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TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Mideast 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Expanding on an Israel Radio story broadcast on Tuesday, Maariv, The 
Jerusalem Post, and other media reported that Defense Minister Ehud 
Barak is considering relief measures for the Palestinians devised by 
U.S. security coordinator Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton, which includes 
allowing the transfer of weapons, protective gear, and night-vision 
goggles to Palestinian security forces in the West Bank.  The 
Jerusalem Post reported that the American request, which is expected 
to be officially submitted to the Defense Ministry by Dayton in the 
coming days and is linked with the visits to the region of Vice 
President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, will 
be one of the issues topping the agenda of Barak's meeting with PA 
Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Wednesday. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that the American officers responsible for 
monitoring Israeli and Palestinian compliance with the road map 
peace plan recently criticized the PA's counterterrorism efforts. 
However, they have also demanded clarifications from Israel about 
its failure to carry out its road map obligations, which include a 
freeze on settlement construction and the dismantling of illegal 
West Bank outposts.  Specifically, the Americans are concerned that 
the PA does not engage in the full spectrum of counterterrorism 
activities, including arrests, interrogation and trial, as it would 
if it were trying to eradicate the armed wings of Islamic terrorist 
organizations.  Instead, it makes do with trying to "contain" terror 
-- to prevent specific attacks, and to keep Hamas from growing 
strong enough to challenge Fatah's rule in the West Bank. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that summing up Russian FM Sergei 
Lavrov's visit here last week, GOI sources told the newspaper on 
Tuesday that Russia is determined to go ahead with an international 
Middle East conference in Moscow in June whether Israel likes it or 
not.  The sources characterized Lavrov's one-day visit last Thursday 
as "nasty," saying the Russian minister was agitated throughout his 
meetings with FM Tzipi Livni and President Shimon Peres.  The 
sources were quoted as saying that he was in a slightly better mood 
during his talks with PM Ehud Olmert.   According to the sources, 
Russia's determination to go ahead with the conference -- despite a 
decidedly cool, though officially noncommittal, reception to the 
idea from both Israel and the US -- stems from Moscow's belief that 
it needs to increase its involvement in the Middle East and "make 
its mark" in the region.    According to the government sources, 
Moscow views Hamas's takeover of Gaza as benefiting Iran, 
Hizbullah's strong position in Lebanon as strengthening Iran, and 
the situation in Iraq as playing into Iran's hands.  As a result, 
Moscow wants to dramatically increase its role and influence in the 
region. 
 
Yediot reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin will come to 
Israel in the next few months to mark Israel's 60th anniversary. 
Yediot quoted Israeli diplomatic sources as saying that Putin will 
prefer not to arrive at the same time as President Bush, in order to 
receive the greatest possible attention and honor.  Ha'aretz 
reported that this week the Federation of Jewish Communities in 
Russia (FEOR) announced that it was suspending all contacts with the 
Muslim communities in Russia, following a comment made by the Vice 
Chairman of Russia's Muftis' Committee three weeks ago that "Israel 
is a cancerous growth and the Zionists are Fascists." 
 
The Jerusalem Post quoted sources close to opposition leader 
Binyamin Netanyahu as saying on Tuesday that he has not received an 
invitation to meet with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during 
her trip to Israel that begins on Saturday night.  Associates of 
Netanyahu told the paper that the snub was expected as Netanyahu 
opposes the Annapolis process which Rice is here to support. 
Additionally, they emphasized that Netanyahu has better relations 
with other members of the administration, including Vice President 
Dick Cheney who just wrapped up a visit which included a meeting 
with Netanyahu. On Tuesday Netanyahu visited the controversial E-1 
area between Jerusalem and Ma'aleh Adumim and called upon PM Olmert 
to start building there despite American opposition.  The building 
plans in the area were approved when Netanyahu was prime minister 
but have been frozen following U.S. pressure. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that Defense Minister Barak recently approved the 
transfer of five mobile homes to the settlement of Teneh Omarim in 
the southern Hebron Hills for evacuees from the Gush Katif 
settlement of Morag.  Teneh Omarim is located east of the security 
fence, and outside the West Bank's large settlement blocs.  In a 
parliamentary question, Meretz Knesset Member Avshalom Vilan argued 
that placing mobile homes in this settlement comes in opposition to 
the government's pledge not to expand existing settlements and 
constitutes a serious violation of the Sharon government's pledge to 
the American administration not to settle Gush Katif evacuees in the 
West Bank.  The Jerusalem Post reported that on Tuesday National 
Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor) promised Gush 
Etzion leaders that their region will remain in Israeli hands when a 
final-status agreement is concluded with the Palestinians. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that a new exhibit in Gaza portrays 
Israel burning Palestinian children in oven.  A group called the 
National Committee for Defense of Children from the Holocaust 
unveiled its premier exhibit last week, entitled "Gaza: an exhibit 
describing the suffering of the children of the Holocaust."  The 
Jerusalem Post cited the Palestinian daily as saying: "The exhibit 
includes a large oven and inside it small children are being burned. 
 The picture speaks for itself."  The Jerusalem Post reported that 
the Zionist Organization of America condemned the exhibit, sayng in 
a statement that "there seems to be no limit to the depravity of 
Palestinian hate education and incitement." 
 
