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DE RUEHJM #0721/01 1191005
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281005Z APR 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1307
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 7082
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4073
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3929
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5427
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 3837
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2404

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 000721 
 
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 (04/28): "WHAT IF BUSH LEAVES 
TAKING THE PROMISE, VISION AND MAP WITH HIM?" 
 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
The three dailies open with coverage of the meeting between 
Palestinian President Abbas and Egyptian President Mubarak in Sharm 
Al-Sheikh on April 27.  Al-Ayyam quotes Abbas saying, "we asked Bush 
to work on a halt to settlement activities," and runs a Reuters 
in-depth piece entitled, "Abbas is pessimistic about the possibility 
for peace."  Al-Quds highlights Abbas' statement that, "any 
agreement we reach with the Israelis will be based on the borders of 
1967." Related coverage in the dailies also highlights the travel of 
Palestinian political party representatives to Cairo on April 28 to 
discuss a possible truce with Israel.  However, Al Quds reports that 
Nabil Amr, Palestinian ambassador to Egypt, stated that, "Fatah will 
not send delegations to Cairo" and added that President Abbas has 
asked him to follow up on Egyptian truce efforts."  The papers 
report that Abbas showed support during his Egypt visit for Egyptian 
efforts regarding a truce with Israel in Gaza.  Meanwhile, "Hamas 
accuses Israel of delaying any possible truce by imposing impossible 
conditions," according to Al-Quds.  The front page of Al-Quds rounds 
out reporting on a truce and factions with a quote by jailed Fatah 
leader Marwan Al-Barghouthi announcing that, "we are conducting 
talks inside the jails to reinstate unity and return to the 
prisoner's document as the primary reference for resolving [unity]." 
 
 
Positive coverage appears on the front pages of the dailies 
regarding the visit of Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad to Jenin on 
April 27.  The dailies report that Fayyad expressed optimism about 
the security situation in Jenin.  Fayyad said in a press conference 
in Jenin that Israel has approved the establishment of an industrial 
zone near the border with Israel which will create thousands of 
jobs.  Al-Quds quotes Fayyad insisting that, "We are determined to 
protect our national project and to establish an independent state." 
 Photos of Fayyad smiling and talking to school girls in Jenin 
appear on the front pages of Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida. 
 
Citing the pro-Hamas Palestine Now website, Al-Quds reports that the 
"Hamas government" is expanding its ranks.  The report notes that an 
expanded government awaits a show of confidence from former Hamas 
Prime Minister Haniyah so that it can begin performing its duties. 
 
Progress on Turkish mediation efforts between Israel and Syria 
attracts front page coverage in the dailies.  Al-Quds reports that 
the Israeli ambassador to Turkey said that negotiations will begin 
on different levels between Israel and Syria.  Related reports in 
the dailies also highlight that Israeli Defense Minister Barak 
accused Israeli Premier Olmert of giving away the Golan Heights. 
 
The front page of Al-Ayyam reports that the U.S. Congress "issued a 
decision" that indicates "American support for Israel as the 
homeland of the Jewish people." According to Ma'an News Agency, 
Hamas criticized the decision as "dangerous." 
 
WAFA news agency reports that French President Nicolas Sarkozy 
declared his intent to use the French Presidency of the European 
Union as a vehicle to work towards improvement of the lives of the 
Palestinian people.  The declaration was made during an interview 
with a Tunisian daily newspaper on April 26.  President Sarkozy 
explained that peace will require recognition of the Palestinians' 
right to an independent, developed and viable state living in peace 
and security alongside Israel. 
 
 
JERUSALEM 00000721  002 OF 003 
 
 
--------------- 
Weekend Stories: 
--------------- 
Sunday: 24/4/2008 
 
The front pages highlighted comments made by Palestinian President 
Abbas on April 26, about reaching an agreement with Israel.  Abbas 
stated that, "a very difficult crisis will unfold if Bush's term in 
office ends without an [peace] agreement."  Abbas added, "we will 
have to study [what should be] the next step."  Al-Quds reported 
that Abbas stated that, "we will not sign any agreement with Israel 
that will not satisfy our people and meet their legitimate needs." 
According to Al Hayat Al Jadida's lead story, Secretary Rice will 
visit Ramallah on May 3 and another summit will be held with 
President Bush next month in Sharm Al-Sheikh. 
 
