VZCZCXYZ0167
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #0688/01 0631516
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031516Z MAR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC
TO RHMCSUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1952
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS AMMAN 000688 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/PPD, IIP/GNEA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: JO KPAO KMDR KWBG
SUBJECT: JORDAN: MEDIA REACT TO EVENTS IN GAZA 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: JORDANIAN MEDIA FOCUSED WITH INCREASING INTENSITY 
THIS PAST WEEKEND ON EVENTS IN GAZA INVOLVING CLASHES BETWEEN 
ISRAELI FORCES AND PALESTINIAN MILITANTS.  COVERAGE OF EVENTS HAS 
COMPETED WITH THE KING'S U.S. VISIT FOR PRE-EMINENCE ON THE FRONT 
PAGES, AND HAS BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY GRAPHIC PHOTOS TAKEN OF 
CASUALTIES ARRIVING AT GAZAN HOSPITALS AND OF SORROWFUL RELATIVES OF 
VICTIMS.  COMMENTARY HAS BEEN UNIFORMLY AND HARSHLY CRITICAL OF 
ISRAELI ACTIONS.  THOSE ACTIONS ARE PRESENTED IN THE MEDIA AS BEING 
CONDONED IF NOT TACITLY SUPPORTED BY THE U.S.  END SUMMARY. 
 
COVERAGE GRAPHIC, TONE HISTRIONIC 
 
¶2. (U) BEGINNING LAST THURSDAY AND THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND, JORDANIAN 
MEDIA HAVE CRITICIZED THE ISRAELI INCURSION INTO GAZA AND THE 
RESULTING DESTRUCTION AND LOSS OF LIFE IN HARSH AND ANGRY TERMS, 
BEYOND THE USUAL NEGATIVE SLANT ON ISRAELI MILITARY OPERATIONS. 
FREELY USING TERMS SUCH AS "AGGRESSION," "MASSACRES," AND 
"HOLOCAUST" TO DESCRIBE ISRAELI ACTIONS, PRESS REPORTS ABOUT 
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE GAZA STRIP ARE DECIDEDLY AND HARSHLY 
ANTI-ISRAELI.  THE DAILY AL-ARAB AL-YAWM RAN A STORY ENTITLED "ARAB 
PUBLIC ANGER AGAINST NEW NAZI CRIMES AGAINST GAZA."  AN ARTICLE IN 
THE DAILY AL-GHAD DENOUNCED ISRAEL UNDER THE HEADLINE "HOT WINTER 
BURNS GAZA."  ALL THE MAJOR DAILIES HAVE RUN STORIES HIGHLIGHTING 
CIVILIAN CASUALTIES AMONG PALESTINIANS, AS WELL FEATURES ON 
ANTI-ISRAELI PROTESTS HELD ACROSS JORDAN AND THE REGION. 
 
¶3. (U) SEVERAL NEWSPAPERS HAVE ALSO RUN PROVOCATIVE EDITORIAL 
CARTOONS.  TODAY'S AL-GHAD PUBLISHED A CARTOON OF AN ISRAELI 
HELICOPTER GUNSHIP, ITS FUSELAGE SHAPED LIKE A MENORAH AND ITS 
ROTORS IN THE SHAPE OF A SWASTIKA, FIRING ROUNDS FROM THE MENORAH'S 
CANDLESTICK HOLDERS.  THE CARTOON RUNS UNDER THE TITLE "GAZA 
HOLOCAUST," PRESUMABLY IN REACTION TO STATEMENTS BY ISRAELI DEPUTY 
DEFENSE MINISTER VILNA'I TO ISRAELI ARMY RADIO FEBRUARY 29.  TODAY'S 
AL-ARAB AL-YAWM PUBLISHED A CARTOON DEPICTING A MAN IN A TRADITIONAL 
ARAB HEAD-COVERING LOOKING TOWARD GAZA UNDER THE PHRASE, "THE ARAB 
OFFICIAL SILENCE." 
 
COMMENTARY ACERBIC, PREDICTIONS TRAGIC 
 
¶4. (U) EDITORIAL COMMENTARY. 
 
-- "THE OPEN BARBARIC WAR AGAINST GAZA" 
 
