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TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
 
SUBJECT: SPECIAL ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
U.S. Special Envoy Sen. George Mitchell to Israel, West Bank 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Yediot reported that President Obama has moved his scheduled speech 
at the United Jewish Communities General Assembly (GA) in order not 
to meet with PM Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the 
conference. 
 
Media reported that PM Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with U.S. 
Special Envoy for Middle East Peace Senator George Mitchell again 
this afternoon in an attempt to find a way to allow the Palestinians 
to return to the negotiating table.  HaQaretz cited the admission of 
senior U.S. officials that the talks have reached an impasse. 
HaQaretz reported that yesterday Mitchell met with Netanyahu's 
senior aide Yitzhak Molcho and later held consultations with his own 
advisers.  HaQaretz cited quoted a source in the Prime Minister's 
Office as saying that the Palestinians were clearly the problem, 
adding that there was full agreement between Israel and the U.S. 
The media reported that yesterday Netanyahu hit out at the 
Palestinian Authority over its demand for a complete Israeli 
settlement freeze before embarking on any fresh peace talks, saying 
he hoped the Palestinians would "get a grip" and drop this 
precondition.  "We've done things that have not been done until 
today, although while we are taking steps toward negotiations, we 
have encountered preconditions demanded by the Palestinian side, 
which were never demanded before," Netanyahu was quoted as saying at 
the start of the weekly cabinet meeting. 
 
Media reported that the Palestinians have rejected Israel's offer to 
reduce settlement construction, rather than bringing it to a 
complete halt.  Pointing an accusing finger at the U.S., the 
Palestinians said yesterday that Washington's backing for Israeli 
refusal to halt Jewish settlement expansion had killed any hope of 
reviving peace negotiations soon.  The Jerusalem Post reported that 
yesterday PA officials warned that Washington's failure to force 
Israel to halt all construction in the settlements would lead to an 
"explosion."  The officials also criticized Secretary of State 
Hillary Clinton's statements in Jerusalem in which she backed PM 
Benjamin Netanyahu's position on the issue of settlements, calling 
his moratorium on new construction Qunprecedented."   The Jerusalem 
Post reported that an official in Ramallah told the daily that the 
"mask has fallen off the face" of President Obama.  The Palestinian 
official was quoted as saying that the U.S. has once again 
demonstrated that it's not an "honest broker" in Middle East because 
of its "bias" in favor of Israel. 
 
FM Avigdor Lieberman said yesterday in an interview with IDF Radio 
that at this current juncture, an interim agreement with the 
Palestinians should be pursued, rather than a final settlement. 
Lieberman was quoted as saying: QIf you are asking if within the 
next few years it would be possible to achieve comprehensive peace 
with the Palestinians to end the conflict, then [the answer is] 
'No'."  The FM stressed the importance of improving the situation on 
the ground, suggesting that a Qlong-term interim agreementQ was the 
Qmost obviousQ next step toward quiet on the Israeli-Palestinian 
front, rather than a comprehensive peace agreement.  A Palestinian 
state would not be established within the framework of an interim 
agreement, he clarified, adding that the QPalestinian state is not 
an interim objective, but the goal  it was also the goal of the 
Roadmap." 
 
