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DE RUEHTV #3548/01 3521151
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P 181151Z DEC 07
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UNCLAS TEL AVIV 003548 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
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COMSIXTHFLT FOR 019 
 
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PARIS ALSO FOR POL 
ROME FOR MFO 
 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶1. Paris Donor's Conference 
 
¶2. Gaza 
 
------------------------- 
Key Stories in the Media: 
------------------------- 
 
All media reported that eleven Palestinians were killed since Monday 
night in four aerial strikes of IAF among them nine Islamic Jihad 
activists. One of the dead is a senior Islamic Jihad military 
commander. Islamic Jihad militants vowed revenge in Israel both by 
launching Qassam rockets towards Israel and by sending suicide 
bombers in country. 
 
All media reported that the Palestinians raised USD 7.4 billion at 
the Paris donor's conference on Monday. 
 
Ha'aretz and the Jerusalem Post reported that U.S. former marine 
general James Jones arrived Monday night in Israel for his first 
visit to the region since Secretary Rice nominated him as her 
Special Envoy. 
 
All media reported that U.S. President George W. Bush said on Monday 
that he supported Russian shipments of nuclear fuel to Iran for 
civilian power, saying they proved that Teheran has no need to 
enrich uranium 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel is sending video tapes to 
senior US congressmen and Senators showing Egyptian policemen 
assisting Palestinian terrorist along the Egypt-Gaza border. 
 
The Jerusalem Post quoted government officials as saying that Israel 
does not have "smoking gun" intelligence that will cause the U.S. to 
reassess its NIE report regarding Iran. 
 
All media reported that the Knesset has approved a law allowing the 
police to establish a huge database or search engine based on 
citizens' phone numbers as well as other communication data. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that the U.S. has recently experimented 
an Israeli-made assault rifle ahead of a decision of whether to 
purchase the new weapon. 
 
Ha'aretz reported a that Yesh Din, a human rights organization has 
released information it got from the IDF indicating that since the 
second Intifadah broke in 2000, 1091 cases against IDF soldiers 
suspected of criminal activity against Palestinians and their 
property were initiated.  Out of these cases only 118 indictments 
were submitted. 
 
---------------------------- 
¶1. Paris Donor's Conference: 
---------------------------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Military correspondent Roni Shaked wrote in the mass circulation, 
pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "Perhaps the money will satisfy the greed 
and corruption of the high-ranking officials, but it will not buy 
peace." 
 
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized: "If Israel's 
security and a blooming Palestinian economy do not contradict each 
other, as Livni maintains, she must take immediate action to lift 
the roadblocks that infringe on the Palestinian economy." 
 
The Conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: "The 
billions of dollars in aid pledged yesterday [to the Palestinians in 
the donor's conference] is supposed to demonstrate support for 
Palestinian leaders.... But if Europe continues to drag its feet in 
sharply curtailing its trade with Iran ... then no amount of aid 
will save the Arab-Israeli peace process from drowning in an 
increasingly radicalized region." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I. "The Money Will not Buy Peace" 
 
Military correspondent Roni Shaked wrote in the mass circulation, 
pluralist Yediot Aharonot (12/18): "The billions of dollars [raised 
in the donors' conference in Paris] will be enough to pay the 
salaries of the inflated Palestinian bureaucracy, will allow the 
security organizations to buy new cars and camps and even finance 
several infrastructure-development projects.  Perhaps the money will 
satisfy the greed and corruption of the high-ranking officials, but 
 
it will not buy peace.  The billions will not be invested in 
rehabilitating refugee camps and education for co-existence and 
peace, nor will it contribute even a little toward the removal of 
one settlement or even one roadblock.  While the money will serve 
Fatah, mainly its major operatives, it is very doubtful whether it 
can contribute to the revival of the movement, which needs 
leadership and a new spirit.... The donations may have temporary 
positive implications: the money is meant to strengthen Abu Mazen 
and his government, and it is likely that we will gain a certain 
period of relative calm.  But once the Palestinians realize that 
money does not buy a state, this could lead to a new conflagration, 
a third Intifada with more destruction and ruin." 
 
