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P 031110Z APR 09
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UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000802 
 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
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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.  U.S.-Israel Relations 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
All media led with the murder of a 13-year-old boy and the wounding 
of a seven-year-old boy when an axe-wielding Palestinian man 
attacked them in the settlement of Bat Ayin in Gush Etzion 
yesterday.  (The wounded boyQs father is a jailed Jewish terrorist.) 
 According to Israel Radio security sources denied that the lifting 
of roadblocks allowed the attack.  Maariv cited the IDFQs concern 
that Jewish settlers might avenge the murder. 
 
Maariv quoted senior cabinet ministers as saying that FM Avigdor 
Lieberman is an embarrassment to the government.  Former Education 
Minister Yuli Tamir was quoted as saying in an interview with the 
Arabic-language Assennara that the damage that this Government will 
bring upon Israel will be huge. 
This morning, speaking on Israel Radio, former FM Tzipi Livni said 
that Lieberman erased the peace process in twenty seconds and 
deplored PM Benjamin NetanyahuQs silence on the matter.  Major media 
quoted Egyptian FM Ahmed Abu al-Gheit as saying that he will not 
shake LiebermanQs hand.  Media reported that yesterday, speaking to 
an audience of Kadima members, outgoing PM Ehud Olmert emphasized 
the importance of the two-state solution.  Citing remarks by State 
Department Spokesman Robert Wood, Yediot reported that the U.S. 
administration is determined to compel Israel to recognize 
Palestinian statehood. 
 
In response to LiebermanQs statements, Yasser Abed Rabbo, member of 
the PLO's Executive Committee was quoted as saying at an interview 
with the Arabic-language Assennara that they will not sit down to 
negotiations with such a madman.  QThose who chose him as foreign 
minister deserve to show this face of Israel to the world.Q  When 
questioned whether there are promises given by the new USGQs 
administrationQs envoy he said that they havenQt yet held deep 
discussions and that without halting the settlement growth, 
especially in Jerusalem, there is no place for more negotiations 
which would distract the world from the true plan of this extreme 
government chosen by Israel. 
 
Leading media reported that yesterday police questioned Lieberman 
for more than seven hours about suspicions of bribery, money 
laundering, fraud and breach of trust, less than a day after he took 
office in the new government. 
 
The media reported that Syrian President Bashar Assad told the 
Qatari newspaper A-Sharq that Syria would soon liberate the Golan 
"by peace or war."  HaQaretz reported that FM Lieberman responded 
coolly to the idea of talks with Damascus. "There is no cabinet 
resolution regarding negotiations with Syria, and we have already 
said that we will not agree to withdraw from the Golan Heights," he 
said. "Peace will only be in exchange for peace." 
 
The Jerusalem Post quoted Washington analysts as saying that the 
mixed messages on Iran conveyed by Defense Secretary Robert Gates 
and Gen. David Petraeus highlight the different roles played by 
Gates, a Qpolitical appointee implementing the Obama 
administrationQs program, and military personnel who are advocating 
certain policy goals.Q  Makor Rishon-Hatzofe quoted PM Netanyahu as 
saying in an interview with The Atlantic Monthly that if the U.S. 
does not stop Iran, Israel will. 
 
The Arabic-language Kull Al Arab reported that there are suspicions 
that an Israeli Arab organization calling itself QAhrar Al Jaleel 
[Free people of the Galilee] or another secret group were behind 
last weekQs Lev Hamifratz mall [car bomb] in Haifa. 
 
The Media Line reported that the U.S. Embassy in Israel opened an 
American Corner cultural center in post-riot Acco in the presence of 
Ambassador Cunningham. 
 
Leading media reported that a Spanish court ruled to suspend a suit 
against Israeli politicians and military officers regarding the 
killing of 14 Palestinian civilians in the 2002 bombing of the house 
of Hamas terrorist Salah Shehadeh. 
 