All media led with an announcement yesterday by Shin Bet and the 
Israel Police that they had arrested Yaakov (QJackQ) Teitel, an 
American-born settler from Shvut Rahel allegedly behind an 
unprecedented series of deadly terrorist shootings and bombings 
spanning 12 years, in which two Arabs were killed and Israel Prize 
laureate Prof. Ze'ev Sternhell was wounded.  According to Shin Bet, 
he also planted a bomb at the entrance to house of a messianic 
Jewish couple in Ariel, seriously wounding their son, Ami Ortiz, who 
was then 15.   The media reported that Teitel procured his weapons 
in the U.S. and smuggled them into Israel in a container he was 
entitled to bring as a new immigrant and in the hold of a British 
Airways commercial airliner.  Israel Radio quoted a senior Shin Bet 
official as saying that it is likely that other such Jewish 
activists exist and that they may be planning attacks.  Media quoted 
Israelis as saying that the Florida resident was known to the U.S. 
authorities and wanted for his alleged involvement in violent crimes 
there, prior to his second immigration to Israel in 2000.  Israel 
Radio reported that opposition head and Kadima chair Tzipi Livni 
told a forum of his party that it is necessary to educate against 
hate crimes.  The media dubbed him a QJewish terroristQ (banners in 
Yediot and Maariv).  The media quoted Left-wing figures as saying 
that Teitel is but one of the far RightQs Qwild weed.Q  The Yesha 
Council of Jewish Settlements in the Territories distanced itself 
from Teitel.  The media quoted right-wing activists as saying that 
Teitl is a Qlone gunmen. 
 
Maariv reported that next week, as part of the Juniper Cobra 10 
exercise, the IDF and the U.S. Army will simulate the interception 
of a missile above Israel. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that the human rights organization Gisha 
has petitioned the administrative court of Tel Aviv District Court, 
charging that the Government has violated the Freedom of Information 
Law regarding the disclosure of its criteria for determining which 
goods being allowed into Gaza are considered "humanitarian."  The 
organization also demanded to see a government document entitled 
"Red Lines," which reportedly determines the minimum required food 
intake required by Gaza residents according to age and sex 
categories to sustain themselves. 
 
Yediot cited a report in the German weekly Der Spiegel that 
allegedly describes the destruction by Israel of a Syrian nuclear 
reactor and surrounding events. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------- 
U.S. Special Envoy Sen. George Mitchell to Israel, West Bank: 
--------------------------------------- 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  QWashington Is Waiting for Rais Abbas 
 
Columnist Shmuel Rosner, who was HaQaretzQs correspondent in 
Washington, wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv (11/2): QThe 
Obama administrationQs efforts to make the Arabs compromise with 
Israel have failed so far.  The PresidentQs emissaries -- as the 
President himself -- have failed.... Washington knows that there 
wonQt be significant achievements until political questions 
disheartening the President of the Palestinian Authority are 
arranged and the fate of the elections for the Palestinian 
presidency is known.... In late October, [Secretary] Clinton sounds 
different from in June.  When Israel is happy, the Palestinians are 
frowning.  Of course the Palestinians will not say it openly, and 
will continue to talk about the urgent need for progress.... At this 
time they believe that a quiet dialogue is better -- moving forward 
as far as possible, helping the QRaisQ wherever possible, and wait 
for good news. 
 
II.  QItQs Not Peace, Madam Secretary 
 
Senior op-ed writer Akiva Eldar commented in the independent, 
left-leaning Ha'aretz (11/2): QU.S. generals, and even Israeli ones, 
have confirmed that the Palestinians have fulfilled the precondition 
set for them [in the Roadmap].  It's hard to find anyone who will 
say this about the Israelis.... To build during negotiations on land 
that the entire world claims is not yours -- that's something else. 
The main thing is that Netanyahu promised in his Bar-Ilan speech 
that he supports two states for two peoples. Even Hillary Clinton 
said this was wonderful.... Obama has pleaded with friendly Arab 
leaders to grant Israel an advance on future concessions [included 
in the Arab peace initiative] to prepare the groundwork for the 
peace process.  Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and a few Gulf 
leaders agreed to launch initial steps of reconciliation.  But even 
they, like Obama, had a precondition: freezing settlements in the 
West Bank and East Jerusalem.  They did not ask for anything more 
than what Clinton announced a few months ago: a complete cessation 
without natural growth, without illegal outposts and without 
excuses.... If Hamas lacked a reason to reject the initiative for 
reconciliation with Fatah and wait patiently for another round of 
the Qpeace processQ to go the way of its predecessors, and have the 
West Bank return to its bosom, then Mrs. Clinton supplied just such 
a reason, in a big way. 
 
