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UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000069 
 
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 
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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: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Gaza Crisis 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
All media reported that IDF reservists were involved in the fighting 
in Gaza yesterday, for the first time since Israel launched 
Operation Cast Lead 16 days ago.  Akin to other media, The Jerusalem 
Post reported that senior Israeli diplomatic officials told the 
newspaper yesterday that while diplomatic efforts were picking up 
speed, Israel was likely to QexpandQ its operations in Gaza before 
agreeing to a withdrawal and cessation of operations against Hamas. 
The Jerusalem Post reported that the IDF is said to be carving out a 
Qsecurity zoneQ along the border, which it would retain even after 
an end to the fighting and use to conduct routine patrols aimed at 
halting rocket attacks against the South.  Maariv cited Israeli 
assessments that Hamas will launch long-range missiles at the end of 
the operation. 
 
HaQaretz quoted sources close to PM Ehud Olmert as saying yesterday 
that he continues to disagree with DM Ehud Barak and FM Tzipi Livni 
regarding the question of continuing the warfare in Gaza.  The 
QtroikaQ met yesterday to discuss the subject, and both Barak and 
Livni reportedly argued for ending Operation Cast Lead as soon as 
possible.  This is apparently the reason Olmert wants to present the 
issue to the security cabinet, where the majority supports his view. 
 Livni contends that continuing the offensive could harm the 
deterrence it has achieved so far and damage Israel diplomatically. 
Barak objects mainly to inserting ground troops deep into densely 
populated areas of Gaza.  For his part, Olmert told the full cabinet 
Sunday that stopping Operation Cast Lead now would be a missed 
opportunity.  Israel Radio reported that Amos Gilad, who heads the 
Defense Ministry's political-security bureau, will not leave for 
Cairo today. 
 
Media cited an assessment in Jerusalem that Hamas has been badly 
beaten and bruised, but that it is not yet willing to wave the white 
flag of surrender.  The media reported that yesterday IDF tanks and 
infantry units pushed deeper into Gaza City, encountering fierce 
Hamas resistance and killing, according to the military, close to 50 
Hamas operatives.  Earlier in the day, the IAF bombed the home of 
Ahmed JaQabri commander of HamasQs military wing.  JaQabri was not 
believed to be home at the time.  The media reported a rift between 
Hamas-Damascus more confrontational political leadership and the 
movementQs Gaza leaders, who are reportedly more inclined to reach a 
cease-fire. 
 
Yesterday leading media cited a New York Times report published on 
Saturday that President Bush deflected a secret Israeli request last 
year for bunker-busting bombs for a possible attack on IranQs main 
nuclear complex. 
 
Over the weekend leading media reported that Israeli officials are 
accusing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of having worked behind 
Israel's back and of having been the "engine" behind the wording of 
the UN Security Council's resolution, contrary to the promises that 
she gave to Israel. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that an Egyptian government official 
told the daily yesterday that Iran is exerting heavy pressure on 
Hamas not to accept the Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire with 
Israel.  Leading media reported that the Egyptian Foreign Ministry 
called IsraelQs Ambassador to Cairo for clarifications regarding the 
humanitarian condition in Gaza. 
 
Leading media quoted President-elect Barack Obama as saying 
yesterday on ABC-TV's "This Week." that the suffering of civilians 
on both sides makes him Qmuch more determined to try to break a 
deadlock that has gone on for decades now. 
 
Over the weekend major media reported that for the second time in 
two days, the US Congress on Friday overwhelmingly backed a 
resolution supporting IsraelQs military campaign against Hamas. 
 
 
HaQaretz quoted the IDF as saying yesterday that IDF video clips 
documenting the war in Gaza and showing preparations for combat were 
the fourth most-popular videos on the video-sharing Web site YouTube 
as of last week, and some have been viewed hundreds of thousands of 
times. 
 
Leading media reported that yesterday the Jerusalem District Court 
ordered Meir Abergil and Israel Ozifa, two Israelis allegedly 
involved in smuggling 100,000 Ecstasy pills into the U.S. in 2003 to 
be released to house arrest, ruling that the evidence presented in 
 
an American extradition request "is not sufficiently strong." 
 
Major media reported that QWaltz with Bashir,Q the animated 
documentary about Israeli soldiers and their memories of IsraelQs 
1982 war with Lebanon, won a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign 
Language Film. 
 
------------ 
Gaza Crisis: 
------------ 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in the independent, 
left-leaning Ha'aretz: QBarack Obama will not be in a hurry to cast 
a veto for Israel's sake.  Israel should become involved in this 
process and not be seen as the disturbed child of the international 
community. 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: QIsrael 
would have preferred to act with the support of those who claim to 
back our right to self-defense.  In a cynical world, Israel must 
press ahead without it. 
 
