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TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
 
SUBJECT: SPECIAL ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
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SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Mideast 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
All media reported that despite Israeli lobbying efforts against the 
Goldstone Report, the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva is set to 
endorse the document on Friday, a move that will send it on to more 
powerful U.N. bodies in New York for action.  Although it is assumed 
that the resolution will pass in Geneva, Israel and the Palestinians 
have focused on the votes of Western countries, which they view as a 
wider statement of legitimacy.  The Jerusalem Post says that it is 
expected that the U.S. would vote against the resolution on the 
report but that it was unclear, however, whether or not the European 
countries would abstain or follow the United StatesQ lead.  The U.K. 
was the only Western power with voting rights on the council to 
state Thursday that it would not endorse the report or the draft 
resolution based upon it, but that still left open the possibility 
of an abstention. 
 
Leading media quoted PM Benjamin Netanyahu as saying in Jerusalem 
lat night that he hoped that all the "responsible countries" would 
vote against the resolution "that encourages terrorism and harms 
peace."  Speaking at a press conference with visiting Spanish PM 
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the PM said that diplomatic attacks on 
Israel were standard and had increased since Operation Cast Lead. 
"It is important that responsible countries say we will not lend a 
hand to this; we know that Israel is right," he added.  "Some, like 
the U.S., say this clearly.  Some say it in a whisper.  It is 
important on this matter not to whisper it.  If this report will 
move forward in a serious manner, it will harm the peace process." 
Zapatero was quoted as saying that Spain will not prosecute Israelis 
for alleged war crimes.  The Jerusalem Post quoted Israel's 
Ambassador to the UN institutions in Geneva Aharon Leshno Yaar as 
saying that the issue here was internal Palestinian politics. 
"Every person here knows that today's meeting is not about human 
rights, but an abuse of the integrity and procedures of this 
organization to make a point to a domestic Palestinian audience," he 
said.  The special session, he added, was "another opportunity for 
the favorite and most infamous subject of some within this Council, 
Israel-bashing.  There is a call to pass this on to other forums, to 
any place where politics, buried under the flag of human rights, can 
be waged against one state, against Israel."  He defended Israel's 
actions in Jerusalem and accused "extremist elements" of 
"disseminating lies that [Israel] intend[s] to dig, or was actually 
digging under the Temple Mount."  Israel, he said, showed "extreme 
restraint" in its response to Palestinian rock-throwing from an area 
around the mosque.  He denied that the clashes that took place had 
anything to do with the Goldstone Report and said that during the 
recent month of Ramadan, over 100,000 Muslims visited the mosque on 
the Temple Mount without incident.  Leshno Yaar said that the focus 
on the Goldstone Report "offers a hollow victory for those that want 
to sow conflict in our region.  The moderate forces are weakened, 
not aided, by these resolutions and conflicts."  Leshno Yaar noted 
that even PA President Mahmoud Abbas had said that during Operation 
Cast Lead, "the Hamas movement hid in basements. The leaders of 
Hamas ran away in ambulances to Sinai and left our people to bleed." 
 He continued, "This biased and flawed report accuses Israel of war 
crimes for having taken action to fight against Hamas -- war 
criminals who openly call for our destruction, fired thousands of 
rockets against us and endangered their own population by hiding and 
fighting from within densely populated areas." 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that yesterday in Geneva, U.S. deputy 
permanent representative to the Human Rights Council Douglas M. 
Griffiths urged the council to take a more balanced approach.  He 
spoke against sending the report to the International Criminal Court 
and said that resolution to the conflict between Israel and the 
Palestinians would not happen in a courtroom, but would come from a 
two-state solution that provided for the peace and security of both 
peoples.  The council must recognize both Israel's fundamental right 
to self-defense and the civilian casualties that resulted from the 
Gaza conflict, Griffiths was quoted as saying.  "The report makes 
clear that the Gaza operation was commenced lawfully after civilians 
in Israel came under sustained attack by Hamas, in violation of 
international human rights and humanitarian law," he continued, 
adding that Israel was not the only country faced with the question 
of how to conduct warfare in a populated area.  "Virtually every 
region of the world has similar conflict situations," he said.  In 
contrast to the U.S., U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights 
Navanethem Pillay endorsed the report and condemned both Israeli and 
Palestinian actions. 
 
