO PARTICIPATE IN NATO 
GLOBAL OPERATIONS. 
HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT FROM THE SPRING OF 2003 UNTIL 
FALL 2004, THE SHIN BET TRACKED DOWN PALESTINIAN TERROR 
CELLS IN THE WEST BANK THANKS TO INFORMATION FORM THE 
WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER SERVICE, WHICH WAS PASSED 
ON TO THE FBI.  HA'ARETZ NOTED THAT INTELLIGENCE 
COOPERATION BETWEEN THE US AND ISRAEL HAS INCREASED 
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, BUT HAT UNTIL NOW, 
ISRAEL'S USE OF INFORMATION FROM AMERICAN COMPANIES HAD 
BEEN KEPT SECRET. 
 
MAARIV REPORTED THAT KHALED MASHAL, THE HEAD OF HAMAS'S 
POLITICAL BUREAU, HAS INSTRUCTED HIS ACTIVISTS IN THE 
TERRITORIES TO THWART ABBAS'S REFERENDUM PROPOSAL AT 
ANY COST.  MAARIV QUOTED ADNAN ASFOUR, ONE OF HAMAS'S 
LEADERS AND THE ORGANIZATION'S SPOKESMAN IN THE WEST 
BANK, AS SAYING THAT IF HAMAS WANTS TO KILL ABBAS, IT 
WILL DO SO. 
 
MAARIV REPORTED THAT IN THE PAST FEW DAYS ISRAEL'S 
AMBASSADORS IN EUROPE HAVE REPORTED TO THE FOREIGN 
MINISTRY THAT THEY ENCOUNTER GREAT DIFFICULTIES IN 
EXPLAINING ISRAEL'S POLICIES FOLLOWING THE HITS ON 
PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS IN THE GAZA STRIP.  THE JERUSALEM 
POST REPORTED THAT ISRAEL'S AMBASSADORS ABROAD ARE 
PREPARING A MORE AGGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN ON THE ISSUE. 
 
LEADING MEDIA REPORTED THAT ON MONDAY, PERETZ FIRED 
COL. DANNY TIRZA (RES.), WHO HAS BEEN IN CHARGE OF 
PLANNING THE SECURITY FENCE.  THIS WEEK, THE HIGH COURT 
OF JUSTICE ACCUSED TIRZA OF PRESENTING A FALSE 
DECLARATION REGARDING THE FENCE. 
 
HATZOFE REPORTED THAT THE SAUDI NEWSPAPER AL-RIYADH 
OPINED ON WEDNESDAY THAT ISRAEL CAN BE DEFEATED THROUGH 
ECONOMICS. 
 
HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON 
OF NEW YORK, WHO HAD PUSHED FOR THE ADMISSION OF MAGEN 
DAVID ADOM (THE RED SHIELD OF DAVID) INTO THE 
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT 
SOCIETIES, AND ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE US DANNY 
AYALON HELD A NEWS CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON THURSDAY TO 
COMMEND ISRAEL'S ACCEPTANCE INTO THE ORGANIZATION. 
HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT THE TWO THANKED THE AMERICAN RED 
CROSS FOR THE STEAMROLLER TACTICS IT USED TO GET INTO 
THE ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING FREEZING MONEY TRANSFERS TO 
THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS EVER SINCE 2000. 
 
THE JERUSALEM POST REPORTED THAT THE PRESBYTERIAN 
CHURCH, USA HAS ENDED ITS TWO-YEAR POLICY OF DIVESTING 
FROM COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS WITH ISRAEL AND ADOPTED A 
NEW RESOLUTION WHICH DOES NOT SINGLE OUT ISRAEL AS A 
TARGET FOR DIVESTING FUNDS.  THE NEW POLICY WAS ADOPTED 
WEDNESDAY BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CHURCH 
GATHERED IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, WINNING AN 
OVERWHELMING 438-28 MAJORITY. 
 
HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT THE ISRAEL POLICE HAS INVITED A 
CHINESE POLICE DELEGATION TO ISRAEL AHEAD OF THE 
BEIJING OLYMPICS, THAT A CHINESE FIRM ACCOMPANYING THE 
DELEGATION IS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING SECURITY-RELATED 
EQUIPMENT, AND THAT THE ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTRY HAS 
ANNOUNCED THAT THE DELEGATION MEMBERS SHOULD NOT BE 
HOSTED WITHOUT ITS AUTHORIZATION.  HA'ARETZ WROTE THAT 
THE FEAR OF A US RESPONSE MOTIVATES THE DEFENSE 
MINISTRY'S QUALMS. 
 
HA'ARETZ CITED THE ANNUAL REPORT ISSUED BY UNHCR, THE 
UN REFUGEE AGENCY, WHICH STATES THAT MORE ISRAELIS WERE 
ACCEPTED AS REFUGEES OVERSEAS LAST YEAR THAN FOREIGNERS 
WERE GRANTED ASYLUM IN ISRAEL. 
 
MAARIV REPORTED THAT THIS WEEK ISRAEL SENT USD 400,000 
WORTH OF DRUGS TO YOUNG AIDS PATIENTS IN ETHIOPIA. 
 
ALL MEDIA REPORTED THAT DURING A CONCERT HE GAVE AT THE 
MIXED ARAB-JEWISH COMMUNITY OF NEVE SHALOM LAST NIGHT 
BEFORE A 55,000-STRONG AUDIENCE, BRITISH ROCK STAR 
ROGER WATERS -- THE FOUNDER OF PINK FLOYD, WHICH 
PRODUCED THE LEGENDARY ALBUM THE WALL -- CALLED ON THE 
YOUNG ISRAELI GENERATION TO "TEAR DOWN THE WALLS" AND 
BRING PEACE. 
 
ALL MEDIA REPORTED ON A 10-PERCENT DROP OF THE SHARES 
OF THE MAJOR ISRAELI PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY TEVA ON THE 
TEL AVIV STOCK MARKET (AND A 12.4-PERCENT FALL ON WALL 
STREET IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS).  IN ITS LEAD STORY, 
MAARIV WROTE THAT TEVA LOST USD 14 BILLION IN THE LAST 
COUPLE OF DAYS FOLLOWING A COMPETITION WITH THE 
AMERICAN MEDICAL INSURANCE FIRM UNITEDHEALTH OVER A 
CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING DRUG. 
 
LEADING MEDIA REPORTED THAT ON THURSDAY, MINISTER- 
WITHOUT-PORTFOLIO EITAN CABEL APPOINTED BUSINESSMAN 
EREL MARGALIT DG OF THE ISRAEL BROADCASTING AUTHORITY. 
LEADING MEDIA REPORTED THAT LUTFI MASHOUR -- "PERHAPS 
THE MOST WELL-KNOWN ISRAELI ARAB JOURNALIST," ACCORDING 
TO THE RADIO -- PASSED AWAY ON THURSDAY AT THE AGE OF 
¶59.  MASHOUR WAS THE FOUNDER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF 
ASSENNARA, THE MOST WIDELY READ ISRAELI ARAB NEWSPAPER. 
HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT THE FORMER MAYOR OF BAKA AL- 
GHARBIYEH IN CENTRAL ISRAEL, JALAL ABU TOAMEH, DIED 
THURSDAY AT THE AGE OF 60.  HA'ARETZ SAID THAT ABU 
TOAMEH, WHO WAS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE 
ABRAHAM FUND, A JEWISH-ARAB COEXISTENCE ORGANIZATION, 
WAS DESCRIBED BY HIS FRIENDS AS A "PIONEER OF 
COEXISTENCE" BETWEEN JEWS AND ARABS IN ISRAEL. 
HA'ARETZ REPORTED THAT ON THURSDAY, THE 35TH ZIONIST 
CONGRESS VOTED TO OBLIGATE THE JEWISH AGENCY TO INCLUDE 
ISRAEL'S ARAB COMMUNITIES IN ITS DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR 
ISRAEL.  MAARIV REPORTED THAT THE AL-QASMI COLLEGE IN 
BAKA AL-GHARBIYEH TEACHES JEWISH-ARAB COEXISTENCE. 
 