Ha'aretz reported that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak told a 
senior European diplomat about three weeks ago that the "situation 
that has developed in Gaza in recent months has led to Egypt having 
a border with Iran."  According to Ha'aretz's source, who requested 
anonymity, Mubarak told the diplomat that he was concerned over 
Iran's growing influence in the region. He also compared the 
situation in Lebanon to that in Gaza, saying that "in both places, 
the problems and the crises stem from the growing influence of 
Iran." 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that on Tuesday, in a telephone 
conversation with the newspaper, Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger 
welcomed an initiative from Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah for 
dialogue among monotheistic religions, including Judaism. 
 
All media reported that the lawyers of former Israel president Moshe 
Katsav have caused the postponed by the prosecutor's office of the 
opening of his trial for sexual offenses, which was mandate by a 
plea bargain. 
 
Israel Hayom reported that the police are blurring the results of 
investigations of PM Olmert. 
 
Yediot reported that State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss was 
prompted by the Knesset to draft a report about the successive 
Israeli governments' efforts to bring about the release of Jonathan 
Pollard, who is serving a life sentence for spying on Israel's 
behalf.  The newspaper quoted senior defense officials as saying 
that Lindenstrauss's expected report might hamper the efforts to 
have Pollard released. 
 
Yediot cited conservative U.S. media as saying that Democratic 
presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama's military adviser and 
co-chair of his presidential campaign Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak is 
a longtime anti-Israeli critic who has slammed Israel harshly during 
his career.  Yediot reported that Obama distanced himself from 
McPeak's views.  Yediot reported that Matthew Brooks, Executive 
Director of both the Republican Jewish Coalition, and the Jewish 
Policy Center, asked Obama to fire McPeak. 
 
Yediot reported that the Israeli Foreign Ministry has decided to 
block a visit by four members of the "Council of Elders" -- former 
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, 
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and former Irish 
President Mary Robinson.  They intended to advance an agreement with 
Hamas.  Yediot quoted Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny 
Gillerman, who was involved in the contacts, as saying that most 
Council members, in particular Tutu and Jimmy Carter, are biased and 
have turned out to be Israel's foes. 
 
The Jerusalem Post cited estimates released by the GOI's Central 
Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday, according to which Israel's 
population is expected to grow from around 7 million today to 
between 9.6 and 10.6 million (7.2 million Jews, 2.4 million Arabs, 
and 418,000 others) by 2030. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that on Tuesday the Israeli satellite operator 
Spacecom announced the imminent launch of Amos 3, its third 
communications satellite, which is scheduled for launch on April 
¶24. 
 
Leading media quoted Finance Minister Roni Bar-On as saying on 
Tuesday that while developments in the global financial markets were 
being watched closely ahead of a possible slowdown of the economy, 
Israel was in a better position to weather the global financial 
crisis than other nations. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that Israel Chemicals (ICL) will be buying its 
natural gas from the Israeli-American consortium Tethys Sea, not 
from the Egyptian-Israeli partnership EMG.  On Tuesday ICL signed a 
contract worth somewhere between $260 million to $330 million for 
the supply of 2 billion cubic meters of gas over five years, 
starting from the end of 2008.  ICL, which belongs to the Ofer 
Brothers' Israel Corporation, will be footing about $50 million of 
the cost of building pipelines and refitting its facilities to use 
gas instead of fuel oil.  The price of the gas will be linked to 
that of crude, but will also be a function of how much ICL actually 
buys.  ICL will be using the gas for industrial purposes and to 
power the electricity production plants of subsidiary Dead Sea 
Works.  Tethys Sea belongs to three of Yitzhak Tshuva's Delek Group 
companies (53%) and to the American company Noble Energy (47%). 
 