The Jerusalem Post quoted PLO Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Ibrahim 
Khraishi as saying that the Palestinians had tried to make a 
conciliatory gesture toward Israel two weeks ago when it agreed to 
delay the council's endorsement of the report, originally set for 
the end of the council's 12th session.  Nevertheless, Khraishi said 
that when Israel cracked down on Palestinians in East Jerusalem in 
the days that followed that gesture, the Palestinians changed their 
minds and called for a special session to move the matter forward. 
Israel, he said, had endangered the al-Aqsa Mosque by excavating 
underneath it. 
 
HaQaretz quoted human rights activists monitoring the West Bank as 
saying that despite commitments Israel made to President Obama's 
administration last month, widespread building activity commenced 
three weeks ago in at least 12 settlements.  The work consists of 
ground preparation, pouring concrete and drilling construction 
foundations.  This work is not part of the projects that Israel and 
the U.S. had reached an understanding on.  PM Benjamin Netanyahu and 
DM Ehud Barak had agreed with the administration to complete some 
2,500 housing units that were already in various stages of 
construction at the time.  The dozen sites do not appear on the list 
of 492 new housing units that the defense ministry issued after 
Barak approved their construction. Work on these units began after 
the list was released. 
 
Maariv quoted diplomatic officials in Jerusalem as saying that 
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the source of his countryQs 
tensions with Israel.  The Jerusalem Post quoted PM Netanyahu as 
saying yesterday that Israel was QdisappointedQ by the incitement on 
Turkish television and that it was not Qtaking pleasureQ from the 
Qdirection we have seen from Ankara for some time.  Meanwhile, 
Turkey announced that it had arrested 33 al-Qaida terror suspects in 
a plot to target Israelis and others.  Some media noted that the 
timing of the announcement may not have been accidental.  Israel 
Radio quoted senior Turkish cabinet ministers as saying that their 
countryQs links with Israel have always been strong and that they 
will continue to remain so.  The media carried contradictory reports 
on the scope of current Israeli tourism to Turkey. 
 
HaQaretz reported on a conference held in Washington by the Jewish 
People Policy Planning Institute, and led by attorney Stuart 
Eizenstat, which brought together U.S. Jewish leaders and Dan 
Shapiro, Senior Director of Middle East and North Africa for the 
National Security Council.  Natasha Mozgovaya, the dailyQs 
Washington correspondent, wrote: QAs could perhaps be expected, 
there was little agreement on the most contentious issues, such as 
settlements and borders, but all agreed to recommend that Obama 
visit Israel soon. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that ChinaQs Ambassador to Israel, Zhao 
Jun, has told the newspaper that his country is firmly opposed to an 
Iranian nuclear arms program. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that yesterday two top Israeli 
officials, Yitzhak Molcho and Mike Herzog, extended their stay in 
the U.S. top continue discussions on a potential settlement freeze 
and the restarting of peace negotiations. 
 
HaQaretz reported that Egypt is threatening to boycott the Union for 
the Mediterranean foreign ministers' conference scheduled to take 
place next month in Istanbul if Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor 
Lieberman, attends.  The Egyptian boycott on Lieberman may lead to 
the conference being canceled altogether.  The daily reported that 
Egyptian FM Ahmed Abu al-Gheit recently told his French counterpart 
Bernard Kouchner he would not attend the conference if Lieberman was 
present. 
 
The media reported that Israel dubbed videos produced by Hizbullah 
after the mysterious blast in a southern Lebanese village this week 
a Qfabrication.Q  The tapes show Qmetals poles,Q which Hizbullah 
says are doors, being loaded from trucks. 
 
Maariv reported that SyriaQs Navy is purchasing anti-ship Yahont 
missiles from Russia.  Sources in the Israeli defense establishment 
fear that such weapons may be given to Hizbullah. 
 
Leading media reported that yesterday Lebanon won a seat on the U.N. 
Security Council.  The Jerusalem Post cited the concern of the 
Israeli Foreign Ministry, quoting it as saying that it expects 
Lebanon to show a Qspecial responsibility,Q especially on issues 
pertaining to its own affairs. 
 
Makor Rishon-Hatzofe reported that Jews often have a low security 
clearance in the U.S. Army. 
 
Maariv reported that the (American) Carling Institute has awarded 
its prestigious Man of the Year Prize to Israeli Rabbi Yitzhak 
Grossman and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.  Grossman is 
well known in Israel for his educational work with disadvantaged 
children. 
 
HaQaretz and Yediot reported that yesterday American actress and 
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow visited the city of Sderot, 
two days after visiting Gaza and meeting with Palestinian children 
injured during Operation Cast Lead. 
 