HA'ARETZ (ENGLISH ED.) REPORTED THAT VETERAN "ANGLO 
ISRAELI" JOURNALIST SASSON JACOBY PASSED AWAY LAST WEEK 
IN JERUSALEM AT THE AGE OF 88.  JACOBY WORKED AT THE 
JERUSALEM POST FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS. 
 
HA'ARETZ (ENGLISH ED.) REPORTED THAT PRODUCER PHIL 
BLAZER IS ABOUT TO LAUNCH A JEWISH TELEVISION NETWORK 
IN THE US -- THE JEWISH LIFE TELEVISION NETWORK (JLTV). 
 
THIS MORNING, ISRAEL RADIO REPORTED THAT US FORCES HAVE 
ARRESTED A KEY AL-QAIDA MEMBER IN IRAQ. 
 
------------ 
¶1.  MIDEAST: 
------------ 
 
                       SUMMARY: 
                       -------- 
 
SENIOR OP-ED WRITER AKIVA ELDAR COMMENTED IN 
INDEPENDENT, LEFT-LEANING HA'ARETZ: "THERE IS A RISK 
THAT EVEN US PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH WILL REALIZE THAT 
CRITICIZING THE PALESTINIAN FAILURE TO FIGHT TERROR, AS 
SHARON USED TO DO IN MEETINGS WITH ABU MAZEN, IS NOT 
CONSIDERED 'NEGOTIATIONS.'" 
 
SENIOR COLUMNIST AND LONGTIME DOVE YOEL MARCUS WROTE IN 
HA'ARETZ: "THE PALESTINIANS ARE KNOWINGLY AND 
INTENTIONALLY FIRING INDISCRIMINATELY AT CIVILIAN 
POPULATION CENTERS, WHILE WE ARE LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO 
ARE DOING THE FIRING AND EXPRESSING REGRET FOR KILLING 
BY MISTAKE." 
 
SENIOR COLUMNIST DAN MARGALIT WROTE IN POPULAR, 
PLURALIST MAARIV: "THE PALESTINIANS AND THEIR 
SUPPORTERS IN ISRAEL AND AROUND THE WORLD HAVE NO 
PRETEXT TO CONTINUE FIRING ROCKETS." 
 
SENIOR COLUMNIST AND CHIEF DEFENSE COMMENTATOR ZEEV 
SCHIFF WROTE IN HA'ARETZ: "WITH A NEW UNILATERAL 
CONVERGENCE, ISRAEL WILL REPEAT ITS GREAT MISTAKE OF 
GIVING UP ON THE DEMILITARIZATION OF ANY PALESTINIAN 
TERRITORY FROM WHICH IT RETREATS." 
 
FORMER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MOSHE ISHON WROTE IN 
NATIONALIST, ORTHODOX HATZOFE: "WHILE IT APPEARS THAT 
FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH THE WORLD'S GREATEST SUPERPOWER 
ARE BETTER THAN EVER, THEY SOMETIMES CONSTITUTE A 
BEAR'S EMBRACE." 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                     BLOCK QUOTES: 
                     ------------- 
 
¶I.  "RETURN OF THE PARTNER" 
 
