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DE RUEHTV #2020/01 2491020
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P 051020Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
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RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 2705
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 5113
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1973
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0194
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 8956
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RHMFIUU/COMSIXTHFLT  PRIORITY

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 002020 
 
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 
 
SIPDIS 
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 Jerusalem Post reported that Israeli diplomatic officials viewed 
the four-way summit in Damascus among the leaders of Syria, France, 
Turkey, and Qatar yesterday with some frustration, saying Syrian 
President Bashar Assad had effectively broken out of his 
international isolation without having given anything in return. 
Maariv reported that Israeli diplomatic sources are blaming PM Ehud 
Olmert for this turn of events.  Referring to Assad's comment that 
the reason for the stall in the indirect, Turkish-mediated talks 
with Israel is the resignation of PM Ehud Olmert's chief of staff 
Yoram Turbowicz, various media quoted a source in the Prime 
Minister's Office as saying that the terms of Turbowicz's employment 
would be worked out in a matter of days.   The Jerusalem Post quoted 
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying yesterday that the process 
was continuing "in a positive manner."  Leading media reported that 
the bureaus of PM Olmert and Turkish PM Erdogan agreed that a fifth 
round of talks would be held in Turkey on September 18-19.  The 
Jerusalem Post and Ha'aretz quoted Assad as saying that his country 
had given Turkish mediators an outline of general proposals for 
peace with Israel and was waiting for Jerusalem's response before 
holding any face-to-face negotiations.  Assad was quoted as saying 
that the document was intended to serve as the basis for direct 
talks and that he was waiting for a similar document laying out 
Israel's starting position.  The Jerusalem Post quoted Israeli 
officials who said they were unaware of any such document, while 
Turkish sources confirmed that Assad gave Erdogan a document on 
Thursday to pass to the Israelis. The Turkish source, who said he 
didn't know what six points were included in the paper, said it was 
probably  a crystallization of ideas that had been discussed in the 
previous four rounds of talks.   Leading media reported that, in an 
interview with Hizbullah's Al-Manar-TV yesterday, Assad stressed 
that "Syria has no interest in relinquishing its ties with the 
Islamist group. The Syrian stance towards Hizbullah remains 
unchanged."   "Our attitude toward the resistance is clear wherever 
it may be; against the occupation in Iraq, Lebanon or Palestine," 
Assad was quoted as saying.  Maariv bannered Assad's comment that 
direct negotiations with Israel will take place only after President 
Bush and PM Olmert leave office. 
 
Israel Radio quoted DM Ehud Barak as saying yesterday that he views 
agreements with all of Israel's neighbors as important, as long as 
they do not harm Israel's security and other vital interests. 
Israel Radio reported that yesterday in Como, Italy, President 
Shimon Peres met with PA President Mahmoud Abbas, and that the two 
discussed developments in the negotiations. 
 
Israel Radio quoted Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah as 
saying yesterday that his group will not give up its weapons even 
after Israel withdraws from the Sheba Farms.  Yediot quoted him as 
saying that the revenge for the assassination of Imad Mughniyah 
would be carried out "in the next few weeks." 
 
Maariv and Israel Radio reported that over the past week Jordan has 
transferred around 1,000 Kalashnikov rifles and 10,000 bullets to 
the PA with Israel's assent. 
 
The Jerusalem Post quoted intelligence writer Ronen Bergman as 
saying in his latest book that Israeli commandoes who carried out 
the attack on the alleged Syrian nuclear reactor last September were 
nearly exposed. 
 
Major media reported that French President Nicolas Sarkozy, visiting 
Assad in Damascus yesterday, brought with him a letter from Noam 
Shalit to his son Gilad Shalit.  Assad is expected to transfer the 
letter to Hamad bin Khalifa, the Emir of Qatar, who will then 
transfer it to the Hamas leadership in Gaza.  Israel Radio quoted a 
Qatari newspaper as saying that Hamas's political leader Khaled 
Mashal received the letter and that he promised to transmit it to 
Gilad Shalit. 
 
Leading media reported that yesterday a military court in Tel Aviv's 
IDF headquarters sentenced Louis Balut, the IDF's first Christian 
tracker, who was convicted of spying for Hizbullah, to 11 years in 
prison. 
 
A Ha'aretz reader wrote that, and an interview published last week 
with Naftali Spitzer, Tzipi Livni's husband, who said that his wife 
has views to the right of Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Shaul 
Mofaz's right-wing views, will ensure that Kadima voters will end up 
with right-wing leadership.  Maariv (Ben Caspit) reported that 
American writer Jerome Corsi, who wrote a book about Sen. John Kerry 
and the Swift Boat controversy, is now attacking Barack Obama and 
Tzipi Livni.  Caspit hints that American security sources may be 
behind the criticism. 
 
Maariv reported that next week in Istanbul, Palestinian public 
figures will debate the Geneva Initiative with a group of minor Shas 
activists and journalists.  The Geneva Initiative organizers are 
sponsoring the meeting.  The newspaper reported that this is the 
third encounter of its kind. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that yesterday the High Court of Justice 
instructed the state to formulate a plan that would allow right-wing 
activists to march through the northern Israeli-Arab town of Umm 
al-Fahm. 
 
Yediot reported that the Yitzhak Rabin Center for Israel Studies 
will grant master's degrees in political leadership. 
 
In its lead story, Ha'aretz reported that Maj. Gen. (res.) Moshe 
Ivri-Sukenik, who resigned as commander of the IDF's Northern Corps 
earlier this year, has sharply criticized army training.  He was 
quoted as saying that troops are not being prepared for future 
challenges. 
 
