VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTV #0146/01 0250945
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 250945Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5097
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 0195
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 3106
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 7170
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 7371
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 6604
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 5285
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 7467
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 4221
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 2446
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 1098
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 8633
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 3630
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS PRIORITY 7602
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 9691
RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH PRIORITY 2424
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 3587
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/COMSIXTHFLT  PRIORITY

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000146 
 
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: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Mideast 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
 
With actions that are described by some reports in Israel's 
newspapers as having sent conflicting messages, Prime Minister 
Binyamin Netanyahu met yesterday with U.S. Special Envoy to the 
Middle East, George Mitchell, and spoke about his appreciation for 
the U.S. efforts to renew the peace process, while later in the day 
he participated in tree-planting ceremonies in Gush Etzion and Maale 
Adumim and spoke about Israel's intention to remain in the 
settlement blocs.  Netanyahu is quoted as saying yesterday in Kfar 
Etzion: "The message is clear... We are here and will remain here. 
The settlement blocs are part of Israel forever.  This is acceptable 
to the great majority of Israel's citizens and is gradually being 
instilled in international consciousness."  Sources in the Prime 
Minister's office said that the tree-planting was not an act of 
defiance towards the Americans.  Palestinian spokesman Nabil Abu 
Rudeineh, conversely, said that Netanyahu's statements were 
undermining Mitchell's efforts to bring the sides back to the 
negotiating table. 
 
Yediot Reported that Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon met 
yesterday with U.N. Envoy to Lebanon, Michael Williams, and said 
that Israel was following with concern the reports that Hezbollah 
was training and arming in Syria and Lebanon. The deputy foreign 
minister reportedly conveyed a warning to the Lebanese government, 
saying that Israel would hold Lebanon responsible for any rocket 
attacks from its territory against Israel.  The U.N. envoy, for his 
part, protested the ongoing Israeli Air Force flights over Lebanese 
skies, which he called a violation of Security Council Resolution 
¶1701. 
 
In an unrelated story, Yediot and Israel Hayom reported that Deputy 
Foreign Minister Ayalon met with Belgian Development Cooperation 
Minister, Charles Michel, to inform him that he could not visit the 
Gaza Strip, so as not to give legitimacy to the Hamas regime.  A 
debate ensued between the two, in which the Belgian minister said 
that he wanted to examine the situation in Gaza for the purpose of 
extending humanitarian aid.  Ayalon, for his part, said that Israel 
was consistent in denying entry to the Gaza Strip and had barred 
various European foreign ministers from doing so in the recent 
past. 
 
All newspapers reported Prime Minister Netanyahu and President 
Shimon Peres are scheduled to travel to Europe to mark International 
Holocaust Remembrance Day - Netanyahu to Poland and Peres to Berlin. 
 The prime minister will meet with the Polish president and prime 
minister and participate in a ceremony at Auschwitz.  The president 
is slated to speak in Hebrew at the Bundestag. 
 
 
Block Quotes: 
----------- 
-------- 
Mideast: 
-------- 
 
 
¶I. "One Year, Ten Mistakes: President Obama" 
 
Former Meretz leader, former Justice Minister, and chief Israeli 
promoter of the Geneva Initiative, Yossi Beilin, wrote in the 
independent Israel Hayom (1/25): "These are Obama's [ten] mistakes 
[in his first year in office]: He did not read the literature 
published following the failure of the Camp David summit, and did 
not make a correct assessment of the ways to renew negotiations. He 
appointed George Mitchell to a post that was too big for him. After 
(saying) that peace was an American interest, he returned to the 
mantra that he cannot want peace more than the Israelis and the 
Palestinians. He turned the demand to freeze settlements into a 
condition for renewing (talks). He wasted unnecessary months on 
defining the freeze, and did not understand that 100 days of grace 
are only given once. He did not insist on the condition he posed, 
(exposing) the administration's lack of professionalism. He did not 
hurry to dissociate himself from the statement of Secretary Clinton 
that the freeze was an unparalleled precedent in Israel's 
governments. He insisted on summoning the sides to a summit in New 
York last September, (exacerbating) the feeling that it was 
impossible to return to the negotiating track, and deepened the 
disappointment in the region. He demanded that Abbas withdraw the 
Palestinian demand to discuss the Goldstone report, and failed to 
understand that agreeing to his demand would render the Palestinian 
leader unable to lead his people. He spoke about the excessive 
expectations in a journalistic interview, but he forgot that he is 
the US president, and is scrutinized by billions and every word of 
his is weighed and has an effect. This way, at the end of a wasted 
year and without any bad intentions, his statements inflicted 
another blow on the chances of promoting something in our region." 
 
 
 
¶I. "Obama chasing rainbows with two-state solution" 
 
Former Ambassador to the U.S., former Minister of Foreign Affairs, 
and former Minister of Defense Moshe Arens wrote in the independent, 
left-leaning Ha'aretz (1/25): "U.S. President Barack Obama confided 
to Time magazine (that) he is clearly disappointed, but insists he 
will continue to work on a two-state solution.... During this past 
year, Obama has learned... that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is 
an intractable problem... even when the president weighs in with 
full force.... It is hard to be optimistic regarding the continuing 
U.S. efforts in this matter, since the president seems to have his 
mind set on the two-state solution.... Abbas... is in no position to 
implement any such agreement he might sign.... And who will tell 
Obama that in seeking a two-state solution, he is chasing the 
rainbow? ... That the two-state solution, at least for now, is an 
impossible dream? It is not going to be any of his advisers, who 
urged him to demand a total freeze on building in [the West Bank and 
¶E. Jerusalem] - making it possible for Abbas to stall on any 
negotiations with Israel.... Netanyahu has evidently decided to play 
along, rather than confront Obama with alternate ideas. What might 
these ideas be? The grain of an idea appeared the other day when 
Abbas suggested that the United States negotiate with Israel in his 
place. That won't lead anywhere. But how about Jordan negotiating in 
Abbas' stead? That would return some symmetry to the intractable 
problem and correct the present asymmetry that continues to haunt 
the situation." 
 
 
II. "Save the peace" 
 
The independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (1/25): "The 
diplomatic stalemate and the provocations by Prime Minister Benjamin 
Netanyahu's government in East Jerusalem harm not only the chance 
for peace in the future but also past fruits of peace. Fifteen years 
after the peace (with) Jordan was signed, the two countries are now 
deep in a crisis the government is doing nothing to resolve. There 
is almost a complete lack of communication between Netanyahu and 
King Abdullah II. The Jordanians are boycotting FM Lieberman and 
hold few meetings with Israeli officials. Joint economic 
projects...are also on hold. Jordan is concerned ... about increased 
Israeli pressure on the Palestinians in the West Bank, which could 
undermine internal stability in the Hashemite Kingdom. Abdullah is 
worried about the absence of talks between Israel and the 
Palestinians as well as Israeli activities aimed at increasing the 
number of Jews living in East Jerusalem. The Jordanians do not trust 
Netanyahu. As opposed to Turkey, Jordan prefers to handle the crisis 
discretely. Sacrificing these ties (with Jordan) for the sake of the 
Netanyahu government's harmful actions in East Jerusalem 
demonstrates a severe deficiency in the management of foreign and 
security policy. The prime minister must realize the diplomatic 
price Israel is paying for his attempts to placate the right. His 
bureau's comment - that Netanyahu would be happy to meet with the 
king "whenever the need arises" - shows dangerous indifference in 
light of the erosion of Israel's status in the region, and 
gratuitous arrogance toward a country whose friendship is 
essential." 
CUNNINGHAM