Ha'aretz reported that the Israeli firm Comverse Technologies may be 
facing tens of millions of dollars in fines to the Securities and 
Exchange Commission (SEC) over the backdated options scandal that 
was revealed in 2006. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that the Tourism Ministry is seeking 
Chinese language tour guides as 15,000 Chinese tourists are 
anticipated to visit Israel in 2008. 
 
All media reported that several Knesset members are fighting Reshet, 
a franchisee of the most viewed network Channel 2-TV, which will 
soon broadcast a program starring billionaire politician Arkady 
Gaidamak, in which he will offer advice to small businessmen.  The 
media quoted the Knesset's Economics Committee as saying on Tuesday 
that there is no legal impediment to broadcasting the TV show. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that a majority (around 70%) of Israel's 
adults -- both Jews and Arabs -- believe that Israel should lend a 
helping hand to developing nations, and that such international aid 
brings international credit to the nation.  The survey was 
commissioned in January 2008 by the Harold Hartog School of 
Government and Policy at Tel Aviv University and conducted by Maagar 
Mohot. 
 
-------- 
Mideast: 
-------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Columnist Michael Freund, who was an assistant to former prime 
minister Binyamin Netanyahu, wrote in the conservative, independent 
Jerusalem Post: "The choice before Washington is really very simple. 
 Keep focusing on the Palestinians if you wish, but then don't be 
surprised if you wake up one day to discover a nuclear Middle 
East." 
Senior Middle East affairs analyst Zvi Bar'el wrote in the 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: "Egypt's fear is that Iran is 
building a web of diplomatic influence among Egypt's neighbors, and 
thereby building itself up as a rival to the Arab club.... But the 
Arab club itself is not conducting a consistent anti-Iranian 
policy." 
 
Senior Fatah member Fares Kadura, a member of the Palestinian peace 
coalition, wrote in Ha'aretz: "What will help?  A violent uprising. 
That is the only thing, according to the Israeli housing minister, 
that will bring about the cessation of construction in the 
settlements and protect the Palestinian interest." 
 
The Jerusalem Post editorialized: "The real problem, of course, is 
the Islamic Republic, not Russia or Egypt.  But the collaboration of 
the latter two to foster a new nuclear arms race illustrates just 
one of the major dangers of allowing Iran to go nuclear, and the 
need for Moscow and Cairo to do more to help thwart this eventuality 
rather than acting as if it is a fait accompli." 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "The Price of Washington's Obsession with the Palestinians"" 
 
Columnist Michael Freund, who was an assistant to former prime 
minister Binyamin Netanyahu, wrote in the conservative, independent 
Jerusalem Post (3/26): "Sure, the Arab states all say that their 
intentions are 'peaceful,' and that they seek nuclear power only for 
the sake of generating cheaper electricity.  But this excuse is as 
transparent as it is feeble.... It turned out that Iran had been 
working in secret for 18 years (!!!) on its nuclear program, which 
it had concealed from the international community and repeatedly 
lied about its existence.  What would stop a tightly-controlled 
dictatorship such as Riyadh from doing the same?  Moreover, there is 
little reason to believe that oil-rich Arab states awash in 
petrodollars are truly in need of finding cheaper sources of 
electricity.  It is not too late to stop this regional rush toward 
nuclear proliferation, which is still in its initial stages.  Tackle 
the Iranian threat head-on, strip them of their nuclear program, and 
the Arab states' 'excuse' to pursue atomic energy fizzles away.  But 
if the Bush administration continues to fritter away its remaining 
months in office, instead expending precious political and 
diplomatic capital on the bleak prospects of a Palestinian 
about-face, it runs the risk of turning this region into a dangerous 
nuclear powder-keg.  So the choice before Washington is really very 
simple.  Keep focusing on the Palestinians if you wish, but then 
don't be surprised if you wake up one day to discover a nuclear 
Middle East. " 
 
