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P 201158Z NOV 09
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UNCLAS TEL AVIV 002520 
 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
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LONDON ALSO FOR HKANONA AND POL 
PARIS ALSO FOR POL 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
-------------------------------- 
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Mideast 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Israel Hayom quoted Fox News as saying that Israel is examining a 
list of 70 terrorists formulated by Hamas after Israel rejected an 
earlier list.  Israel Hayom cited the Palestinian newspaper Al-Manar 
as saying that PM Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted the second stage 
of the deal Q ShalitQs transfer to Egypt.  Yesterday, Industry, 
Trade, and Labor Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor Party) was 
quoted as saying in an interview with Maariv that he Q"hopes the 
matter is approaching an end. There is an agreement on a certain 
formula. In three months, I hope, we will see Gilad back home."  The 
Jerusalem Post quoted IDF Spokesman Avi Benayahu as saying that 
positive reports about the deal should not be trusted. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that following IranQs rejection of the 
latest international effort to prevent it from building nuclear 
weapons, Israel is urging the international community to impose 
sanctions aimed at denying Tehran any nuclear fuel cycle 
capabilities. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that PM Netanyahu is interested in 
aiming for a final-status agreement and not an interim one as some 
of his ministers are proposing, if and when negotiations with the 
Palestinian Authority resume.  The Jerusalem Post quoted Netanyahu 
as saying in various internal discussions this week that were there 
"courageous leadership" on the Palestinian side, a resumption of 
negotiations could lead to a final peace agreement, and that this 
was preferable in his mind to an interim agreement based on a 
Palestinian state within temporary borders.  PA President Mahmoud 
AbbasQs diplomatic advisor Nimr Hamad was quoted as saying in an 
interview with Maariv that the PA is not impressed by IsraelQs 
latest diplomatic push designed to bypass the intention to bring the 
issue of Palestinian statehood before the U.N. Security Council. 
 
Israel Radio quoted Bouthaina Shaaban, a close associate of Syrian 
President Bashar Assad, as saying that French President Nicolas 
Sarkozy told Assad last week that Netanyahu is prepared to start 
negotiations with Syria without preconditions. 
 
Israel Radio reported that cabinet minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer is 
leading an important commercial delegation to Turkey.  He will meet 
with the Turkish DM. 
 
Maariv cited a warning from the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy 
that young Israelis on tourist visas who try to earn money in malls 
throughout the U.S. during Christmas-time might be subject to 
deportation and banned from entering the country for years.  Maariv 
quoted an Israeli woman who was deported as saying that she is now a 
Qregistered offenderQ in the U.S.  On the other hand, the newspaper 
mentioned the possibility of working in the U.S. legally through an 
H2B visa for season work. 
 
The media reported that for the third time in a month, soldiers of 
the Kfir Brigade tried to wave banners against the evacuation of 
settlements. 
 
Makor Rishon-Hatzofe cited the opposition of NablusQ Palestinian 
governor to visits by Israelis to JosephQs Tomb. 
 
HaQaretz reported that Yosef Havilio, the Jerusalem Municipality's 
legal adviser, has informed Mayor Nir Barkat and District Police 
Commissioner Aharon Franco that they must immediately implement the 
Supreme Court order to evacuate and close down Beit Yehonatan in 
East Jerusalem's Silwan neighborhood.  Havilio's position 
contradicts statements made by the Mayor and published in HaQaretz 
on Wednesday, claiming that the carrying out of the evacuation will 
be delayed because "legal alternatives are being evaluated by the 
owners and the structure and the courts."  The Jerusalem Post 
reported that the Jerusalem Municipality announced it would build 
5,000 new homes for East Jerusalem Q but that it failed to say 
when. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that Giampaolo Di Paola, the Chairman of 
NATOQs Military Committee, visited Israel this week to study IDF 
tactics and methods that the military alliance can utilize for its 
war in Afghanistan. 
 