The Jerusalem Post editorialized: Q[The Free World states] may be 
ungrateful, but Israel is fighting their fight too. 
 
Senior columnist Nahum Barnea wrote on page one of the 
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: QIn my eyes, the IDF is 
not an army of war criminals.  Nevertheless, the images from Gaza 
are worrying. 
 
Middle East affairs commentator Dr. Guy Bechor, a lecturer at the 
Interdisciplinary Center, wrote on his Web site Gplanet.co.il: QIt 
is no longer Khaled Mashal, it is Iran, whose leaders, in effect, 
are forcing him, an expatriate Palestinian, to accept their 
dictate. 
 
Conservative Op-Ed Page Editor Ben-Dror Yemini wrote in the popular, 
pluralist Maariv: QWhy, in God's name, are European states] allowed 
to fight thousands of kilometers from their countries, to kill 
hundreds and thousands of innocent civilians, and to say that their 
fight is justified -- but Israel mustn't?  Whence do they draw the 
impudence? 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "CondiQs Revenge" 
 
Veteran journalist Hemmi Shalev wrote in the independent Israel 
Hayom (1/12): QFour factors combined to bring about the United 
StatesQ abstention regarding the fighting in Gaza: the pressure of 
the European states; the distress of the moderate Arab states; 
President George BushQs desire to pass on a Qtabula rasaQ to 
incoming President Barak Obama; and Secretary of State Condoleezza 
RiceQs final blow, which left a taste of bitter revenge.... What 
might not have sufficiently been taken into account is the Qspecial 
relationshipsQ not only with Israel, but with countries such as 
Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, which form a pro-American, 
anti-Iranian front in the Arab world.  Since the start of Operation 
Cast Lead those countries have awarded a surprising dose of freedom 
of action to Israel in the dialogue with Hamas, but at the same time 
they have taken care to clarify to Washington that this wasnQt a 
free lunch, especially with the growing number of pictures of slain 
Gazan children on TV. 
 
II.  "Israel Goes It Alone" 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (1/12): 
QThe world must be wondering, 17 days into Operation Cast Lead, why 
it is taking so long for Jerusalem to cave into pressure for a 
cease-fire in Gaza.  From the UN Security Council, that renowned 
bastion of international probity, and the constellation of Muslim, 
Arab and non-aligned states to our unwavering European allies, the 
international community -- and much of the media -- wants Israel to 
stop fighting.   We Israelis can hear these erstwhile friends in 
Europe and the media saying: QEverybody is wrong, and you alone are 
right.Q  They continue: QYes, Israel has a right to self-defense -- 
but must your IDF kill innocent civilians and destroy buildings in 
the process?  Can't your tanks avoid harming them?  Your failure to 
fight a war that is televised live, 24/7, without spilling blood has 
enraged the Arab street.  We don't want this fury turned against our 
interests in the Middle EastQ.... The New York Times, likewise, 
sympathizes with Israel's predicament but worries that trying to 
wrest Gaza from Hamas's grip will complicate the efforts of the 
incoming Obama administration to broker peace.... Israel would have 
preferred to act with the support of those who claim to back our 
right to self-defense.  In a cynical world, Israel must press ahead 
without it. 
 
III.  "Abnormal State" 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in the independent, 
left-leaning Ha'aretz (1/12): QWho complained to the United Nations 
Security Council about the firing of Qassam rockets by the Hamas 
government in Gaza?  The government of Israel.... And when, over 
Israel's objections, that very council passed Resolution 1860 
calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, who proclaimed that it would not 
accept it and intended to continue fighting?  The government of 
Israel, of course.... Israel wants the international community, 
represented by the Security Council, to protect it from Hamas, Syria 
and Iran, but not to hamper the Israel Defense Forces operating with 
all its strength in Gaza.  The problem is that the international 
community rejects this arrangement and wants to intervene even when 
it hampers Israel.... In eight days, a new president will move into 
the White House, one obligated to strengthening the influence of 
international institutions.  Barack Obama will not be in a hurry to 
cast a veto for Israel's sake.  Israel should become involved in 
this process and not be seen as the disturbed child of the 
international community. 
 
