VZCZCXRO7757
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0716/01 1160748
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 250748Z APR 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1300
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEADWD/DA WASHINGTON DC//DAS-ZD/DACS-ZK//
RUEAHQA/CSAF WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
RHMFIUU/CMC WASHINGTON DC
RUENAAA/CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7080
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4071
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3927
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5425
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 3835
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2402

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000716 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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 (04/25): POTENTIAL FOR PALESTINIAN 
RECONCILIATION AND ISRAELI SUMMER ACTIONS 
 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
The meeting between President Bush and Palestinian President Abbas 
captures the headlines in all Palestinian media reporting.  Photos 
of the two men shaking hands accompany reports that President Bush 
reaffirmed that "the establishment of a Palestinian state is one top 
of my priorities."  Al-Quds reports that Bush said "I will work 
strongly to reach a peace agreement before the end of the year." 
Bush is also quoted saying that achieving peace is in the interest 
of the two sides. In exclusive comments to Al-Quds, Palestinian 
negotiator Sa'eb Erekat said "Bush asserted that security is the 
common ground for peace."  A photo of Secretary Rice sitting with 
Ahmad Qurai and Sa'eb Erekat appears on the inside pages of Al-Quds. 
 
 
The dailies highlight Hamas claims that it has agreed to a ceasefire 
with Israel that would start in the Gaza Strip and later extend to 
the West Bank.  Al Quds quotes Egyptian officials that discussions 
will take place with all the Palestinian factions to try to reach 
agreement on the ceasefire.  The report also notes that Hamas told 
the Egyptians that excluding Hamas from any future Palestinian 
government is not acceptable. 
 
The situation in the Gaza Strip is a "dangerous" humanitarian 
crisis, Palestinian media reports.  UNRWA halted its humanitarian 
food distribution to 650,000 refugees in Gaza because of fuel 
shortages, the dailies report, while European Union officials called 
on Israel to allow the shipment of fuel into Gaza.  Meanwhile, 
Al-Quds reports Hamas called on the Gaza public to take to the 
streets on April 25, and march towards the Gaza border crossings. 
Al-Quds front-paged a photo of an elderly man blind-folded and being 
led away by an Israeli soldier after being arrested in Gaza. In 
separate reports, all dailies highlight comments by the Libyan 
representative to the UN Security Council likening the situation in 
Gaza to that in Nazi camps. 
 
Al-Ayyam and Al Quds report that the World Bank has decided to 
provide $92 million to support projects in the West Bank and Gaza. 
 
Only Al-Ayyam carries coverage, though under a red banner, of 
information from Washington that revealed Israel destroyed a nuclear 
reactor in Syria built with assistance from the North Koreans. 
Al-Ayyam carried photos of the site before and after it was 
destroyed. 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
¶1. Al-Quds carried an op-ed by Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zahri 
entitled "The American role in the Palestinian-Palestinian talks" 
(4/25) that stated: "Ending the Palestinian internal conflict is a 
dream for each and every honest Palestinian and Arab. Therefore it 
is not strange to see ongoing calls to exit the current Palestinian 
state of affairs. We cannot understand the on-going [internal] 
division without remembering the background that caused it, which 
all basically connected to American interference. This is because 
the American government took it upon itself, side by side with the 
Israelis and other international parties, to fail the democratic 
process that brought Hamas to power. It also took many steps in this 
regard, the most important of which was the plan of Dayton to train 
Palestinians and to give them weapons and money to carry a coup 
 
JERUSALEM 00000716  002 OF 002 
 
 
against Hamas. But the power and cautiousness of Hamas caused this 
plan to fail.... The only explanation for halting internal talks is 
that Abbas is following an American - Israeli decision and no longer 
decisions made by Abu Mazen or the Fatah movement, which cannot sit 
with Hamas at one table if America objects..." 
 
¶2. Al-Ayyam carried an op-ed by veteran columnist Samih Shbaib 
entitled "Horizons for a coming regional war" (4/25) that opined: 
"...It is very clear from the latest Israeli official statements 
that there are preparations underway for Israel to spend another hot 
summer that will target Syria and Hezbollah.  Their plans might also 
expand to Iran and Gaza at the same time. Israeli strategists see 
the upcoming end of Bush's term in office and the lack of progress 
on the negotiation front as an ideal time to carry out a regional 
war. Let us wait and see the outcome of the visit of [Turkish Prime 
Minister] Erdogan to Damascus and what details it will reveal. Let's 
also wait until hearing the response of Damascus on these details, 
and wait and see the chapters of this hot summer!" 
 
DUFFY