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UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000433 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
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JERUSALEM ALSO ICD 
LONDON ALSO FOR HKANONA AND POL 
PARIS ALSO FOR POL 
ROME FOR MFO 
 
SIPDIS 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶1.  Mideast 
 
¶2.  Iraq 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Israel Radio reported that today Internal Security Minister Avi 
Dichter will meet with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to 
discuss the three-way Rice-Olmert-Abbas meeting later this month. 
The Jerusalem Post reported that on Wednesday, in testimony before 
the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Secretary Rice rejected the 
"linkage" concept, according to which ending Israeli-Palestinian 
strife is the key to resolving the other conflicts in the Middle 
East. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that Israeli officials have been discussing over 
the past few months how much financial aid Israel should request 
from the US in the coming years.  The issue has come up for initial 
discussions with the Bush administration, and will be raised again 
at a meeting in Washington next month.  Olmert is due to make the 
final decision on the matter.  Ha'aretz said that the financial aid 
issue is on the table once again because the previous agreement 
expires this budgetary year, after being in effect for a decade. 
 
All media led with an incident along the Israel-Lebanon border last 
night: IDF troops fired warning shells at Lebanese Army positions 
across their shared frontier, after Lebanese troops fired light 
weapons at IDF tanks north of the border fence, although still 
inside sovereign Israeli territory.  IDF troops issued a warning to 
the Lebanese forces in the wake of the initial incident, and a short 
time later fired shells at the Lebanese position, opposite Moshav 
Avivim. There are no reports of IDF casualties, but UNIFIL reported 
that five soldiers in the Lebanese Army were wounded during the 
exchange of fire.  Lebanese Army officials disputed UNIFIL claims 
that any soldiers were wounded, and said their forces suffered no 
casualties.  Ha'aretz said that UNIFIL are trying to mediate. 
Earlier Wednesday, IDF troops crossed the border fence (but not the 
actual border) in the area where four Hizbullah bombs were 
discovered Monday, in order to search the area for additional 
explosive devices.  Media said that this was the worst incident of 
its kind since the end of the second Lebanon war and the deployment 
of the Lebanese Army in the area as part of a UN-brokered 
cease-fire.  Media cited Hizbullah's claim that the devices were 
planted before the war 
 
Ha'aretz reported that Defense Minister Amir Peretz wrote PM Ehud 
Olmert on Wednesday that the work on the new bridge to the Temple 
Mount should be stopped immediately for fear of escalation and 
deterioration in the defense situation.  Yediot reported that the 
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades threatened to attack synagogues if the 
works continued.  In an unrelated development, Maariv cited a claim 
by Archaeology Prof. Joseph Patrich of the Hebrew University of 
Jerusalem that archaeological traces indicating the exact location 
of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount have been found.  According 
to Patrich, the Temple was built near the southeastern corner of the 
mount and not on the site of the Dome of the Rock. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that the IDF has no plans to evict six settler 
families that have been living in caravans inside a military camp in 
Hebron for over a decade, even though this situation is 
extraordinary and of questionable legality. 
 
Leading media reported that on Wednesday PA Chairman [President] 
Mahmoud Abbas and exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashal vowed during 
their meeting in Mecca to hammer out a deal on a unity government 
that could curb weeks of infighting and end an international 
blockade.  However, the media quoted British Foreign Secretary 
Margaret Beckett as saying, during talks with Olmert in Jerusalem on 
Wednesday, that even if Hamas and Fatah form a coalition, London 
will shun the resulting government as long as Hamas defies 
international demands to recognize Israel and foreswear violence. 
Ha'aretz quoted FM Tzipi Livni as saying, as the Palestinian leaders 
met, that the world would not accept any Palestinian government that 
does not renounce violence, recognize Israel's right to exist and 
accept existing peace agreements.  Israel Radio quoted Egyptian FM 
Ahmed Ali Abu al-Gheit as saying at the Brookings Institution's 
Saban Center that the diplomatic process will not be able to resume 
without the establishment of Palestinian unity.  Yediot reported 
that Abbas demanded that Hamas release kidnapped IDF soldier Shalit. 
 The Jerusalem Post reported that sources close to Hamas told the 
newspaper that Mashal would demand during the summit that he be 
named deputy chairman of the PLO. 
 
Leading media reported that on Wednesday the High Court of Justice 
instructed the Winograd Committee, which is investigating the 
conduct of the second Lebanon war, to open its sessions to the 
public and to publish the transcripts of testimonies, whenever 
possible. 
 
Israel Radio and other media reported that a US court in Miami 
awarded damages -- that might reach USD 48 million -- to an 
Israeli-American plaintiff in a lawsuit against the PA and the PLO 
for injuries sustained five years ago in a terrorist attack in Gush 
Katif in the Gaza Strip. 
 
