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TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Mideast 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Most media led with a proposal by senior Kadima ministers that the 
party prepare for a leadership primary in advance of expected early 
elections.  The Jerusalem Post quoted sources close to Olmert as 
saying yesterday that he recognizes that his political downfall is 
all but certain and is considering alternatives that would allow him 
to leave the Prime Minister's Office in a dignified manner.  Under 
one scenario, Olmert would remain in office (so long as he is not 
indicted) while Kadima moves forward in choosing a new leader to 
head the party in early elections. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, 
Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, Internal Security Minister Avi 
Dichter, and Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit are seen as already 
positioning themselves for leadership campaigns.  Yesterday Livni 
finally broke her silence and said that the party must prepare for 
elections, while Mofaz issued a sharp rebuke accusing her of 
collaborating with Ehud Barak to destroy Kadima.  According to the 
latest polls (see below) Livni enjoys a double-digit lead over her 
nearest competitor.  Makor Rishon-Hatzofe claims that Kadima and 
Labor have agreed on November 11 as election day. 
 
Ha'aretz quoted a legal source as saying that the testimony given by 
attorney Uri Messer, Ehud Olmert's confidant, was very strong and 
could be the key to drafting an indictment against the PM.  Ha'aretz 
headlined: "Messer: I ratted out a friend".  However, another source 
was quoted as saying that Messer cooperated with the police only to 
a limited extent, and gave them as little information as he could. 
Ha'aretz quoted Messer as saying repeatedly: "I feel bad about 
turning informer on my friends."  He also said, "I'm finished," and 
"I've destroyed my life."  Yediot reported that Olmert's 
investigators will leave for the U.S. next week -- among other 
things to check how donations were transferred to PM Olmert, and 
Talansky's legal and financial situation.  Leading media reported 
that PM Olmert's attorneys wish to speed up the cross-examination of 
American financier Morris Talansky. The Jerusalem Post reported that 
many in the Arab world praised Israel as a place "where no one is 
above the law." 
All media reported that yesterday Likud MKs and supporters held a 
solidarity rally on the Golan.  Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu 
said: "The Golan was Israeli and will stay Israeli.....The way to 
guard the Golan and Jerusalem is to go to elections now.  If we 
don't live here, Iranian soldiers will." 
 
Leading media reported that during his visit to the U.S. next week 
PM Ehud Olmert will meet the three presidential candidates. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that IDF tanks and infantry raided the northern 
Gaza Strip before dawn yesterday, and rounded up some 60 Palestinian 
suspects.  A few hours later, Palestinian militants fired three 
Qassam rockets and three mortar shells at Israeli territory.  No 
injuries or damage was reported. 
 
Leading media quoted The Washington Post as saying yesterday that 
the U.S. administration has asked the UN to check three suspected 
nuclear sites in Syria. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that Olmert and Barak will soon decide 
on Egypt's Gaza cease-fire deal.  Yediot reported that due to the 
tension between Olmert and Barak, Olmert canceled the visit of Amos 
Gilad, the head of the Defense Ministry's Diplomatic-Security 
Bureau, to Cairo. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that on June 22, President Shimon Peres, French 
President Nicolas Sarkozy, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and PA 
President Mahmoud Abbas will launch the Dead Sea-Red Sea Peace 
Channel. 
 
Leading media reported that Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa 
has appointed Houda Nonoo, a Jewish woman, as envoy to Washington -- 
the first Jew in the Arab world to become an ambassador. 
 
Yediot convened the cultural attaches of the U.S., Hungary, France, 
the UK, and Kazakhstan "who came to Israel to teach you a bit of 
culture." 
 
Maariv published the results of a TNS/Teleseker poll: 
If general elections were to be held today and the following parties 
were running, for which party would you vote?  Results in Knesset 
seats. 
Likud: 30; Kadima under Tzipi Livni: 25; Labor Party: 18: Yisrael 
Beiteinu: 10; Shas: 9; Arab parties: 9; National Union Party and 
National-Religious Party: 7; Meretz: 4); United Torah Judaism: 4); 
New party headed by Arkady Gaidamak: 4; Pensioners Party: 0. 
 
