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PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTV #2422/01 2211224
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 091224Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2681
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAHQA/HQ USAF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEADWD/DA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/CNO WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 2564
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 9278
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 2634
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3367
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 2596
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0571
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 3328
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0201
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0666
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 7261
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 4683
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 9596
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS PRIORITY 3760
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 5703
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 7599
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/COMSIXTHFLT  PRIORITY

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 002422 
 
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: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Mideast 
 
------------------------- 
Key Stories in the Media: 
------------------------- 
 
PM Olmert said during a security cabinet meeting on Wednesday, "I 
believe that we can look forward to a calm summer, a calm fall and a 
calm winter.  Israel does not intend to attack Syria, and Syria does 
not intend to attack Israel either." The cabinet was convened to 
discuss the situation in the north. [source: all media] 
 
Israel has forwarded conciliatory messages to Damascus over the last 
few weeks saying that Israel has no intention of starting a war 
[source: Ha'aretz]. 
 
The PA has paid salaries to Hamas militiamen from tax revenue that 
was released by Israel.  P.A. PM Fayad's aides said that the 
transfer of salaries was a computer error, while Hamas officials saw 
this as a good will gesture.  Representatives from Hamas in the 
Palestinian Legislative Council also received their salaries on 
Tuesday. [source: The Jerusalem Post, Ha'aretz] 
 
Rafael, announced that Israel's short-range rocket based missile 
interception system will become operational in eighteen months. 
[source: Ha'aretz] 
 
State Attorney Eran Shendar has given the police official approval 
to investigate Prime Minister Ehud Olmert connection to the Bank 
Leumi affair.  Allegations have been raised that the PM had a 
conflict of interest when he assisted two of his associates during 
the bank's privatization.  PM Olmert is expected to be summoned for 
questioning in the coming days. [source: all media] 
 
(Is this in Syria, Lebanon or Israel?  That needs to be highlighted) 
Israel has noticed over the past few months a massive increase in 
construction in Lebanon near the northern border fence. The IDF says 
that they do not know the purpose of these buildings but  suspect 
they are outposts in disguise.  The location of some of the 
buildings is close to water sources, which worries Israeli 
authorities. [source: Maariv] 
Employees in defense related industries are finding it difficult to 
obtain US visas.  They say that they need to fill out extremely long 
application forms which are then thoroughly reviewed in Washington 
and only after a long wait, sometimes months, are they are given 
visas  which are valid for only one year.  They say that this is 
also true  for Israeli workers that have direct and regular working 
relations with US companies. [source: Maariv] 
 
Three hundred US university heads have signed a petition to denounce 
the British University and College Union's call to boycott Israeli 
educational institutions. [source: Ha'aretz] 
 
IDF soldiers killed three Palestinians in two separate shooting 
incidents on Wednesday. According to IDF sources all of the men were 
armed [source: Ha'aretz]. 
 
Hamas has established a new naval defense force that will guard the 
Gaza coast. A Hamas official said that the force's members have 
already deployed several heavy machine guns and mortars along the 
beaches to be used against IDF vessels if they approach the Strip. 
[source: YNET] 
 
US House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer warned PA Chairman Abbas not to 
reconcile with Hamas and form a new unity government since such a 
government would be a cause for concern. [source: The Jerusalem 
Post] 
 
-------- 
Mideast: 
-------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Settler leader Israel Harel wrote in the independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz: "Peres' plan will not be implemented because the 
territorial concessions will not satisfy the Palestinians, and 
because most Israelis, after the bitter experiences of recent years, 
have lost faith in the Palestinians; in Peres, the father of Oslo; 
and in Olmert, the deputy architect of the disengagement." 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: "The 
road map's sequencing is more justified and important than ever. 
Olmert, who spent much effort attempting to shore up this 
sequencing, should not abandon it at this critical moment." 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I. "Peres' last sabotage" 
 
Settler leader Israel Harel wrote in the independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz (08/09): "A president is obliged to refrain from helping 
form diplomatic plans, such as those that would split the 
country.... Not when the president is Peres, and the plan is to 
establish a Palestinian state on 100 percent of the territories.  In 
other words, the plan reflects the opinion of many decision makers 
regarding what is and is not legitimate conduct for a president.... 
The plan is based on the assumption that the root of the conflict is 
territorial.... Peres' plan will not be implemented because the 
territorial concessions will not satisfy the Palestinians, and 
because most Israelis, after the bitter experiences of recent years, 
have lost faith in the Palestinians; in Peres, the father of Oslo; 
and in Olmert, the deputy architect of the disengagement." 
 
II. "Don't junk the road map" 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (08/09): 
"Olmert seems to be caving in to pressure from the US to fudge the 
sequencing of the road map, which clearly requires that terrorism be 
fought first and a Palestinian state negotiated later.  The timing 
of this is strange. If it is true that for the first time ever there 
is a leadership in part of the PA that is serious about ending 
terrorism, dismantling militias and starting to build a peaceful 
Palestinian state, why would this be the time to lift the 
demand?.... The counterargument is that the PA is in fact incapable 
of meeting the road map conditions, and therefore those conditions 
should be removed or the present opportunity will be missed and 
Hamas will take over the entire PA.... In essence, the US is taking 
the State Department's approach, whereby the sequencing of the road 
map should not only be relaxed, but flipped.... Under such 
circumstances, it is not the Palestinians' trust that must be 
earned, but Israel's.  The road map's sequencing is more justified 
and important than ever.  Olmert, who spent much effort attempting 
to shore up this sequencing, should not abandon it at this critical 
moment." 
JONES