Maariv reported that a mass shelter protecting Jerusalem's 
population against nuclear and chemical attacks will be built at the 
city's new Central Bus Station. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that, amid concerns that the US will 
break into the Indian defense market and steal away Israeli deals, 
11 local defense companies opened the doors to the Israeli Pavilion 
on Wednesday at the prestigious Aero India defense expo in 
Bangalore.  The newspaper also reported that, for the first time, a 
high-ranking IAF commander is participating in a joint aerospace 
workshop with air force chiefs from Muslim countries that do not 
have official diplomatic relations with Israel.  The seminar, 
"Aerospace Power in Tomorrow's World," was held in New Delhi. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that on Wednesday Internal Security 
Minister Avi Dichter and his counterpart, Homeland Security 
Chertoff, singed a joint memorandum in Washington setting a series 
of goals and terms for security collaboration between the two 
nations. 
 
Yehonatan Gefen of Maariv cited the improved ease in procuring a US 
visa at the American Embassy in Tel Aviv. 
 
Maariv reported Iran announced on Wednesday that it successfully 
test-fired a state-of-the art Tor-M1 anti-aircraft system that it 
recently purchased from Russia 
 
Ha'aretz quoted sources close to Olmert as saying that he is 
considering rejecting an understanding between the Labor Party and 
Yisrael Beiteinu for a ministerial reshuffle.  The arrangement would 
turn over the science and sport portfolio to Yisrael Beiteinu and 
leave the Welfare Ministry in Labor's hands.  Ha'aretz wrote that a 
rejection by the arrangement by the PM would mean the cabinet 
reshuffle may not be completed for a few days.  The Jerusalem Post 
quoted Kadima officials as saying on Wednesday that a new minister 
of Diaspora affairs will be appointed along with other new 
ministries on Sunday. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that this week Interior Minister Roni Bar-On 
decided to permit the young children of non-Jews married to Israeli 
citizens to receive the same immigration status as the immigrant 
parent. 
 
Ha'aretz cited a study released on Wednesday by Brandeis University 
in Massachusetts that found that between 6 million and 6.4 million 
Jews -- about 1 million more than was previously thought. 
 
Yediot cited a University of California report recommending that the 
US armed forces adopt the IDF's policy on drafting gays and 
lesbians. 
 
All media reported that Tel Aviv University Prof. Daniel Friedmann 
(proper spelling) was sworn in as Justice Minister on Wednesday. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that Microsoft Israel has nor warned 
Israeli customers or retailers that Vista, Microsoft's new computer 
operating system, is not compatible with, and will not work on their 
PCs. 
 
Ha'aretz presented the results of The Aviv University's Peace Index 
poll conducted on January 29-31: 84 percent of Israeli Jews believe 
that Israel should not intervene in the Palestinians' internal 
struggle; 11 percent believe it should; and 5 percent are 
undecided. 
 
------------ 
¶1.  Mideast: 
------------ 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized: "The situation 
in the Temple Mount area must be dealt with with sensitivity and 
intelligence -- but also with resolution, to safeguard crucial 
Israeli interests that were determined two generations ago and 
retain their validity to this day." 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in Ha'aretz: "If the choice 
is between pursuing the ideological war against terror and a 
realistic policy that would preserve Olmert's government, Bush 
prefers the ideology." 
Gilad Sharon, son of former prime minister Ariel Sharon, wrote in 
the mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "[Israeli 
settlement of the Golan] is the price of Syrian aggression in the 
past.  What was done cannot be undone." 
 
Columnist Shaul Schiff wrote in the nationalist, Orthodox Hatzofe: 
"Since Hosni Mubarak was elected President of Egypt he has not 
ceased to try to covertly destabilize Israel's status in every 
possible way." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I. "Temple Mount Truths" 
 
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (2/8): "The 
excavation work and bridge construction near the Mugrabi ramp have 
turned into the Battle of Armageddon, as happens every time the 
Temple Mount and its environs are involved.  Who can withstand the 
temptation to get involved in the religious-national conflict 
embodied in the Temple Mount, a conflict that has already been 
compared to a ticking bomb with apocalyptic powers of 
destruction?.... It is worth mentioning, for those who have 
forgotten and those who would like to make others forget, that the 
situation that prevails at the Temple Mount and the Western Wall 
plaza is based on a quite stable status quo that has been in place 
for 40 years.  David Ben-Gurion described the situation in June 1967 
by saying: "The Western Wall is for the Jews at the moment, and the 
Temple Mount is for the Muslims at the moment, and that is the 
reality we have to accept."  At the same time, Moshe Dayan 
determined that the Mugrabi Gate would remain in Israel's exclusive 
control, to prevent the Muslim authorities from having the ability 
to unilaterally close all the gates to the Temple Mount.... The 
incitement against the construction of the bridge is a clear attempt 
to undercut the status quo.  Therefore, it must not influence the 
authorities' decision to replace the temporary bridge.  The activity 
of the security forces, which ensures that the work is carried out, 
deserves full support.  All the same, we must remember that the 
status quo applies not only to the Western Wall plaza, but also to 
the Temple Mount.... The situation in the Temple Mount area must be 
dealt with with sensitivity and intelligence -- but also with 
resolution, to safeguard crucial Israeli interests that were 
determined two generations ago and retain their validity to this 
day." 
 