Yediot reported that an international extensive network of jurists 
Qwaving the Goldstone ReportQ is seeking indictments of senior 
Israelis in Britain, Ireland, Spain, Norway, the Netherlands, and 
New Zealand.  The lawyers claim that they will be successful sooner 
or later.  HaQaretz (English Ed.) quoted South Africans who served 
 
in the IDF as saying this week they would continue visiting their 
home country despite attempts to prosecute them there for serving in 
a foreign army -- which South African law prohibits. Many see the 
effort, spurred by war crimes allegations emanating from Operation 
Cast Lead and initiated in the main by pro-Palestinian NGOs, as mere 
"saber-rattling."  At the same time, soldiers and activists said 
those concerned should be careful not to publicize evidence of 
serving in Gaza and to stay informed about new developments.  Yediot 
reported on a diplomatic incident between Israel and South Africa in 
which a security officer for El Al, who carries a diplomatic 
passport and was employed by the Israeli Embassy, was expelled from 
the country following calms of racism after an investigative report 
in the local media. 
 
The media quoted former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah 
Palin as saying in an interview with ABC News this week that she 
disagrees with the Obama administration's demand that Israel halt 
settlement construction 
 
Maariv reported that this week children from the Jerusalem 
kindergarten Gan Hashalom (QPeace GardenQ or QKindergarten of 
Peace") representing the three monotheistic religions sent a message 
of peace through NASAQs Atlantis shuttle. 
 
Leading media reported that yesterday a 19-year-old religious Jew 
stabbed and wounded an Arab man in JerusalemQs French Hill 
neighborhood. 
 
The media reported that the selection committee to name the next 
attorney general has not succeeded in reaching a decision.  Maariv 
and other media say that the decision now lies in NetanyahuQs 
hands. 
 
Major media cited Jerusalem District Attorney Eli AbarbanelQs 
announcement yesterday that the state is closing the case against 
attorney Uri Messer, who was investigated by police in connection 
with two affairs for which his close friend, former PM Ehud Olmert, 
is currently on trial.  The first case involved allegations that as 
industry and trade minister and communications minister, Olmert 
personally intervened in applications to the Investment Center from 
industrialists represented by Messer, and interfered with the work 
of the center's professional civil servants on behalf of Messer and 
his clients.  In the second case, Messer was investigated regarding 
allegations that he held hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, 
given to Olmert by New York businessman Morris Talansky, in his 
office safe and later in a Bank Leumi strongbox.  Messer testified 
to police against his close friend during the Talansky affair 
investigation. Since then, he and Olmert have not spoken to each 
other.  In his announcement, Abarbanel made it clear that the 
decision to close the file against Messer would have no bearing on 
the indictment of Olmert. 
 
HaQaretz led with the High Court of JusticeQs rejection of the law 
to privatize prisons as Qunconstitutional.Q  The Court, presided by 
its President Dorit Beinisch, ruled that for the state to transfer 
authority for managing the prison to a private contractor, whose aim 
would be monetary profit, would severely violate the prisoners' 
basic human rights to dignity and freedom.  In 2004, after the U.S., 
Britain, and France had all approved private prisons, the Knesset 
had passed Amendment 28 to the Prisons Ordinance, which permitted 
the establishment of such prisons in Israel. 
 
 
Makor Rishon-Hatzofe reported that Palestinians in Gaza wore black 
after the defeat of the Egyptian national team to Algeria in the 
World Cup qualifying match in Sudan. 
 
Yediot presented the result of a poll conducted among Kadima 
voters: 
QWho would you like to head Kadima?Q  Tzipi Livni: 80%; Shaul Mofaz: 
10%. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Block Quotes: 
----------- 
-------- 
Mideast: 
-------- 
 
¶I.  QBibi May Claim Relations with the U.S. Are Fine but... 
 
Senior columnist and longtime peace advocate Yoel Marcus wrote in 
the independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (11/20): QThe decision to 
announce the construction of 900 apartments in Jerusalem's Gilo 
neighborhood was akin to falling on one's head, politically.  Quite 
rightly, the White House issued a statement rapping Israel for this 
slap in the face to American efforts to arrange a successful 
dialogue between the sides. Bibi can claim 10 times over that 
Qthere's no crisis with the United States,Q but what will he say to 
the White House's expression of dismay at the Israeli Government's 
move?  Bibi may be a comeback artist, but at his age, people don't 
change, and there's nothing that can be done about it. 
 
