VZCZCXYZ0023
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJM #0340/01 0251201
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 251201Z JAN 06
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9912
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000340 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MUSTAFA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PBTS KWBG KPAL KDEM IS
SUBJECT: PALESTINIAN LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS: ELECTION DAY 
SITREP # 2 AS OF 12:30 PM, JANUARY 25, 2006 
 
REF: A. JERUSALEM 338 
     ¶B. JERUSALEM 324 
 
Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (C)  As of 12:30 pm local time, Palestinian Legislative 
Council (PLC) elections continued to go smoothly.  There was 
media coverage of PA President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and 
Hamas leader Mohammed Zahar casting votes in their respective 
locations.  There continued to be reports of some voting 
irregularities, including a report from Rafah of 15 Hamas 
women being arrested for using gloves to try and vote twice. 
A polling station in Khan Younis was temporarily closed 
because of overcrowding.  President Abbas met with Senator 
Biden and the Consul General early on January 25 to discuss 
the possible election outcome, security reform, the formation 
of a new cabinet, and next steps with Israel.  There were 
reports of altercations between supporters of different 
parties in East Jerusalem and Hebron.  Hamas also was 
reported to have set up tents with computers outside polling 
stations in Gaza, but PA security forces had dismantled some 
of those tents.  Members of Jewish extremist group Kahane 
Chair were arrested at the polling site in Jerusalem's Old 
City, along with two Israeli Knesset members.  End summary. 
--------------------------------- 
Elections Continue to Go Smoothly 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) PDOff reported that, as of 10:35 am, voter turnout at 
the Beit Hanina Post Office in Jerusalem (550 eligible 
voters) was 20 percent and voting was expected to be 
completed by early afternoon.  PolOff reported that, at 10:45 
am, elections were proceeding smoothly at the Beitunia Girls 
School in Ramallah though voter turnout was still light. 
Hamas was using five buses to transporting Hamas members to 
the polling site, while Fatah was operating one bus.  At the 
al-Najah School in Ramallah, PolOff reported that elections 
were proceeding smoothly there, too, with a steady stream of 
voters since polls opened at 7:00 am.  A National Democratic 
Institute (NDI) election observer there confirmed that there 
had been no problems, even with a small contingent of Hamas 
supporters at the site.  At another Ramallah polling place, 
PolOff reported that illiterate voters had been assisted by 
family members or friends, with a monitor observing them. 
PDOff reported that operations at the Central Election 
Commissions' headquarters in Ramallah were proceeding 
smoothly in the morning. 
 
¶3.  (C)  A USAID FSN based in Gaza reported that Fatah 
Campaign Manager Nabil Shaath walked into a polling station 
in a refugee camp, accompanied by 5 armed guards.  People 
outside the station complained about the apparent breach of 
election rules, which bar armed personnel inside polling 
areas.  They noted that an armed Hamas member had peacefully 
left the same station earlier when asked to do so by election 
monitoring staff. 
 
------------------------------ 
Abbas Meets with Senator Biden 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (C) Senator Joseph Biden D-DE) and the Consul General met 
with President Abbas for 30 minutes during the morning of 
January 25.  They discussed the possible election outcome, 
election security, the formation of the next government, and 
working with the GOI post-elections.  Abbas described what 
had been done so far on reforming the security structure.  He 
noted the continued PA need for weapons and ammunition. 
Abbas said he was ready to work with Acting Israeli Prime 
Minister Olmert. 
 
-------------------------- 
Some Voting Irregularities 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) PolOff reported extensive Israeli Police presence at 
the Shu'fat Post Office polling station in northern Jerusalem 
before it opened but confirmed that the Police dispersed when 
the polling station opened at 7:00 am.  He reported that the 
Israeli police had harassed voters who were worried that they 
might lose their residency status in Jerusalem if they voted 
at the Shu'fat Post Office.  PolOff reported in Ramallah that 
political parties were distributing party paraphernalia at 
the polling station site. 
 
¶6.  (C) RSO received reports at 11:45 am that Palestinian 
Authority Police arrested 15 women members of Hamas in Rafah 
City in the Gaza Strip for wearing rubber gloves and 
attempting to vote a second time.  RSO also reported that 
Palestinian Authority Security Forces temporarily closed a 
polling station at Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip because it 
was too crowded.  They plan to reopen the polling station 
when order is restored. 
 
