VZCZCXYZ0016
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTV #0742/01 0910629
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 310629Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6083
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
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RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 0264
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 3879
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 4426
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 3636
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 1890
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 4382
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1257
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1703
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 8251
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 5732
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RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS PRIORITY 4761
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 6710
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 9439
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/COMSIXTHFLT  PRIORITY

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000742 
 
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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 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC FOR PA 
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 
 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Secretary Rice to Israel, West Bank, March 29-31, 2008 
 
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------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Ha'aretz (lead story) and other media reported that on Sunday 
Secretary Rice vowed that the U.S. will be more insistent that 
 
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Israel follows through with its commitments, including the removal 
of roadblocks announced yesterday.  (A headline in Maariv reads: 
"Rice Demands More Concessions."  Makor Rishon-Hatzofe reported that 
Rice was "surprised" by Israel's gestures and that she welcomed 
them.)  Leading media reported that on Sunday the Secretary flew to 
Amman, where she met with King Abdullah II and PA President Mahmoud 
Abbas. 
 
Ha'aretz reported on President BushQs interview with the German 
daily Die Welt and his statement that Israel and the Palestinians 
will sign an agreement before the end of his term in office.  The 
President was quoted as saying: "This [the Palestinian state] could 
then immediately take shape when the conditions of the Roadmap are 
fulfilled.  But the first step must be the clear definition of the 
Palestinian state.  I hope it's possible.  And I have an optimistic 
feeling that it will happen."  Israel TV reported that on Sunday 
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told a "top Israeli official" 
 
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that she believes that a framework for an agreement could be reached 
by President Bush's planned May 14 visit to Israel. 
 
The Jerusalem Post, citing senior defense officials, reported that 
Israel is considering allowing armed PA soldiers in Tulkarm and 
Hebron (700 such soldiers are to be deployed in Jenin next month). 
Major media reported on the trilateral meeting between Rice, Barak 
and Fayyad and the list of measures presented by Barak.  Makor 
Rishon-Hatzofe reported that the IDF is opposed to Barak's list of 
good will gestures.  Yediot reported that Barak warned Hizbullah and 
Syria against provoking Israel.  Yediot reported that he told 
Secretary Rice that Israel is still the strongest country within a 
 
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radius of 1,500 km from Jerusalem. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that PM Olmert recently approved the construction 
of 48 new apartments in Ariel, deep inside the northern West Bank. 
The newspaper quoted Ehud Barak's office as saying in a statement 
that the new construction was meant to allow evacuated Gaza 
settlers, who had relocated to Ariel with the government's consent, 
to move from temporary to permanent housing. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism (UTJ) 
party has for the first time joined with the Yesha Council of Jewish 
Settlements in the Territories in order to promote the expansion of 
the ultra-Orthodox settlement of Beitar Ilit, located between 
Jerusalem and Gush Etzion.  Referring to PM Olmert's pledge to 
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to freeze construction in the 
 
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settlements, UTJ MK Avraham Ravitz was quoted as saying: "Olmert 
must tell his rabbi, Condoleezza, 'I can't do it.'" 
 
Ha'aretz quoted police as saying on Sunday that they had postponed 
today's planned opening of a new police station in the E-1 area. 
Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter stressed that the 
postponement is temporary and unrelated to Secretary Rice's visit to 
Israel. 
 
The Jerusalem Post quoted Meretz MK Avshalom Vilan as saying that 
the Knesset vote on the proposed law to compensate West Bank 
settlers for relocating to within the Green Line may come sooner 
than thought and stands a better chance of passing than opponents 
believe.  Vilan is a co-sponsor of the bill.  Makor Rishon-Hatzofe 
quoted FM Livni as saying that the bill should be promoted. 
 
Yediot and Ha'aretz reported that on Sunday, before a forum of 
bereaved families, Defense Minister Barak said that the current 
government will fall within a few months and that Olmert should have 
resigned following the Winograd Report.  Channel 2-TV's microphones 
caught National Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor) 
as saying on Sunday at a government event: "If [Barak] wants to 
commit suicide, he can commit suicide.  If he continues this way, 
[Labor] is finished." 
 
Makor Rishon-Hatzofe reported that there are good chances of uniting 
the right-wing religious parties. 
 
Yediot reported that Saudi Arabia has invited rabbis from Israel to 
its planned interfaith conference. 
 
Visiting Czech Defense Minister Vlasta Parkanova suggested on Sunday 
in an interview with Ha'aretz that a new missile-defense system that 
will be deployed in the Czech Republic will also contribute to 
Israel's defense.  "If there is an effective missile defense, it 
will diminish the threat posed by Iran on Israel," she was quoted as 
saying.  She will meet with her counterpart Ehud Barak today, and 
discuss greater defense cooperation between the two countries, and 
possible procurement of Israeli-made defense systems.  Parkanova 
also told Ha'aretz that she and her colleagues support the 
deployment of a missile-defense system on Czech soil. 
 
Maariv reported that the Zimbabwean opposition accuses the Mossad of 
acting through an Israeli high-tech company to rig the elections in 
favor of President Robert Mugabe. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Secretary Rice to Israel, West Bank, March 29-31, 2008: 
 
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----------------------------------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized: "[Foreign 
Minister Tzipi] Livni's calm determination is especially conspicuous 
when compared with the rather frenzied positions taken by Defense 
Minister Ehud Barak.... The U.S. administration views the policy 
adopted by Barak ... as a stumbling block." 
 