II.  QThe Race for a Plan 
 
Senior columnist Nahum Barnea wrote in the mass-circulation, 
pluralist Yediot Aharonot (11/20): QGreat tidings are afoot.  Not 
only does Mofaz have a plan of stages of his own, Peres is also 
taking his and BarakQs plan out of mothballs, and mainly, so is 
Netanyahu.  He plans to come out with a seminal speech of his own, 
one that will make history.  The race for a plan is not due to a 
burst of creativity.  It is due to constraint.  Mofaz -- to his 
credit -- was the first to notice the vacuum: the Americans are not 
presenting a plan.  The Israeli Government is not presenting a plan. 
Livni is not presenting a plan.  The person who comes up with a plan 
will make headlines.  And so he did.  Peres and Barak presented 
their plan to anyone willing to listen, including President Obama, 
the heads of European states, and the entire Palestinian leadership. 
 The answer was no.  The Palestinians refuse to agree to the 
establishment of a state in temporary borders, because, they say, 
with Israel, the temporary is permanent.  The Palestinian refusal 
led to an American refusal.  That was also the case for MofazQs 
plan, which was quite different from the Barak/Peres plan.  The plan 
is an alibi.  When asked one day, Mr. President, Mr. Minister, what 
did you do for the sake of the peace you talked about so much, how 
did your support for the Netanyahu government help, they will reply: 
what do you mean?  We had a plan! 
 
III.  QWhoQs Temporary, Exactly? 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Ben Caspit wrote in the popular, pluralist 
Maariv (11/20): QBibiQs temporary [Palestinian] state will be 
establish on the PalestiniansQ current territory (around 40% [of the 
land]), as opposed to MofazQs Palestinian state that is supposed to 
receive 20 extra percent in order to allow for territorial 
contiguity.  What is really happening is that Netanyahu is trying to 
push forward the diplomatic process with one hand and to delay it 
with the other hand. 
 
 
IV.  QSalam Fayyad Builds Palestine 
 
Editor-in-Chief David Horovitz wrote in the conservative, 
independent Jerusalem Post (11/20): Q[Palestinian Authority Prime 
Minister Salam] Fayyad is anxious that his own people not come to 
regard the PA forces as subcontractors helping to secure Israel, but 
rather as the protectors of a nascent Palestine.  The Americans are 
completely won over.  QWeQve waited decades to hear and see a 
Palestinian leader like this,Q a prominent American visitor observed 
to me this week. In Ramallah, day by careful day, Salam Fayyad is 
building a Palestinian state. If Fayyad survives for another couple 
of years and presides over an increasingly stable West Bank, talk of 
unilateral declarations of Palestinian statehood will no longer be 
shrugged off by key international players, including the U.S. If 
Israel doesnQt find the means to partner Abbas and Fayyad to 
statehood, signs are the rest of the world might do so anyway. 
 
¶V.  QLeadership Needed 
 
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (11/20): QThe 
insolent defiance of the hesder yeshiva soldiers [who combine 
military service with religious studies] who announced that they 
would not evacuate outposts the government has decided to dismantle, 
and the audacity of those on the right who blame this behavior on 
the Government for using the IDF in carrying out the decision to 
evacuate settlements from Gaza, reflect the breakdown of state 
authority in Israeli society and the disturbing phenomenon of a 
government that opts not to govern.... The law enforcement 
authorities have registered impressive successes in recent years, in 
the existing structure, and what is necessary for stepping up the 
fight against crime is the determination that exists today, and 
means. It is not the weakening of law enforcement that is necessary 
to bolster the rule of law, but the government's determination to 
exercise its authority and govern, and not allow interested parties 
to essentially strip it of power.  For this we need a leadership 
that must also be seen. 
 
CUNNINGHAM