Yediot reported that this week Iranian Ayatollah Mehdi Khurshidi, 
who was Ayatollah KhomeiniQs deputy, visited Israel.  He was quoted 
as saying that the weapons and money that the Revolutionary Guards 
inject into terror are more dangerous to Israel than nuclear 
weapons. 
The media reported that Tel Aviv started celebrating the centennial 
of its foundation.  A festive popular rally will take place in Rabin 
Square tomorrow night. 
 
Makor Rishon-Hatzofe cited a poll conducted by the international 
Arabic-language newspaper Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat whose results are a 
reversal of the recent trend: Mahmoud Abbas now enjoys the support 
of 64% of Palestinians, while 36% back Ismail Haniyeh.  Marwan 
Barghouti remains the leading contender to lead the PA. 
 
Yediot cited an Israeli poll according to which three quarters of 
the world population view Israel as an aggressive country.  India, 
the U.S., and Russia are the countries most sympathetic to Israel; 
France and Spain are the most hostile to Israel. 
 
The Arabic-language newspapers Assennara and Kull Al Arab reported 
that the GOI hasnQt yet forwarded the promised budget for the PopeQs 
visit preparations. 
 
 
 
 
------------ 
¶1.  Mideast: 
------------ 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
Senior op-ed writer Akiva Eldar commented in the independent, 
left-leaning Ha'aretz: QIt is doubtful whether [Israeli] arguments 
claiming that the Qother side was also disruptiveQ will convince 
Barack Obama to ignore the continued settlement construction and not 
removing the outposts.  It will be particularly difficult because 
unlike the previous government, the new one did not shield the 
occupation with words of peace. 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized: QThis 
was an inept performance by our novice foreign minister, no 
question.  Nevertheless, Annapolis has become just another footnote 
in the 100-year history of Palestinian rejectionism. 
 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in Ha'aretz: 
Q[Lieberman] is in complete accord with Netanyahu, who in his 
inauguration speech said that Israel does not want to control the 
Palestinians, but rather aspires to Qfull peace with the entire Arab 
and Muslim world. 
 
The nationalist, Orthodox Makor Rishon-Hatzofe editorialized: 
QThrough the Annapolis Conference, [Olmert and Livni] decided to 
surrender to the inaction of the Palestinians and the Americans 
regarding the implementation of the Roadmap. 
 
Jonathan Speyer, a senior research fellow at the Global Research in 
International Affairs Center at the Interdisciplinary Center, wrote 
in HaQaretz: QThe only regional state capable of mounting a real 
resistance to the westward march of Iranian power is the one against 
whom all Arab League members can still momentarily unite in displays 
of verbal ferocity -- namely, Israel. 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "An Excuse to Abandon Peace" 
 
Senior op-ed writer Akiva Eldar commented in the independent, 
left-leaning Ha'aretz (4/3): QNot only did [yesterdayQs 
axe-wielding] attack ruin the marred welcome for Foreign Minister 
Avigdor Lieberman by the international community, but it reminded 
them of days past with incoming right-wing governments, which 
transformed such events into Defensive Shields against diplomatic 
talks and as excuses for setting up more settlements.  Indeed, at 
the ceremony in which Lieberman took over as Foreign Minister, he 
suggested that the new government will fall back on old formulas. 
First Qwe will eradicate the terrorist infrastructureQ -- and then, 
only God knows.  Lieberman's demand that the Palestinian Authority 
do away with Hamas in the Gaza Strip -- a task which the mighty IDF 
has not met -- undermines his declared QcommitmentQ to the Roadmap 
for peace.... It is doubtful whether arguments claiming that the 
Qother side was also disruptiveQ will convince Barack Obama to 
ignore the continued settlement construction and not removing the 
outposts.  It will be particularly difficult because unlike the 
previous government, the new one did not shield the occupation with 
words of peace. 
 