IN THE MARCH 1 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-ALIGNED, PRO-PALESTINIAN 
ARABIC DAILY AD-DUSTOUR, SENIOR COLUMNIST ORAIB RANTAWI COMMENTS ON 
THE SITUATION IN GAZA VIS-`-VIS THE "MAD AND BARBARIC WAR" AGAINST 
IT, COMMENTING, "IT IS NOW TIME TO OPEN CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION 
BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS JUST AS MUCH AS IT IS TIME TO BEGIN A 
NATIONAL DIALOGUE [BETWEEN FATAH AND HAMAS].  HE ARGUES THAT THE 
SITUATION REQUIRES "A CHANGE IN OUR AGENDA" AND CALLS FOR "RAISING 
VOICES IN DENUNCIATION AND CONDEMNATION" AND "LIFTING THE ARAB AND, 
TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, THE PALESTINIAN SIEGE AGAINST THE GAZA STRIP." 
RANTAWI CRITICIZES THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, SUGGESTING IT MUST 
"OVERCOME THE STATE OF HYPOCRISY IT IS LIVING IN AND TO STAND 
AGAINST ISRAELI FASCISM."  HE CONCLUDES, "WITHOUT THESE 
REQUIREMENTS, GAZA'S WOUND WILL CONTINUE TO BLEED AND ITS TRAGEDY 
WILL BE EXACERBATED AND THE SUFFERING OF ITS CHILDREN WILL TURN INTO 
CURSES THAT WILL HAUNT EVERYONE WITHOUT EXCEPTION." 
 
-- "NO SECURITY AND NO ACCEPTANCE OF ISRAEL" 
 
SENIOR COLUMNIST SULTAN HATTAB WRITES IN THE MARCH 3 EDITION OF THE 
LEADING, GOVERNMENT-OWNED ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI, "ISRAEL DOES NOT WANT 
SECURITY OR PEACE OR STABILITY NOR DOES IT WANT TO BE PART OF THE 
REGION OR TO DEAL WITH ITS NEIGHBORS SO AS TO ACHIEVE THIS."  HE 
SPECULATES ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF QASSAM ROCKETS, WRITING, "THIS IS 
A PENDING QUESTION... IF THAT [LIBERATION] IS POSSIBLE, THEN THE 
ENTIRE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE SHOULD JOIN THE ROCKET LAUNCHERS, BUT IF 
THOSE ROCKETS WILL LEAD THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE INTO AN ISRAELI 
HOLOCAUST, THEN HAMAS SHOULD RECONSIDER WHAT IT IS DOING.  THE 
PARALLEL QUESTION IS:  WILL THE PEACE PROCESS, WHICH IS BEING KILLED 
BY ISRAEL WHENEVER IT TRIES TO STAND ON ITS FEET, BRING THE 
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE TO SALVATION?"  HATTAB CONCLUDES, "THE HELLISH 
CIRCLE CREATED BY ISRAEL MUST BE BROKEN AND THE PALESTINIAN 
AUTHORITY MUST TURN THE TABLE AND HOLD HAMAS RESPONSIBLE." 
 
-- "JORDAN'S CHOICES AFTER THE FINAL CALL ON WASHINGTON" 
 
MANAGING EDITOR FAHED KHITAN IN THE MARCH 2 EDITION OF THE 
INDEPENDENT, OPPOSITION ARABIC DAILY AL-ARAB AL-YAWM WROTE THAT 
JORDAN IS GETTING CLOSER TO "PUBLICLY HOLDING ISRAEL RESPONSIBLE FOR 
THE COLLAPSE OF THE PEACE PROCESS AND LOSING THE FINAL OPPORTUNITY 
FOR PEACE."  HE OBSERVES, "THE KING'S ADDRESS AT THE WOODROW WILSON 
SCHOOL ALLUDED TO THIS STANCE AND CARRIED A CLEAR AND FRANK MESSAGE 
TO THE UNITED STATES ABOUT THE NEED TO HOLD IT [ISRAEL] RESPONSIBLE 
BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.  HOWEVER, IT IS NOT LIKELY THAT WASHINGTON 
WILL CHANGE ITS STANCE, WHICH IS BIASED TOWARDS ISRAEL."  KHITAN 
COMMENTS, "PERHAPS THE KING'S CURRENT VISIT IS THE LAST IN THE ERA 
OF BUSH'S ADMINISTRATION AND, THEREFORE, THE KING'S SPEECH WAS A 
FINAL CALL TO THE U.S. POLITICAL ELITE TO MAKE A MOVE BEFORE THE 
REMAINING TIME IS OVER.  IN A FEW WEEKS, IT WILL BECOME CLEAR HOW 
COMMITTED THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION IS TOWARDS FULFILLING ITS PROMISES 
OF PUSHING THE PEACE PROCESS FORWARD AND REACHING AN AGREEMENT 
BEFORE YEAR'S END."  KHITAN ASSERTS THAT ARAB MODERATE COUNTRIES ARE 
NO LONGER AS CONCERNED WITH PEACE NEGOTIATIONS AS WITH OTHER ISSUES, 
ASSERTING THAT "ALL PARTIES HAVE WASHED THEIR HANDS OF THE PEACE 
PROCESS." 
 
-- "AND THEY TALK TO YOU ABOUT QASSAM ROCKETS!" 
 
