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Carol X Weakley  10/26/2006 04:01:24 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Carol X Weakley

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 TEL AVIV 004262 
 
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STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
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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 ICD 
LONDON ALSO FOR HKANONA AND POL 
PARIS ALSO FOR POL 
ROME FOR MFO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IS KMDR
 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶1. Mideast 
 
¶2. US Israel Relations 
 
¶3. UNIFIL in Lebanon 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Ha'aretz reported estimations of military sources indicating the 
Defense Minister Peretz does not intend to evacuate whole 
settlements.  According to the sources Peretz intends to demolish 86 
illegal structures in the West Bank: 47 built by settlements and 39 
by Palestinians. 
 
Yediot reported that Syria is increasing pressure on Hamas's 
political chief, Khaled Mashal to release Israeli abducted soldier 
corporal Gilad Shalit. The paper also cited officials in Jerusalem 
as saying that there is some progress towards a deal but that 
nothing is finalized yet. 
 
All media reported of an incident between IDF war planes and a 
German naval vessel in the northern part of Israel.  The Germans 
claimed that Israeli F-16 planes fired missiles towards their ship. 
Israel claims that after a helicopter took off from the ship without 
identifying itself. Israeli jets were scrambled but the IDF 
announced that no missiles were fired, only flares. Defense Minister 
Peretz called his German counterpart, Franz Josef Jung, to clarify 
the details of the incident he also added that cooperation between 
Israel and UNIFIL in the area should be upgraded. 
 
All media reported that following the agreement between Defense 
Minister Amir Peretz and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, MK Ephraim 
Sneh, would be appointed deputy defense minister, and Peretz would 
head a ministerial committee for the non-Jewish communities.  The 
media reported that in a nightly meeting, Labor party ministers 
decided to adopt the decision and to support Lieberman's entrance to 
the coalition.  The decision will now be moved to the Labor party's 
central committee that will gather on Sunday. Leading media cited 
Peretz as saying that he estimates that the government [with 
Lieberman] can survive a year. 
 
Ha'aretz's territories correspondents estimated that the conflict 
between Israel and Hamas will most probably escalate due to a 
decision in the IDF to try to thwart the establishment of a Hamas 
security service in the West Bank. 
 
Leading media cited the Qatari newspaper "Al-Watan" as reporting 
that Syria has raised its army's alert level following IDF training 
exercises on the Golan Heights. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that Attorney General Menachem Mazuz has 
instructed the police and the State Prosecutor's Office to expedite 
the six-year investigation against MK Avigdor Lieberman. Lieberman 
is suspected of party-funding infractions in the 1999 elections. 
 
All media reported that European Union foreign policy chief Javier 
Solana met MK and designated minister Avigdor Lieberman on 
Wednesday. The media quoted Solana as saying before the meeting that 
he disagreed with Lieberman his whole life. 
 
----------- 
¶1. Mideast: 
----------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Settler leader Israel Harel wrote in the independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz: "Lieberman's entry into the government will not turn 
Israel into an adventurer. Perhaps the opposite is true.... Once the 
principal inciter is domesticated, his rhetoric will be domesticated 
along with him.  Nevertheless, his entry into the government 
underscores our key governmental problem: For the last half year, 
the prime minister's chair has been occupied by a man who makes 
bizarre and even irresponsible decisions, in the political and 
security realms alike." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
"Days of Decline" 
 
Settler leader Israel Harel wrote in the independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz (10/26): "Iran's race to develop a nuclear bomb, alongside 
its president's calls for the destruction of Israel, have caught us 
at one of our worst moments.  The public has no confidence in senior 
government ministers, who proved their lack of wisdom and their 
haplessness in the Lebanon war.... This crisis of civilian 
leadership is occurring simultaneously with a no less fateful crisis 
of military leadership.... Even worse, it is also difficult to point 
to any suitable candidates for the post of chief of staff among the 
army's top ranks.... Fear should strike us in light of the 
possibility that those responsible for the inconceivable results in 
Lebanon, among both the political and the military leadership, will 
be manning the top civilian and military posts if the worst of all 
happens, and we are forced to repel an attack by the Iranians, or 
the Syrians, or a coalition of both (with the possible additions of 
Hezbollah and an all-out Palestinian offensive).   But instead of 
the public debate focusing on these fateful issues, it has been 
focused -- despite the fact that it is clear to everyone that it is 
not his rhetoric that will embroil us with the Iranians -- on 
Avigdor Lieberman.... Lieberman, despite his fighting rhetoric, is 
not a monster.... Lieberman's entry into the government will not 
turn Israel into an adventurer. Perhaps the opposite is true.... 
Once the principal inciter is domesticated, his rhetoric will be 
domesticated along with him.  Nevertheless, his entry into the 
government underscores our key governmental problem: For the last 
half year, the prime minister's chair has been occupied by a man who 
makes bizarre and even irresponsible decisions, in the political and 
security realms alike. 
 
