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DE RUEHTV #1383/01 1791036
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P 271036Z JUN 08
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UNCLAS TEL AVIV 001383 
 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
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SECDEF WASHDC FOR USDP/ASD-PA/ASD-ISA 
HQ USAF FOR XOXX 
DA WASHDC FOR SASA 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC FOR PA 
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JERUSALEM ALSO ICD 
LONDON ALSO FOR HKANONA AND POL 
PARIS ALSO FOR POL 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Mideast 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
The media reported that two Qassam rockets hit Sderot yesterday. 
Fatah' Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for the 
attack.  (Electronic media reported that two shells landed in the 
area this morning).  Leading media reported that FM Tzipi Livni 
issued an uncharacteristically sharp demand for an immediate 
military response.  Leading media reported that Vice PM Haim Ramon 
demanded that the cabinet reconsider the 'tahdiya.'  Major media 
reported that in a statement carried by the official Palestinian 
news agency Maan, Hamas warned the militant factions against 
violating the cease-fire, saying that such actions harm the 
Palestinian national interest.  Hamas also threatened to take 
measures against the violators. 
 
In its lead story, Ha'aretz reported that Shin Bet chief Yuval 
Diskin has somewhat softened his position regarding the prisoners 
who could be released in return for Gilad Shalit.  Diskin is now 
prepared to release some prisoners "who have the blood of Israelis 
on their hands," so long as the risk they pose is lessened.  The 
Jerusalem Post quoted Egyptian sources as saying yesterday that it 
was unlikely that the latest Qassam rocket attack on Sderot, or 
Israel's continuing closure of the crossing into Gaza, would impinge 
on talks for Shalit's release.  The Jerusalem Post quoted an 
Egyptian source as saying: "Progress on the Shalit issue is now 
Egypt's top foreign policy priority," indicating that Cairo would 
now focus on the Shalit matter in the same way it focused 
intensively for months on brokering the cease-fire. Yediot quoted a 
senior Egyptian military official as saying that if Israel does not 
show flexibility in the number of Palestinian prisoners it is 
willing to release, Shalit's fate is likely to be like that of IAF 
navigator Ron Arad, who has been MIA for over 20 years. 
 
Maariv quoted PM Ehud Olmert as saying that he is not sure that the 
deal to release the two IDF soldiers abducted by Hizbullah will go 
through.  Although a majority of cabinet ministers are expected to 
approve the prisoner swap on Sunday, Maariv reported that Olmert is 
concerned about the way defense officials who will be attending 
Sunday's session will present the agreement. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that Foreign Ministry Director General Aharon 
Abramovitch secretly visited the headquarters of the International 
Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna on Wednesday and briefed a group of 
ambassadors from countries involved in the agency's efforts to stop 
Iran's nuclear project.  Abramovitch emphasized that the IAEA must 
act more quickly and efficiently to block Iranian nuclear ambitions. 
 The Jerusalem Post reported that President Shimon Peres, who was 
addressing an IAF pilots' graduation ceremony yesterday, boasted 
that Israel has carried out military strikes against two nuclear 
sites, saying "this is the only air force in the world that has such 
an achievement."   Peres was quoted as saying: "According to foreign 
reports, the air force took out two nuclear plants" -- an apparent 
reference to the strike against a Syrian site last September that 
Israel has not publicly acknowledged, and the Iraqi reactor at 
Osirak in 1981. 
 
Leading media reported that Wednesday an American tourist was 
lightly injured after stones were thrown at his car swhen he 
accidentally drove into the Qalandiya refugee camp, west of 
Ramallah.  Palestinian police protected and returned him to Israel. 
 
Yediot reported that for the fist time an Ethiopian-Israeli officer 
was promoted to the rank of Colonel. 
 
Yediot reported that Aljazeera-TV devoted one hour of its programs 
to contemporary Israeli singer Idan Raichel and his songs.  The 
Jerusalem Post reported that transsexual Israeli singer Aderet tops 
the Lebanese song chart. 
 
Ha'aretz reported on an Israeli-Palestinian startup, G.ho.s.t, which 
its developer, Israeli businessman Zvi Schreiber, claims will "tone 
down the conflict." 
 