II.  "Who Killed Annapolis?" 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (4/3): 
QActually, the cabinet did endorse Annapolis, on December 2, 
2007.... But the thing is, Annapolis is dead -- just as Lieberman so 
undiplomatically stated. And everyone knows it.  It died when 
Mahmoud Abbas and Ahmed Qurei rejected Olmert's and Tzipi Livni's 
offer last year of virtually the entire West Bank (the Palestinians 
already have Gaza), plus tracts of the Negev to make up for 
strategic settlement blocs retained beyond the Green Line.... By 
talking tough instead of talking smart, Lieberman claimed he won 
Qrespect.Q  In fact, he handed an unnecessary win to those who 
misrepresent Israel's stance by arguing that it is blocking the 
creation of a Palestinian state.  This was an inept performance by 
our novice foreign minister, no question.  Nevertheless, Annapolis 
has become just another footnote in the 100-year history of 
Palestinian rejectionism. 
 
III.  "They Stole My Headline" 
 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in Ha'aretz 
(4/3): QTo retain power, Bibi has from the outset surrendered to 
power bases -- Yisrael Beiteinu and Shas -- and sold them the goods 
for a pittance.  The appointment of Avigdor Lieberman as foreign 
minister constitutes a challenge to the United States, the European 
Union, and our neighbors.  Lieberman has not held back: On his first 
day on the job he already declared that the principles of the 
Annapolis process are not binding on us and that peace will not be 
achieved through concessions.  In this he is in complete accord with 
Netanyahu, who in his inauguration speech said that Israel does not 
want to control the Palestinians, but rather aspires to Qfull peace 
with the entire Arab and Muslim world.Q  Only a fool would fail to 
notice the sleight of hand, or tongue, in this when the first 
condition for making peace with the Qentire Arab worldQ must be 
recognizing and implementing the principle of two states for two 
peoples. 
 
IV.  QA New Government in Jerusalem 
 
The nationalist, Orthodox Makor Rishon-Hatzofe editorialized (4/3): 
QIt was obvious that the Annapolis outline was the platform on which 
Kadima, led by Tzipi Livni, ran...  Through the Annapolis 
Conference, the two decided to surrender to the inaction of the 
Palestinians and the Americans regarding the implementation of the 
Roadmap.... It appears that, despite the objections of some Israeli 
and foreign newspapers, there is a new Israeli government. 
 
¶V.  QArab Summit, Iranian Agenda 
 
Jonathan Speyer, a senior research fellow at the Global Research in 
International Affairs Center at the Interdisciplinary Center, wrote 
in HaQaretz (4/3): QThe issues that dominated the 21st Arab League 
summit in Doha, Qatar, this week testified to the weakness and 
disunity of the Arab states.  Sunni Arabs are the majority 
population group in the Middle East.  Yet the Doha agenda reflected 
a regional reality dominated by the interests of, and clash between, 
two strong but non-Arab countries -- Israel and Iran.... Doha 
signaled that for the moment the Iranian star in the region is on 
the rise, with the leading states of the Arab system -- Egypt and 
Saudi Arabia -- reduced to scolding and attempted bribery 
respectively in their efforts to limit its influence.  It is perhaps 
the final ironic testimony to the Arabs' weakness that the only 
regional state capable of mounting a real resistance to the westward 
march of Iranian power is the one against whom all Arab League 
members can still momentarily unite in displays of verbal ferocity 
-- namely, Israel. 
 
-------------------------- 
¶2.  U.S.-Israel Relations: 
-------------------------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Ben Caspit wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Maariv: QIt must be hoped that Netanyahu understands reality: [The 
United States] is the superpower, not us.... BushQs America is 
dead. 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
"Talk Softly to Obama" 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Ben Caspit wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Maariv (4/3): QThe husband of the current Secretary of State, who 
used to be President of the U.S., asked his entourage at the 
conclusion of a meeting with Prime Minster Netanyahu in 1996: QWhat 
the heck, he is convinced that Israel is the superpower, not us. 
It must be hoped that Netanyahu understands reality: [The United 
States] is the superpower, not us.  We should talk quietly, not 
preach; listen too, sometimes.  BushQs America is dead.  Obama is 
the new President.  Contrary to Israel, this cannot change. 
Netanyahu must understand that his Evangelical and neo-Conservative 
admirers, who ruled America during the past eight years, are no 
more. Against this background, it will be interesting to see whom he 
will appoint ambassador in Washington. 
 
CUNNINGHAM