III.  QObamaQs Best Friends 
 
Senior columnist Nahum Barnea wrote in the mass-circulation, 
pluralist Yediot Aharonot (11/2): QIt seems that Netanyahu has 
reached the conclusion that IsraelQs major problem -- with the 
Palestinians. Iran, Turkey, and Goldstone -- is the weakness of the 
Obama administration.  Since world leaders have reached the 
conclusion that Obama is weak, they allow themselves to go wild. 
Iran continues to develop its nuclear arsenal; Abu Mazen presents 
impossible conditions prior to negotiations; Erdogan woos Syria and 
Iran and incites against Israel; and Goldstone sanctifies norms that 
will make any war against terror fail in the future.  The world is 
bustling humiliating America by spitting at Israel.  The conclusion 
reached by Netanyahu is interesting: instead of confronting the 
Obama administration, he is obligated to embrace it. 
 
IV.  QClinton Understands Israel 
 
Former Editor-in-Chief Moshe Ishon wrote in the editorial of the 
nationalist, Orthodox Makor Rishon-Hatzofe (11/2): Q[Secretary] 
ClintonQs task isnQt a simple one. Various sources say that over 
the past few months Abu Mazen has lost his influence on the 
Palestinian Authority.  The terrorist organizations dictate  the 
[PAQs]  policy. Abu MazenQs situation is difficult.  Clinton 
understands it perfectly and acts accordingly by extending her hand 
to the Israelis.  A comprehensive regional agreement looks more 
distant than ever. 
 
¶V.  QChange of Policy or QNo Choice 
 
The ultra-Orthodox Yated NeQeman editorialized (11/2): QOne may 
assume that NetanyahuQs assent to a massive freeze of construction 
and his being satisfied with minor construction that will almost 
please the Israeli Right, is what convinced the [U.S.] 
administration that nothing can be obtained from the current Israeli 
government.... Washington reached the conclusion that there is no 
real alternative. 
 
¶V.   QTerror against All 
 
Ha'aretz editorialized (11/2): QBy his own confession, implicating 
himself in two murders and 10 other acts of terrorism, Yaakov (Jack) 
Teitel should be regarded as one of the most dangerous terrorists 
ever to operate in Israel and the territories. Teitel is different 
from the Jewish terrorists who preceded him in that he did not 
distinguish between his Palestinian targets and the Israelis whose 
political ideas he opposed, such as Professor Zeev Sternhell.... 
Terrorism of Teitel's kind reflects a boundless hatred of entire 
populations. It will take generations to eradicate, but there are 
already lessons to be drawn from this case.  Intelligence gathering 
and law enforcement against extremist elements in the settlements 
must be stepped up, and attacks on Palestinians must be more 
thoroughly investigated. 
 
VI.  QWhy Does the U.S. Insist on Playing IranQs Game? 
 
The Director of the Interdisciplinary Center's Global Research in 
International Affairs Center, columnist Barry Rubin, wrote in the 
conservative, independent Jerusalem Post  (11/2): QAfter 
interviewing officials, the Financial Times reports that the 
Europeans are ready to reject Iran's demands now as Qunacceptable 
but the United States is Qmore willing to show patience than either 
Britain [or] France.Q  Why is the U.S. Government so eager to keep 
playing Tehran's game?  Here are two answers:  [A)] President Barack 
Obama's worldview insists that all problems are resolvable by 
talking and making concessions.  He also fears confrontation.  [B)] 
The desire to keep Russia on board.  But we know Russia won't 
support sanctions and serious pressure on Iran.  Moscow wants 
America to fail internationally and views Iran as an ally.  So 
America's policy is being held hostage by a president with no 
experience and little understanding of international affairs, a set 
of ideas making failure inevitable, trying to please a country which 
is an ally of the adversary and misestimating a dictatorial regime 
with boundless ambitions and tremendous self-confidence.  What a 
mess.  But how long into 2010 can they spin this before Washington 
is going to have to recognize that talks are going nowhere? 
 
CUNNINGHAM