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UNCLAS TEL AVIV 001604 
 
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 
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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: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Mideast 
 
------------------------- 
Key Stories in the Media: 
------------------------- 
 
The lead articles of the two largest-circulation newspapers (Yediot 
and Maariv) address tensions with Syria in the north.  Yediot 
reported that Syria is preparing for war this summer; the paper 
reported that the Syrian army has held lately a series of military 
maneuvers in preparation for a possible conflict with Israel.  The 
paper also cited estimates by Israeli officials that if there is no 
diplomatic process with Syria it is highly possible that Syria will 
try to draw Israel into a war. Yediot also reported that Minister of 
Transportation Sahul Mofaz intends to tell Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice in their upcoming meeting in Washington that Israel 
should open a discreet channel with Syria to neutralize the tension 
on Israel's northern border. 
 
Yediot and Ha'aretz reported that US President George Bush is 
considering an updated "two state" speech. The papers note that June 
24 will mark the fifth anniversary of President Bush's famous speech 
calling for a two states solution. They speculate that Bush may 
speak again and supplement the original speech with new ideas. 
Maariv reported that in his coming visit to Washington, Prime 
Minister Ehud Olmert may be surprised by a new US peace initiative, 
"an outline for a permanent arrangement" between Israel and the 
Palestinians. 
 
Maariv cited PM Olmert as claiming in closed meetings that he has 
accepted the Saudi Initiative with reservations regarding the 
refugees' issue. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that PM Olmert is considering the 
release of some of the PA tax revenues frozen by Israel after Hamas 
took power last year. According to the paper, PM Olmert may accede 
to a request on the matter by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that Israel will present this week its formal 
response to the "benchmarks" document, prepared by top American 
envoy to the PA, Major General Keith Dayton. According to the 
newspaper, the Israeli response will be a rejection of the US's time 
line and a stipulation that lifting roadblocks would be subject to 
Israel's security considerations. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that after 30 years Egypt and Iran are about to 
discuss renewing diplomatic ties. 
 
Israel radio reported that the IDF is operating in the Gaza Strip. 
According to the radio, more than 15 IDF tanks pushed 1 km into 
Gaza, took over houses, and questioned their habitants.  No 
casualties were reported. 
 
All media reported that six IDF soldiers were moderately wounded in 
a mortar attack on the Erez Crossing on Sunday. 
 
All media published Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni's 
testimony before the Winograd Committee regarding the Second Lebanon 
War. According to her testimony, she thought the military operation 
in Lebanon would last one day and that she tried to meet PM Olmert 
for 11 days without success.  The goal of the meeting was to try to 
and convince PM Olmert to promote the diplomatic process. 
 
All media quoted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying in 
a speech Sunday that the "clock is ticking on Israel's destruction." 
 
 
All media reported that current Labor Party leader Amir Peretz 
called on his supporters to vote for candidate Ami Ayalon in the 
second round of Labor Party elections set for June 12. 
 
Yediot reported that Israel has rejected an offer to place an 
anti-rocket system in the southern town of Sderot. According to the 
paper, the American system (C-RAM) is being used successfully by the 
British army in Iraq.  The reason for the rejection is reportedly 
budget debates within the security establishment. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that Right-wing activists and settlers plan to 
hold a mass rally next week with the army's permission in Homesh - 
the site of a former West Bank settlement. 
 
All media noted the uprising tension between the US and Russia, 
quoting Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying that if the US 
stations missile defense systems in Europe Russia will aim missiles 
at Europe. 
 
----------- 
¶1. Mideast: 
----------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Senior commentator Nahum Barnea wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Yediot: "The current government has three negotiation tracks that 
require discussion.... Each track involves great risks, but 
refraining from making a choice is no less dangerous.  Whoever does 
not decide, leaves the choice in the hands of others." 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: "Egypt 
does have a peace treaty with Israel.  Yet it is Egypt, with its 
refusal to take seriously its obligation to prevent weapons 
smuggling into Gaza, that is fueling the Palestinian civil war and 
paving the way to the next war between Israel and the 
Palestinians." 
 
Columnist Akiva Eldar wrote in the independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz: "It is true that there were times when the other side was 
unwilling to discuss anything, not even the borders of June 4, 1967. 
 But nowadays, the 22 member states of the Arab league declare that 
they view this border as a basis for peace -- an accomplishment no 
one would have dreamed of 40 years ago.  And so, Israel is missing 
the opportunity to transform its military victory into its biggest 
achievement ever. It is losing the war of independence from 
controlling the lives of others." 
 
Columnist Bambi Sheleg wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv: 
"Despite the great respect that many Israelis have for Europe, it 
should be clear that it will not teach us what morality is.  Europe 
can treat the countries within its boundaries as it pleases.  It 
cannot define the Jewish people's scale of values for it." 
 