HaQaretz (English Ed.) cited a claim by 83-year-old Iranian-Israeli 
billionaire Izak Nazarian from Beverly Hills that he will engineer a 
change in Israel's system of government in the very near future. 
His group reportedly proposes a form of government closer to that of 
the U.S. -- instead of IsraelQs multi-part system, it is promoting a 
presidential system that has regional system.  Nazarian and a few 
industrialists reportedly helped forge an alliance on restructuring 
the system between Kadima chairperson Tzipi Livni and her political 
rival, Avigdor Lieberman. 
 
-------- 
Mideast: 
-------- 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "The Noose Tightens" 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in the independent, 
left-leaning HaQaretz (10/16): QOperation Cast Lead in Gaza was 
perceived in Israel as a shining victory.... Ten months later, it 
seems the victory was a Pyrrhic one.  Israel did not realize that 
the rules have changed with Barack Obama's election as U.S. 
president.  Prime Minister Ehud Olmert timed Cast Lead to take place 
during the twilight period between the outgoing and incoming U.S. 
administrations, and rightly assumed that the incumbent, George W. 
Bush, would fully back Israel.  However, in contrast to the Lebanon 
war of 2006, which ended with a cease-fire, the Gaza campaign 
continues being fought -- in the diplomatic arena and in public 
opinion -- and Israel must cope with its consequences in a 
less-friendly Obama era. 
 
II.  "No Big Deal" 
 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in Ha'aretz 
(10/16): QAnyone who expected Obama to put Israel at the top of his 
priorities made a mistake.  After eight months in the White House, 
one can see that his emissary George Mitchell has drawn a blank. 
But Obama has no intention of subduing Israel.  He is a president 
who believes in dialogue but who can be resolute when necessary. 
For Israel's good.  Netanyahu took a giant step forward when he 
proposed two states for two peoples.  But that is not enough for 
them and they want more and more.  To be more accurate, they 
themselves do not know what they want. the fact that the 
Palestinians are once again missing an opportunity does not free 
Netanyahu of the need to do everything possible to implement his 
plan for two states for two peoples.  That is the only way for him 
to be recognized as Israel's leader. 
 
III.  "No Big Deal" 
 
Columnist and former Meretz Party Chairman Yossi Sarid wrote in 
Ha'aretz (10/16): QTo force the chairman of the Palestinian 
Authority, of all people, to withdraw his demand for a discussion of 
the report -- that is an Israeli-American dictate tantamount to 
pressuring him to commit hara-kiri.  Extortion through the use of 
threats has paid off, and once again there is no party to speak 
with, nor will there be in the near future.  This is what happens 
when one turns a partner into a collaborator.  Now efforts are being 
made to revive Abbas (Abu Mazen) -- there's even talk of removing 
two or three roadblocks to help restore his pulse.  Netanyahu does 
not merely want to win; he also wants to humiliate. He does not 
merely want to stab a knife in the back, but also turn it in the 
stomach.  Bibi understands the nature of the beast's soul -- that of 
Israeli public opinion, which cheers on the toreador who places his 
foot on the bull when it is already dead. 
 
IV.  "A Big Migraine" 
 
Columnist Shmuel Rosner, who was HaQaretzQs correspondent in 
Washington, wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv (10/16): QThe 
[U.S.] administration has three key concerns regarding the 
[Goldstone] report: the Americans understand that Israel is under 
heavy pressure and the Goldstone report might be the last nail in 
the coffin of the Obama initiative; on the other side, they 
understand that Abu Mazen is under great pressure as well and that 
he cannot be required now to do anything that could be construed as 
a surrender to an American or Israeli dictate; they also have 
political concerns: Obama cannot afford to clash with international 
institutions, to humiliate them, or to ignore them, as the previous 
president had done.  He believes in those institutions -- 
furthermore, he knows that his enthusiastic supporters in the United 
States believe in them. 
 
¶V.  QObama and the Anti-Israel Tsunami 
 
The nationalist, Orthodox Makor Rishon-Hatzofe editorialized 
(10/16): Q[President Obama] is guilty of having let [the world] 
understand that Israel is responsible for its illegitimate status 
and for the fact that it threatens world peace.... He kowtowed to 
the Muslim world in Cairo and blessed [sic] the anti-Semitic 
genocidal inciters in Iran.  With those acts he stripped off 
IsraelQs diplomatic defenses. 
 
CUNNINGHAM