US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV3620

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 003620 
 
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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Mideast 
 
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Key stories in the media: 
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All papers publicized interviews with outgoing GSS 
Chief Avi Dichter.  The media headlined segments from 
Dichter's interviews; the main topics are: Dichter 
backs disengagement and believes it will reduce terror; 
Dichter supports those who call to destroy settler 
houses; Yediot headlined that a Jewish terrorist might 
hurt the Prime Minister and that Arab MKs are not loyal 
to Israel. 
 
Yediot quoted Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as saying in 
a meeting with rabbis that the settler's threat to 
paralyze the country does not intimidate him and that 
the disengagement will take place even if all the roads 
in the country are blocked. 
 
All media reported on the responses to the High Court 
ruling that affirmed the pullout decision.  Right-wing 
MKs slammed the court's decision and settler leaders 
said that the High Court of Justice is detached from 
the people.  Left-wing MKs, including government 
officials, were pleased with this outcome.  The media 
noted that on the economic side, the settlers received 
from the High Court an "open check" by saying that 
every evacuee can turn to the courts if unhappy about 
the amount of compensation he is to receive. 
 
Jerusalem Post cited P.A. Civil Affairs Minister 
Muhammed Dahlan as saying that the current Israeli 
policies and the continuing construction in the 
territories will lead to a third intifada. 
 
Ha'aretz reported that only minor officials from the 
Hamas and Islamic Jihad were sent to meet P.A. Chairman 
Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza on Thursday.  Abbas called the 
meeting to discuss the renewed rocket attacks in the 
past week. 
 
The media reported that several mortar shells were 
fired on Thursday on Netzarim and Gush Katif.  No 
casualties were reported. 
 
Ha'aretz published an interview with British Foreign 
Secretary Jack Straw in which he says that Hamas must 
 
SIPDIS 
be boycotted until it halts terror but he also told 
Ha'aretz that if Hamas wins the P.A. parliamentary 
elections, then all of us will face a dilemma. 
 
Yediot reported that a secret document, prepared by 
senior government officials who deal with the 
Palestinian issue, was presented to senior ministers in 
the security cabinet.  In this document there is a 
recommendation calling for the release of Tanzim 
leader, Marwan Barghouti. 
 
All media noted the National Counter-Terrorism Agency's 
warning to Israeli travelers not to visit Egypt, 
including the Sinai Desert, over the Shavuot holiday. 
 
Yediot reported that during the disengagement, 
policemen and soldiers will use a U.S. developed tool 
called "the scream" to disperse demonstrators.  This 
tool sends loud, high frequency signals into the air, 
forcing people to cover their ears to ease the pain, 
thus rendering them less able to resist security 
forces. 
 
Maariv reported that Major General (res.) Amos Gilad 
has left for a secret visit in Jordan. 
 
Yediot Aharonot's Mina Tzemach poll found:  53 percent 
support the disengagement plan; 38 percent are against. 
 
-------- 
Mideast: 
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                       Summary: 
                       -------- 
 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz: "But the big 
question is whatever happened to the element of 
surprise that the Israeli army used to be so famous 
for?.... Why not wrap it all up overnight, like in 
Lebanon? Time is not on the side of broad public 
support for disengagement. It's time to cut - and 
fast." 
 
Senior military analyst Amir Oren wrote in independent, 
left-leaning Ha'aretz: "Here is another reason for the 
slim chances of Rice's journey to succeed: people who 
build in wood [the Americans] would never succeed in 
achieving peace between two people who build villages 
and settlements with stones." 
 
                     Block Quotes: 
                     ------------- 
 
1.  "Time to Cut" 
 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote in 
independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (June 10): "The 
psychological warfare and scare tactics [used by the 
settlers] have produced a drop in public support, from 
65 percent to less than 50 percent. The frightening 
scenarios are frightening people off. The PR vacuum in 
defense of the pullout and the rift in the Likud have 
created a situation in which only opponents of the 
disengagement are setting the tone in the streets. The 
silent majority just sits there, hesitant and 
uncertain.... The slide in public backing for the 
pullout is a consequence of the foot-dragging and 
waffling of the government on the subject of 
disengagement.... But the big question is whatever 
happened to the element of surprise that the Israeli 
army used to be so famous for? Where does it say that 
Jews are not permitted to fight in the three weeks 
leading up to the fast on Tisha B'av? In what holy text 
does it say that we can't surprise Gush Katif and go in 
there right after Shavuot, for example? Why not wrap it 
all up overnight, like in Lebanon? Time is not on the 
side of broad public support for disengagement. It's 
time to cut - and fast." 
 
2.  "Close Supervision" 
 
Senior military analyst Amir Oren wrote in independent, 
left-leaning Ha'aretz (June 10): "The world's kinder 
garten teacher, Condoleezza Rice, will arrive in a week 
to closely watch the two rebellious children, Ariel 
Sharon and Mahmuod Abbas.... Rice does not fear that 
Sharon will surprise the government and avoid his 
commitment to evacuate.  Washington has sketched 
Sharon's trail since 2003 and came to the conclusion 
that if he didn't use the exit points he had along the 
way, he does not intend to do so now.... Opposite the 
Palestinians the U.S.'s situation is more complex.... 
General Ward's ... efforts to insert changes in Abbas's 
government systems did not succeed.... Rice will 
attempt to unfreeze the Israeli-Palestinian 
understandings that were declared in Sharm el-Sheik; 
she will try to solve the problem of passenger 
terminals on the ground and in the air between Gaza and 
Egypt and Israel; and she will make an effort to 
achieve an agreement regarding the 'settlements' 
assets', mostly relating to settler's houses.... If the 
Americans needed to evacuate the suburbs of Washington 
and New York, it would have been easier, due to their 
building methods.  Here is another reason that Rice's 
journey has only a slim chance to succeed: people who 
build in wood will never succeed in achieving peace 
between two people who build villages and settlements 
with stones." 
KURTZER