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DE RUEHTV #0704/01 0650928
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P 060928Z MAR 07
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UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000704 
 
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 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.  Iran 
 
¶3.  North Korea 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Maariv reported that PM Ehud Olmert and PA Chairman [President] 
Mahmoud Abbas will meet next week, probably at Olmert's official 
residence in Jerusalem.  The newspaper reported that Secretary of 
State Condoleezza Rice will visit the region in late March.  Yediot 
reported that reports that have reached senior levels of the GOI in 
Jerusalem indicate that Secretary Rice intends to visit Israel and 
the PA on March 23. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that Olmert held a special cabinet session on 
Sunday on Israel's response to Iran's nuclear treat.  Ha'aretz and 
Israel Radio reported that FM Tzipi Livni, who met a number of her 
EU counterparts in Brussels on Monday, emphasized the importance of 
forming an international front to isolate Iran and pressure it to 
halt its nuclear project.  Israel Radio reported that on Monday the 
five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany did 
not reach agreement regarding sanctions to be imposed on Iran. 
Ha'aretz reported that during his visit to Israel US Under Secretary 
of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart 
Levey spoke to Olmert and Livni on the difficulties his initiative 
is encountering in European states that trade with Iran.  Maariv and 
Israel Radio quoted Iran-born Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz as 
saying in a Farsi-language radio broadcast directed at Iran's 
citizens that Israel will know how to defend itself. 
 
Leading media reported that, following the disappearance of Iranian 
general Ali Reza Askari, in which Israel denied any involvement, the 
Shin Bet has increased its preparedness.  The media reported that 
the security service has boosted its protection of Israeli figures 
abroad.  Major media cited the British Daily Telegraph as saying 
that Askari may have information about the fate of Israeli MIA Ron 
Arad. 
Leading media reported that infighting among leading members of 
Fatah, on all levels, is preventing the embattled organization from 
closing ranks in its struggle against Hamas.  A major struggle seems 
to be unfolding over control of Fatah's grass roots between jailed 
Marwan Barghouti and Gaza-based strongman Mohammed Dahlan.  Ha'aretz 
quoted Barghouti supporters as saying that Dahlan is trying to 
undermine the position of the jailed leader within the organization. 
They are quoted as saying that Dahlan is wary of Barghouti's 
strength in any future leadership bid and is therefore trying to 
distance him from decision making. 
 
Maariv reported that the bureau of Egyptian security chief Omar 
Suleiman informed the GOI that Suleiman is indefinitely postponing a 
meeting with Amos Gilad, head of the political-military department 
at the Defense Ministry.  Maariv quoted sources at the Defense 
Ministry as saying that this was caused by the controversy over 
whether the alleged involvement of National Infrastructure Minister 
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer in the killing of 250 Egyptian soldiers during 
the Six-Day War.  The Jerusalem Post quoted Yehuda Melamed, a former 
member of the Shaked Battalion, as saying on Monday that the claims 
that soldier from his unit killed unarmed Egyptian prisoners at the 
end of the Six-Day War "is a lie."  Major media reported that 
diplomatic officials in Jerusalem played down the impact that the 
Israel TV documentary featuring the alleged killing will have on 
Israeli-Egyptian ties.  Maariv also cited the claim of Egyptian 
authorities that Israel has tried to smuggle into Egypt a truckload 
of radioactive materials. 
 
Yediot reported that on Sunday Syria's Permanent Representative to 
the UN Bashar al-Jafari sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General 
and the President of the UN Security Council (UNSC), accusing Israel 
of destabilizing security in Lebanon.  Among other things, al-Jafari 
accuses Israel of sending weapons to sending weapons to armed groups 
in Lebanon in flagrant violation of UNSC Resolution 1701. 
 
Hatzofe cited The Washington Times as saying that US Congressmen are 
investigating whether millions of dollars from the foreign budget of 
the United States have been transferred in recent years to 
Palestinian universities, including the Hamas-affiliated Islamic 
University in Gaza. 
 
