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Cablegate: Israel Media Reaction

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

191115Z Oct 05

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TEL AVIV 006124

SIPDIS

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
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL FOR POLAD/USIA ADVISOR
COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE FOR PAO/POLAD
COMSIXTHFLT FOR 019

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


--------------------------------
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT:
--------------------------------

1. Mideast

2. Global Economy

-------------------------
Key stories in the media:
-------------------------

Ha'aretz reported that PA Chairman [President] Mahmoud
Abbas is expected to demand U.S. intervention in
halting Israeli construction and dismantling illegal
outposts in the West Bank when he meets President Bush
Thursday at the White House. The newspaper cited the
hope of Israeli officials that the meeting will boost
Abbas's status in the PA, and that he will be welcomed
in a very positive light. Ha'aretz also cited the
belief of Israeli officials that the meeting will not
produce any surprises that could weaken Jerusalem's
position in future talks. The newspaper details the
differences between the U.S. and Israel on issues to be
discussed at the Bush-Abbas talks: the participation of
Hamas in the Palestinian legislative elections;
supplying weapons and ammunition to the Palestinians;
and measures to ease the lives of the Palestinians.
Jerusalem Post reported that a source in the Prime
Minister's Office told the newspaper that Israel
expects President Bush to take a firm stand against
terrorism when he meets with Abbas. Jerusalem Post
reported that on the eve of Abbas's visit to
Washington, the PA announced that it has no intention
of disarming Hamas or other armed groups.

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All media (lead story in Hatzofe) quoted State
Department Spokesman Sean McCormack as saying Monday,
"We would ask the Israeli Government and we have asked
the Israeli Government, as you know, in the past, to
take steps to ease the daily plight of the Palestinian
people." The statement came in the wake of travel
restrictions imposed on the Palestinians by the IDF
following Sunday's terrorist attacks in the West Bank.
The media quoted McCormack as saying, "We would hope
that all sides take into account the potential
ramifications of whatever steps that they do take and
keep their eye on the ultimate objective which we all
know and all sides share of two states living together
side by side in peace and security." According to
Yediot, the U.S. expects Israel not to respond to
"small" terrorist attacks. Jerusalem Post quoted
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mark Regev as saying: "In
Israel, we have no desire to a return of daily attacks
against Israeli civilians. We want to send a very
strong and sharp message to the Palestinians, and the
temporary suspension of talks is that message."

Maariv and Israel Radio reported that the IDF's Central
Command is expanding its plan to build separate roads
for Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank, in
order to achieve a complete separation between the two
populations in the territories.

Leading media reported that at their meeting in Paris
on Tuesday, Abbas and Lebanese PM Fuad Siniora
denounced the flow of illegal weapons and terror groups
into Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. Jerusalem
Post reported that over 240 Fatah activists in the Gaza
Strip resigned on Tuesday "in a move that is likely to
deepen division in Abbas's ruling party."

Major media cited a story in the German weekly Der
Stern, according to which the UN team investigating the
assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri has
found that Syrian President Bashar Assad's brother-in-
law and Syrian intelligence chief Gen. Assef Shawkat is
the main suspect in the murder. Israel Radio also
reported that today, UN envoy to Lebanon Terje Roed-
Larsen will present to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
a report about Syria's continued involvement in
Lebanon.

Ha'aretz reported that NATO and Israel agreed in
principle to post a senior IDF navy intelligence
officer permanently at the military alliance's southern
headquarters in Naples. The deal is yet to be approved
by the GOI.

Maariv reported that Noam Chomsky, the Jewish American
linguistics expert and critic of U.S. and Israeli
foreign policy, was named the world's top public
intellectual, according to a poll released on Tuesday
by the British magazine Prospect/Foreign Policy.

Ha'aretz, Maariv, and Israel Radio reported that Shmuel
Levy, an Israeli diamond merchant who is also an AmCit,
disappeared after traveling to Athens on business more
than a week ago. Levy entered Greece on his U.S.
passport. Ha'aretz reported that the Greek police
believe that the motive behind his disappearance could
be either nationalist or criminal, and that they are
investigating all possibilities. Ha'aretz wrote that
the U.S. Embassy in Athens is also taking action to
find the missing man.

Yediot reported that the annual Corruption Perceptions
Index of Transparency International, a global NGO
devoted to combating corruption, which was made public
on Tuesday, ranked Israel in the 28th place among 159
countries, with a grade of 6.3 (10 being "highly
clean" and 0 "highly corrupt"). Yediot notes that
Israel ranked 18th on the list in 2002, with a 7.3
grade.

All media reported on, and Yediot bannered, former
Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's trial, which is due to
start today in Baghdad.

Maariv cited a Washington Post story, according to
which the Israeli company Foxcom is suspected of
involvement in a corruption scandal in Washington.
According to The Washington Post, Foxcom paid USD
280,000 to the Jewish American lobbyist Jack Abramoff
in order to install antennae on the roof of the U.S.
Congress.

All media reported that the first case of avian
influenza was reported in Greece, and raised the
possibility that the pandemic could reach Israel.

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

Summary:
--------

Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized:
"Israel ... is obligated to use an appropriate degree
of caution fighting terrorism. Such an attitude is
guided not by vengeance for a terrible terrorist
attack, but rather by the need to build a powerful
Palestinian partner that will be capable of replacing
Israel in this war."

Veteran op-ed writer and assistant to the late prime
minister Yitzhak Rabin Eytan Haber opined in the lead
editorial of mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot
Aharonot: "Arik Sharon handed [the Palestinians] a gift
on a golden platter, and they spit (fire) at him."

Conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized:
"Abbas should be told, simply, that if he doesn't take
real action, he will not be propped up. This is a
critical test of America's resolve to defeat terrorists
-- not just some terrorists, but all terrorists."

Nationalist, Orthodox Hatzofe editorialized: "If the
U.S. administration does not care for the Israeli
norms, perhaps we should adopt their norms."

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

I. "A Partner in the War on Terror"

Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized
(October 19): "In the absence of magical solutions to
eliminate terrorism, the Defense Minister has elected
to reinstate harsh measures that were in practice
during the worst days of the Intifada, such as barring
Palestinians from driving on main roads in private
vehicles.... These measures rely on the assumption that
there is nobody reliable on the Palestinian side, and
that apparently also will be the assessment Abbas hears
in his upcoming meeting with the President of the
U.S.... Abbas's difficulties in thwarting all attacks
while the occupation remains in effect throughout the
West Bank do not call for Israel's forgiving attitude
toward terrorists, but do demand viewing Abbas as a
worthy partner in the anti-terror campaign: a partner
who appears to be willing to adopt the old adage that
you should fight terrorism as if there were no peace
process, and advance the peace process as though there
were no terrorism. Israel, which drew optimism from
the political developments in the territories in recent
months, therefore is obligated to use an appropriate
degree of caution fighting terrorism. Such an attitude
is guided not by vengeance for a terrible terrorist
attack, but rather by the need to build a powerful
Palestinian partner that will be capable of replacing
Israel in this war."
II. "What a Messed Up People (the Palestinians)"

Veteran op-ed writer and assistant to the late prime
minister Yitzhak Rabin Eytan Haber opined in the lead
editorial of mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot
Aharonot (October 19): "Beyond the tragedy of the
Etzion Bloc, the problem of our terrible neighbors,
whom we did not choose, once again faces us. After 100
years of terror and blood, the Palestinians are still
missing every opportunity to establish a state, and
appear as a collection of gangs with no law and no
judge, where every gun holder is a prime minister and a
Supreme Court justice in his own right. A band of
corrupt officials and money gatherers, and what should
be their government and authority looks more like a
circus performance in a madhouse. One cannot help but
mull over their bitter fate: what a messed up people.
How is it that they did not succeed in producing a
leader -- one, just one -- who would take them out of
darkness into the great light. Arik Sharon handed them
a gift on a golden platter, and they spit (fire) at
him."

III. "No More Excuses"

Conservative, independent Jerusalem Post editorialized
(October 19): "Once Israel's guard is lowered, more
carnage can only be expected. The only surprising
aspect about Sunday's slaughter was that it didn't
occur earlier. The PA claims, without substantiation,
to have foiled 17 terror plots. But there have been
numerous attempts, which Israel fortunately managed to
preempt via operations that only earned it vehement PA
condemnation and international rebuke. However, with a
number of roadblocks abandoned and Palestinian traffic
unhindered, it was only a matter of time that luck
would run out.... Just as it is naive to believe that
groups like Hamas can be talked into disarming, it is
naive to expect Abbas to do more than talk unless he is
forced to do so. More lives, both Israeli and
Palestinian, will continue to be lost until Abbas has
no choice but to take the admittedly difficult steps he
has been avoiding to date. The United States and
Europe, by threatening to withhold their financial
assistance, have the power to insist that the old
excuses are no longer acceptable. Abbas should be
told, simply, that if he doesn't take real action, he
will not be propped up. This is a critical test of
America's resolve to defeat terrorists -- not just some
terrorists, but all terrorists."

IV. "With Thanks to the United States"

Nationalist, Orthodox Hatzofe editorialized (October
19): "The U.S. administration issued a statement that
contains implicit criticism of the restrictions imposed
on Palestinian movement on the roads of Judea, Samaria
and Gaza [i.e. the territories], or more precisely
[criticism] of the policy that separates Jewish traffic
from Palestinian traffic. Restrictions on Jewish
movement in Judea, Samaria and Gaza have existed for
years, and are considered obvious.... It is good that
the US administration behaved this way, for perhaps
Israel should adopt the American norms in this area,
for example [those in force] in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In these countries, [soldiers manning] the American
roadblocks shoot every day, usually to death, innocent
civilians who approach the roadblocks. This U.S.
policy does not exist only in regions of tension. For
example, when demonstrations were held recently in the
Philippines against the American presence, the
Americans announced in advance that at certain points,
demonstrators who approach the fences of the bases
would encounter live fire. They indeed approached, and
indeed encountered. Therefore, if the U.S.
administration does not care for the Israeli norms,
perhaps we should adopt their norms."

-------------------
2. Global Economy:
-------------------

Summary:
--------

Chief Economic Editor and senior columnist Sever
Plotker wrote in mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot
Aharonot: "Will the Americans be forever able to eat
other people's savings? Of course they won't."

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

"It's the Economy, Stupid"

Chief Economic Editor and senior columnist Sever
Plotker wrote in mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot
Aharonot (October 19): "Contrary to everything that has
ever been taught about development economy, poor China
has become the rich United States' greatest financial
provider.... The U.S. economy has never been as
dependent upon the good will of the senior officials of
the Chinese Communist Party and the [Persian Gulf]
emirates.... If the Chinese change their ways and
decide to buy dollars, not even God and his
representative on earth -- Alan Greenspan -- will be
able to save the dollar from a debacle.... Will the
Americans be forever able to eat other people's
savings? Of course they won't. The inevitable
adaptation will happen. The standard of living in the
U.S. will have to decline. This means tightening belts
... cuts, and social and economic crying."

JONES

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