Cablegate: Israel Media Reaction

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 TEL AVIV 002000

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD

WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM
NSC FOR NEA STAFF

JERUSALEM ALSO FOR ICD
LONDON ALSO FOR HKANONA AND POL
PARIS ALSO FOR POL
ROME FOR MFO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: IS KMDR MEDIA REACTION REPORT
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION

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SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT:
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1. Mideast

2. Arab Summit

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Key stories in the media:
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Ha'aretz elaborates on the expanding rift in the PA.
Using harsh words, Farouk Kaddoumi, one of the founders
of the Fatah movement that Abbas now heads, attacked
the PA chairman in a letter to the Fatah Revolutionary
Council, which met in Gaza earlier this week. He also
attacked most of Abbas' policies, and especially the
cessation of the armed Intifadah. Kaddoumi is part of
an increasingly organized effort to undermine Abbas'
authority. Ha'aretz reports that yesterday, the
violence continued: A temporary police station in Tul
Karm was torched, armed men marched in Jenin and
Nablus, and cars belonging to candidates running for
local office in Gaza were bombed. Almost three months
after taking office, it has become clear that Abbas'
influence over the armed men, the security services and
the leaders of Fatah's institutions is virtually
nonexistent. "Abu Mazen lacks the strength and stamina
to stand his ground," the head of one of the Gaza
security services told Ha'aretz yesterday.

Alex Fishman cited in Yediot an IDF officer's
prediction that the Intifadah will renew in the fall,
after the disengagement plan takes place.

Jerusalem Post said "breakthrough talks" were held
yesterday between settler leaders, Public Security
Minister Gidpn Ezra, and Israel Police chief Moshe
Karadi in an attempt to draw ground rules with settler
leaders Thursday night for the planned struggle against
the pullout. The sides, which agreed to convene again
on a weekly basis, discussed MK Effi Eitam's proposal
to disarm settlers before the evacuation to prevent
bloodshed. Ezra stressed that security forces would not
be armed during the evacuation, which would be done "by
hand."

Maariv reported that King Abdullah of Jordan is angry
about the leak over the contents of his meeting with
Jewish leaders in the U.S. to the media. As a result
of the leak, a Jordanian official said that the king
will not hold similar meetings in the future.

The Post reports that the Knesset is set to convene a
special session next Wednesday, during the Pessah
recess, to debate Thursday's controversial ruling by
the High Court of Justice permitting non-Jews living in
Israel legally to be converted to Judaism by Reform and
Conservative religious courts overseas. The haredi
[ultra-Orthodox] parties are considering ways to
nullify the Court's decision.
Leading media reported that Prime Minister Sharon has
appointed Eival Gilady, former Head of Strategic
Planning Division for the IDF, as the country's chief
spokesman during the disengagement plan.

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1. Mideast:
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Summary:
--------

Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: "What will Sharon
ask for [from Presdient Bush in his upcoming visit to
Washington]? Presumably a presidential statement
acknowledging that certain settlement blocs will remain
in Israeli hands."

Editor-in-Chief Lutfi Mashour wrote in Arabic-language
weekly Assennara: "One little question, which might be
marginal for many others, is who will protect the
Palestinians from the settlers?.... We don't hear
anyone, not only Israelis, mention the danger of a
possible assault against the Palestinians."

Political parties correspondent Nadav Eyal wrote in
popular, pluralist Maariv: "In other words, in the
Prime Minister's political lungs, there is oxygen
enough for just one move: surviving until the last IDF
soldier moves out of the Gaza Strip. For any other
purpose, his government does not exist because the
coalition does not exist because the Likud as a single
party no longer exists."

Block Quotes:
-------------

I. "Preparing for Elections"

Diplomatic correspondent Aluf Benn wrote in
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (April 1): "Ten
days from now, he will be standing next to Bush when
the evening news comes on in Israel. The two of them
will exchange ranchers' jokes and Sharon will accept
Bush's encouraging words on the eve of the battles that
await him at home: carrying out the disengagement plan,
running against Benjamin Netanyahu for leadership of
the Likud and Knesset elections.... Bush's support is a
boon for Sharon, who is appealing to the public while
bypassing his party.... What will Sharon ask for?
Presumably a presidential statement acknowledging that
certain settlement blocs will remain in Israeli hands."