----------------------- 
¶2. US Israel Relations: 
----------------------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Washington based correspondent Shmuel Rosner wrote in independent, 
left-leaning Ha'aretz: "It's hard to predict the force of the wave 
threatening to wash over the Republican Party, but at the moment, it 
seems likely to be a big one -- the kind that will be remembered for 
years to come.... Bush will be left on his own.... On the other 
hand, Bush will also be released from the bonds of the party, and 
while it is busy with politics, he will attend to posterity. He will 
find refuge in projects aimed at carving out his place in 
history.... Lebanon and Palestine are likely candidates.  Difficult 
cases, but ones that seem worthy of further examination." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
"Alone during the final stretch" 
 
Washington based correspondent Shmuel Rosner wrote in independent, 
left-leaning Ha'aretz (10/26): "It's hard to predict the force of 
the wave threatening to wash over the Republican Party, but at the 
moment, it seems likely to be a big one -- the kind that will be 
remembered for years to come.... Bush will be left on his own.  He 
will be cut off from the party leadership, which will be scrambling 
to reorganize in anticipation of the next battle and to repair the 
damage to its image caused by Bush.  On the other hand, Bush will 
also be released from the bonds of the party, and while it is busy 
with politics, he will attend to posterity. He will find refuge in 
projects aimed at carving out his place in history.... Bush will 
find refuge in foreign policy.... Lebanon and Palestine are likely 
candidates.  Difficult cases, but ones that seem worthy of further 
examination.... Bush will not find it easy to succeed in these 
arenas either, however.  The facts on the ground are deceptive, and 
his rivals in Congress also will make trouble for him.  Some Israeli 
observers believe that the Democrats may actually run a right-wing, 
end run around Bush regarding issues affecting Israel.  The 
Democratic leadership will try to prove that it is not too soft to 
rule: some will be as tough as Bush, if not tougher, when it comes 
to Iran.  They will criticize insufficient implementation of UN 
Security Council Resolution 1701 on Lebanon, and they could very 
well block Bush on the question of Palestine if he or Rice start 
looking for achievements that could be interpreted as coming at 
Israel's expense." 
 
--------------------- 
¶3. UNIFIL in Lebanon: 
--------------------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
 Military correspondent Amir Rappaport wrote in popular, pluralist 
Maariv: "This is the time to understand, for those who still don't 
understand that from their perspective, neither the French nor the 
Germans nor any other force came to do the work of the IDF.  They 
came as a UN force, whose purpose is to ascertain that both sides 
are maintaining the cease-fire agreement.  Yes, both sides, 
including Israel." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
"This is Just the Beginning" 
 
Military correspondent Amir Rappaport wrote in popular, pluralist 
Maariv (10/26): "For ten years, one of Israel's basic principles was 
to prevent by any means the involvement of forces from the 
international community in the dispute with the Palestinians or the 
Arab countries.  We certainly had no interest in having forces from 
European countries that are not overly fond of us, right under our 
noses.... It was not the wet dream of any one in the security 
establishment to see a huge international force immediately over 
Israel's northern border, but as we did not succeed in getting rid 
of Hizbullah in battle we were left with no alternative.  Because of 
internal considerations, the government and the IDF marketed the 
partial achievement of the arrival of the multi-national force as 
good news.  But now we are beginning to pay the anticipated price 
for internationalization.  This is the time to understand, for those 
who still don't understand, that from their perspective, neither the 
French nor the Germans nor any other force came to do the work of 
the IDF.  They came as a UN force, whose purpose is to ascertain 
that both sides are maintaining the cease-fire agreement.  Yes, both 
sides, including Israel.... The gap between the way in which the 
role of the multi-national force is perceived in Israel in contrast 
to the way it is viewed in Europe is the source of many problems." 
JONES