"What has been said in meetings and negotiations contradicts the 
reality on the ground," PLO Executive committee member Yasser Abed 
Rabbo commented on Al Ayyam's front page.  Related coverage on Al 
Quds' front page quoted Palestinian President Abbas's senior advisor 
Nabil Sha'ath stating that, "American policy is based on making the 
situation explode."  He added that Secretary Rice is adopting the 
policy of, "creative chaos in the region." Sha'ath continued that he 
believed that, "Tony Blair has had no effective role up until now. 
He is a very busy man who has not achieved anything, in my opinion." 
 Sha'ath comments were made during an interview at his Cairo office 
with the German news agency DPA. 
 
The front page of Al-Hayat Al-Jadida carried an AFP story entitled, 
"McCain says Obama is Hamas' candidate." According to the article, 
McCain commented that, "I think it's very clear who Hamas wants to 
be the next president of the United States." 
 
Saturday: 26/4/2008 
 
The dailies were pessimistic in their coverage of Palestinian 
President Abbas' recent visit to Washington. Al-Quds led with, 
"Abbas looked angry and expressed pessimism regarding reaching any 
agreement."  Al-Quds headlined an Abbas quote in bolded print:  "We 
have not achieved any progress yet, and settlements are the greatest 
obstacle to the path of peace."  The front pages of the three 
dailies also highlighted comments by Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu 
Rudayna who told AFP that, "President Abbas will not accept any 
peace agreement with Israel that fails to meet the demands of the 
Palestinian people."  Abu Rudayna "warned" that the current chance 
for peace could slip away. 
Citing an AFP story, the front pages of the three dailies reported 
that the United States denied reports that it gave "the green light 
to Israel to expand settlements."  The U.S. clarification was made 
in response to comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert 
that appeared in a Washington Post article that President Bush gave 
a letter to Olmert's predecessor Ariel Sharon that "allowed" Israel 
to expand West Bank settlements. 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
¶1. Al-Ayyam carries an op-ed by veteran columnist Jawad Al-Bashiti 
entitled, "What if Bush leaves and takes with him the promise and 
vision and the map?" (4/28): "...President Bush did not show 
President Abbas anything during their latest meeting at the White 
House that gives Abbas optimism about the possibilities for peace. 
Time is short, and getting shorter, therefore, President Bush warned 
 
JERUSALEM 00000721  003 OF 003 
 
 
that he will be leaving the White House, taking with him the 
'promise and the vision, the map" as Clinton did before with his 
'ideas and thoughts'.  Something similar to the meeting between 
former Palestinian President Arafat and Clinton and Barak in Camp 
David happened at the meeting between Abbas and Bush.  What if Bush 
does leave the White House and leaves Palestinians and Israelis 
trapped in the 'net of the Annapolis negotiations'... if all 
Palestinian compromises are not enough to give Palestinians a 
solution in the coming months?  [Then it will be] necessary to 
follow Abbas [counsel] that Palestinians should study what their 
next step should be." 
 
¶2. Veteran columnist Talal Okal opines in Al Ayyam under that title, 
"mixing papers in preparation for big changes" (4/28):  "While 
President Abbas was travelling to Washington to follow on the visit 
of the King of Jordan to the U.S.... [a] message ... was passed by 
the Turkish Prime Minister that Israel is ready to return the Golan 
Heights to Syria in exchange for peace... we can conclude that... 
the Israeli message to Syria had been coordinated with American 
policy... And we can see that the American State department is 
racing against time to prepare ... to revive hope in [the] regional 
peace process..." 
 
WALLES