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TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Gaza Operation 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
The media reported that DM Ehud Barak is inclined to accept a French 
proposal for a 48-hour suspension of the IDF offensive against Hamas 
to allow Paris the opportunity to mediate a cease-fire.  (Yediot and 
Israel Radio reported that Israel rejected the proposal.)  PM Ehud 
Olmert is opposed to the move and appears to Qstay the course. 
Israel Hayom reported that FM Tzipi Livni is faltering.   At the 
same time the media reported on efforts by the Quartet to broker a 
cease-fire.  Media reported that French President Nicolas Sarkozy 
and his FM Bernard Kouchner are expected to visit Israel on Monday 
on their way to Lebanon.  Media also reported that Turkey, France, 
and the UN all urged Syrian President Bashar Assad to use his 
influence with Hamas chief Khaled Mashal to agree to a truce. 
HaQaretz reported that so far, Assad has refused, saying that Israel 
must first halt its operation in Gaza.  HaQaretz also reported that 
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to visit Arab countries. 
 
The media reported that last night Hamas fired two rockets at 
Beersheva.  One of the Katyusha rockets struck a kindergarten, 
causing damage.  Israel Radio reported that five Grad rockets landed 
in Beersheva this morning, one on a school.  The media reported that 
yesterday the government approved the call-up of 2,500 further 
reservists. 
 
The Jerusalem Post and other media reported that Egypt has offered 
to mediate a cease-fire with Hamas if Israel halts all military 
operations in Gaza.  The media reported that yesterday Egyptian 
President Hosni Mubarak insisted that he would not open the Rafah 
crossing between Sinai and Gaza unless it was controlled the PA, and 
European monitors under a2005 agreement were president. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that yesterday Hamas accused the PA of 
planning to return to Gaza with the help of Israel. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that some Israel diplomats have 
overstepped the governmentQs statements on the aims of the 
operation.  For instance, Ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev was 
quoted as saying on Monday that the aim of the operation was to 
Qcompletely destroyQ Hamas. 
 
Akin to other media stories, HaQaretz quoted a resident of GazaQs 
Jabalya refugee camp as saying that there are calls in Fatah for 
Israel to take out the Hamas leadership. 
 
Yediot reported that Qal-QaidaQ is adopting Hamas: The global 
Islamic organization is targeting Israeli embassies around the 
world. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that candidates of Hatnua Hahadasha (The 
New Movement)-Meretz will begin a new campaign today calling for a 
cease-fire and opposing a ground incursion.  Citing the Jewish 
Telegraphic Agency, the daily also reported that four left-wing 
pro-Israel groups -- J Street, Americans for Peace Now, Brit Tzedek 
v'Shalom, and the Israel Policy Forum -- all defended IsraelQs right 
to strike Hamas installations in Gaza, but said that such actions 
would be counterproductive and damage IsraelQs security in the long 
run.  They also called for intervention by the U.S. and the 
international community to restore a cease-fire between Israel and 
Hamas. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that the High Court of Justice is 
expected to rule today on a petition against a recent government 
decision barring foreign correspondents from entering Gaza. 
 
HaQaretz reported that Deputy Attorney General Shai Nitzan decided 
yesterday that a criminal investigation for incitement to racism 
will be opened against 29 rabbis who signed two advertisements 
urging people not to hire Arabs.  Both advertisements were issued 
following terror attacks in Jerusalem carried out by East Jerusalem 
residents: 
 
Leading media reported that Ben-ami Kadish, an 85-year-old former 
U.S. Army engineer, has admitted he passed classified documents to 
the Israelis in the 1970s and '80s, entering the plea yesterday in 
federal court in Manhattan.  Kadish said he believes he was promised 
that the government will not seek imprisonment at his February 
sentencing.  Kadish was accused of taking home classified documents 
dealing with nuclear weapons. 
 