II. "Who is Thinking about the Palestinians?"

Editor-in-Chief Lutfi Mashour wrote in Arabic-language
weekly Assennara (March 25): "The country is going
through unusual tension and fear regarding the decision
to execute the disengagement plan.... Israeli security
forces are joining hands and preparing ways to face the
threats of the settlers.... The security preparations
include defending the Prime Minister, the ministers ...
and the streets.... Even Attorney General Menahem Mazuz
declared that anyone who blocks the streets would be
imprisoned for 20 years. One little question, which
might be marginal for many others, is who will protect
the Palestinians from the settlers?.... We don't hear
anyone, not only Israelis, mention the danger of a
possible assault against the Palestinians ... to be
committed by settlers! I believe that this danger is
real ... the settlers might use their frustration and
their weapons ... towards individuals and groups of
Palestinians. Is there any Israeli or a Palestinian
official preparing for such a possibility?"

III. "Surviving Disengagement"

Political parties correspondent Nadav Eyal wrote in
popular, pluralist Maariv (April 1): "Right after the
disengagement, the battle will start on the
negotiations for the permanent arrangement and
implementing the road map. It may be assumed that
Sharon and his [party] opposition will not see eye to
eye on them, to say the least.... The Prime Minister
can do nothing, not a thing, except surviving for the
benefit of promoting the disengagement.... In other
words, in the Prime Minister's political lungs, there
is oxygen enough for just one move: surviving until the
last IDF soldier moves out of the Gaza Strip. For any
other purpose, his government does not exist because
the coalition does not exist because the Likud as a
single party no longer exists. The disengagement may
come, and Sharon may even manage to stabilize a
coalition when it is over ... but until the
disengagement, the political assumption is that the
government is a caretaker cabinet and the next big
thing, after the Gaza pullout, will be elections."

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2. Arab Summit:
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Summary:
--------

Editor-in-Chief Bassam Jaber wrote in weekly Arabic-
language Panorama: "In fact, some believe that one of
the reasons that there is no Palestinian state is due
to the fact that there are some Arab leaders who are
better off without a Palestinian state, and Qaddafi
might be one of them."

Arabic-language daily Al-Ittihad editorialized: "The
statement made by Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, which
rejects the Arab Summit's final announcement, reveals
the unwillingness of the Sharon-Peres government to
achieve a peaceful resolution."

Block Quotes:
-------------

I. "Qaddafi's Speech"

Editor-in-Chief Bassam Jaber wrote in weekly Arabic-
language Panorama (March 25): "We have listened to the
improvised speech given by Libyan President Muammar
Qaddafi at the 17th Arab Summit in Algeria.... What is
interesting is the way that he addresses the Israeli
Palestinian conflict. On the one hand he calls for an
establishment of one shared country for both Israelis
and Palestinians like the 'Secular Country' called for
by late Palestinian President Arafat, while on the
other hand he describes the Israelis and the
Palestinians as stupid.... In his view the
Palestinians' stupidity lies in the fact that they
didn't establish a country on the lands that were
available for them back in 1948.... It's weird and
amazing that a leader of an Arab country such as Libya
attacks ... instead of providing a peaceful solution
... for the Israelis and the Palestinians in order to
get them out of the continuing circle of violence they
are engaged in.... In fact, some believe that one of
the reasons that there is no Palestinian state is due
to the fact that there are some Arab leaders who are
better off without a Palestinian state, and Qaddafi
might be one of them."

II. "Sharon's True Intentions"

Arabic-language daily Al-Ittihad editorialized (March
25): "Once again the occupation government assures its
opposition to peace and to resolving the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict contrary to justice and
contradicting the legitimate international decisions
regarding the Palestinians and their national
rights.... While the final statement of the 17th Arab
summit in Algeria called again and assured officially
that a fair peace is their strategic choice and that it
is a condition for full normalization with Israel....
the Israeli official response ... was a refusal for
such an invitation for peace.... Furthermore, one day
before the Summit, Prime Minister Sharon declared his
plan to build thousands of houses in the occupied
territories ... and in another declaration he said that
there will be no more withdrawals until there is a
final solution and that Jerusalem will always be the
capital of Israel. By this he assures what we always
said regarding his plan to withdrawal from Gaza, that
it is meant to be a replacement for a final
solution.... In addition, the statement made by Foreign
Minister Silvan Shalom, which rejects the Arab Summit's
final announcement reveals the unwillingness of the
Sharon-Peres government to achieve a peaceful
resolution."
KURTZER

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