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Viewing cable 09TELAVIV1014, ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
09TELAVIV1014 | 2009-05-07 10:07 | 2011-08-24 01:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy Tel Aviv |
VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHTV #1014/01 1271007
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 071007Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1700
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAHQA/HQ USAF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEADWD/DA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/CNO WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 5385
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 1973
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 5909
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 6194
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 5423
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 3970
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 6245
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 3054
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1260
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 9962
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 7467
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 2437
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS PRIORITY 6465
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 8509
RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH PRIORITY 1292
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 1979
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/COMSIXTHFLT PRIORITY
UNCLAS TEL AVIV 001014
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:
--------------------------------
¶1. Mideast
¶2. NPT Issues
-------------------------
Key stories in the media:
-------------------------
Israel Radio quoted: Quartet envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair as
saying that the U.S. administration is working on a new strategy for
talks between Israel and the Palestinians and this would probably be
presented in about six weeks. Blair was quoted as saying that the
plan was inspired hope because the most senior officials in both the
Obama administration and the international community were working on
it.
Leading media reported that PM Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to
upgrade the diplomatic role of moderate Arab states. Israel Radio
reported that he will refuse to address the two-state issue during
his meeting with President Obama. The Jerusalem Post reported that
the GOI is keeping mum about an alleged new Arab initiative.
HaQaretz quoted PA President Mahmoud Abbas as saying yesterday that
he and his Egyptian counterpart planned to present the Obama
administration with a complete formula for resolving the Middle East
conflict. According to HaQaretz, the PA and several Arab states are
developing a plan to be submitted to President Obama that would
provide for gestures to Israel in return for Israeli concessions to
the Palestinians. The plan is designed to show Arab flexibility in
the face of what they view as anticipated intransigence on the part
of PM Benjamin Netanyahu. HaQaretz quoted Palestinian sources in
Ramallah as saying yesterday that they expect the Obama
administration to force a new peace plan of its own on Israel and
the Palestinians next month, which would be developed in
consultation with the parties to the conflict but not necessarily
with their agreement. The sources were quoted as saying that the
American plan would, however, have the support of the other Quartet
members. It would deal with a final settlement of the Arab-Israeli
conflict, including relations with Syria and Lebanon. It would also
mention the establishment of full diplomatic relations between
Israel and Arab states. A senior Palestinian official, Yasser Abed
Rabbo, told HaQaretz by phone from Jordan on Wednesday that the
Palestinians believe the Americans are determined to pursue peace in
the Middle East. HaQaretz quoted an informed source as saying that
the Palestinians are interested in bringing the Arab countries into
the negotiations as a "third party," in anticipation that it would
strengthen the Palestinian position vis-a-vis the United States.
Israel Radio quoted Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa as
saying that, contrary to media reports yesterday, there will be no
amendments to the Arab Peace Initiative.
Electronic media reported that last night an IDF soldier was killed
in the West Bank town of Bir Zeit, north of Ramallah. The
circumstances of the case are still unclear. All media reported
that IDF soldiers killed a Palestinian man last night near the Tomb
of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Earlier yesterday the IAF bombed three
tunnels used for smuggling along the Gaza-Egypt border, injuring
four people.
Leading media reported that yesterday President Shimon Peres told UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York that the UN report on
Operation Cast Lead was one-sided. Peres also criticized BanQs
behavior during the Durban II conference. The Jerusalem Post quoted
Peres as saying after his meeting with Ban: QWe donQt think we have
to apologize because we have the right to defend the lives of our
children and women.Q The Post reported that he later added that the
American army checked IsraelQs actions and found no violation of
laws of war. Israel Radio also quoted Peres as saying last night
that if the talks failed between Washington and Tehran over the
Iranian nuclear matter, there were other options. Peres made the
statement in the course of a meeting of the Conference of Presidents
of Major Jewish Organizations in New York.
Maariv cited IsraelQs worry about ChinaQs sales of missiles --
clones of the Russian S300 systems -- which might threat Israeli air
superiority and hinder an attack on Iranian nuclear installations.
The Jerusalem Post quoted Israeli officials as saying that the U.S.
comment on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was not part of the
new U.S. policy on Iran. All media cited a restricted International
Atomic Energy Agency report published yesterday that traces of
enriched uranium were found during an environmental sample swipe
near the Inshas nuclear research site in Egypt. The material can be
used for the production of nuclear weapons, but the quantity in
which the particles were found would have been insufficient for
that.
The Jerusalem Post quoted Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, as saying yesterday that the U.S. has
stepped back from the notion of Qregime changeQ in Iran.
HaQaretz reported that West Bank construction has been accelerating
for several months, putting Israel on a collision course with a U.S.
administration taking a hard line on settlement expansion.
HaQaretz and Israel Radio reported that Regional Development
Minister Silvan Shalom (Likud) will accompany Tony Blair to the
Jenin industrial zone, to assist speeding up works in the area.
Shalom and Blair are expected to attend the opening of the new
Israeli-Palestinian chamber of commerce later this month, along with
Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad. HaQaretz reported that Netanyahu has
instructed the defense establishment to transfer 50 million shekels
(around $12.5 million) in banknotes to banks in Gaza in order to pay
salaries and attend to current banking needs.
Makor Rishon-Hatzofe cited IsraelQs concern about the rapid
U.S.-Syria rapprochement.
Steve Rosen, he former foreign policy chief for AIPAC who was
charged with illegally disclosing classified information, was quoted
as saying in an interview with Channel 10-TV that ulterior motives
against QJews, Israel, and AIPACQ were behind the case against him.
Yediot called the USAF bombing of a village in Afghanistan, in which
around 100 died, QKafr Qana, the U.S. versionQ Q a reference to the
IDFQs accidental killings of civilians in Lebanon.
