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DE RUEHTV #3014/01 2910747
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180747Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3712
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
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RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 2993
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3662
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 2896
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0947
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 3627
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0491
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0959
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 7538
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 4985
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RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS PRIORITY 4052
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 5989
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UNCLAS TEL AVIV 003014 
 
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: SPECIAL ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Secretary Rice to Israel, West Bank, October 14-18, 2007 
 
SIPDIS 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Leading media reported that during their joint press conference on 
Wednesday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Foreign Minister 
Tzipi Livni said that the Palestinians should lower their 
expectations.  Ha'aretz reported that a senior GOI official told the 
newspaper on Wednesday that Israel is prepared to make a joint 
declaration with the Palestinians that will address the core issues 
of Jerusalem, refugees, and permanent borders.  Ha'aretz also 
reported that Palestinian officials demanded that Israel commit to a 
timetable for negotiations.  The senior source in Jerusalem was 
quoted as saying that Secretary Rice has reached an agreement with 
the Palestinians that the "declaration will address all core issues 
and point to certain avenues to be pursued through negotiation." 
But Ha'aretz reported that Rice's dealings with the Palestinian 
leadership in Ramallah seems to have hit a bump, after she 
reportedly told the Palestinians that Israel will not commit to a 
timetable.  Palestinian sources were also quoted as saying that 
Israel is refusing to have the right of return mentioned in the 
document.  The Jerusalem Post reported that a Palestinian official 
described Rice's current shuttle mission as a failure, saying that 
she was unable to persuade Israel to change its "tough" position. 
Ha'aretz reported that Palestinian officials said that Abbas "will 
not attend the conference at any cost."  Ha'aretz reported that the 
Israeli and Palestinian negotiation teams will meet again either 
today or Friday, 
 
Ha'aretz reported that Secretary Rice told the Palestinians that 
Israel was prepared to accept a "vague mention" of permanent 
borders, but according to Palestinian sources, not willing to commit 
to the 1967 line.  Ha'aretz quoted Rice as saying that while the 
sides are only beginning the process of negotiations, she is 
optimistic and that  "we are showing the parties that there is a 
basis for moving forward."  Rice was also quoted as saying that the 
current talks are the most serious the two sides have had about core 
issues in some time. 
 
Ha'aretz and Yediot Aharonot quoted President Bush as saying on 
Wednesday at a White House news conference that it was important for 
Rice to help Israelis and Palestinians make progress ahead of the 
international meeting.  "We believe that now is the time to push 
ahead with a meeting at which the Israelis and Palestinians will lay 
out a vision of what a state could look like," Bush was quoted as 
saying.  "And the reason why there needs to be a vision of what a 
state could look like is because the Palestinians that have been 
made promises all these years need to see there's a serious, focused 
effort to step up a state," the President added.  The Jerusalem Post 
highlighted Bush's comment that the Arab nations have not done 
enough to encourage a Palestinian state. 
 
All media -- lead stories in all major newspapers -- reported that 
President Bush warned of a possible "World War III" should Iran gain 
the know-how to build a nuclear bomb.  All media reported that PM 
Ehud Olmert is leaving on Thursday for Moscow to hold surprise talks 
with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following PutinQs return from 
Iran.  In her press conference with Rice, Livni raised the idea of 
an additional Security Council resolution. Ha'aretz quoted former 
Mossad director Ephraim Halevy as saying in a lecture on Wednesday 
that the Iranian threat to Israel is substantive but not 
existential. 
 
All media reported that an IDF soldier was killed during an 
operation in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.   Ha'aretz reported that 
an Egyptian document distributed in Congress asserts that Egyptian 
soldiers cooperate with smugglers in allowing arms and military 
equipment into Gaza.  The document was relayed to senior Israeli 
officials where it has served to intensify concerns about Egypt's 
willingness to stem the flow of weapons. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that on Wednesday Syria denied that one of its 
representatives at the UN admitted that IsraelQs September strike 
hit a nuclear installation.  Ha'aretz reported that Syria gave UN 
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon a film showing the area Israel hit. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
----------------------------------- 
Secretary Rice to Israel, West Bank, October 14-18, 2007: 
 
SIPDIS 
----------------------------------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Columnist, Law Professor, and former cabinet minister Amnon 
Rubinstein, who currently teaches at Columbia University, wrote in 
the popular, pluralist Maariv and the conservative, independent 
Jerusalem Post: "Ahmadinejad will not be physically present in 
Annapolis, but his threats will be there, hovering above the 
conference table." 
 