A poll commissioned by the Channel 2-TV-affilated Mako web site 
found that if elections were held today, Likud would win 29 seats, 
as would the Livni-led Kadima party.  In the previous poll, Likud 
won 28 seats as opposed to KadimaQs 29.  Ranking third in the 
current poll is the Labor Party, with 14 seats.  In the previous 
poll the Labor Party was projected to receive only 10 Knesset seats, 
exactly as many as Shas and the Arab parties.  Yisrael Beiteinu also 
made gains in the current poll, rising to 13 seats, while Shas 
dropped to eight seats followed by Meretz with seven.  The right 
wing parties, United Torah Judaism (UTJ) and Jewish Home, receive 
four seats each.  The current poll also asked the respondents whom 
they thought would be able to deal better with Gaza: Benjamin 
Netanyahu, Tzipi Livni, or Ehud Barak.  Among respondents 41% said 
that Netanyahu would deal best with Gaza, leaving Livni (19%) and 
Barak (18%) trailing far behind.  Summary: Likud: 29; Kadima: 29; 
Labor Party: 14; Yisrael Beiteinu: 13; Shas: 8; Meretz: 7; Hadash: 
5; UTJ: 4 Jewish Home: 3; Hatikva (right-wing list): 3; United Arab 
List: 3; Balad (Arab party): 2. 
 
------------ 
¶1.  Mideast: 
------------ 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Senior Middle East affairs analyst Zvi Bar'el wrote in the 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: QHamas can rack up its first 
victory, as several European countries are already talking about a 
QhumanitarianQ cease-fire, and Egypt has been fixed in the public 
eye as a collaborator with Israel. 
 
Defense commentator Amir Oren wrote on page one of Ha'aretz: QDuring 
the two-day truce, the IDF will arm itself with a new target bank, 
fresh intelligence, refreshed troops and domestic and international 
understanding of the need for a ground operation. 
 
Military correspondent Alex Fishman wrote on page one of the 
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: QIf Hamas accepts those 
conditions, which incidentally appeared in the tahdiya agreement 
from six months ago as well, then the war is over. But Hamas hasnQt 
agreed to accept them. 
 
Conservative columnist Nadav Haetzni wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Maariv: QThe great Arab nation that is now protesting wants Hamas. 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: QThere 
should be no talk of a cease-fire until the declared goal of 
achieving long-term normality in the South has been attained. 
 
Prominent liberal author Amos Oz wrote in Yediot Aharonot: QHamas is 
to blame for the deterioration in Gaza.... But this operation must 
be limited in its goals: Israel has no other goal but to obtain as 
soon as possible a complete and absolute cease-fire, which will 
ensure quiet and calm on our border. 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "Hamas Enjoys a Diplomatic Victory" 
 
Senior Middle East affairs analyst Zvi Bar'el wrote in the 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (12/31): QHamas can rack up its 
first victory, as several European countries are already talking 
about a QhumanitarianQ cease-fire, and Egypt has been fixed in the 
public eye as a collaborator with Israel. This will make it hard for 
Egypt to act as a mediator between Hamas and Israel, and the war in 
Gaza will require international involvement and certainly active 
Syrian involvement to end the hostilities.  In that way Gaza goes 
from being a local dispute between Israel and Hamas to the status of 
half a state with the same status as Israel, so hopes Hamas.  Such a 
step could never have come off through regular diplomatic channels, 
where Hamas would have appealed to Egypt or some other mediator, but 
only by enlisting the masses in the region and by bypassing the 
Palestinian Authority, which is not functioning during this 
crisis. 
 
II.  "Timing his Political Entrance" 
 
Defense commentator Amir Oren wrote on page one of Ha'aretz (12/31): 
QDefense minister Ehud Barak, whose performance during the first 
days of Operation Cast Lead increased his public support, spoiled 
his image yesterday with his very own words.   His ambiguous 
statements, from behind the transparent veil of an Qoff-the-record 
conversation,Q once again lowered him from the rank of commander to 
that of politician.... At a meeting with his aides] he did not 
explain the connection between the stable, long-term cease-fire 
whose achievement -- and nothing else -- would justify ending the 
operation, and a limited cease-fire called solely to enable 
negotiations on the larger cease-fire.  The opposition he aroused 
from his colleagues in the government and senior defense officials 
managed to put the weaknesses of the group that will decide the 
operation's future at the top of the agenda.... Barak is willing to 
serve Gaza a two-course meal -- first the humanitarian course, then 
a double portion.  This will not be a French kiss, but an Israeli 
version of what the American army, hit by a paralyzing sandstorm on 
its way to Baghdad in March 2003, termed an Qoperational halt 
before resuming its advance. During the two-day truce, the IDF will 
arm itself with a new target bank, fresh intelligence, refreshed 
troops and domestic and international understanding of the need for 
a ground operation. 
 
