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O 280949Z JAN 10
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7410
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
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RUEAHQA/CSAF WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
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RHMFIUU/CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 8069
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 5024
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4868
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6356
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4787
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3391

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000168 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS BBG 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
NSC 
CMC WASHINGTON DC FOR POLAD 
 
JERUSALEM ALSO FOR ICD 
LONDON FOR HKANONA AND POL - TSOU 
PARIS ALSO FOR POL 
ROME FOR MFO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KMDR KPAL KWBG KPAO IS
 
SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (01/28): Palestinian press report 
on Congressional efforts to help Palestinians living in Gaza 
 
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Main Stories: 
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Independent daily Al-Quds reports that 54 Congressmen asked 
President Obama to pressure Israel to ease the siege imposed on Gaza 
and allow construction materials into the territory. Al-Quds also 
reports that 33 Congressmen sent a letter to Secretary Clinton 
asking her to discuss the Israeli rules that prohibit students 
living in Gaza from studying at West Bank universities. According to 
coverage, the State Department responded by reiterating the 
universal right to an education and said it will respond to the 
letter in the appropriate way. 
 
Independent daily Al-Ayyam leads with news on yesterday's meeting in 
Paris with European Foreign Ministers, Palestinian Authority (PA) 
Prime Minster Salam Fayyad and Egyptian Foreign Minister Aboul 
Gheit, during which they all pledged to support Prime Minister 
Fayyad's plan to build the institutions of an independent 
Palestinian state. 
 
Al-Quds reports that Israel will pump 200,000 liters of fuel into 
Gaza at Prime Minister Fayyad's request. However, Maan News Agency 
reports that the Hamas Power Authority and the natural resources 
department in Gaza denied media reports that this was because of PA 
intervention. 
 
The dailies report that Special Envoy George Mitchell will be back 
in the region soon to pursue talks with the Israelis and 
Palestinians regarding the resumption of negotiations. The coverage 
notes that Palestinian officials said any US proposal to hold 
meetings between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators has to be 
discussed with Arab leaders first. 
 
The dailies report on Hamas' Mahmoud Zahhar noting in a press 
conference yesterday in Gaza that Hamas will sign the Egyptian plan 
for national reconciliation if it gets guarantees from Egypt that 
its concerns were taken into consideration. Zahhar noted that 
national reconciliation is a strategic choice for Palestinians to be 
able to oppose Israeli actions. 
 
Al-Ayyam reports on Hamas leader Izzat Risheq noting to Al-Resalah 
that the prisoner exchange talks between Hamas and Israel are frozen 
due to Israeli opposition to releasing Hamas leaders as part of the 
deal. 
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BLOCK QUOTE: 
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Adel Abdel Rahman writing in PA official daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida 
under the title "Elections are a National Benefit" opines that it is 
in the interest of all Palestinian factions to end the state of 
division and achieve unity because Israel has been taking advantage 
of the division over the past several years. Abdel Rahman urges the 
factions to make it a national priority to agree on a date for 
elections. 
RUBINSTEIN