LOCAL AL-JAZEERA BUREAU CHIEF AND COLUMNIST YASER ABU HILALEH IN THE 
MARCH 3 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT, ARABIC DAILY AL-GHAD RESPONDS TO 
STATEMENTS BY THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY'S INFORMATION MINISTER RIAD 
AL-MALKI.  HE WRITES, "MALKI IS IGNORING THE FEELINGS OF THE VICTIMS 
AND IS FAR FROM A REALISTIC VISION. FORTY PERCENT OF MILITARY 
OPERATIONS IN THE WEST BANK ARE TAKING PLACE WITHOUT THE INVOLVEMENT 
OF QASSAM ROCKETS.  HAMAS IS NOT THE ONLY ONE FIRING ROCKETS.  THE 
FATAH-AFFILIATED AL-AQSA BRIGADES ARE FIRING ROCKETS AND SO ARE AL 
NASSER SALAHEDDIN AND SARAYA AL-QUDS BRIGADES.  THOSE ARE NOT 
MERCENARIES FROM ABROAD OR SOME IDIOTS.  THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE 
FIGHTING AMIDST THEIR OWN PEOPLE AND CHILDREN AND ARE NOT AWAITING 
SOME ALLOCATIONS FROM TEHRAN TO SPEND IN NIGHTCLUBS IN GAZA!  THEY 
ARE AWARE OF THE IMBALANCE OF POWERS AND THEY ARE IN THE LINE OF 
FIRE, KNOWING THAT IN AS WEAK AS THOSE ROCKETS MAY BE, THEY STILL 
ADD TO THEIR STRENGTH."  ABU HILALEH ADDS, "AL-MALKI FAILED TO 
ANSWER A FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION: 'HOW COME THE HAMAS AUTHORITY DID NOT 
COLLAPSE DESPITE ALL THIS SIEGE AND DESTRUCTION?' THE ANSWER IS IN 
YESTERDAY'S EDITION OF HAARETZ, WHICH MAINTAINS THAT DESPITE THE 
HIGH COST OF THE CONFLICT IN GAZA, THE PALESTINIANS WILL NOT BREAK 
FROM HAMAS." 
 
-- "THE GAZA MASSACRES WILL NOT BREAK THE WILL OF OUR PEOPLE" 
 
COLUMNIST YASER ZA'ATREH WRITES IN THE MARCH 3 EDITION OF THE DAILY 
AD-DUSTOUR, "THE MURDERER OLMERT AND THE WAR CRIMINAL BARAK AND 
THOSE AROUND THEM ARE DELUSIONAL IF THEY THINK THAT THEIR DIRTY WAR 
AGAINST OUR KINFOLK IN THE GAZA STRIP AND THE WEST BANK WILL FORCE 
OUR PALESTINIAN PEOPLE TO SURRENDER."  ZA'ATREH RECOUNTS THE HISTORY 
OF PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, AND COMMENTS, "THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO RESIST AND 
EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW THERE IS A DREADFUL IMBALANCE OF POWERS 
BETWEEN THEM AND THEIR ENEMY, THEY DO REALIZE THAT THEIR ALTERNATIVE 
IS TO SURRENDER RATHER THAN THE NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH THEY HAVE TRIED 
FOR LONG YEARS WITHOUT ANY TANGIBLE OUTCOME."  HE CONTRASTS THOSE 
ACTIVELY "RESISTING AND STRIKING AT THE ENEMY" WITH ARAB REGIMES 
"CONTENT WITH JUST WATCHING THE DAILY SCENE OF BLOOD AND DEATH." 
 
-- "THE CHILDREN OF GAZA... WHO TAKES CARE OF THEM?" 
 
SENIOR COLUMNIST SULTAN HATTAB WRITES IN THE MARCH 3 EDITION OF THE 
DAILY AL-RAI, "U.S.-BACKED ISRAEL HAS CROSSED ALL RED LINES BY 
SLAUGHTERING CHILDREN AND VIOLATING HUMAN RIGHTS.  REGRETFULLY, 
THERE IS NO ONE TO DETER IT [ISRAEL] AND STAND IN ITS FACE AS ARABS 
ARE ATTENDING TO THEIR OWN AFFAIRS, STOCK MARKETS, MONEY, OIL AND 
INVESTMENTS AND THEY NO LONGER LISTEN TO ANYTHING OR UNDERSTAND WHAT 
IS HAPPENING.... WHY?"  HATTAB COMMENTS, "THE DEATH OF THE CHILDREN 
OF GAZA AND THE PROCESS OF ANNIHILATING ONE MILLION AND A HALF 
PEOPLE IN THE STRIP AND TRYING ALL SORTS OF WEAPONS ON THEIR BODIES 
AND SEVERING ALL THEIR MEANS OF LIFE PROMPTS SUCH QUESTIONS AMIDST 
OUR GENERATIONS AS: ARE WE ALL ARABS?... IS THERE SUCH A WORD AS 
'NATION' IN THE TRUE SENSE OF THE WORD THAT IS USED AMIDST OTHER 
PEOPLES OF THIS EARTH?...  IF THE ANSWER IS YES, THEN WHY ARE ARAB 
OFFICIALS NOT HEEDING THE PLEAS OF THE CHILDREN?" 
 
RUBINSTEIN