III.  "Waiting for the Rain to End" 
 
Military correspondent Alex Fishman wrote on page one of the 
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (12/31): QThe only 
practical-feasible idea at present is the Egyptian-Turkish 
initiative.... Hamas needs a consensus for its decisions not only in 
Gaza but in Damascus as well.  In that case, this might require 
sending messengers, and they might have to leave for Egypt to hear 
the Egyptian proposal.  The bottom line is that that will require at 
least four or five days of a lull in fighting.  That isnQt going to 
happen simply because Hamas isnQt going to stop firing missiles and 
Israel isnQt going to stop seeking its leaders.... Israel has set 
Hamas five conditions from the first day for ending the warfare: 1. 
An end to all high trajectory fire by all organizations; 2. The 
establishment of a security corridor along the border in which Hamas 
will not be permitted to have military forces; 3. The cease-fire 
will have no time limit; 4. All the border crossings will remain 
under Israeli control (the agreement over the Rafah border crossing 
that was reached in 2005 will remain valid); 5. Everyone will take 
drastic measures to reduce the volume of smuggling.  If Hamas 
accepts those conditions, which incidentally appeared in the tahdiya 
agreement from six months ago as well, then the war is over. But 
Hamas hasnQt agreed to accept them. 
 
IV.  "Understanding of the Last Grain" 
 
Conservative columnist Nadav Haetzni wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Maariv (12/31): QThe great Arab nation that is now protesting wants 
Hamas.  It again turns out that there is no peace process, no 
reconciliation, and no willingness to recognize our very existence, 
even if we flee to the last grain of sand.... It would be worthwhile 
if this time we do not refuse to internalize this. 
 
¶V.  QCease Terror, Not Cease-Fire 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (12/31): 
QOn day four of Operation Cast Lead, international demands 
notwithstanding, it is way too premature for Jerusalem to be 
entertaining thoughts of a cease-fire.  It is Hamas that needs an 
exit strategy to extricate it from a devastating situation of its 
own making. They locked themselves into the old Arab mantra of Qno 
recognition, no negotiation and no peace.Q  They refused to honor 
agreements the PLO signed with Israel.  They oppose the creation of 
a Palestinian state alongside Israel. And they've kept Gaza an 
impoverished basket-case.... Let us keep our eyes on the prize.  The 
government has belatedly but rightly declared the imperative to 
change the security environment in the south and stop Hamas from 
attacking our population.  No country -- not Germany, Britain, 
France, or Russia; not Turkey, Greece, Korea or the United States -- 
would tolerate missile attacks on its homeland.  Neither can 
Israel. Hamas must not get what it most wants.  Hamas wants 
Israel's home front to be demoralized, to feel under siege.  It 
wants to stampede our government into sending ground forces into 
Gaza's camps and alleyways, to ensnare our fighters in ambushes it 
has spent long months setting.... There should be no talk of a 
cease-fire until the declared goal of achieving long-term normality 
in the South has been attained. 
 
VI.  QCease-Fire Now 
 
Prominent liberal author Amos Oz wrote in Yediot Aharonot (12/31): 
QA ground offensive on the Gaza Strip could lead to entanglement and 
sinking into the Gaza mire, compared to which the Lebanese mud is no 
more than a puddle.... Hamas is to blame for the deterioration in 
Gaza.  And if not for its provocations and shelling, there would 
have been no need for the Israeli operation.  But this operation 
must be limited in its goals: Israel has no other goal but to obtain 
as soon as possible a complete and absolute cease-fire, which will 
ensure quiet and calm on our border.  Such a cease-fire will be 
reached in exchange for alleviating the siege and the closure on 
Gaza.  The sooner Israel issues a call for a complete cease-fire on 
both sides of the border, with the support and mediation of Arab 
states that do not support Hamas, the better it will be for us.  The 
operation in Gaza should end as soon as possible and without a 
ground invasion, along with the shelling of IsraelQs communities. 
 
CUNNINGHAM