SENIOR OP-ED WRITER AKIVA ELDAR COMMENTED IN 
INDEPENDENT, LEFT-LEANING HA'ARETZ (6/23): "OLMERT HAS 
ALREADY LEARNED -- IN HIS PREVIOUS VISIT TO JORDAN AND 
IN HIS VISITS TO THE UNITED STATES, EGYPT AND EUROPE -- 
THAT ABU MAZEN IS UNIVERSALLY THOUGHT OF AS THE BOY 
WHOSE FINGER IN THE DIKE IS PREVENTING FUNDAMENTALIST 
ISLAM FROM FLOODING OUT.  THE PRIME MINISTER HAS ALSO 
COME TO DISCOVER THAT EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK 
AND BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR CAN DISTINGUISH 
BETWEEN A GENUINE ATTEMPT TO REACH AN AGREEMENT AND A 
STAGED PERFORMANCE.  THERE IS A RISK THAT EVEN US 
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH WILL REALIZE THAT CRITICIZING 
THE PALESTINIAN FAILURE TO FIGHT TERROR, AS SHARON USED 
TO DO IN MEETINGS WITH ABU MAZEN, IS NOT CONSIDERED 
'NEGOTIATIONS.'" 
II.  "AN EYE FOR AN EYE" 
 
SENIOR COLUMNIST AND LONGTIME DOVE YOEL MARCUS WROTE IN 
HA'ARETZ (6/23): "THE INTERNECINE MOTIVES OF THE WAR OF 
ATTRITION THAT THE PALESTINIANS HAVE DECLARED ON US -- 
WHETHER IT IS A COMPETITION BETWEEN HAMAS AND ISLAMIC 
JIHAD OR AMONG OTHER ORGANIZATIONS -- SHOULD NOT 
INTEREST US.  IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S OBLIGATION TO 
PROTECT ITS CITIZENS.... THE RESPONSE THAT ISRAEL HAS 
CHOSEN THUS FAR IS PINPOINT DETERRENCE.... AND WONDER 
OF WONDERS: THE PALESTINIANS, WHO ARE FIRING 
EXCLUSIVELY AT CIVILIAN TARGETS, ARE RAISING AN OUTCRY, 
WHILE WE ARE APOLOGIZING.... THE PALESTINIANS ARE 
KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY FIRING INDISCRIMINATELY AT 
CIVILIAN POPULATION CENTERS, WHILE WE ARE LOOKING FOR 
THOSE WHO ARE DOING THE FIRING AND EXPRESSING REGRET 
FOR KILLING BY MISTAKE." 
 
III.  "SORRY, WE'RE NOT APOLOGIZING" 
 
SENIOR COLUMNIST DAN MARGALIT WROTE IN POPULAR, 
PLURALIST MAARIV (6/23): "THE PALESTINIANS AND THEIR 
SUPPORTERS IN ISRAEL AND AROUND THE WORLD HAVE NO 
PRETEXT TO CONTINUE FIRING ROCKETS FROM THE GAZA STRIP 
INTO SDEROT AND ITS ENVIRONS.  THUS, ISRAEL HAS THE 
FULL RIGHT TO PROTECT ITS CITIZENS AND TO PREVENT THE 
TRANSFORMATION OF [THE FORMER NORTHERN GAZA STRIP 
SETTLEMENTS OF] ELEI SINAI AND DUGIT AND OF VERY 
DEMOLISHED AREA IN GUSH KATIF INTO LAUNCHING BASES FOR 
ROCKETS.... [I HAVEN'T RENOUNCED ANY OF MY CONCILIATORY 
VIEWS] -- BUT WITH ONE CONDITION: THAT THE ZIONIST LEFT 
NOT ERODE THE IDF'S WILLINGNESS AND CAPABILITY TO FIGHT 
WITH ALL ITS MIGHT AGAINST A CRUEL FOE WHO THIS WEEK 
DECLARED A KIND OF GENOCIDE, SAYING IT WAS WAGING WAR 
TO DESTROY A CITY.  THIS IS GENOCIDE AGAINST SDEROT, 
WITHOUT THE WORLD, THE ARAB STATES, AND THE 
PALESTINIANS' SUPPORTERS IN ISRAEL RAISING ... 
LAMENTS." 
 
