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P 221139Z DEC 08
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶1.  Mideast 
 
¶2.  Iran 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
All media reported that dozens of rockets and mortar shells fell on 
southern Israel from Gaza over the weekend.  The media reported that 
the attacks have sparked a heated debate in Israel over how to 
respond -- not only between the government and the opposition, but 
within the government itself, as PM Ehud Olmert and DM Ehud Barak 
continued to urge restraint yesterday, and FM Tzipi Livni and 
opposition leaders argue that Israel must get rid of GazaQs 
Hamas-run government.  Leading media quoted Israeli Ambassador to 
the United Nations Prof. Gabriela Shalev as saying on Sunday in a 
harsh letter of complaint sent to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon 
and to the Security Council president that Israel will not be held 
hostage by Hamas, Israel Radio reported that Israel has informed the 
UN that it will respond.  HaQaretz and IDF Radio reported that the 
Olmert-Barak-Livni trio has decided to respond.  HaQaretz said that 
this will depend on operational conditions; in other words, the 
Israel Air Force will go into action.  Yesterday HaQaretz reported 
that Hamas is considering renewing suicide bombings in Israel. 
 
Leading media quoted Shin Bet head as saying yesterday that Hamas is 
capable of firing rockets that can strike as far from Gaza as at the 
outskirts of Beersheva and other targets in the Negev.  Yediot 
deduced that one in eight Israelis is within the range of improved 
Hamas rockets. 
 
The Jerusalem Post and Israel Radio reported that yesterday Egypt 
warned Israel against launching a massive military operation in 
Gaza.  The Jerusalem Post quoted Israeli defense officials as saying 
that Cairo was angry with Hamas leaders for ending the six-moth of 
relative calm.  Israel Radio cited the London-based Arabic newspaper 
Al Quds-Al-Arabi as saying that Egypt is putting a truce together. 
 
Israel Radio reported that PM Ehud Olmert is traveling to Ankara 
today on talks related to peace talks with Syria. 
 
Israel Radio reported that the U.S. has demanded clarifications from 
Israel regarding the sale of unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia. 
Leading media reported that yesterday Israeli officials 
categorically denied Iranian press reports that Russia will soon 
begin delivery of a state-of-the-art anti-missile system that could 
make it considerably harder to attack IranQs nuclear facilities. 
 
The Jerusalem Post cited a report by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency 
that leaders of 29 Jewish organizations met with representatives of 
Barack ObamaQs transition team in Washington on Thursday. 
 
The Jerusalem Post and Israel Radio cited a report by the human 
rights organization BQTselem that at least 58 percent of the 
settlement of Ofra, near Ramallah, was located on land registered as 
privately owned by Palestinians.  The newspaper also reported on a 
document from Orange Country, California, records showing that a 
Palestinian had sold his property -- now the illegal outpost of 
Migron Q to Jews.  The document, purportedly signed more that four 
decades after the manQs death, proved to be a forgery. 
 
Yesterday Makor Rishon-Hatzofe citied unofficial reports according 
to which PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) has decided to 
relieve the head of the Palestinian negotiating team, Ahmed Qurei 
(Abu Ala), of his duties, due to differences of opinion between the 
two. 
 
Yediot  and The Jerusalem Post reported that the graffiti QDeath to 
the ArabsQ and QMuhammad is a pigQ were sprayed yesterday in the 
walls of the QMosque by the SeaQ in Jaffa. 
 
Yediot reported that Israel has decided to redefine its rights in 
the Mediterranean --because Egypt and Cyprus have already divided 
the territory between them. 
 
Over the weekend leading media reported that clashes broke out 
between Palestinian  inmates and Israeli guards at the Ofer Prison 
near Ramallah on Saturday. 
 
The Jerusalem Post quoted sources in the aviation industry as saying 
yesterday that Israel will work hard to restore its Category 1 
aviation-safety standard within the next year after the FAAQs 
announcement over the weekend that it was downgrading the countryQs 
rating to Category 2. 
Yesterday The Jerusalem Post reported that IsraelQs track record of 
success and a similar climate brought a delegation form the U.S 
State of Georgia here last week to get a look at local cleantech and 
greentech firms. 
 
Yesterday The Jerusalem Post reported that the QU.S Army makes sure 
Jewish soldiers can celebrate Hanukkah. 
 
------------ 
¶1.  Mideast: 
------------ 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized: QThe lesson so 
recently learned in the Second Lebanon War is that in a war against 
organizations such as Hizbullah or Hamas, there is no guarantee that 
Israel's clear military superiority will suffice to defeat the enemy 
and bring peace to border communities. 
 
