O 051132Z FEB 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0436
WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
WHITE HOUSE NSC
REUJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
DIA WASHDC
CIA WASHDC
DA WASHINGTON DC//DAS-ZD/DACS-ZK//
CSAF WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
CMC WASHINGTON DC
CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY TUNIS 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000196 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE PASS BBG 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
NSC FOR ABRAMS 
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 (02/05): SUICIDE BOMBINGS - "A 
GIFT TO THE ISRAELI RIGHT" 
 
 
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Main Stories: 
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The bombing of a shopping mall in the southern Israeli city of 
Dimona was front page news in all the dailies.  Factual reports 
noted that an Israeli woman was killed in the attack and photos of 
the crime scene appeared on all front pages.  Given equal prominence 
was coverage of the funeral in the northern West Bank town of 
Qabatiya of two members of the Fatah- affiliated Al Aqsa brigades. 
The men were killed on February 4 in an Israeli "targeted 
assassination," papers noted.  Related front page reports 
highlighted a statement issued by the Palestinian President's 
office, expressing official Palestinian Authority condemnation of 
both the Israeli "military operation" in Qabatiya as well as the 
"operation" against Israeli civilians in Dimona.  The statement 
asserted that the Palestinian Authority opposes any operation 
targeting civilians, whether Palestinian or Israeli, according to 
the same reports. 
 
Front page photos in Al-Ayaam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida show clashes 
between Palestinian militants and Egyptian security forces near the 
Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza.  The dailies reported 
that one Palestinian was killed and fifty were injured in the 
January 4 clashes.  Related coverage highlighted remarks by 
Palestinian President Abbas asserting that the Palestinian Authority 
rejects any acts "that challenge Egyptian sovereignty". 
 
"Israel has no right to impose a siege on the Gaza strip," according 
to a January 4 statement by Palestinian President Abbas as reported 
in the dailies.  Abbas further called the Israeli measures 
collective punishment, according to the coverage of his comments 
that were made during a Ramallah meeting with groups from the 
northern West Bank city of Nablus.  Abbas expressed satisfaction 
during the meeting with the progress of a Palestinian Authority 
security plan that was implemented last year to impose law and order 
in the city of Nablus.  Abbas further underscored that, "security is 
the key element towards building a better economic, social and 
political life" in the Palestinian Territories. 
 
As part of a wider effort to revitalize and restructure the PLO, a 
meeting of the National Palestinian Council will be called for in 
the next few months, Al Quds reports in their lead story.  The 
meeting is expected to take place in Amman, Jordan. 
 
Ma'an online news agency reported that Hamas claimed that 
"Fatah-allied Palestinian security forces seized nine Hamas members" 
on January 4 in the West Bank.  Hamas released a statement saying 
that seven of the arrested members were from the Nablus area in the 
northern West Bank and the other two were from the northern towns of 
Salfit and Qalqilia. 
 
Under the title "even condolences are forbidden," the front page of 
Al-Quds reported that Israeli police "forcibly entered" the YWCA 
building in Jerusalem and prevented the family of George Habash, 
founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) 
from receiving the public who came to pay their condolences for 
Habash's death last month. 
 
Citing the Israeli daily Maariv, the front page of Al-Quds reported 
that "rich Jews donated money for settlement construction activities 
in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem and Jerusalem's Old 
City. 
 
Palestinian Minister of Religious Affairs Jamal Bawatna condemned 
both Israeli excavations near the Haram Al Sharif (Temple Mount) in 
the Old City of Jerusalem and the international silence regarding 
 
 
the issue, according to inside stories in the dailies.  Al Qud's 
runs their coverage on 2/3 of the second page, noting, however, that 
Bawatna appeared "optimistic" about the ability of the "American- 
European vision" to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 
 
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BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
1) Al-Quds independent carried its daily editorial entitled, "Best 
Wishes for Egypt and its role" (02/05):"We [Palestinians] oppose 
anything that might affect the dignity of Egypt and its soldiers. 
Egypt was and will remain the castle of Arab nationalism and the 
closest friend to the Palestinian people.  It will also be among the 
leading nations for showing concern for... [the Palestinian 
people]... even when armored men blew up the [Gaza Rafah] border 
wall, Egypt interpreted this act in an objective way.  And we 
remember that Egyptian President Mubarak has said more than once, 
that 'Egypt will not allow for the starvation of the Palestinian 
people'... therefore what happened yesterday [January 05] is 
unbelievable.  When clashes took place [at the borders between Gaza 
and Egypt, between Palestinian militants and Egyptian security 
forces], and we saw Palestinians throwing stones at the Egyptian 
forces... this event was shameful and sad, and we completely reject 
such actions for which there can be no justification." 
 
2) Al-Quds independent carried another daily editorial entitled, 
"Questions from Dimona" (02/05): "yesterday, the name of Dimona 
city, where the Israeli nuclear facilities is located, was linked to 
the operation carried out by two Palestinians.  This bombing 
resulted in extensive media coverage of Israeli reactions to the 
bombing.  The operation came at the perfect time from an Israeli 
perspective and at the worst of times for the Palestinians... Israel 
can now feel completely free to take any countermeasures in Gaza and 
the West Bank.  Israel will find understanding throughout the world 
for any such measures, because they can be justified as self 
defense..., On the other hand, we [Palestinians], who have been 
living under occupation for 40 years, appear [to the world] as 
terrorists who deserve to be punished and live under siege... we 
might not be exaggerating when we say that many Israelis on the 
extreme right see this [bombing] as a gift that they have waited 
for, for a long time, and sadly, a few of us [Palestinians] gave it 
to them." 
 
DUFFY