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UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000357 
 
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 
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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: 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶1.  Mideast 
 
¶2.  U.S.-Israel Relations 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Israel Radio and other media quoted Hizbullah as saying that Imad 
Mughniyah, the senior Hizbullah military leader believed to be the 
mastermind behind the attack against a Jewish center in Buenos Aires 
in 1994, the bombings of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992 
and of U.S. military barracks in Beirut in 1983, was killed in a 
mysterious blast in Damascus.  Hizbullah has blamed Israel.  Israel 
has not yet commented. 
 
Ha'aretz quoted PM Ehud Olmert as saying in Berlin that borders will 
be the easiest of the core issues to solve and negotiations should 
begin there instead of on more difficult topics like Jerusalem.  The 
paper added that officials in Israel, the Palestinian Authority and 
the U.S. now doubt that a peace agreement can be reached this year.. 
 A "senior source in Washington" was cited as saying that efforts to 
adjust expectations for the negotiations had begun, but that the 
ultimate goal of the process has not  changed.  PM Olmert and Vice 
PM Haim Ramon have said in recent days that a detailed agreement 
cannot be expected by the end of the year, this despite warnings 
from Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad  that it was time to demonstrate 
progress in the talks.  Ha'aretz also added that FM Tzipi Livni said 
on Sunday in an interview with AP that an agreement can't be reached 
as long as Hamas militants control Gaza. 
 
Hatem Abdel Qader, the Jerusalem affairs adviser to PA Prime 
Minister Salam Fayyad, was quoted in an interview with The Jerusalem 
Post on Tuesday as saying that Jerusalem "is not only on the 
[negotiating] table, it is also under the table."  He added that 
discussion are focusing on property claims in both the eastern and 
western halves of the city.  Ha'aretz and other media reported that 
senior Shas officials have criticized the escalation in rhetoric by 
faction head  Eli Yishai in his threats to quit the coalition. These 
sources said that the party's spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, 
does not want to leave the government, and that Yishai's statements 
are in contradiction to the position adopted by the Council of Torah 
 
Sages three weeks ago, which stipulated that Shas will only quit the 
government when  Jerusalem enters into the negotiations. The Shas 
sources also asterisk this by adding that Yosef does not believe 
that the negotiations will have a tangible result since  Abbas is so 
weak, therefore he sees no need for Shas to take immediate action. 
On the other hand, The Jerusalem Post wrote that Yishai was 
surprised to hear about the frequency of FM Tzipi Livni's contacts 
with former Palestinian PM Ahmed Qurei. 
 
Leading media quoted Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit (Kadima) as 
 
saying on Tuesday that his ministry plans to submit to the 
government a proposal this year to build a new Arab city -- probably 
in the Galilee.  If the plan goes through, it will be the first time 
such a city is built in Israel, aside from towns meant to absorb the 
Bedouin. 
 
Maariv reported that Israel has started a world-wide PR campaign in 
preparation for a  military operation in Gaza. 
 
PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, was quoted as saying on Tuesday in 
an interview with The Jerusalem Post that Israeli security needs 
must be met for there to be cooperation between the two sides. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that in Jerusalem on Tuesday Malcolm Hoenlein, the 
head of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish 
Organizations, expressed concern over Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's 
campaign for president.  While carefully stressing that he is not 
worried specifically about the candidate, he is nervous about the 
atmosphere around the campaign and the talk of "change".  He was 
also somewhat critical of Obama's stance on Iran and warned that the 
Presidential campaign could mark a shift in U.S. support for Israel. 
 Meanwhile, The Jerusalem Post did not carry any quotes about the 
Obama campaign, but instead focused on Iran and Hoenlein's statement 
that a military strike "would be a sign of a failed policy, because 
it would show we didn't do everything we cold have done." 
 
Ha'aretz and Yediot reported that Dov Alfon, 46, will succeed David 
Landau as editor of Ha'aretz.  Ha'aretz reported that Guy Rolnik, 
deputy publisher of the Ha'aretz group, cited Alfon's long resume, 
experience, talent, and originality.  Alfon is expected to take up 
the position on April 15.  Landau has been Ha'aretz's editor for the 
last four years. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that seven students from the Leo Baeck 
High School in Haifa will join American students for two weeks in 
Nicaragua building homes for the poor. 
 
Yediot reported that the U.S. Basketball Hall of Fame will honor the 
Maccabi Tel Aviv club in an exhibition marking Israel's 60th 
anniversary. 
 