The media reported that the Treasury is preparing a plan of cuts
that will affect the low-income public. Some cabinet ministers are
opposed to the cuts. Maariv wrote that the Qold BibiQ is back.
All media cited the State ComptrollerQs annual report, which was
issued yesterday: The report contains particularly severe criticism
of the Agriculture Ministry (which reportedly allowed the sale of
arsenic-tainted poultry), the health and education systems, police
and transportation authorities.
HaQaretz quoted El AlQs CEO Haim Romano as saying that the number of
business travelers from Israel to the U.S. has fallen by 30% in the
past six months.
HaQaretz reported that the Israel Airports Authority is negotiating
to buy advanced X-ray machines from General Electric for Ben-Gurion
Airport.
------------
¶1. Mideast:
------------
Summary:
--------
Columnist Ari Shavit wrote in the independent, left-leaning
Ha'aretz: QIf Netanyahu and Mubarak agree at Sharm el-Sheikh that
they intend to stop Iran and build Palestine, we can reasonably
assume they will find a partner in Obama. If that happens, the
three leaders will provide the Middle East with a new, correct and
realistic agenda.
Block Quotes:
-------------
"Nation Building for Palestine"
Columnist Ari Shavit wrote in the independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz
(5/7): QMissing now is a new diplomatic concept that weaves all the
good news together with one scarlet thread. Missing is a new
strategic idea that will provide a common horizon for moderate Arabs
and moderate Israelis. This idea could be [Tony] Blair's: nation
building -- an ambitious international project of Americans,
Europeans, Japanese, Egyptians, Jordanians, Saudis, residents of the
Gulf emirates, Palestinians, and Israelis that will build the
Palestinian nation from the foundations. The idea of nation
building is not a substitute for the two-state concept; it
complements it. It is designed to turn an impractical dream of peace
into a serious work plan, which in the end will make the dream come
true. The idea is meant to build the Palestinian state properly,
over time, from the bottom up. It is capable of consolidating the
coalition of the Middle East's sane nations around one mission and
one vision. The chances are good that the United States will be
attentive to Blair's vision. U.S. President Barack Obama's strategy
in Iraq is nation building. Obama's strategy in Afghanistan is
nation building. There is no reason why his strategy in Palestine
should not be nation building. If Netanyahu and Mubarak agree at
Sharm el-Sheikh that they intend to stop Iran and build Palestine,
we can reasonably assume they will find a partner in Obama. If that
happens, the three leaders will provide the Middle East with a new,
correct and realistic agenda.
---------------
¶2. NPT Issues:
---------------
Summary:
--------
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in the independent,
left-leaning Ha'aretz: QPresident Barack Obama, who has committed in
every possible forum to preserve Israel's security, does not intend
to Qclose DimonaQ while Iran threatens to wipe Israel from the
map.... [But] as far as the Americans will progress in talks with
Iran, demands will almost certainly arise for a full
denuclearization of the region.
Diplomatic correspondent Shimon Shiffer wrote in the
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot: QA signal is one thing,
but the strategic alliance between the two states will still be in
place two weeks from now.
Block Quotes:
-------------
¶I. "Dimona in Exchange for Natanz?"
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in the independent,
left-leaning Ha'aretz (5/7): QPresident Barack Obama, who has
committed in every possible forum to preserve Israel's security,
does not intend to Qclose DimonaQ while Iran threatens to wipe
Israel from the map. There is no reason to panic, but it must be
understood that, unlike his predecessor, the current president
intends to strengthen nuclear monitoring around the world, and
Israel will be asked to contribute to this overall effort.... U.S.
nuclear policy has long demonstrated a kind of split personality.
Washington's public declarations urge universal compliance with the
NPT. This was the spirit in which Tuesday's remarks were made (and
occasional others like it in the past). But Israeli experts noticed
a softer tone this time -- Israel and its fellow QrefuseniksQ were
not called on to sign the treaty and relinquish their nuclear
capabilities, but simply to QadhereQ to the document, a seemingly
less threatening phrase.... As far as the Americans will progress in
talks with Iran, demands will almost certainly arise for a full
denuclearization of the region. In other words: QDimona for [IranQs
nuclear reactor at] Natanz.
II. "ItQs Not Nuclear"
Diplomatic correspondent Shimon Shiffer wrote in the
mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (5/7): Q[At every first
meeting between a new American president and an Israeli prime
minister,] each proclaims the text provided by the script: The
United States will continue to protect IsraelQs right to maintain
ambiguity in everything concerning its nuclear capabilities and not
allow any international organization to demand that it reveal what
it has, according to international reports. ThatQs what the
President will say. The Israeli guest will thank his host for this
approach and add that Israel will not deviate from the policy as
agreed with the U.S. This pattern of understanding between Israel
and the U.S. owes its origin to an agreement between Prime Minister
Golda Meir and President Richard Nixon. The American approach is
that as long as Israel must deal with a hostile environment and its
neighborsQ intentions to destroy it, it must be able to defend
itself and deter them. In recent years efforts were made by some in
the administration to change the rules on this sensitive matter, but
the White House removed the issue from its agenda -- until two days
ago... One [Israeli cabinet] minister supported the assumption that
the Obama administration was sending Israel a message as part of the
harsh signals being sent in advance of NetanyahuQs visit.... Most
decision-makers in Israel are still convinced that the ritual of the
meeting between the American president and Israeli prime minister
will repeat itself. A signal is one thing, but the strategic
alliance between the two states will still be in place two weeks
from now. QNothing fundamental has changed in the regional map or
in the map of
the threats to Israel,Q said [an unnamed] former prime minister
yesterday.
CUNNINGHAM