Yediot presented the results of a Mina Zemach (Dahaf Institute) poll 
among registered Kadima voters: 
Whom would you vote for in the primaries for Kadima leadership? 
Livni: 39%; Mofaz: 25%; Dichter: 15%; Sheetrit: 8%. 
Do you favor or oppose a merger of Kadima and labor and their joint 
running in the elections? 
Oppose: 50%; favor: 45%. 
And regarding a Kadima-Likud merger? 
Oppose: 52%; favor: 43% 
The poll also found an important shift of voters from Kadima to 
Likud if Kadima voters' favorite candidate did not head the party. 
 
Ha'aretz printed the results of a Dialog poll: 
If Labor and Kadima ran on a joint list, headed by Livni and Barak, 
against a joint Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu list headed by Netanyahu and 
Avigdor Lieberman, who would win? 
Labor-Kadima: 36; Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu: 35. 
 
-------- 
Mideast: 
-------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in the 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: "The Israeli public has simply 
lost all faith in Olmert.... It would be far more proper, and far 
healthier for the country, for Olmert to await the indictment on the 
other side of the cabinet door." 
 
David Kimche, former senior Israeli intelligence agent and former 
director general of the Foreign Ministry wrote in the conservative, 
independent Jerusalem Post: "We are entering uncharted waters.  It 
can go either way, the Geneva way, or the Hamas way.  The future of 
both Israelis and Palestinians depends on us taking the right 
direction." 
 
Shlomo Avineri, Hebrew University Professor of Political Science and 
former director-general of the Foreign Ministry, wrote in Ha'aretz: 
"All the peace agreements that have been reached so far began as an 
initiative of the parties themselves, and if there were mediators, 
they were not American." 
 
Palestinian affairs correspondent Khaled Abu Toameh wrote in The 
Jerusalem Post: "Whoever succeeds Olmert won't be able to ignore a 
['framework'] agreement, and will have to negotiate with the 
Palestinians on the basis of the understandings.  That's perhaps why 
the PA leadership doesn't seem to be worried about who will succeed 
Olmert." 
 
Daniel Levy, one of the main drafters of the Geneva initiative, 
wrote in Ha'aretz: "[A] major political shift has to occur in Israel 
for we are quite clearly the 'hegemonic state' in [the] equation 
[with the Palestinians]." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "Let Him Wait Outside" 
 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in the 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (5/30): "Not all of Israel's 
politicians have been 18-karat gold.... But the arrogance and 
insensitivity displayed by Olmert -- who, for 15 years, received 
envelopes filled with cash from Morris Talansky (according to the 
latter's own testimony) and saw nothing wrong with this -- cast 
serious doubts not only on his personal integrity, but also on the 
extent of his wisdom and intelligence, two qualities he loves to 
brag about.... Israelis must surely feel that their fate, and their 
country's fate, are in the hands of a Houdini much more skilled at 
getting out of embarrassing situations than at staying out of 
decisions that could jeopardize our country's very survival.... 
Little wonder that, in the eyes of many Israelis, the peace 
negotiations with Syria are just public relations razzmatazz and the 
talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a lot of baloney; the 
Israeli public has simply lost all faith in Olmert.... At the 
present time, it is of utmost importance that Kadima choose a 
suitable candidate, without dragging its feet and without generating 
infighting.  If Kadima does so, it will enable the current coalition 
to get back on its feet in an elegant manner.  It would be far more 
proper, and far healthier for the country, for Olmert to await the 
indictment on the other side of the cabinet door." 
 
II.  "A Choice between Geneva and Hamas" 
 
David Kimche, former senior Israeli intelligence agent and former 
director general of the Foreign Ministry wrote in the conservative, 
independent Jerusalem Post (5/30): "The hatred is still intense, on 
both sides, but more and more Palestinians are realizing that their 
continued violence will get them nowhere, and that their only hope 
to lead normal lives is to come to terms with Israel.... Similarly, 
in Israel, the idea of two independent states, living side by side 
in peace, has taken firm roots, and most Israelis would welcome such 
a solution.   The extremists have a different agenda.  Their threat 
-- Israeli and Palestinian -- to mobilize mass demonstrations to 
prevent such moves, and to topple any government that attempts to go 
down that road, has provided ample excuse for inaction, for a 
continuation of the status quo.  Both Israelis and Palestinians are 
heading for new elections, probably in the first months of the 
coming year, but maybe even sooner.  Extremists will be pitted 
against moderates.  There will be a new president in the White 
House.  We are entering uncharted waters.  It can go either way, the 
Geneva way, or the Hamas way.  The future of both Israelis and 
Palestinians depends on us taking the right direction." 
 