-------- 
Mideast: 
-------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Military correspondent Alex Fishman wrote in the mass-circulation, 
pluralist Yediot Aharonot: "Israel is continuing to delude itself 
that someone else will do the work for it in Gaza: Hamas, the 
Egyptians, or the devil knows who -- until the alarm sounds for a 
real emergency." 
 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in the 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: "Now is the time to tell the 
politicians: Stop being heroes at the expense of our captive 
soldiers and their parents.  Bring them home without delay, no 
matter how much it costs.  Yes, at any price." 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Ben Caspit wrote on page one of the 
popular, pluralist Maariv: "[Ofer Dekel, Olmert's point man on 
prisoner exchanges] has no idea how it happened that after he 
brought a reasonable, cheap and logical deal, judging by all 
parameters, it got so complicated." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "Illusion of Calm" 
 
Military correspondent Alex Fishman wrote in the mass-circulation, 
pluralist Yediot Aharonot (6/27):"The good news is that the Qassam 
rocket that was fired at Israel yesterday -- like those that were 
fired on Tuesday -- does not mean the end of the cease-fire.  The 
bad news: there never was a cease-fire.  It was and still is a 
fagade, a mirage, and you canQt stop something that has not yet 
begun..   In the meantime, the residents of Gaza are paying a very 
heavy price for this fire.... Since the Qassam rocket fire on 
Wednesday, the passage of fuel to the Gaza Strip has been stopped 
completely, so that a shortage of millions of liters of gasoline 
along with certain foodstuffs has accumulated.... But apparently, 
HamasQs control over the small terror organizations in the Gaza 
Strip is not as good as Israel believed prior to the tahdiya.  This 
fact is definitely a surprise that bodes ill for the continuation of 
the tahdiya.... However, behind the scenes Hamas is greatly trying 
to influence Islamic Jihad and the others to observe the truce.... 
But just as Hamas does not have the power to prevent the continuing 
warnings of terror attacks against the crossings and the continued 
preparations by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and others to plan 
tangible terror attacks against Israel, the organization finds it 
difficult to rein in Islamic Jihad.... Israel is continuing to 
delude itself that someone else will do the work for it in Gaza: 
Hamas, the Egyptians, or the devil knows who -- until the alarm 
sounds for a real emergency." 
 
II.  "Yes, at any Price" 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in the 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (6/27): "The way our government 
is handling the business of bringing home the abducted soldiers is 
nothing short of disgraceful.... The current deal is reasonable, and 
we have a supreme obligation to bring [Hizbullah abductees] Regev 
and Goldwasser home.  When the security services oppose letting 
[Lebanese terrorist Samir] Kuntar go after more than 30 years in 
jail, the question is where they were when we freed Lebanese 
militant leaders Dirani and Obeid, who were considered 'bargaining 
chips.'  Allowing the issue to become fodder for media discussions 
and political debates not only causes suffering to the families, but 
affects soldiers who may be sent tomorrow on missions in which they 
could be killed, taken prisoner or kidnapped.... Now is the time to 
tell the politicians: Stop being heroes at the expense of our 
captive soldiers and their parents.  Bring them home without delay, 
no matter how much it costs.  Yes, at any price." 
 
III.  "The Dilemma" 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Ben Caspit wrote on page one of the 
popular, pluralist Maariv (6/27): "'ItQs crazy to release him. It's 
simply insanity to release Samir Kuntar.  A country that releases 
such a loathsome murderer, a man who smashed a little girl's skull, 
who killed her father right in front of her, a guy like this should 
be killed, or left to rot in jail his whole life.  There is no 
country in the world that would release a man like this, and in 
return for dead soldiers' bodies yet.  Look what the Americans are 
doing to Pollard, who didn't kill anyone.  What message are we 
giving to terror?  To all the young Arabs who are now thinking of 
joining terror organizations?  What does this tell them, that the 
Jews are stupid?  That in the end, even if you kill them and murder 
their babies, that theyQll be released?'  The above was said by one 
of the Prime Minister's close associates. Someone who has no 
official position, but one of the people with the most influence on 
the Prime Minister.  And there are others.... The cabinet meeting on 
Sunday will consist of an unbearable human drama. All the heads of 
the security branches will appear and give the ministers their 
professional opinion.  They will divide as follows: the Shin Bet 
Director and the Mossad Director against the deal. The Chief of 
Staff and (apparently) the director of IDF Intelligence in favor. 
Ofer Dekel [the PM's point man on prisoner exchanges], of course, 
will be in favor.  And then someone surprising will speak. Maj. Gen. 
(res.) Ilan Biran.  He is responsible for POWs and MIAs. Biran, say 
informed sources, will be against.... [Dekel] has no idea how it 
happened that after he brought a reasonable, cheap and logical deal, 
judging by all parameters, it got so complicated.  The story, the 
 
 
whole story, according to Dekel, is Samir Kuntar.  That is the 
dilemma....[As opposed to public opinion in the Arab world], Dekel 
thinks that Kuntar is not a symbol of anything.... [And as regards 
the Palestinian track:] is [Olmert] on the way to reaching 
'Olmert-Abu Mazen understandings?' An excellent question.  We will 
have the answer in the coming days.  A meeting is scheduled for them 
very soon, and it could be that that is where the agreement that 
Olmert is talking about will be reached -- the agreement that will 
lead to a political explosion." 
 
JONES