II. "Roadblocks Counter Funding" 
 
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (12/18): "It is 
agreed by all that the Palestinian government cannot continue as the 
main provider for the Palestinian labor force.  It requires an 
acceleration in the public and private sectors in order to lift this 
heavy burden off its shoulders.  But it cannot act alone.  The World 
Bank report released on the eve of the international donor 
conference in Paris states that even if the Palestinian Authority 
receives all the funds it aspires to, unless restrictions imposed by 
Israel are lifted, economic growth may be negative.... This is so 
because the road blocks, whose numbers only increase, and other 
trade restrictions imposed by Israel, do not allow the private 
sector to flourish and an atmosphere is created where foreign 
investment is discouraged.  These are not false claims that Fayyad 
is trying to disseminate, but the words of the World Bank, which 
lays direct blame on Israel's policy.  The Foreign Minister is not 
entitled to ignore the warning included in this report.  Even more 
so after Israel promised, on a number of occasions, to lift a large 
number of the road blocks, and significantly ease Palestinian 
movement between parts of the West Bank.  If Israel's security and a 
blooming Palestinian economy do not contradict each other, as Livni 
maintains, she must take immediate action to lift the roadblocks 
that infringe on the Palestinian economy." 
 
III. "Stop Trade with Iran" 
 
The Conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (12/18): 
"The billions of dollars in aid pledged yesterday [to the 
Palestinians in the donor's conference] is supposed to demonstrate 
support for Palestinian leaders who have pledged to institute 
governmental reforms, fight terrorism and negotiate peace with 
Israel.  But if Europe continues to drag its feet in sharply 
curtailing its trade with Iran -- which constitutes 40 percent of 
Iran's foreign business but only 1% of Europe's -- then no amount of 
aid will save the Arab-Israeli peace process from drowning in an 
increasingly radicalized region." 
 
-------- 
¶2. Gaza: 
-------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Senior columnist Yoel Marcus wrote in the independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz: "In any major operation, you know how you will enter, but 
not how or when you will leave, and how much blood will be shed.  We 
already had one Vietnam, in the First Lebanon War. We do not need a 
second Vietnam in Gaza." 
 
Palestinian correspondent Amit Cohen wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Maariv: "It would not be exaggerated to say that Harazin's 
counterparts in Hamas are sleeping soundly.... All Hamas' fatalities 
in recent months have been from the rank and file.  The senior 
echelons -- military and political -- have not been touched.  This 
fact is quite astonishing, because in the past year Hamas has 
uncovered its military arm almost entirely." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I. "A Vietnam Called Gaza" 
 
Senior columnist Yoel Marcus wrote in the independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz (12/18): "Even now, when public demand for sending the army 
into Gaza is growing, this option is not as simple as it seems.  It 
is impossible to launch a war in a densely populated area, with 
narrow alleys housing thousands of women and children, without the 
support of international public opinion.  And we cannot muster such 
support when we have suffered a single kidnapped soldier and 18 
fatalities in six years.  Yet the more time passes with thousands of 
people living unprotected and in constant fear in Sderot, the 
greater the demand becomes for a massive military incursion into 
Gaza.... For now, both Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of 
Staff Gabi Ashkenazi are putting their feet on the brakes of the 
'the big invasion' option.... In any major operation, you know how 
you will enter, but not how or when you will leave, and how much 
blood will be shed.  We already had one Vietnam, in the First 
Lebanon War. We do not need a second Vietnam in Gaza." 
 
II. "Hamas Activists are Sleeping Quietly" 
 
Palestinian correspondent Amit Cohen wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Maariv (12/18): "In recent months ... the impression has been 
conveyed that the war conducted against Islamic Jihad in the Gaza 
Strip has not been waged to the same extent against the Hamas 
leadership.  It would not be exaggerated to say that Harazin's 
counterparts in Hamas are sleeping soundly.... All Hamas' fatalities 
in recent months have been from the rank and file.  The senior 
echelons -- military and political -- have not been touched.  This 
fact is quite astonishing, because in the past year Hamas has 
uncovered its military arm almost entirely.... No longer are we 
talking about five or six people on the wanted list, hiding among 
thousands of civilians.  Instead it is a military organization, 
which ought to provide Israel with a wealth of targets to attack. 
Therefore the question that has to be asked is -- why is the IDF not 
dealing with this infrastructure." 
JONES