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TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Annapolis Conference 
 
------------------------- 
Key Stories in the Media: 
------------------------- 
 
All media reported that President George Bush, Prime Minister Ehud 
Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have symbolically 
launched the renewing negotiations on a permanent agreement on 
Wednesday. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that in an interview with PM Olmert the latter 
said that Annapolis is not an historic point but that it can assist 
in progressing forward. 
 
Leading media reported that Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will 
continue to head the Israeli team and will lead the negotiations 
with the Palestinians. The media noted that the talks between the 
sides will open on December 12. 
 
Yediot Aharonot reported that PM Olmert met President Bush again in 
order to discuss the Iranian threat. 
 
Maariv revealed that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander 
Sultanov has been forwarding messages in recent weeks between Israel 
and Syria in a Russian attempt to renew negotiations between Israel 
and Syria. The newspaper reported that Prime Minister Ehud Olmerts' 
recent urgent trip to Russia was also related to these attempts. 
All media reported that the US has agreed to the Russian request to 
host a continuous conference to Annapolis in three months in Moscow. 
 
 
Ha'aretz noted that the nomination of General James Jones as the 
adviser of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on security issues 
related to the peace negotiations between Israel and the 
Palestinians is bad news for Israel. The newspaper quotes Israeli 
sources that Jones is not a favorable choice because of his 
blatantly cool attitude to Israel. 
 
Israel Radio quoted President Shimon Peres as saying that Annapolis 
was a huge success for its four leaders: President Bush; PM Olmert; 
PA President Abbas and Secretary of State Rice. 
 
Israel Radio this morning reported that four Palestinians were 
killed in two IAF strikes in the Gaza Strip. According to the IDF 
the four were attempting to execute terrorist activity against 
Israel. Ha'aretz Internet site reported that since Sunday 20 
Palestinians were killed most of them Hamas activists. 
 
All media reported that the police is expected to present its 
recommendations regarding PM Olmert's involvement in the sale of 
bank Leumi's controlling interest on Thursday. Estimations are that 
the police will recommend closing the case against him 
 
Yediot presented the results of a Mina Zemach (Dahaf Institute) poll 
after the Annapolis Conference: 
When asked if they believe that a final status peace agreement will 
be signed with the Palestinians by the end of 2008? 
83 percent of questioned said no; 16 percent said yes; 1 percent 
didn't know. 
50 percent believe that the Annapolis conference was a failure; 18 
percent thought it was a success; 32 percent didn't know. 
To the question should Israel enter negotiations with Syria? 
62 percent said yes; 35 percent said no; 3 percent didn't have an 
opinion. 
 
Ha'aretz published the results of a Dialog poll conducted after the 
Annapolis Conference which found that 53 percent of the Israeli 
public will support a permanent agreement based on a two-state 
 
solution; 38 percent do not support such an agreement and 9 percent 
didn't know. Sixty two percent believe that the Annapolis Conference 
did not progress the chances of a permanent agreement; 24 percent 
said it did not; 14 percent didn't know. To the question whether the 
conference was a success or a failure, 42 percent thought it was a 
failure; 24 percent said it was neither; 17 percent thought it was a 
success and 17 percent didn't know. 
 
--------------------- 
Annapolis Conference: 
--------------------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized: "It is a mistake 
to assume that a new American administration or a new president will 
have a different agenda.  The American interest in the Middle East 
is to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as soon as possible." 
 
Senior diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in the Ha'aretz: 
"Only if [Rice] stubbornly nags Israel and the Palestinians by 
frequent visits, by pressing through mediating proposals, and if 
Bush constantly reiterates that he is backing his secretary of 
state, will it be possible to make progress.  If the administration 
lifts its hands off the process once again, the Annapolis summit 
will join the pile of diplomatic events that vanished without a 
trace." 
 
Nationalist Makor Rishon-Hatzofe editorialized: "Instead of the 
unequivocal demand from the Palestinians to halt violence as a first 
condition for continuing the road map process, Israel is requesting 
'reciprocity' of a new kind: It too has a part in terrorism.... This 
concession is critical.... It is a moral concession." 
 
Op-ed commentator Yael Paz-Melamed wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Maariv: "My prayer is that there will be enough people in this 
country that will give a chance to the process that opened two days 
ago in Annapolis. Only a chance. Just a try." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I. "Forward" 
 
Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (11/29): "The 
purpose of the [Annapolis] meeting was to jump-start the dormant 
process, and it has been achieved completely.  The conditions for 
pushing forward have been created.  The pressure applied by George 
Bush and Condoleezza Rice, up to the last minute, in order to reach 
a joint political declaration, promises strict American supervision 
and unwillingness to tolerate wasting of time.  The argument being 
raised, that the time table is too tight (by the end of 2008), is 
ridiculous.... A tough American approach, essentially pressuring 
both sides to discuss the core issues, could have positive results. 
Both sides know the details of a possible agreement, but are worried 
they lack the mandate to sign such a deal. Because of this, they 
must welcome American pressure.  It is a mistake to assume that a 
new American administration or a new president will have a different 
agenda.  The American interest in the Middle East is to solve the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict as soon as possible." 
 
II. "Only Bush Can" 
 
Senior diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in the independent, 
 
left-leaning Ha'aretz (11/29): "If there is one lesson to be learned 
from the Annapolis summit, it is that American leadership in the 
peace process between Israel and its Arab neighbors is essential. 
Only the stubbornness of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the 
backing she received from U.S. President George W. Bush succeeded in 
bringing here the foreign ministers of most Arab countries and the 
world's leading diplomats.... However, with all due respect to the 
Bush-Rice success at Annapolis, their real test is still before 
them, and it all depends on their determination and perseverance.... 
The only chance the process has for success, or at least for 
significant progress on the way to an agreement, lies in continued 
American leadership. Only if [Rice] stubbornly nags Israel and the 
Palestinians by frequent visits, by pressing through mediating 
proposals, and if Bush constantly reiterates that he is backing his 
secretary of state, will it be possible to make progress.  If the 
 
SIPDIS 
administration lifts its hands off the process once again, the 
Annapolis summit will join the pile of diplomatic events that 
vanished without a trace." 
 
III. "Moral Concessions" 
 
Nationalist Makor Rishon-Hatzofe editorialized (11/29): "Prime 
Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Livni are now causing a 
deterioration of the most profound moral foundations upon which the 
State of Israel stands.  Instead of the unequivocal demand from the 
Palestinians to halt violence as a first condition for continuing 
the road map process, Israel is requesting 'reciprocity' of a new 
kind: It too has a part in terrorism.... This concession is 
critical.... It is a moral concession.  The Israeli leadership did 
not owe anyone a concession of this type, after what was discovered 
this past summer in Syria, and following years of rocket fire 
against civilians." 
 
IV. "Prayer and Hope" 
 
Op-ed commentator Yael Paz-Melamed wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Maariv (11/29): "Yes, we do not like peace conferences... That is 
because we have bad experience with them and disappointments, but 
also because conferences that do lead to some sort of process oblige 
us to make decisions we don't have the power to make.  Who wants to 
start discussing settlement evacuation.... Let us live quietly. We 
got used to the situation and developed a mechanism to deal with 
it.... But in front of all this stand war and its victims.... There 
is so much agony on both sides that maybe after all this attempt is 
worth a huge effort.... My prayer is that there will be enough 
people in this country that will give a chance to the process that 
opened two days ago in Annapolis. Only a chance. Just a try." 
MORENO