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DE RUEHTV #1854/01 2330807
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 210807Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
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INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 001854 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL IS
 
SUBJECT: NETANYAHU'S RIGHT GETS LOUDER, BOLDER 
 
REF: TEL AVIV 1842 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  Following a tour of illegal outposts by four 
cabinet ministers on August 17 (reftel), and ahead of Netanyahu's 
expected meeting in London next week with Senator Mitchell, some 
right wing members of the government have continued to up their 
rhetoric in support of settlements and against the Israeli left. 
This included support from Likud and coalition members for a 
high-profile and controversial visit to Israel by former candidate 
for the Republican presidential nomination and former Governor of 
Arkansas Mike Huckabee, whose said the purpose of his trip was to 
support settlements, including in East Jerusalem. In addition, Vice 
Prime Minister and Minister for Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya'alon, 
speaking to an extreme right-wing Likud faction that has opposed 
Netanyahu's party leadership, reportedly referred to the Israeli 
left as a "virus," attacked the media, said the Supreme Court was 
authority without responsibility, called for a complete cut-off of 
humanitarian support to Gaza, and reiterated that Jews should be 
able to live anywhere in the Land of Israel.  The Prime Minister's 
Bureau was quick to distance the PM from Ya'alon's remarks, 
releasing a statement that "The remarks made by Minister Ya'alon are 
unacceptable, neither in their essence nor in their style, and do 
not represent the government's stance."   Netanyahu seems to have 
put the issue to rest after a meeting he had with Ya'alon the 
evening of August 20.  END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Huckabee Helps Right, Settlers Grab the Spotlight 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) During the evening of August 17, at least one Knesset 
member, MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), co-hosted a dinner for former 
candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination and former 
Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee at the disputed Shepherd's Hotel in 
East Jerusalem.  The event was sponsored by the messianic, 
pro-settlement group Ateret Cohanim, and funded by American 
millionaire Irving Moskowitz.  Huckabee said that the purpose of his 
trip was to show American support for settlement expansion, 
including in East Jerusalem, and to let Israel know that not all 
Americans support the administration's stand opposing settlements. 
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon (Yisrael Beitenu) also met with 
Huckabee during his trip. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
YAALON: NOT JUST WHAT HE SAID BUT WHERE HE SAID IT 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) However, the Israeli media gave far more high profile 
coverage to remarks reportedly made by Minister Ya'alon, who as Vice 
Prime Minister is designated as the number two official in the 
government.  The headlines were dominated on August 20 by a leaked 
speech Ya'alon gave over the weekend to the Jewish Leadership Forum, 
an extreme right-wing Likud faction led by Moshe Feiglin, who has 
opposed Netanyahu's party leadership.  NOTE: Following the Likud 
primary last year, Netanyahu changed the rules for forming the Likud 
party list to ensure Feiglin would not get a seat in the Knesset. 
END NOTE. 
 
¶4.  (U) During the speech, Ya'alon reportedly said that the media 
has power over the Prime Minister and that they "influence public 
discourse in a distorted, mendacious, manipulative and deceptive 
way."  He also said the Supreme Court, along with the elites and the 
media, are "focal points of power with authority but with no 
responsibility. That isn't democratic. They have no responsibility. 
They don't give any accounting."  He reiterated his point that some 
outposts are not illegal and should be legalized, saying that "the 
Jews need to live everywhere in the Land of Israel forever.  On 
Gaza, he said "we need to disengage completely from the Gaza Strip. 
. .not electricity, not water, not vegetables and not fruit. 
Neither a supply of food nor money."  He called Peace Now a "virus" 
and said that the Israeli left has seriously damaged the strategic 
interests of Israel.  Ya'alon, a former IDF Chief of General Staff, 
also was quoted as saying that whenever Israeli politicians bring 
doves of peace, the army has to clean up after them and that he was 
"not afraid of the Americans." 
 
¶5.  (U) Public response was swift, including from the Prime 
Minister.  The Prime Minister's Office released a statement that 
"Minister Ya'alon's statements are unacceptable to the Prime 
Minister, both in substance and in style, and do not represent the 
government's position."  However, after a meeting that Netanyahu and 
Ya'alon held the evening of August 20 at which Netanyahu was 
supposed to reprimand Ya'alon, the Prime Minister's bureau indicated 
the issue was settled.  According to press reports, Ya'alon said his 
comments were taken out of context, for example he called Peace 
Now's actions a virus and not the people of Peace Now, and 
underlined that he did not intend to go against the PM or his 
policies.  This is not the first time Ya'alon has caused problems 
for the Prime Minister.  Earlier this month, he threatened to resign 
if amendments were not made to a land reform bill that was a pet 
 
TEL AVIV 00001854  002 OF 002 
 
 
issue for Netanyahu. 
 
¶6.  (U) Even after the meeting between the PM and Ya'alon, Finance 
Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud), a former Peace Now activist who was 
injured during a deadly hand grenade attack on a Peace Now rally in 
1983 by a right-wing extremist, expressed concern about the 
statements: "I am also opposed to some of the actions of Peace Now, 
no less than Ya'alon, but I am firmly opposed to the use of 
dangerous and severe phrases such as viruses."  (NOTE: An editorial 
in Yedioth Ahronoth points out that the perpetrator of the 1983 
attack also called Peace Now a virus. END NOTE.)  Steinitz added 
that he is sure Ya'alon regrets the statements. 
 
¶7.  (U) The spokesperson for the opposition Kadima party responded 
to Ya'alon's speech by saying that "these are Netanyahu's true 
colors. . . the vice prime minister shattered into pieces 
Netanyahu's deception and illusion policy and proved where the 
government is really headed. As long as he is a member of the 
government, what Netanyahu says outside doesn't matter. What matters 
is what he promised Boogie [Ya'alon's nickname] inside.  The 
Bibi-Boogie-Feiglin axis endangers Israel's interests and the 
ability to reach an agreement maintaining them." 
 
¶8.  (SBU) COMMENT: Ya'alon is a controversial figure who was forced 
out of the command of the IDF by Sharon over his opposition to the 
Gaza disengagement.  During the election campaign, Netanyahu 
recruited Ya'alon to join Likud, made him Vice Prime Minister and 
Minister of Strategic Affairs, and then appointed him as a member of 
his inner cabinet of six.  In our contacts with Ya'alon, he has been 
careful not to appear anti-U.S. or to go beyond his well-publicized 
views that peace with the Palestinians will require years of 
bottom-up reform of Palestinian society and institutions.  Now that 
Ya'alon appears to be maneuvering to position himself as a leader of 
Likud's right wing opposition to concessions, Netanyahu probably 
regrets his decision.  The opposition Kadima party, for its part, 
likely appreciated the opportunity to use Ya'alon's remarks to link 
Netanyahu with Feiglin, who is considered an extremist in mainstream 
Israel.  END COMMENT. 
 
MORENO