III.  "Cutting Out the Middleman" 
 
Shlomo Avineri, Hebrew University Professor of Political Science and 
former director-general of the Foreign Ministry, wrote in Ha'aretz 
(5/30): "The Israel-Syria negotiations were not initiated by the 
United States and so far, Washington has played no part in them. 
There are even some who have discerned certain sourness in the 
American reaction to reports of talks in Ankara.... All the peace 
agreements that have been reached so far began as an initiative of 
the parties themselves, and if there were mediators, they were not 
American.  True, at decisive moments toward the end of bilateral 
negotiations, Washington did enter the picture, but the initiative 
for negotiations was not American, and the truly significant 
negotiations were not conducted via the U.S.... One cannot and must 
not denigrate American power and importance; it is especially 
important to remember that after a deal is reached, or in the final 
stages of negotiation, American involvement is likely to be 
decisive.  But ultimately, in such different situations as Israel's 
relations with Egypt, the PLO and Jordan, it was the political will 
and considerations, the initiative and resourcefulness of local 
leaders that set the stage for negotiations, and which made them 
both possible and successful.... One can assume that if the talks 
with Syria bear fruit, they will retroactively win the blessing and 
support of the U.S., and there may be a need for an American push in 
the final stretch.  But the strategic decisions have so far been 
made here, in Jerusalem and Damascus, just as they were previously 
made in Jerusalem, Cairo, Tunis and Amman.  America is important, 
but ultimately, local interests prevail -- and that's to the good." 
 
IV.  "Olmert's Probe Is Beneficial for the Palestinians" 
Palestinian affairs correspondent Khaled Abu Toameh wrote in The 
Jerusalem Post (5/30): "Some PA officials were initially concerned 
that the resumption of peace talks between Israel and Syria would 
mean 'sidelining' the Palestinian issue.  But they were quick to 
endorse the widely believed assumption in Israel that Olmert was 
merely seeking to divert attention from the police inquiry against 
him by making a dramatic announcement about the possibility of 
reaching a peace treaty with Syria.  Furthermore, by the end of the 
week, the Palestinians' fears began to fade as they realized that 
Syrian President Bashar Assad was not in a rush to cut off his ties 
with Iran, Hizbullah, and Hamas.  Now that the Syrian track doe not 
appear to be going anywhere, at least not in the coming months, some 
PA officials expect Olmert to focus his efforts on achieving some 
kind of a deal with the PA -- also in an attempt to divert attention 
from the police probe and his troubles at home.  They argue that, in 
any case, a declaration of principles -- or a 'framework agreement' 
-- would not be too bad, particularly if it includes recognition of 
the Palestinians' demands regarding Jerusalem, settlements, borders 
and whoever succeeds Olmert won't be able to ignore such an 
agreement, and will have to negotiate with the Palestinians on the 
basis of the understandings.  That's perhaps why the PA leadership 
doesn't seem to be worried about who will succeed Olmert." 
 
 
 
¶V.  "Removing the Zionist Straitjacket" 
 
Daniel Levy, one of the main drafters of the Geneva initiative, 
wrote in Ha'aretz (5/30): "There were plenty of mistakes, lots of 
ill will, and enough blame to go around for all sides -- Israeli, 
Palestinian and American.  The bottom line after 20 years is that 
the Faustian bargain did not deliver.  For all the criticisms 
leveled against him, both real and imagined, it may turn out that 
the Arafat moment was also the two-state moment, and that his 
leadership was necessary to hold that construct together.... In the 
absence of the Palestinians' reclaiming ownership of the statehood 
project, the two-state solution is meaningless: It seems hardly 
realizable, let alone sustainable.... Removing the external veto on 
Palestinian national reconciliation is a sine qua non of 
successfully rebuilding a Palestinian political program that 
embraces statehood alongside Israel.  It will be difficult for 
Israel to swallow this and a 'de-occupation first' approach at the 
same time, but it may be the only way for Palestinians to assume 
ownership of the two-state project.... We can blame the Palestinians 
all we like, and frequently with good cause, but if the two-state 
solution is indeed an Israeli interest and the least bad alternative 
for all concerned, then that major political shift has to occur in 
Israel for we are quite clearly the 'hegemonic state' in this 
equation." 
 
JONES