IV.  "CONVERGENCE TO COMBAT LINES" 
 
SENIOR COLUMNIST AND CHIEF DEFENSE COMMENTATOR ZEEV 
SCHIFF WROTE IN HA'ARETZ (6/23): "WITH A NEW UNILATERAL 
CONVERGENCE, ISRAEL WILL REPEAT ITS GREAT MISTAKE OF 
GIVING UP ON THE DEMILITARIZATION OF ANY PALESTINIAN 
TERRITORY FROM WHICH IT RETREATS.  DEMILITARIZATION WAS 
A KEY ISSUE IN EVERY PLAN FOR AN AGREEMENT WITH THE 
PALESTINIANS AND WAS DISCUSSED WITH THEM AT LENGTH. 
THE UNILATERAL CONVERGENCE WILL GIVE NEW MOMENTUM TO 
HAMAS, NOT TO ABBAS.  AND IT WILL BE A FAILED STRATEGIC 
MOVE, BECAUSE ISRAEL WILL ENDANGER JORDAN AND THE 
HASHEMITE REGIME.... TO ALL THIS MUST BE ADDED THE 
SUSPICION THAT OLMERT DOES NOT REALLY WANT TO NEGOTIATE 
WITH ABBAS.  IT SEEMS THAT HE IS READY TO 'TALK' WITH 
HIM, BUT NOT TO NEGOTIATE.  HE IS APPARENTLY AFRAID OF 
A CRISIS EARLY IN THE NEGOTIATIONS.  IF OLMERT IS READY 
TO WITHDRAW, TO 'CONVERGE' AND STRAIGHTEN LINES, HE 
SHOULD DO SO THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS, WITH MUTUAL 
UNDERSTANDINGS AND CONCESSIONS MADE TO ABBAS 
PERSONALLY.  IF HE WANTS TO EVACUATE SETTLEMENTS, LET 
HIM START EVACUATING THE ISOLATED SETTLEMENTS, IN 
ADDITION TO GETTING RID OF THE ILLEGAL OUTPOSTS." 
 
¶V.  "WAITING FOR DICTATES" 
 
FORMER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MOSHE ISHON WROTE IN 
NATIONALIST, ORTHODOX HATZOFE (6/23): "AS LONG AS 
ISRAEL DEMONSTRATES A SOVEREIGN STANCE, ITS STATUS IN 
THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA AND IN THE US IN PARTICULAR IS 
MORE COMFORTABLE.  AND WHILE IT APPEARS THAT FRIENDLY 
RELATIONS WITH THE WORLD'S GREATEST SUPERPOWER ARE 
BETTER THAN EVER, THEY SOMETIMES CONSTITUTE A BEAR'S 
EMBRACE.... IT TURNS OUT THAT ISRAEL ISN'T THAT 
'SOVEREIGN.'  SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT .. LARGER AND 
STRONGER COUNTRIES THAN ISRAEL ARE BEING SUPERVISED BY 
THE WASHINGTON LANDLORD.  ONE THE OTHER HAND, ONLY 
ISRAEL WAS ORDERED TO DISMANTLE SETTLEMENTS.  IF WE 
DON'T INSIST ON OUR RIGHTS, WE'LL CEASE TO EXIST AS A 
SOVEREIGN STATE.  THEN, THE ONLY THING LEFT TO ISRAEL 
WILL BE TO COMPLY WITH WHITE HOUSE GUIDANCE.... HARMING 
ESTABLISHED SETTLEMENTS MUST BE AVOIDED, EVEN IF 
THEY'RE INCLUDED IN THE AMERICAN LIST.  THE LIST 
DISTRIBUTED BY PEACE NOW SHOULD CERTAINLY BE IGNORED. 
ITS DATA AREN'T WORTH RELATING TO." 
 
-------------------------- 
¶2.  ISRAEL-ICRC RELATIONS: 
-------------------------- 
 
                       SUMMARY: 
                       -------- 
INDEPENDENT, LEFT-LEANING HA'ARETZ EDITORIALIZED: "BY 
RECOGNIZING THE JEWISH STATE'S SYMBOL ... THE [ICRC] 
CORRECTS AN ONGOING INJUSTICE." 
 
