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SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶1.  Aftermath of Final Winograd Report 
 
¶2.  Mideast 
 
¶3.  Iran 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Ha'aretz and other media quoted Dr. Abu-Osama Abed Al-Makati, 
Hamas's representative in Iran, as saying on Wednesday that Israel 
can expect a wave of suicide bombings inside its 1967 borders. 
Al-Ma'ati described the suicide bombing earlier this week in Dimona 
as just the beginning.  The announcement came as Palestinian 
militants from the Gaza Strip launched at least 10 Qassam rockets 
into Israel, lightly wounding two girls in Kibbutz Be'eri.  The 
Jerusalem Post quoted sources close to Hamas as saying that 
thousands of Arab men poured into Gaza through the breached border, 
offering to join in the fight against Israel.  Overnight IAF strikes 
in Gaza killed six militants -- five from Hamas and one from Islamic 
Jihad.  Ha'aretz and The Jerusalem Post reported that a poll 
released on Wednesday showed Hamas receiving a boost in popularity 
from their actions in breaching the Egyptian border. 
 
The Jerusalem Post quoted defense officials as saying on Wednesday 
that there is a growing possibility that the IDF will retake the 
Philadelphi Corridor between the Gaza Strip and Sinai to prevent 
arms smuggling and terrorist infiltration.  The media reported that 
PM Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and FM Tzipi Livni held 
an informal meeting on Wednesday in which they were briefed on the 
situation in southern Israel.  Reportedly, they decided construction 
of a fence needed to begin immediately along parts of Israel's 
230-km border with Egypt.  Although no formal announcement was made, 
it is believed that work will begin near Nitzana in the northern 
region of the border, and in Eilat in its south.  Makor 
Rishon-Hatzofe and Israel Radio cited a Kuwaiti newspaper that Hamas 
threatens to kidnap Egyptian soldiers. 
 
The media cited ongoing controversy around the comments of Winograd 
Commission member Prof. Yehezkel Dror.  Media reported that many 
politicians, including MK Avigdor Yitzhaki from Kadima -- a former 
coalition whip, who tended his resignation from the Knesset this 
morning -- demanded the establishment of a state commission of 
inquiry. The media quoted Meretz leader MK Dr. Yossi Beilin as 
saying that Dror's remarks were chilling and that they prove that 
the commission acted on behalf of the government. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel will begin reducing on 
Thursday the amount of electricity it supplies to the Gaza Strip, as 
part of punitive measures against the Hamas government.  The power 
cutback was made possible last week, when the High Court of Justice 
turned down appeals by several rights groups against the sanctions. 
 
Marc Otte, EU special envoy to the Middle East, was quoted as saying 
in interview with Ha'aretz on Wednesday that Israel's policies in 
the Gaza Strip are likely to turn the territory into a new Somalia. 
"Israel's tactics in the Gaza Strip did not work," Otte was quoted 
as saying.  "The blockade and the sanctions against the population 
failed, and only strengthened Hamas and weakened [PM Salam] Fayyad 
and Abu Mazen [President Mahmoud Abbas]." 
 
Makor Rishon-Hatzofe quoted Ruchama Avraham, the minister in charge 
of relations with the Knesset, as saying on Tuesday that Israel will 
continue to allow cash to enter Gaza  as it is in Israel's 
interest. 
 
Leading media reported that Iran has started using advanced 
centrifuges at its nuclear facility in Natanz. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that on Wednesday a group of Palestinian 
and Israeli law enforcement officers met for a discussion of 
crime-fighting techniques and cooperation. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that, looking to upgrade its sea-based 
capabilities, the Israel Navy has submitted a Request for Proposal 
to the U.S. Navy for a new missile ship -- the Littoral Combat Ship 
-- currently under development by Lockheed Martin Corp. 
 