Makor Rishon-Hatzofe reported that State Comptroller Micha 
LindeQtrauss may reconsider the issue of the transfer of the 
"Sergey Compound" in West Jerusalem'sQssianQompound to the 
Russian government.  The paper writes that it now turns out that the 
actual owners of the compound are Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of 
Edinburgh. 
 
Ha'aretz and The Jerusalem Post reported that the American open 
source software system giant and Linux operating software vendor Red 
Hat announced yesterday that it was purchasing the Israeli start-up 
Qumranet for about $115 million. 
 
In an interview with Yediot, Michael Downing, deputy chief of the 
Los Angeles Police Department, who participated in the indictment of 
the Israeli Abergil brothers, was quoted as saying that "Israeli 
organized crime has a very violent potential." 
 
-------- 
Mideast: 
-------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
Diplomatic correspondent Herb Keinon wrote in the conservative, 
independent Jerusalem Post: "Neither Livni nor Abbas is keen on 
coming up with a document in the next couple of weeks charting where 
the sides agree.... If nothing else, the U.S. wants to have at least 
[General Jones' security document] on the table for the next 
administration to use when it begins tasking on our issues." 
 
Military correspondent Amir Rappaport and security and intelligence 
affairs commentator Amit Cohen wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Maariv: "Seemingly, Abu Mazen may agree to hold elections in January 
2009, with Hamas participation, but the risks are too great." 
 
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized: "Are [Kadima's 
candidates for prime minister] thinking about continuing the process 
begun by Olmert?  Can Israeli citizens expect a future of positive 
diplomatic results that will end the long war against Syria and its 
partners in Lebanon?  The answer to both these questions needs to be 
affirmative if the Kadima and Labor candidates want the public's 
support." 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "Missing the Deadline" 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Herb Keinon wrote in the conservative, 
independent Jerusalem Post (9/5): "Neither Livni nor Abbas is keen 
on coming up with a document in the next couple of weeks charting 
where the sides agree.  While that type of document would be good 
for U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, because it would show 
that her work over the last few months has produced at least some 
fruit, it would be bad for Livni, because it would show what she had 
agreed to cede, and bad for Abbas, for it would illustrate to his 
constituency how far he is from getting what it wants.... U.S. Army 
General James Jones ... is expected to issue a report to Rice in 
about a month that will go a long way in determining the U.S. 
position on what are Israel's legitimate security requirements -- to 
ensure that a future Palestinian state is not a threat.... While 
there probably won't be an interim agreement in two months, or even 
a shelf agreement by the end of December, the Jones document -- 
according to diplomatic officials -- will be presented to Rice in 
the coming weeks, or at least by the end of the Bush administration. 
 If nothing else, the U.S. wants to have at least that on the table 
for the next administration to use when it begins tasking on our 
issues." 
II.  "Write Down January 9, 2009 in Your Diary; Abu Mazen Ends his 
Terms -- After Him, a Black Hole" 
 
Military correspondent Amir Rappaport and security and intelligence 
affairs commentator Amit Cohen wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Maariv (9/5): "Israeli security sources despise Abu Mazen -- they 
dub him a lame duck -- a grey politician lacking charisma, who finds 
it hard to rule on the ground and lead the Palestinian people.... 
Hamas continues to scorn the Rais's capacities and views him as a 
weak figure.... The defense establishment believes that the options 
at Abu Mazen's disposal don't look promising: Seemingly, Abu Mazen 
may agree to hold elections in January 2009, with Hamas 
participation, but the risks are too great.  Hamas can certainly win 
the elections and gain the presidency; the international community 
and Israel would face an insoluble problem: there will be no other 
choice than talking with the movement that calls for the 
annihilation of Israel.  On the other hand, the option of holding 
elections without allowing Hamas to take part in them, under the 
pretext that the organization does not recognize the Oslo Accords 
under which the Palestinian Authority was established, is not 
realistic." 
 
III.  "An Israeli Partner Is Needed" 
 
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (9/5): 
"Yesterday's four-way summit in Damascus was one of this region's 
most important diplomatic events for some time.... But this time 
Israel cannot be angry with the French.  After all, it did an 
about-face as well when it began an indirect dialogue with Syria, 
which is meant to turn into direct talks at a later stage.  In this 
Israel diverged from the normal framework, under which its relations 
with the countries in the region are coordinated with the United 
States.  This is even more blatant in the case of Syria, as Israeli 
lobbying significantly affected American attitudes toward Damascus. 
However, beyond the settling of scores between Jerusalem, Washington 
and Paris, the dialogue with Syria has opened a serious new window 
of opportunity.... Of course, the concerns and suspicions raised by 
the opponents of dialogue with Syria should not be ignored.  Most 
importantly, it is important to evaluate the price Israel will have 
to pay for an agreement with Syria.  But there will be time for this 
when the direct negotiations begin and the Israeli public, which 
recognizes that Israel will have to withdraw from the Golan Heights, 
learns what it will get in return.  In the meantime, it seems that 
if there is an obstacle to the talks, it comes from the Israeli 
side.... Are [Kadima's candidates for prime minister] thinking about 
continuing the process begun by Olmert?  Can Israeli citizens expect 
a future of positive diplomatic results that will end the long war 
against Syria and its partners in Lebanon?  The answer to both these 
questions needs to be affirmative if the Kadima and Labor candidates 
want the public's support." 
 
CUNNINGHAM