THE CONSERVATIVE, INDEPENDENT JERUSALEM POST 
EDITORIALIZED: "IS THERE NO FORUM TO WHICH OFFICIAL 
ENMITY AGAINST ISRAEL -- NOT A PARTICULAR ISRAELI 
POLICY -- DOES NOT EXTEND?" 
 
                     BLOCK QUOTES: 
                     ------------- 
 
¶I.  "NOT MERELY A SYMBOLIC CORRECTION" 
 
INDEPENDENT, LEFT-LEANING HA'ARETZ EDITORIALIZED 
(6/23): "THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND 
RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES ON THURSDAY ADMITTED MAGEN DAVID 
ADOM [MDA] TO THE ORGANIZATION, ENDING A BATTLE THAT 
BEGAN 60 YEARS AGO, EVEN BEFORE ISRAEL WAS FOUNDED.... 
THE DECISION MADE BY RED CROSS IN ITS GENEVA 
HEADQUARTERS YESTERDAY IS NOT ONLY SYMBOLIC, BUT 
PRIMARILY POLITICAL. IT WAS MADE BY MAJORITY VOTE, OVER 
THE OPPOSITION OF ARAB AND MUSLIM STATES, WHICH 
OBJECTED TO MDA JOINING THE ORGANIZATION AND TO 
RECOGNIZING MDA'S SYMBOL AS LONG AS THE OCCUPATION 
CONTINUES.  THEIR POSITION WAS COMPLETELY REJECTED.... 
ULTIMATELY, THURSDAY'S DECISION IS A COMPROMISE..... 
BEING A FULL MEMBER OF THE RED CROSS HAS ITS PERKS. 
MDA WILL BE ENTITLED TO RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
GRANTS, INFORMATION EXCHANGES AND FULL PARTICIPATION IN 
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES.  BUT THE DECISION MAY ALSO 
BE SEEN AS HISTORIC REDRESS.  IN WORLD WAR II, THE RED 
CROSS -- LIKE SWITZERLAND, THE COUNTRY OF ITS BIRTH -- 
SUFFERED FROM MORAL FAILURE.  IT TURNED A BLIND EYE TO 
THE MURDER OF JEWS AND AT TIMES EVEN COOPERATED WITH 
THE NAZIS. BY RECOGNIZING THE JEWISH STATE'S SYMBOL IN 
THIS WAY, THE ORGANIZATION CORRECTS AN ONGOING 
INJUSTICE." 
 
II.  "ENMITY WITHOUT BORDERS" 
 
THE CONSERVATIVE, INDEPENDENT JERUSALEM POST 
EDITORIALIZED (6/23): "IT IS PARTICULARLY UNFORTUNATE 
THAT SUCH BLATANT BIAS [BY THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 
OF THE RED CROSS AND THE RED CRESCENT] AGAINST ISRAEL 
EXTENDED FOR SO LONG IN THE FLAGSHIP OF HUMANITARIAN 
ORGANIZATIONS, WHOSE WATCHWORDS ARE 'NEUTRAL, 
IMPARTIAL,, AND INDEPENDENT.'  BUT THE ROOT CAUSE OF 
THE TRAGIC DISTORTION OF THE ICRC'S CREED IS NOT THE 
PROFESSIONAL BRAVING BATTLE ZONES AND DISASTER AREAS TO 
SAVE LIVES, NOR THE ORGANIZATION ITSELF IN GENEVA, BUT 
THE DECISION OF ARAB AND ISLAMIC NATIONS TO EXPLOIT 
EVEN HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS IN THEIR CAMPAIGN TO 
ELIMINATE ISRAEL.... IS THERE NO FORUM TO WHICH 
OFFICIAL ARAB ENMITY AGAINST ISRAEL -- NOT A PARTICULAR 
ISRAELI POLICY -- DOES NOT EXTEND?" 
 
JONES