Ha'aretz and Israel Radio said that a report due to be published 
today by the human-rights organization B'Tselem states that Israeli 
law-enforcement agencies are hard-pressed to bring to justice 
soldiers and policemen who harm or abuse Palestinians.  According to 
the radio, the report singles out the treatment applied to 
Palestinians who entered Israel illegally. 
 
Maariv reported that a special parade will take place in Manhattan 
on May 6 to celebrate 40 years of the unification of Jerusalem.  The 
newspaper wrote that former US President Bill Clinton and Sen. 
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Madonna, Seinfeld, and Steven Spielberg will 
later participate in an "after-party" at Gracie Mansion.  Maariv 
reported on the popularity in the US of bags of Holy Land earth, 
sold USD 20 a sack. 
 
Yediot reported that the GOI plans to suggest to Jordan that the two 
countries open a border crossing south of the Dead Sea that will 
facilitate travel to Petra. 
 
All media reported on, and most led with, an unusual petition filed 
on Monday by the IDF to the High Court of Justice to cancel a 
discussion in the Knesset State Control Committee.  The petition, 
filed by the IDF Home Front Command and the army's legal defense 
unit, argued that State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss had no right 
to present his findings about the conduct of the home front during 
last summer's war in Lebanon, until the army and individual officers 
have been given a chance to respond to them, as this would undermine 
their fundamental right to a fair hearing.  The media said that the 
petition seemed likely to be withdrawn.  Yediot reported that a 
nationwide preparedness exercise will soon be held. 
 
Yediot reported that the heads of the German Catholic Church, who 
visited Israel and the PA last week, declared that "Ramallah is a 
ghetto," in which the "Israelis treat people like animals." 
 
Ha'aretz featured a Lebanese blogger's visit to Tel Aviv.  He was 
quoted as saying that the city looks "exactly like Beirut." 
 
Ha'aretz reported that US filmmakers Brendan Assanti and Kevin 
Dutoit from Los Angeles plan to produce a documentary on the 1974 
terrorist massacre in Ma'alot.  They were quoted as saying that they 
also want to get across the other side of the story. 
 
Leading media cited a BBC World Service survey to be released today, 
according to which Israel, Iran, and the US are the countries with 
the most negative image in  globe-spanning survey of attitudes 
toward 12 major nations.  Canada and Japan came out best in the 
poll. 
 
The Jerusalem Post cited the results of a Gallup poll carried out on 
February 3-7 in the US: 
-"In the Middle East situation, are your sympathies more with the 
Israelis or more with the Palestinians?"  Israelis: 58 percent; 
Palestinians: 20 percent; neither: 10 percent; both: 5 percent; no 
opinion: 7 percent. 
-Average level of Middle East sympathies: 
(2000-2006): Israelis: 53 percent; no preference: 31 percent; 
Palestinians: 16 percent. 
(1993-1999): No preference: 46 percent; Israelis: 41 percent; 
Palestinians: 13 percent 
 
------------ 
¶1.  Mideast: 
------------ 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Palestinian affairs correspondent Danny Rubinstein wrote in the 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: "The demand for [jailed Fatah 
leader Marwan] Barghouti's release will grow, because only Barghouti 
is capable of coping with Hamas, and Israel might as well release 
him.  But freeing him in such circumstances could backfire." 
 
Gershon Baskin, the Co-Director of the Israel-Palestine Center for 
Information and Research (IPCRI), wrote in the conservative, 
independent Jerusalem Post: "Prime Minister Olmert in announcing his 
acceptance of the [Saudi peace] initiative as a framework should 
declare his willingness to speak before the Arab League summit." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "Portents of Joy For the Palestinians" 
 
Palestinian affairs correspondent Danny Rubinstein wrote in the 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (3/6): "On the Palestinian side, 
it is possible to discern the first portents of the near completion 
of the prisoner release deal.... In this context, it is desirable 
for the government of Israel to decide to release the secretary 
general of Fatah in the West Bank, Marwan Barghouti.... If we assume 
the Palestinian unity government will not last and will fall apart 
shortly (a common assumption), another election race in the PA will 
be unavoidable.  Then, the demand for Barghouti's release will grow, 
because only Barghouti is capable of coping with Hamas, and Israel 
might as well release him.  But freeing him in such circumstances 
could backfire.  The Palestinian street could see such a move as a 
crude intervention in their elections and an attempt to dictate 
their vote -- and will do the opposite.  That is, they will vote for 
Hamas and trip up Barghouti." 
 
