VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTV #2819/01 3621455
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281455Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4766
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 0080
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 2991
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 7047
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 7251
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 6488
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 5156
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 7348
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 4105
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 2330
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 0983
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 8502
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 3514
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS PRIORITY 7487
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 9573
RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH PRIORITY 2308
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 3410
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/COMSIXTHFLT  PRIORITY

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 002819 
 
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.  Anti-Terrorism Efforts 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
Major media reported that, following PM Benjamin NetanyahuQs 
conversation with Kadima leader Tzipi Livni yesterday, Kadima is 
likely to reject his offer, spurring a possible split in LivniQs 
party.  Media cited the pivotal role of Kadima Knesset Member Otniel 
Schneller, a former settler leader, in the possible move of Kadima 
MKs to Likud. 
 
The media reported on the murder on Thursday in the West Bank of 
Rabbi Meir Avshalom Hai and the subsequent Saturday operation in 
Nablus that liquidated three Fatah terrorists who reportedly killed 
Hai.  The Jerusalem Post reported that PM Netanyahu told his 
ministers yesterday that the killing of Hai by a terrorist who sat 
in an Israeli jail shows the difficulty of the Gilad Shalit deal. 
Yesterday Maariv reported that senior U.S. administration officials 
have demanded clarifications from Israel regarding the operation, 
arguing that the Palestinians have complained that Israel has 
liquidated innocent people.  Various media reported that Fatah 
officials warned yesterday that the killing could trigger a third 
Intifada. 
 
HaQaretz reported that former Justice Minister Yossi Beilin told the 
Meretz party leadership yesterday that the PM is close to finalizing 
an agreement with the U.S. administration for peace talks between 
Israel and the Palestinian Authority, lasting two years, that will 
discuss the Palestinian demand for borders based on the 1967 lines 
and will include an exchange of territory and suitable security 
arrangements.  Beilin was quoted as saying that these are the terms 
of the agreement being hammered out between Netanyahu and the U.S. 
government on Israeli negotiations with the PA -- that Netanyahu is 
willing to agree that the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations will last 
for two years.  The Prime Minister's Office was quoted as saying 
that Beilin's comments were "unfounded," adding that discussions 
were ongoing but no agreement has been reached.  However, HaQaretz 
reported that when asked about Beilin's statements, a senior U.S. 
administration official said: "Things are moving in this direction, 
but the deal isn't done yet.  There are several issues still 
outstanding."   HaQaretz reported that Netanyahu leaves tomorrow for 
talks in Cairo and appears set to present the agreements to Egyptian 
President Hosni Mubarak 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. 
Michael Oren told the newspaper yesterday that President Obama has 
not exerted any real QphysicalQ pressure on Israel, nor does he see 
that as a goal. 
 
The media quoted Avigdor Lieberman as saying that as long as he is 
foreign minister and his party Yisrael Beiteinu is in the government 
coalition, there could only be direct talks between Israel and 
Syria. 
 
Media reported that the Ministry of Construction and Housing has 
issued a tender for building 692 housing units in East Jerusalem 
Qbehind the Green Line.Q  Yediot reported that PM Netanyahu welcomed 
the move and that the U.S. was QupdatedQ about it.  HaQaretz also 
reported that the state plans to confiscate Palestinian land around 
the veteran settlement of Ofra. 
 
Yediot quoted Hamas sources in Lebanon as saying that Israel is 
behind the killing of two of its men in Beirut. 
 
Leading media quoted police as saying that Police Commissioner David 
Cohen has received death threats over the last few days.  Security 
sources believe the threats came from extreme right-wing activists, 
targeting Cohen because of his criticism of protesters breaking the 
law in demonstrations against the settlements construction freeze. 
 
Yediot reported that Israel is likely to approve the establishment 
of a commission of inquiry into Operation Cast Lead. 
 
Leading media noted the bad performance of ICTS, the Israeli-owned 
company in charge of security for Delta Flight 253 at AmsterdamQs 
Schiphol Airport. 
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that Homeland Security Secretary Janet 
Napolitano will arrive on Saturday for a visit. 
 
------------ 
¶1.  Mideast: 
------------ 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
 QAnother Month, Another Year 
 
Senior Middle East affairs analyst Zvi Bar'el wrote in the 
independent, left-Ha'aretz (12/287): QThe only achievements Barack 
Obama can claim on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are in extorting 
a declaration from Netanyahu that he is amenable to the two-state 
vision and a temporary and limited suspension of settlement 
construction.  Nonetheless, without even noticing, we have entered 
the freeze's second month, and in less than nine months this 
perilous situation will pass us by.  It looks as if Netanyahu will 
blithely clear this hurdle put up by the U.S. President without 
breaking a sweat.  From the grand vision of a year ago only 
fragments remain within reach, fragments not even fit to appear on 
Obama's CV.... It's true, not even a year has passed since Obama 
entered the White House, but the rules have already been set. 
Circumventing Obama is no longer such a complex act.  For a 
reasonable price, Washington can be sedated and all sides can buy 
themselves an everlasting conflict. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
--------------------------- 
¶2.  Anti-Terrorism Efforts: 
--------------------------- 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  QThe FBI Has Fallen Asleep on Its Watch 
 
Columnist Shmuel Rosner, who was HaQaretzQs correspondent in 
Washington, wrote in the popular, pluralist Maariv (12/28): QThis 
would have been an insignificant had is not been evidence of an 
amazing routine.  Shamai Leibowitz, an Israeli who has few good 
words to say about Israel, was arrested on suspicion of leaking 
confidential documents.  He has been traveling around the U.S. for a 
few years, devoting time and energy to convince the Washington 
establishment that Israel is the guilty side in many of the 
MideastQs Q and the worldQs Q ills.  Thanks to his name and heritage 
Q he is one of the many grandchildren of [the late strident 
anti-occupation] Yeshayahu Leibowitz Q he earned too much attention 
in Israel, too. This did not deter the FBI from recruiting him and 
signing him up on a special contract. His choice obliges one to 
assume that the organizationQs recruiters either abhor Israel and 
were looking for someone who would help them hate Israel or were 
simply negligent almost to the point of stupidity.... Only by chance 
did a slipshod terrorist try during the same period to blow-up the 
Beirut-bound Delta flight.... Once again it turns out that the U.S. 
services in charge of information gathering and terror prevention 
have not yet cleaned the plumbing that conveys them vital 
information from the Middle East. 
 
II.  QExpect Avoidable Delays 
 
The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized (12/28): 
QOne way to reduce inconvenience and increase security at busy 
airports is by a greater use of profiling. Farouk Abdulmutallab 
should not have been free to try and blow up Northwest Airlines 
Flight 253 with 289 people on board over Detroit on Christmas 
Day.... In response to the Abdulmutallab affair, U.S. and European 
authorities are initiating more stringent and time-consuming 
searches of all passengers.... Rather than adding profiling to 
security procedures, thereby identifying possible Islamist 
terrorists -- protecting the rights of the many while infringing 
minimally on the rights of the very few -- all passengers will be 
subjected to unnecessary, sometimes painful, inconvenience.  The 
alternative to profiling is requiring all passengers to go through 
whole-body imaging scanners that can reveal objects beneath a 
person's clothes.  But these devices are pricy and raise all sorts 
of civil liberties issues.  Unless Western decision-makers reverse 
course, their adamant and misguided refusal to utilize profiling 
will senselessly subject millions of air passengers to a form of 
collective punishment. 
 
CUNNINGHAM