Ha'aretz and The Jerusalem Post reported that FM Tzipi Livni is 
scheduled to visit Washington on Thursday to  attend a memorial 
ceremony for California Congressman Tom Lantos.  Ha'aretz reported 
that Livni will stay in town for only a few hours, but is expected 
to meet Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. 
 
Ha'aretz quoted German Chancellor Angela Merkel as saying on Tuesday 
during a meeting with PM Olmert Germany that she supports further 
UN sanctions.  Israel Radio quoted Olmert as saying in Germany that 
Israel will not build settlements but that it will continue 
construction in Jerusalem. 
 
Major media reported that on Tuesday in Ankara Defense Minister Ehud 
Barak criticized calls for military action in Gaza, claiming that 
such remarks, especially by government ministers, give the enemy 
detailed and damaging information. Ha'aretz also reported that Barak 
declined to comment on wire service reports that Turkish officials 
had passed on a message from Syrian President Bashar Assad.  Yediot 
reported that on Tuesday Turkish Minister of National Defense Mehmet 
Vecdi Gonul acknowledged that Israel is helping his country fight 
Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq by leasing Israeli unmanned aerial 
vehicles (UAVs). 
 
Yediot cited the concern of the GOI that Hizbullah may ignite the 
northern border if Israel embarks on a broad-scale military 
operation in Gaza.  Leading media reported that the residents of 
communities along the northern border will strike today in protest 
of the Finance Ministry's plan to cut certain tax benefits that they 
enjoyed. 
 
On Tuesday, leading media reported that the northern town of Kiryat 
Yam is suing Internet giant Google for slander because a feature of 
its worldwide map service shows the town was built on the ruins of 
an Arab village.  In an interview with AP, Kiryat Yam official Naty 
Keyzilberman was quoted as saying that "this obviously cannot be 
true, because Kiryat Yam was founded in 1945." 
 
Major media reported that Israeli author Amos Oz and former U.S. 
Vice President Al Gore are among the recipients of this year's Dan 
David Prize for influential scientific, technological, cultural or 
social achievements.  The winners will receive the award in Israel 
 
in May.  The prize, which is based at Tel Aviv University, awards 
three prizes of $1 million each in categories representing the past, 
present and future. 
 
Maariv reported that following an agreement with Covanta, the 
largest recycling company in the U.S., the Israeli firm Global 
Energy will set up hundreds of plants in America to produce fuel 
from waste, and receive 10% of the profits from the fuel. 
 
The media reported that on Tuesday the U.S. dollar reached a 10-year 
low on the Israeli money market -- 3.58 shekels. 
 
Ha'aretz presented the results of Tel Aviv University's Peace Index 
poll conducted among Jewish and Arab Israelis from February 4 to 6, 
2008: 
Following the Winograd Report, nearly two-thirds (63%) of the Jewish 
public still think that the decision to launch the Second Lebanon 
War was justified (25% say it was the wrong decision).  This 
compares to only 58% after the interim report (April 2007). 
Voters for the National Religious Party-National Union are now most 
likely to support the war -- 88% -- while the fewest supporters can 
be found among Meretz and Likud - in both cases 48% 
As for the report's political implications, 53% say  that Ehud 
Olmert cannot continue serving as prime minister (38% think he 
can). 
Only 40% are in favor of new elections; 31% favor the current 
government staying; and 22% support the current coalition but under 
a new PM. 
Interestingly, only 12% of the public has trust in the government 
and 15% trusts the Knesset. 
 
------------ 
¶1.  Mideast: 
------------ 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Prominent liberal writer Amos Oz wrote on page one of the 
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "Israel must not fall 
into the trap that Hamas is laying for us in Gaza." 
 
Middle East affairs commentator Dr. Guy Bechor, a lecturer at the 
Interdisciplinary Center, wrote on his Internet site Gplanet: "We 
have to ensure a balance of military terror to stop the fire at 
Israel, but we will not save Hamas from itself." 
 