Yediot reported that Defense Minister Barak will visit Turkey next 
week.  The newspaper wrote that Barak will promote several defense 
deals with that country. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that the GOI's Water Authority warns that Israel 
might soon not be able to utilize a significant part of its national 
water (groundwater reservoir) sources.  The Authority cited the low 
quality of the water and climate change. 
On Wednesday The Jerusalem Post reviewed the upcoming visit to 
Israel (February 9-15) of blues, gospel, and jazz singer Janice 
Harrington under the auspices of the U.S. Embassy. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
¶1.  Aftermath of Final Winograd Report: 
--------------------------------------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Columnist Ari Shavit wrote in the independent, left-leaning 
Ha'aretz: "The suspicion is that the Winograd Commission was... a 
body set up to protect the Prime Minister." 
 
Liberal columnist Ofer Shelach wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Maariv: "[Professor Yehezkel] Dror is right.... Olmert ought to have 
resigned a long time ago.  The politicians who support him ought to 
have paid a price." 
 
The nationalist Makor Rishon-Hatzofe editorialized: "Elections must 
be scheduled as soon as possible in order to clear the public 
atmosphere in Israel." 
 
 
 
 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "A Suspicious Failure" 
 
Columnist Ari Shavit wrote in the independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz 
(2/7): "In the second, analytical part of the [Winograd] report, 
Prof. Yehezkel Dror and his colleagues devoted about 200 outstanding 
pages to crucifying the IDF.  However, not a single page was devoted 
to the preparation and conduct of the Prime Minister's Office.... 
Dror's statements to the daily newspaper Maariv stir suspicions of 
the commission's failure.... The suspicion is that the Winograd 
Commission was... a body set up to protect the Prime Minister.  The 
suspicion is that the Annapolis Summit accounts for the inexplicable 
gap between the commission's treatment of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert 
in the interim report and its treatment of Olmert in the final 
report.  The suspicion is that the commission that was appointed by 
Olmert identified with him politically and therefore protected him. 
The suspicion is that members of the commission knowingly betrayed 
their task due to extraneous considerations.... After 18 months of 
stagnation under Olmert and in the shadow of Winograd, Israel needs 
a sound leadership that enjoys the public's confidence -- a new 
leadership, a legitimate leadership, a leadership that is not 
protected." 
 
II.  "Professor Dror Is Not to Blame" 
 
Liberal columnist Ofer Shelach wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Maariv (2/7): "The mandate of the [Winograd] Commission, the 
circumstances in which it was established, its composition, and its 
legal standing left no chance that it would pass a guilty verdict 
against Olmert.  Consequently the commission was handed a burden 
which its members were unable to bear.  Prof. Gavison's legal 
stratagems, and the interim report, which was a kind of riposte to 
the impasse in which the commission members found themselves, only 
made the situation worse.  All this has been known to the public for 
a long time, but in Israel knowledge never prevails upon infantile 
politics fuelled by the news media....   Olmert, cynical and 
self-possessed, established the Winograd Commission.  That 
commission ought to have been disqualified in the eyes of everyone, 
including the commission members themselves.  But those five 
well-meaning members, including one [Professor Yehezkel Dror] whose 
judgment has been made amply clear in the past few days, turned into 
a kind of dumb oracle.  Everyone was waiting expectantly for their 
pronouncement, but they were unable to say anything of significance. 
 They produced a lame, emasculated report, and now everybody is 
trying to find a conspiracy under the carpet, all this in a blaze of 
publicity.  Dror is right.  Everyone ought to have made his own 
political judgment without waiting for this superfluous report. 
Olmert ought to have resigned a long time ago.  The politicians who 
support him ought to have paid a price.  The protest ought to be 
permanent, nationwide, and ought to reflect what the opinion polls 
show.  Anyone who is not capable of all this has no right to dump 
the responsibility on one professor who does not really understand 
what has happened to him." 
 