IV.  "The UNQs Hollow Gaza Resolution" 
 
The Jerusalem Post editorialized (1/11): QThere can be nothing more 
valid or just than Israel's security cabinet's pledge to press on 
with the Gaza operation regardless of UN disapproval.  It is exactly 
as the Prime Minister's statement encapsulated: QIsrael has never 
agreed that any outside body would determine its right to defend the 
security of its citizensQ.... Disconcertingly, Resolution 1860 was 
adopted overnight Thursday by a 14-0 margin. Jerusalem was given 
cause to expect an American veto, but the U.S. chose instead to 
abstain because, according to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, 
it awaited Egyptian mediation results.  Rice apparently had no 
quarrel with the resolution's content and emphasis, regarding it as 
a QRoadmap for a sustainable, durable peace in Gaza.Q  Hence Israel 
may well expect increased pressure to halt its operation regardless 
of ongoing Hamas aggression -- wan diplomatic lip-service against 
Gazan Qassam and Grad barrages notwithstanding.  Although the 
resolution clearly obligates Israeli forces to withdraw, and 
although much of its text is devoted to the welfare of Gazans, it 
does not so much as mention Hamas and its relentless terrorist 
predations on Israelis.... Ceasing fire while Hamas retains a 
sizable arsenal, while Iran stands poised to rearm it, and while the 
Philadelphi Corridor remains breached, constitutes a surefire recipe 
for new and bloodier rounds.  This would be disastrous not only for 
Israel but for those Free World states whose delegates cast 
anti-Israel votes at the Security Council.  They may be ungrateful, 
but Israel is fighting their fight too. 
 
¶V.  QThe Whole Land Is Filled with Flags 
 
Senior columnist Nahum Barnea wrote on page one of the 
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (1/12): QAs someone who 
supported the operation from its beginning, I have been following 
its development with concern.  I am afraid of an entanglement that 
will lodge Israel in Gaza for months and years.... I fear the harm 
caused to civilians in Gaza.  The Second Lebanon War was mainly 
conducted in an area free of civilians.  Only Hizbullah guerrillas 
were left in it.  The Gazans have nowhere to run.  In time of 
warfare, it is very difficult to separate between non-involved 
civilians and Hamas militiamen.  The figures that the IDF publishes 
on this matter raise question marks.  How many of the 800 or 900 
Palestinians killed until yesterday were Hamas fighters?  Does a 
postal clerk in the Hamas government also deserve to die?  A traffic 
cop?  Ha'aretz correspondent Amira Hass wrote that it was good that 
her parents had died and were not compelled to see Israel's crimes 
in the operation in Gaza.  As opposed to her, I am sorry that my 
parents have passed away, but this is not the only point on which we 
disagree.  In my eyes, the IDF is not an army of war criminals. 
Nevertheless, the images from Gaza are worrying.  There is nothing 
joyous, nothing patriotic, about a child killed by a shell or a 
family buried under a home.  Hamas may not care about them: We 
should care. 
 
VI.  QIran Seeks To Wear Out Israel in QNon-Negotiations 
 
Middle East affairs commentator Dr. Guy Bechor, a lecturer at the 
Interdisciplinary Center, wrote on his Web site Gplanet.co.il 
(1/11): QAbu Mazen's consent is now saving Hamas, i.e. leaving it as 
the ruling power in Gaza, albeit weakened, opening the crossings and 
introducing international supervision in the Rafah crossing.  Had 
Hamas agreed to this, the cease-fire would be achieved, and it would 
retain a minimum of dignity-after all, it will now be recognized, by 
Israel as well, as the force controlling Gaza de facto.  But no, it 
is the usual Palestinian maximalism.  It is all or nothing -- so 
nothing.  The reason is different this time.  It is no longer Khaled 
Mashal, it is Iran, whose leaders, in effect, are forcing him, an 
expatriate Palestinian, to accept their dictate.... The Palestinians 
in Gaza have now become Iranian currency in Tehran's long-standing 
war against Israel.  QKeep fighting,Q they are commanded from 
Tehran, from afar.  QKeep dying. 
 
VII.  QShut Up and Let Us Work 
 
Conservative Op-Ed Page Editor Ben-Dror Yemini wrote in the popular, 
pluralist Maariv (1/11): QThe countries of Europe, in the current 
time and on a weekly basis, cause innocent people's deaths.  That 
awful killing has a justification: the fight against the Taliban. So 
we don't need to explain anything to Europe.  They need to explain 
this to us.  After all, the Taliban hasn't fired rockets at any 
cities in Europe.  Hamas fires at Israel.  The Taliban hasn't 
declared its desire to annihilate all the Europeans.  And Hamas 
actually does encourage the killing of Jews in its charter and in 
its spokesmen's statements.  Nevertheless, the Europeans feel it 
justified to remain in Afghanistan only in order to eradicate yet 
another link in fanatical Islam.  Just like Israel with Hamas.  And, 
in any event, Hamas's threat to Israel is greater than the threat 
posed by the Taliban to Europe.  So why, in God's name, are they 
allowed to fight thousands of kilometers from their countries, to 
kill hundreds and thousands of innocent civilians, and to say that 
their fight is justified -- but Israel mustn't?  Whence do they draw 
the impudence? 
 
CUNNINGHAM