Columnist Avraham Tirosh wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv: 
"The shadow of the Winograd Commission hovers above the commanders 
who will decide on a broad-ranging operation [in Gaza]." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "Don't March into Gaza" 
 
Prominent liberal writer Amos Oz wrote on page one of the 
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (2/13): "The rage, the 
frustration and the fulminating rhetoric have gone to our heads. 
Israel must not fall into the trap that Hamas is laying for us in 
Gaza.  Because the number of casualties in a ground incursion will 
be far larger than the number of people hurt by Qassam rockets over 
seven years.  Additionally, for five of those years, we controlled 
Gaza, and even then could not stop hundreds of rockets being fired 
on Sderot.... Evidently we have forgotten.... By having Israeli 
troops invade Gaza, Hamas fighters will be depicted in the eyes of 
the Palestinians, in the eyes of the Arab world and in the eyes of 
world public opinion as the Palestinian Masada -- the few against 
the many, residential neighborhoods against a regular army, refugee 
camps against bomber planes, boys against tanks, David against 
Goliath.  As the rulers of Gaza, we will be sitting on a can of 
worms.  The occupying force will not have a single quiet day.  Nor 
will Sderot and its environs.  Even at these moments of rage, as our 
hearts go out to the continuous suffering of the residents of Sderot 
and its environs, we must not forget that the root of the Gaza 
problem is that hundreds of thousands of people are rotting there in 
refugee camps, camps that are hotbeds of poverty and despair, 
ignorance, religious and national zealotry, hatred and violence. 
From an historical perspective, there is no answer to the Gaza 
problem without there being, at least on the horizon, a degree of 
hope for these desperate people.  What can be done now?  It is 
possible and crucial to reach a cease-fire with Hamas in Gaza.  A 
cease-fire like this has a difficult political price, of course. 
But of all the prices that Israel is liable to pay for an erroneous 
and hasty decision, this is the least fatal and most tolerable." 
 
II.  "More Surprises, Sweet as Wormwood" 
 
Middle East affairs commentator Dr. Guy Bechor, a lecturer at the 
Interdisciplinary Center, wrote on his Internet site Gplanet (2/10): 
"About half a year after it took over the Gaza Strip in a military 
coup, Hamas has brought the Palestinians in Gaza back 60 years, as 
through a the time tunnel, straight to 1948. They are again a public 
that behaves like a flock of sheep, without a name, without a face, 
without an identity, without a goal, either national or 
organizational.... With great skill, Hamas has managed to completely 
isolate itself, surrounded by rivals, perhaps even enemies.... If 
Hamas takes the Palestinians and the Palestinian issue to 
self-destruction, we won't get in its way.  We have to ensure a 
balance of military terror to stop the fire at Israel, but we will 
not save Hamas from itself.... If, despite everything, we are 
planning a large-scale ground operation, it must be properly 
planned.... Obviously the operation's plans must be gone over 
intelligently, and we must ensure military brilliance, deception, 
diversion and cunning. The IDF has all the time in the world. We 
demand a brilliant operation!.... 'Talk to Hamas' (!) major figures 
in the government here have said, talk to Hamas.  But Hamas is not 
interested. Israeli logic says that we are always to blame or are 
responsible, and it's hard to accept the fact that we are simply not 
wanted.  Does anyone remember President Bush's silly visit to the 
region?  The great fears?  The negotiations on the 'core issues'? 
Tony Blair and his regional prattle?  A peace agreement with the 
Palestinians 'this year'?  Along came the winter wind and scattered 
the illusions in all directions." 
 
II.  "War in Winograd's Shadow" 
 
Columnist Avraham Tirosh wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv 
(2/13): "The shadow of the Winograd Commission hovers above the 
commanders who will decide on a broad-ranging operation [in Gaza] 
and its timing.... Thus, Israel will not be stuck in the Gazan 
quagmire.... The number of Israeli casualties will be reasonable (as 
horrible as this sounds).  So will the number of civilians killed in 
Gaza.  The aims of this operation -- first and foremost the 
elimination of the Hamas regime, will be clearly defined.... We are 
already at war, but the impeding one will be harsher and longer." 
 
-------------------------- 
¶2.  U.S.-Israel Relations: 
-------------------------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Eytan Haber, veteran op-ed writer and assistant to the late prime 
minister Yitzhak Rabin, wrote in an editorial of the 
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: " The possibility 
exists -- but not for certain -- that Barak Obama will be the next 
U.S. president.... We are apparently facing a 'window of 
opportunities.'  May God protect us." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
"A Bunch of Troubles" 
 
Eytan Haber, veteran op-ed writer and assistant to the late prime 
minister Yitzhak Rabin, wrote in an editorial of the 
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (2/13): "The possibility 
exists -- but not for certain -- that Barak Obama will be the next 
U.S. president.... If Obama gets elected ... the basic assumption is 
that his rapport to Israel will be different from that of Bush and 
Clinton -- I wish I were wrong.  No words can describe our current 
dependence on the United States in all aspects of our lives; thus 
any drop in support of Israel would be a significant disaster.  We 
are apparently facing a 'window of opportunities.'  May God protect 
us." 
 
JONES