III.  "The Public Will Judge" 
 
The nationalist Makor Rishon-Hatzofe editorialized (2/7): "It seems 
that those who believe that anything that comes in contact with Ehud 
Olmert is permeated with rot and corruption, are right. This is the 
feeling today, after the presentation of lukewarm [Winograd report] 
a week ago and following remarks by [Professor Yehezkel Dror], a 
senior member of the [Winograd] Commission.  It is a body that even 
those who wanted a state commission of inquiry defended, confident 
in its integrity and the seriousness of its members.  Today, some 
still accept the report as is.  But skepticism remains.  Elections 
must be scheduled as soon as possible in order to clear the public 
atmosphere in Israel." 
 
------------ 
¶2.  Mideast: 
------------ 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Middle East affairs commentator Dr. Guy Bechor, a lecturer at the 
Interdisciplinary Center, wrote in the mass-circulation, pluralist 
Yediot Aharonot: "For decades Egypt has been accusing Israel of 
alienating the Palestinians and punishing them.... The open border 
acted like a boomerang to Egyptian claims, causing them great 
embarrassment.... Egypt has ... fallen victim to its own rhetoric." 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
"You Don't Play Around When It Comes to Egypt" 
 
Middle East affairs commentator Dr. Guy Bechor, a lecturer at the 
Interdisciplinary Center, wrote in the mass-circulation, pluralist 
Yediot Aharonot  (2/7): "For decades Egypt has been accusing Israel 
of alienating the Palestinians and punishing them, while Egypt, like 
the other Arabs, claim, of course, that the Palestinians should be 
helped.  That was successful and risk-free rhetoric, since the 
Palestinians were entirely within the sphere of Israeli 
responsibility.  The Egyptians thus completely ignored the 
Palestinians and also enjoyed blaming Israel.  Pro-Palestinian 
rhetoric was an Arab weapon against Israel.  Israeli pressure on 
Gaza, which led to the breakdown of the border between Gaza and 
Sinai, did away with the old game rules.  The open border acted like 
a boomerang to Egyptian claims, causing them great embarrassment. 
How can Israel be blamed when the Arab sides do nothing for the 
Palestinians?.... Egypt has thus fallen victim to its own rhetoric. 
If it uses violence to close the border, it will be said, with 
justification, that it is crueler than Israel.  And if it does not 
close the border, the Palestinian problem also becomes its problem. 
In the meantime, Egypt, in confusion, is doing both..... If Egypt is 
sucked into Gaza, it will be at its expense, and that is something 
that Hamas does not want..... Since Gaza suddenly erupted, hundreds 
of thousands began to move into Sinai, and the Islamic opposition 
rejoiced at [President Mubarak's] expense.  He now realizes that he 
must no longer ignore Gaza, since if he does, Gaza is liable to get 
back to him and to his rule." 
 
--------- 
¶2.  Iran: 
--------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: "Though 
Europe is acting blindly to its own self-interest, let alone 
Israel's, our government should make clear that any nation that 
fails to take minimal effective steps to confront the Iranian threat 
cannot be considered a friend of the Jewish state." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
"Stop Fueling Iran" 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (2/7): 
"Iran, and the radical Islamist movement it spearheads, pose the 
greatest totalitarian threat to international peace and security 
since the defeats of Soviet communism and Nazi fascism.  As in the 
1930s, we are at the point when the threat is growing, but can still 
be stopped by imposing draconian diplomatic and economic sanctions, 
without military force.  Europe's foot-dragging on sanctions is 
leading inevitably to military action, war, a nuclear Iran, or some 
combination of the exact scenarios that European leaders claim they 
want to avoid.  The refusal to impose small economic costs now will 
result in major economic costs -- both through rising terrorism and 
oil prices -- to European economies later, not to mention growing 
loss of life, freedom and security in the world.  Though Europe is 
acting blindly to its own self-interest, let alone Israel's, our 
government should make clear that any nation that fails to take 
minimal effective steps to confront the Iranian threat cannot be 
considered a friend of the Jewish state." 
JONES