Today's Situation

SPINNING CANCER, October 30, 2007

One story dominates the front pages of all of the newspapers on Tuesday morning: Ehud Olmert's dramatic announcement that he is to undergo surgery for the removal of microscopic traces of cancer from his prostate, and his insistence that he will continue to serve as prime minister throughout.

All of the papers and Internet sites wish Olmert a speedy recovery, although some already accuse the prime minister of 'cynically manipulating the media to influence public opinion' (Yoav Yitzhak, News First Class. See below). In Haaretz, Aluf Benn comments that 'Olmert will gain public sympathy for his ailment' adding that a broadcast about the investigations against Olmert, scheduled for Thursday, has already been postponed. This is backed up by a poll in Maariv, which shows a 6 percent rise in Olmert's approval rating, and another in Yedioth Ahronoth, which has the prime minister cutting his deficit behind Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu from 28 points to 21 points.

According to the Maariv website, nrg.co.il, the challenge to Olmert from within his own Kadima party is expected to die down - for a while, at least. 'After the Sharon trauma, no one would challenge a sitting cancer-stricken prime minister,' an unidentified party source was quoted as saying.

In the meantime, Israel Radio reports that the White House said Monday that Olmert's prostate cancer diagnosis was no reason to postpone a U.S.-hosted international Middle East conference set for next month. The radio adds that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice still intends to visit the Middle East next week despite his prostate cancer, according to a State Department announcement. Rice telephoned Olmert to wish him a speedy recovery from the illness.

Elsewhere, the only other story to make it onto the front pages of all the newspaper was the death Monday of an IDF reservist during a clash with Hamas gunmen in the Gaza Strip. According to Haaretz, the IDF has been operating in the area for the last week, in an effort to prevent terrorists from firing rockets and mortars against Israel. In an attempt to counter the IDF incursions, Hamas has deployed its own men to the area in order to ambush the Israeli soldiers.

In the meantime, a plan formulated by Defense Minister Ehud Barak to cut electricity and fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip was handed a setback yesterday, when Attorney General Menachem Mazuz ruled that the state must ensure that no humanitarian crisis arises from implementation of the policy. The ruling comes as the High Court is set to hear petitions from 10 human rights groups against the policy, which they say is illegal and is likely to harm the innocent civilian population.

Although he rejected the plan to cut Gaza's supply of electricity, Mazuz approved other measures proposed by the government, such as commercial and economic sanctions against Gaza.

While opposition to Barak's plan is widespread, it is not universal. Former IDF Major-General Giora Eiland told Army Radio that the government should cut off all electricity, water, and other supplies immediately. The goal of cutting off services would not be to punish the civilian population, he said, but rather to pressure the Hamas leadership. Israel has a unique opportunity, Eiland said, pointing out that the Hamas takeover of Gaza created a situation where for the first time, there is one group ruling Gaza and that group sees itself as responsible for what happens in the region. If Israel does not pressure the Hamas leadership to end attacks, he added, Israel will eventually be forced to carry out a large-scale military operation in the area.

In the Galilee, meanwhile, there were serious clashes on Tuesday morning between police and residents of the Druze village of Peki'in. According to Israel Radio, 40 people, among them 27 police, were wounded in the clashes - which apparently began when police tried to arrested several people on suspicion of torching a cellular antenna. According to Haaretz, some 200 police were sent in to make the arrests, something that the local police chief said may have exacerbated the violent reaction of local residents.

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