II.  "Bush Vs. Olmert" 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in Ha'aretz (2/8): "The 
support of the US administration is a central pillar of Ehud 
Olmert's government.... [Then again] the only thing that can 
increase support for Olmert is a renewal of the negotiations with 
Syria.  Most of the public is in favor of a positive response to 
Bashar Assad.... [Such] talks would improve stability in the North 
and distance the danger of another war this summer, a possibility 
that is becoming lodged in Israeli awareness as a type of 
unavoidable disaster.  But Olmert has a problem: Bush is not 
allowing him to talk to Assad.  American officials who are asked 
about a revival of the Syrian channel respond by reading out the 
long list of crimes committed by Damascus, including its support for 
terror from Gaza to Baghdad.  If the choice is between pursuing the 
ideological war against terror and a realistic policy that would 
preserve Olmert's government, Bush prefers the ideology.  But there 
may be another explanation, which is more worrisome for Olmert: that 
the Americans assume he cannot survive, and it's a waste to help a 
bankrupt enterprise." 
 
III.  "What Is Good For the Alawites" 
 
Gilad Sharon, son of former prime minister Ariel Sharon, wrote in 
the mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (2/7): "We are being 
threatened with the equation: Either you hand the Golan Heights to 
the Syrians, or Syria will attack you.  But the correct equation, 
that should also be clear to the Syrians, should be: If you attack 
us, not only will you not get the Golan, but your regime -- the 
minority dictatorship of the Alawite sect -- will also be at risk. 
This is the place to explain that the Alawite minority, which 
represents a mere 12 percent of Syria's population, is a pagan 
religious sect that reveres the sun and the moon.... Syria does not 
-- and will not -- have any policy except a domestic one: saving the 
regime.... Even if the Alawite regime had received the Golan, but if 
it understood that aggressiveness against Israel would have served 
its continuation, it would have pursued [an aggression policy 
vis-a-vis Israel].... [Israeli settlement of the Golan] is the price 
of Syrian aggression in the past.  What was done cannot be undone." 
 
IV.  "Our Southern Neighbor -- A Tangible Threat" 
 
Columnist Shaul Schiff wrote in the nationalist, Orthodox Hatzofe 
(2/7): "Since Hosni Mubarak was elected President of Egypt he has 
not ceased to try to covertly destabilize Israel's status in every 
possible way....  IDF Intelligence sources are right when they say 
that Mubarak has shown generosity only when his actions involved 
patent American interests or when the step he took eventually served 
to uphold his regime.... Israel is absolutely unprepared to a coup 
in Egypt or surrender to the mood of the Arab street.  Within one or 
two years Israel would be surprised by the amount of various weapons 
appearing in the Gaza Strip.  This would be the malodorous product 
of reliance on Egypt to act effectively to prevent arms smuggling 
from the Sinai to the Strip." 
 
--------- 
¶2.  Iraq: 
--------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Liberal columnist Larry Derfner wrote in the conservative, 
independent Jerusalem Post: "By staving off the withdrawal, the Bush 
administration's escalation of the war is just delaying America's 
inevitable defeat." 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
"It's Bush Vs. America -- And Bush Wins" 
 
Liberal columnist Larry Derfner wrote in the conservative, 
independent Jerusalem Post (2/8): "What's going on in Washington now 
is unbelievable -- Bush is getting away with it.  He's escalating 
the war in Iraq.  He's sending 21,500 more soldiers over there. 
Nobody's stopping him, nobody's going to, either -- not the 
Democrats, not the new Republican realists and not American public 
opinion, where Bush is heading down to Nixon's Watergate level.... 
So by staving off the withdrawal, the Bush administration's 
escalation of the war is just delaying America's inevitable defeat. 
The only lasting difference the surge will make is to increase the 
number of American soldiers getting killed and maimed.  The majority 
of senators and congressmen, Democrats and Republicans both, now 
understand this.  And since they understand, but lack the courage to 
use their power to force Bush to wind down this war, the American 
blood about to be spilled for nothing will be on their hands, too." 
 
 
 
JONES