II.  "Accept the Saudi Initiative" 
 
Gershon Baskin, the Co-Director of the Israel-Palestine Center for 
Information and Research (IPCRI), wrote in the conservative, 
independent Jerusalem Post (3/6): "Four years after it was first 
presented, the Arab peace initiative is finally coming to center 
stage.... Now with the Arab peace initiative, the results of ... 
moves [including means for achieving peace] would not only bring 
peace with the Palestinians, Lebanon and Syria, but with the entire 
Arab world.   The peace camp created would extend from Marrakech all 
the way to Bangladesh.   Only Iran would be outside of the region of 
peace, but it has also been reported that the Iranian president 
during his recent visit to Riyadh also stated his support for the 
Arab peace initiative.  This is almost too good to be true.... Prime 
Minister Olmert in announcing his acceptance of the initiative as a 
framework should declare his willingness to speak before the Arab 
League summit.... For the first time in the history of the Middle 
East, the possibility for genuine comprehensive peace is much more 
real than fantasy.  The opportunity is placed at our doorstep.  If 
we miss it, we will have no one to blame for the next war than 
ourselves." 
 
 
 
--------- 
¶2.  Iran: 
--------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: "If 
European governments get the message that the Democrats, and not 
just Bush, are pressing for tougher sanctions ... there is still 
hope that Iran can be peacefully stopped." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
"Obama's Message For Iran" 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (3/6): 
"In a speech before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in 
Chicago on Friday, Senator Barack Obama explained his approach 
toward this region.... After warning that Teheran's threats to 
destroy Israel cannot be dismissed as 'mere rhetoric,' Obama said: 
'The world must work to stop Iran's uranium enrichment program and 
prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons... And while we should 
take no option, including military action, off the table, sustained 
and aggressive diplomacy combined with tough sanctions should be our 
primary means to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons'.... 
Obama was particularly explicit on the sanctions point.  He called 
for 'tough-minded diplomacy [that] would include real leverage 
through stronger sanctions... [This] would mean harnessing the 
collective power of our friends in Europe who are Iran's major 
trading partners.'  This may be the first time a Democratic 
candidate has implicitly advocated pushing the Europeans harder on 
Iran.  The question, of course, is whether this was just a 
throw-away line for a pro-Israel audience, or whether Obama and his 
Democratic colleagues will translate it into action.... If 
Democratic leaders are serious about Iran, and share - especially 
since Bush has moved in their direction -- the basic approach of the 
White House, they need to find a way to present a united front to 
Europe.  If European governments get the message that the Democrats, 
and not just Bush, are pressing for tougher sanctions, and that 
confronting Teheran now is the best chance to avoid, not to 
precipitate war, there is still hope that Iran can be peacefully 
stopped." 
 
 
---------------- 
¶3.  North Korea: 
---------------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Former Mossad director Ephraim Halevy wrote in the mass-circulation, 
pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "Does the change of direction on [the 
North Korean] issue portend further American turns in the arena of 
international conflicts?" 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
"American Pragmatism or a Change of Direction?" 
 
Former Mossad director Ephraim Halevy wrote in the mass-circulation, 
pluralist Yediot Aharonot (3/6): "The [US] administration agreed to 
start a process through which North Korea would be taken off the 
list of terror-sponsoring countries with no precondition that North 
Korea would announce its renouncement of terror.  That aspect roused 
the anger of Deputy National Advisor Elliott Abrams, who, according 
to US press reports, conveyed highly critical messages to his 
colleagues for their having conceded on this matter.  Abrams' anger, 
as well as public reservations by John Bolton, who until recently 
was the US Representative to the UN, did not hold sway with 
President Bush, who is continuing his pragmatic policy on this 
issue, which is led by the Secretary of State.  Neither has North 
Korea been demanded to 'recognize' South Korea, as the South does 
not 'recognize' the North.  Does the change of direction on this 
issue portend further American turns in the arena of international 
conflicts?" 
 
CRETZ