------------------ 
Security Incidents 
------------------ 
 
¶7.  (C) The RSO reported that at 10:09 am there was a brief 
altercation between Fatah and Popular Front for Liberation of 
Palestine (PFLP) supporters at the Salah Ed-din Post Office 
in East Jerusalem.  Israeli National Police broke up the 
disturbance five minutes later.  The RSO received a report of 
an altercation between Hamas and al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigades 
members at the El-Mashni School in Hebron. 
 
¶8.  (C) At 10:40 am, the RSO received reports that Hamas 
tried setting up tents with computers near polling sites in 
the Gaza Strip but Palestinian police subsequently dismantled 
the tents.  A USAID FSN reported that Hamas was using 
computers equipped with databases outside of other Gaza 
polling areas; voters provide their ID number, which is 
logged, and then Hamas staff direct the voter to the polling 
station.  The RSO also received a report that five gunmen 
from the al-Aqsa Martyrs' brigades were spotted on a rooftop 
near one of the polling sites in Rafah in the Gaza Strip. 
Police removed the gunmen from the premises. 
 
¶9.  (C) At 10:45 am, the RSO received report that Hamas 
members tried to take control of a road near the Sur Bahir 
Post Office in Jerusalem, in order to direct voters to the 
polling station.  The Israeli National Police intervened and 
told them that they could not control the road. 
 
¶10.  (C) Members of the Jewish extremist Kahane Chai 
organization were denied entry at the Jaffa Gate Post Office 
polling site in Jerusalem's Old City, and two members were 
arrested, according to RSO reports.  The RSO also reported 
that Israeli Knesset members Efi Eitan and Arieh Eldad were 
also arrested as they attempted to protest at that same site. 
 
 
¶11.  (C) PolOff reported, at 10:30 am, that a series of shots 
were heard near the Aziz Shaheen Girls' School polling 
station in Ramallah.  He said that some of the PASF members 
immediately departed from the polling station to investigate 
the shooting. 
 
------------- 
Media reports 
------------- 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Palestinian and pan-Arab stations continued to 
focus on the elections during their mid-morning programs. 
All stations reported that voting so far has been calm and 
noted the large numbers of PA security forces on hand.  All 
stations also reported a steady flow of voters to the polls 
in all areas.  In late morning coverage, the Palestinian and 
pan-Arab media election coverage focused on 
"man-on-the-street" interviews, as well as 
commentary/analysis that noted that the elections process 
seemed to be going smoothly. 
 
--  Both PBC and al-Jazeera showed President Abbas casting 
his vote at the Muqata in Ramallah, where he encouraged the 
Palestinian people to engage in the democratic process and 
said that "the next step after the election is the formation 
of a government." 
 
--  Al Jazeera carried footage of Hamas leader Mahmoud 
al-Zahhar voting in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.  The 
Al-Jazeera correspondent in Hebron reported that Israeli 
forces had forbidden any voting polls to open in the Old City 
there. 
 
--  Al Hurra showed coverage of Salah Ed-din Post Office, the 
largest voting site in East Jerusalem, where two Islamic 
groups were protesting the elections and Fatah supporters 
were shouting slogans. 
 
--  PBC, which is interspersing its reports with national 
songs that encourage people to vote, reported that Israeli 
checkpoints were hindering voters from entering the Abu Dis 
area outside of Jerusalem, where there are a number of voting 
 
sites. 
 
--  PBC, al-Jazeera and al-Arabiyyeh all broadcast live a 
press conference by CEC chairman Hanna Nasser in Ramallah. 
Al Arabiyyeh also showed a special program called "Palestine 
Elects" in which analysts and CEC reps discussed the role of 
foreign observers in these elections as well as the role of 
women in the new PLC.  The program noted that more than 900 
observers are present, including former President Jimmy 
Carter and former Secretary Madeleine Albright. 
 
--  Al-Hurra broadcast an interview with Hanan Ashrawi, who 
characterized her "Third Way" party's agenda as flexible and 
enlightened. 
 
--  Nile Sat broadcast an interview with Fadwa Barghouthi, 
the wife of jailed leader Marwan 
Barghouthi.  She said, "Even behind bars, Marwan Barghouthi 
has a big influence on the Palestinian elections." 
 
¶13.  (SBU) Poloff reported that Senator Biden gave an 
interview to al-Quds and al-Ayyam reporters at the al-Najah 
School polling station in Ramallah. 
WALLES