II.  "The Struggle over 'Arab Policy'" 
 
Senior Middle East affairs analyst Zvi Bar'el wrote in the 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (3/26): "Egyptian President Hosni 
Mubarak's concern about Iran's involvement in Gaza does not stem 
only from Hamas's growing military capabilities.  Rather, his 
primary fear is that control over 'Arab policy' -- which has 
traditionally been dictated by Egypt and Saudi Arabia --- will be 
taken over by Iran.... Egypt's fear is that Iran is building a web 
of diplomatic influence among Egypt's neighbors, and thereby 
building itself up as a rival to the Arab club -- and especially to 
members of what is known as the moderate axis.  But the Arab club 
itself is not conducting a consistent anti-Iranian policy.... For 
the moment, this is a vicious circle, and all that Egypt can do to 
affect it is to partially boycott the Arab League summit taking 
place in Damascus this weekend, accuse Hamas and Syria of following 
policies dictated in Tehran, and thereby try to undermine both 
Hamas's nationalist legitimacy and Syria's Arab legitimacy." 
 
III.  "Moscow and Cairo" 
 
The Jerusalem Post editorialized (3/26): "Egyptian President Hosni 
Mubarak, visiting Moscow during the last two days to further 
'nuclear cooperation' between his country and Russia, unleashed a 
vituperative attack on Israel's nuclear capability, which he likened 
to 'Iran's nuclear project.'  In some respects this is old news. 
Mubarak has long been in the habit of turning Israel's alleged 
A-bomb into his punching bag.... If his desired effect is to deflect 
onto Jerusalem some of the pressure directed at Tehran, then 
Mubarak's obvious aim is to weaken Israel -- again, hardly the 
conduct expected from a truly friendly neighbor.  But it gets worse. 
 The Egyptian President's oft-repeated refrain is that Israel 
exacerbates the danger of nuclear proliferation by drawing attention 
away from the imminent Iranian menace.  By saying this, Mubarak does 
precisely the reverse of what he claims to want - he intensifies the 
nuclear arms race.... The free world might be well advised to stop 
pretending that Russia is on its side.... The real problem, of 
course, is the Islamic Republic, not Russia or Egypt.  But the 
collaboration of the latter two to foster a new nuclear arms race 
illustrates just one of the major dangers of allowing Iran to go 
nuclear, and the need for Moscow and Cairo to do more to help thwart 
this eventuality rather than acting as if it is a fait accompli." 
 
IV.  "We Heard You, Mr. Boim" 
 
Senior Fatah member Fares Kadura, a member of the Palestinian peace 
coalition, wrote in Ha'aretz (3/26): "Housing Minister Zeev Boim 
explained away the construction of 750 new housing units in the 
settlement of Givat Ze'ev by saying that the permits had been issued 
in 1999, but that construction had stopped due to, as he put it, the 
'outbreak of violence.'   That is, the outbreak of the Palestinian 
uprising.... I am one of those who listened, and I understood from 
his statements that Boim is inviting us -- the Palestinians -- to 
start another Intifada..... Only when we launch an uprising does 
construction in the settlements cease; under the umbrella of 
negotiations, the settlement enterprise is revived -- this, despite 
the fact that every Palestinian and every Israeli knows that the 
settlements are the main obstacle to a peace treaty.  Fortunately, 
the present Palestinian leadership consists of people like me who 
continue to believe, despite all the difficulties, in a peaceful 
solution to the conflict, through dialogue and negotiation.  We are 
on the verge of despair, but we still hope that the Palestinian 
people will get what they deserve through diplomatic means.... 
Attempts at reminders that the Palestinians have a right to their 
land and that settlement construction is a breach of international 
law are of no avail.  All of this will not stop the construction, 
which is a disaster for Palestinians and a disaster for Israelis, 
since all of our lives depend on attaining an Israeli-Palestinian 
agreement.  What will help?  A violent uprising.  That is the only 
thing, according to the Israeli housing minister, that will bring 
about the cessation of construction in the settlements and protect 
the Palestinian interest.  Mr. Boim, we got the message.  Will 
anyone in Israel yet accuse you of incitement to rebellion and 
resistance?" 
 
JONES