Ultra-Orthodox Hamodia editorialized: "Israel should not enter 
negotiations on a 'cease fire' without proper guarantees that this 
time it is an agreement with teeth and not like previous cease fires 
that were violated a day after being signed." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I. "Three Possible Tracks" 
 
Senior commentator Nahum Barnea wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Yediot (06/04): "The current government has three negotiation tracks 
that require discussion.  One is negotiations with Syria.  Officials 
inside and outside the IDF are convinced that this is a mandatory 
track.  If the government ignores it, it could find itself at war 
with Syria this coming summer.  Olmert is deliberating.  He fears 
that this is a trick: All Assad wants to get is a seal of legitimacy 
from Israel that will relieve him of the burden of Hariri's 
murder.... A second possible track is negotiations with Abu Mazen 
over the final status arrangement.  Condoleezza Rice is in favor: 
She would be glad to end her term as secretary of state with an 
Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.  The leaders of the two sides 
have never been so close in their positions.  Why not give it a try. 
 Abu Mazen can promise peace.  The problem is that he cannot 
deliver.  He has effectively lost Gaza, and it is highly doubtful 
that his regime will survive in the West Bank.  What is nearly the 
last chance to save Fatah is establishing a Jordanian-Palestinian 
confederation, which would rule the West Bank by the bayonets of the 
Jordanian Legion.  Without Jordanian involvement, negotiations with 
Abu Mazen will lead only to frustration.  A third possible track is 
an understanding with Hamas on a 'tahdiya' -- a truce -- for a 
period of 10 or 20 years.  Here too the risk is great: Hamas will 
take advantage of the cease-fire to take control of the West Bank 
and to upgrade its arsenal of weapons.  No one will be able to 
guarantee that the quiet will not be broken within a few months.... 
Each track involves great risks, but refraining from making a choice 
is no less dangerous.  Whoever does not decide, leaves the choice in 
the hands of others." 
 
II. "Pressure Egypt Now" 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (06/04): 
"Egypt does have a peace treaty with Israel.  Yet it is Egypt, with 
its refusal to take seriously its obligation to prevent weapons 
smuggling into Gaza, that is fueling the Palestinian civil war and 
paving the way to the next war between Israel and the 
Palestinians.... Yet even more mysterious than Egypt's behavior is 
Israel's.  Why has our government been so reluctant to openly 
criticize Egypt for failing to stop the flood of weapons going into 
Gaza?.... Given this Israeli reticence, it should not be surprising 
that the US has not made this issue a major priority with Egypt.... 
We are, by all accounts, possibly on the brink of war in Gaza in 
order not only to stop the Kassam attacks on Sderot, but to address 
an ongoing buildup of exactly the sort that Israel mistakenly turned 
a blind eye toward in the six years following the unilateral 
withdrawal from Lebanon." 
 
III. "Living the Lives of Others" 
 
Columnist Akiva Eldar wrote in the independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz (06/04): "As the years progressed, short-sighted Israeli 
politicians and Jewish religious leaders transformed 'the fight for 
home' into 'the fight for other people's home.'  It is true that 
there were times when the other side was unwilling to discuss 
anything, not even the borders of June 4, 1967.  But nowadays, the 
22 member states of the Arab league declare that they view this 
border as a basis for peace -- an accomplishment no one would have 
dreamed of 40 years ago.  And so, Israel is missing the opportunity 
to transform its military victory into its biggest achievement ever. 
It is losing the war of independence from controlling the lives of 
others." 
 
IV. "The Moralizers" 
 
Columnist Bambi Sheleg wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv 
(06/04): "Israel is a state at the start of its path.  There is no 
doubt that the society taking form in Israel is committing wrongs in 
many areas of life towards the Palestinian public living in Judea, 
Samaria, and Gaza.  Conversely, there is no doubt that this is not 
the whole picture.  The Palestinians also have a great measure of 
responsibility for their current situation.  The disregard of the 
UCU [the British University and College Union] towards the sins of 
the Palestinians and attribution of blame for the current situation 
solely to Israeli sins, are proof of the fact that too many people 
in Europe are inclined to identify the Jewish state with all the 
misdeeds of humanity.  Despite the great respect that many Israelis 
have for Europe, it should be clear that it will not teach us what 
morality is.  Europe can treat the countries within its boundaries 
as it pleases.  It cannot define the Jewish people's scale of values 
for it." 
 
¶V. "A Valid Cease Fire" 
 
Ultra-Orthodox Hamodia editorialized (06/04): "There is military 
activity in the Gaza Strip, some of it known and some hidden.  There 
is no doubt that the focused military pressure is creating hard 
physical anxiety on Hamas's leaders, who live in constant fear of 
Israeli aircraft that fly over the Gaza Strip and force them to 
search for hiding places every few hours.... It's been proven that 
targeted killings create pressure on the leadership.... Israel 
doesn't want wars unless it needs to protect its citizens.  This is 
the country's duty and it cannot avoid it.  The IDF activity in the 
Gaza Strip, even if until this day it has not solved the problem, 
has decreased significantly Qassam rocket fire, and thus these 
actions must be strengthened. Israel should not enter negotiations 
on a 'cease fire' without proper guarantees that this time it is an 
agreement with teeth and not like previous cease fires that were 
violated a day after being signed." 
JONES