Conservative columnist, Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, wrote in 
the independent Israel Hayom: QIt is now completely clear that by 
its series of withdrawals, Israel enabled the establishment of a 
strong terrorist state on its southern border, and created an 
impossible situation in which the only way to win is by a bloody 
price. 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "Restraint, Despite Everything" 
 
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (12/22): QThe 
lesson so recently learned in the Second Lebanon War is that in a 
war against organizations such as Hizbullah or Hamas, there is no 
guarantee that Israel's clear military superiority will suffice to 
defeat the enemy and bring peace to border communities.  The 
challenge of restraint now facing the decision makers, at a time 
when most of them are focused on the upcoming election, is not at 
all simple.  They must stand firm against heavy and understandable 
pressure from public opinion, and also against the provocations of 
political rivals who paint them as a pack of weaklings.  At the same 
time, the government must inject real content into its unconvincing 
rhetoric.  And since a large-scale military operation seems 
impractical, this means asking Egypt and other Arab states to resume 
the role of mediators, removing the barriers to renewing the truce 
and initiating bold diplomatic moves that could prevent additional 
losses on both sides.QII.  QIsrael Is Paying the Price of 
Abandonment 
 
Conservative columnist, Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, wrote in 
the independent Israel Hayom (12/21): QEvery additional day that 
t 
Hamas governs in Gaza adds to its legitimacy and its perception as 
the effective ruler of the Palestinian people -- a fact that casts a 
heavy shadow on Abu Mazen and 
his supporters, who sit in the West Bank by virtue of the IDF 
bayonets.  The rulers of the Arab countries are also very afraid of 
Hamas's success -- a first historical success by one of the branches 
of the Muslim Brotherhood-in upholding a regime over a specific 
territory and population.  This is the reason that the leaders of 
the Arab countries around us would shed no tears if Israel were to 
deal with Hamas and critically damage its control over the Gaza 
Strip.... We are now paying the price for the abandonment of the 
Gaza Strip.  The abandonment began in 1994 following the Oslo 
Accords, which led to a significant reduction in the IDF's ability 
to prevent fire from the Gaza Strip and smuggling under Philadelphi 
Road.  The abandonment was completed in 2005 by an irresponsible act 
known as unilateral withdrawal, which led to the takeover of the 
Gaza Strip by Hamas and the buildup of Hamas as a real military 
force, which threatens the entire southern part of Israel.  It is 
now completely clear that by its series of withdrawals, Israel 
enabled the establishment of a strong terrorist state on its 
southern border, and created an impossible situation in which the 
only way to win is by a bloody price. 
 
--------- 
¶2.  Iran: 
--------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: QAs Iran 
races unabated toward nuclear capability, Obama will quickly be 
forced to conclude that prevailing on Iran -- with realistic threats 
of military action, if all else fails -- is vital and urgent. 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote on page one of the 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: QThe most important decision the 
next government of Israel will have to make is how to distribute 
resources intended for use against the Iranian nuclear threat, 
senior defense officials involved in decision-making have told 
HaQaretz. 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "Mideast Priorities" 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (12/21): 
QFor all the misguided lobbying, Obama will doubtless resist the 
advice to legitimize a terror group avowedly committed to Israel's 
destruction and demonstrably ready to kill its own people, too, in 
pursuit of its Islamist ambitions.... But the 44th president's first 
priority in the Middle East ought to be confronting Iran.  Obama has 
reiterated that he is willing to talk with Iran directly, which 
would make him the first American president to engage in diplomatic 
negotiations with the Islamic Republic.... As Iran races unabated 
toward nuclear capability, Obama will quickly be forced to conclude 
that prevailing on Iran -- with realistic threats of military 
action, if all else fails -- is vital and urgent.... In crafting his 
Middle East policy, Obama may want to place initial faith in the 
power of transformative diplomacy.  Unfortunately, however, as he 
surely recognizes, that alone will not yield the change he so 
admirably seeks to foster. 
 
 
II.  "A Budget Matter" 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote on page one of the 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (12/21): QThe most important 
decision the next government of Israel will have to make is how to 
distribute resources intended for use against the Iranian nuclear 
threat, senior defense officials involved in decision-making have 
told HaQaretz.  The new government will have to decide whether to 
invest in developing measures to attack Iran's nuclear facilities or 
developing means of defense and deterrence if Iran does attain 
nuclear power.  The budget will decide whether Israel will seriously 
consider a military option against Iran.  A decision focusing on 
defense and deterrence will mean that Israel has given up on 
attacking Iran.  The dilemma becomes more serious in the context of 
economic recession, which limits the government's ability to expand 
the defense budget.  Those who support deterrence believe there is 
no substitute for the military option, and costly resources should 
not be wasted on a plan that will never be implemented.  They also 
say that, at most, Israel could bring about a delay of a few years 
in the Iranian nuclear project, which does not justify the risk of 
complications in the action or a wider regional conflict.  They 
prefer investing in a number of long-term projects that will 
increase Israel's ability to defend itself against the nuclear 
threat. 
 
CUNNINGHAM