Settler leader Israel Harel wrote in the independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz: "Abbas plays the role of the poor, weak victim who must be 
saved from the jaws of Hamas, and Israel will be asked to foot the 
bill of the rescue.  The price will be more than even the most 
left-leaning side of Zionism can afford." 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Shimon Shiffer wrote in the 
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "When he enters the 
Kremlin today, the Prime Minister will convey an unequivocal message 
to the Russian President: When Iran has nuclear weapons and Syria 
procures advanced weapons systems, Israel will have to consider 
reacting to these threats." 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in Ha'aretz: "In all his 
speeches Olmert insists that Iran is an 'international, not an 
Israeli, problem.'  If so, the rush to the Kremlin suggests 
precisely the opposite." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "Ahmadinejad & Annapolis" 
 
Columnist, Law Professor, and former cabinet minister Amnon 
Rubinstein, who currently teaches at Columbia University, wrote in 
the popular, pluralist Maariv (10/12) and the conservative, 
independent Jerusalem Post (10/18): "Ahmadinejad will not be 
physically present in Annapolis, but his threats will be there, 
hovering above the conference table. The response to these threats 
is to include the Palestinians in the context of a defense alliance. 
 An alliance of this kind would minimize the existential dangers 
posed to Israel, compared to which the other dangers -- which do 
indeed exist -- are dwarfed." 
 
II.  "Paying a High Price" 
 
Settler leader Israel Harel wrote in the independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz (10/18): "Abbas plays the role of the poor, weak victim who 
must be saved from the jaws of Hamas, and Israel will be asked to 
foot the bill of the rescue.  The price will be more than even the 
most left-leaning side of Zionism can afford.  If it does so, it 
will no longer be a Jewish, Zionist state.  In the future, it might 
not be a state at all.  Therefore, even Olmert will be forced to 
break up the party, and the world will once again have a reason to 
denounce Israel for not restoring Palestinian rights.  Justice 
lovers of the world believe that the strong must defer to the weak, 
and the rich to the poor.  By this logic, if Israel caused the 
refugee problem, then it bears the responsibility of bringing them 
back 'home'.... Abbas's negotiating team represented the 
Palestinians in the meetings that led to the Oslo Accords.  It is 
the same team that will be facing us at Annapolis.  Yasser Arafat 
went to the White House to reap the profits and, eventually, the 
Nobel Peace Prize.  This team, headed by Ahmed Qurei, has returned 
15 years later to push us into a new corner." 
 
III.  "Before It Is Too Late" 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Shimon Shiffer wrote in the 
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (10/18): "When he enters 
the Kremlin today, the Prime Minister will convey an unequivocal 
message to the Russian President: When Iran has nuclear weapons and 
Syria procures advanced weapons systems, Israel will have to 
consider reacting to these threats.... The open dialogue between the 
leaders of Israel and Russia is not self-evident: Only 20 years ago 
any random encounter between Israeli and Russian officials at UN 
Headquarters in New York would have produced giant headlines in 
Israel.  Israel hopes that the current close ties will allow Olmert 
to convince Putin to take into account Israel's existential concern 
about Iran's nuclear plan." 
 
IV. "What About National Pride?" 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in Ha'aretz (10/18): 
"Apparently Prime Minister Ehud Olmert did not learn this lesson 
from Sharon.  His rushed trip to the Kremlin today, for a meeting 
with Putin immediately following his visit to Iran, does not reflect 
Israeli national pride.  It hints of pressure and concern and bowing 
before Russian power.  And if Olmert thought that Putin does not pay 
attention to these details, he had an opportunity to hear on 
Wednesday from US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about her 
embarrassing visit to Moscow last week.... In all his speeches 
Olmert insists that Iran is an 'international, not an Israeli, 
problem.'  If so, the rush to the Kremlin suggests precisely the 
opposite.... The Prime Minister believes that Putin is dealing with 
Iran cautiously, and in spite of his favorable declarations in 
Tehran, he is delaying the delivery of nuclear fuel to the plant at 
Bushehr.  Olmert will probably try to strengthen this dual approach 
in Russia's foreign policy.  The statements of President George W. 
 
Bush that nuclear weapons in Iran may lead to World War III show 
that Israel is not alone in the struggle and that it has an 
important ally in the White House.  But Israel appears to be trying 
to place its concerns before the international community." 
 
JONES