Columnist Calev Ben-David wrote in the conservative, independent 
Jerusalem Post: "Barak has good reasons to be cautious, both for the 
safety of the Israeli people, as well as his own prime ministerial 
prospects if security concessions on the West Bank lead to renewed 
terror attacks." 
 
Columnist Assaf Golan wrote in the nationalist, Orthodox Makor 
Rishon-Hatzofe: "Simple logic apparently does not exist in the 
Kadima-led Israeli government.  This cabinet might accept American 
involvement with open arms." 
 
Senior Middle East affairs analyst Zvi Bar'el wrote in Ha'aretz: 
"Terms such as the 'general Arab interest' or 'Arab policy,' which 
were the showcases of previous Arab summits, were dealt a fatal 
blow." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "Livni's Perseverance" 
 
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (3/31): "The 
[confidential Israeli-Palestinian] talks are succeeding, despite all 
the difficulties, in preserving the status of the Palestinian 
Authority in the eyes of the public in the territories.  [Foreign 
Minister Tzipi] Livni remains steadfast in her belief that this 
status, which appears to be shaky, must continue to be strengthened 
to prevent Hamas from gaining control of the Palestinian political 
arena.  This is an important achievement, even if it is threatened 
incessantly, and it refutes the claim that 'there is no one to talk 
to' and enables the government to continue its dialogue with those 
who are legitimate representatives -- in its eyes and those of the 
world - of the Palestinian people.  In addition, the talks make it 
possible to dismantle at least some of the small stones in the 
fortified walls of opposition in Israeli public opinion.... Livni's 
calm determination is especially conspicuous when compared with the 
rather frenzied positions taken by Defense Minister Ehud Barak.... 
The U.S. administration views the policy adopted by Barak -- who 
also met a few times with the settlers and according to them, gave 
them promises that are not in accordance with the spirit of the 
negotiations with the Palestinians -- as a stumbling block.  Livni 
has to cope with more than enough obstacles from the right and does 
not need additional interference from members of the government. 
She should be allowed to get on with the job and should be supported 
in her efforts." 
 
II.  "Condi's Three Generals vs. Barak" 
 
Columnist Calev Ben-David wrote in the conservative, independent 
Jerusalem Post (3/31): "Barak's team may feel [Lt. Gen. Keith] 
Dayton's authority has diminished with [Gen. James] Jones and [Lt. 
Gen. William] Fraser on the scene; but for the latter two, the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is very much a part-time gig, while 
it's Dayton who is on the ground here full-time, and is specifically 
tasked with the job - creating a viable security force -- on which 
any future real political progress is likely to depend,  Barak has 
good reasons to be cautious, both for the safety of the Israeli 
people, as well as his own prime ministerial prospects if security 
concessions on the West Bank lead to renewed terror attacks (or the 
nightmare scenario of those weapons and APC's being given to the PA 
eventually falling into the hands of Hamas).  But as 2008 winds in 
and the Bush administration presses for more progress on the 
Israeli-Palestinian peace front, it will be Rice's generals who will 
be leading the Secretary's charge for Israel to make even more 
concessions on the West Bank -- and Israel's own general of generals 
who will have to find the right balance to both keeping Washington 
happy, and Israelis secure." 
 
III.  "Beware, Condoleezza Is Already Here" 
 
Columnist Assaf Golan wrote in the nationalist, Orthodox Makor 
Rishon-Hatzofe (3/31)": "The decision-makers in Jerusalem should 
envelop the important host [Secretary Rice] with an ocean of words 
of warning and state ceremonies devoid of contents.  This is how 
most world leaders -- including in the Arab world -- deal with the 
Bush administration, as they await a regime change in Washington. 
Unfortunately, such simple logic apparently does not exist in the 
Kadima-led Israeli government.  This cabinet might accept American 
involvement with open arms." 
 
IV.  "Shaky Peace Initiative" 
 
Senior Middle East affairs analyst Zvi Bar'el wrote in Ha'aretz 
(3/31): "The [Arab League] summit failed to reach agreement on 
solutions to either the Lebanon crisis or the Palestinians' internal 
divisions; it did not even issue a clear statement of support for 
national reconciliation in Iraq.  The task of dealing with the 
Middle East's three major crises has thus been returned to 
individual states or small groups of countries.  The 
Israeli-Palestinian crisis will be handed back to Egypt and Saudi 
Arabia; the Lebanon crisis will be dealt with by Egypt, Saudi 
Arabia, Syria and Iran; and the internal Palestinian conflict will 
continue to be left to sporadic initiatives such as that of Yemen 
and Egyptian mediation.  Syria might ultimately dive into this 
latter conflict as well: President Bashar Assad plans to convene a 
mini-summit of the various Palestinian factions in Damascus to try 
to record a personal achievement.  But regardless, terms such as the 
'general Arab interest' or 'Arab policy,' which were the showcases 
of previous Arab summits, were dealt a fatal blow.  This time, the 
very fact that the summit occurred was the achievement, with the 
list of participants replacing the list of decisions as the measure 
of its success." 
 
JONES