VZCZCXRO7070
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0759/01 1280729
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 070729Z MAY 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1389
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 7098
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4092
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3945
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5443
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 3853
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2422

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000759 
 
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 (5/07): PREDICTING THE NEXT 60 
YEARS 
 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
"Israel is proposing a canton state," according to an unnamed 
Palestinian official on Al-Quds' front page.  All dailies cover 
comments about negotiations by the PLO Executive Committee that, 
"the measurement of any progress in negotiations will be a halt to 
settlement activities."  The Committee in its May 6 meeting, 
stressed the importance of unity between Gaza and the West Bank 
describing it as, "a basic national element that should not be given 
away."  Related coverage on the front pages quote PLO negotiator 
Sa'eb Erakat stating that the, "Palestinian Authority leadership 
will study all possible options in the event that an agreement with 
Israel is not reached."  Erakat adds that, "the news about American 
supervisors present at checkpoints is not accurate," coverage notes. 
On a positive note regarding the daily lives of Palestinians, the 
dailies highlight that Israeli authorities have published the names 
of 10,000 Palestinians that they have approved for legal residency 
in the Palestinian Territories. 
 
The front pages of the three dailies focus on the status of 
investigations into corruption charges involving Israeli Premier 
Olmert.  Al-Ayyam opens with, "Israel is preparing for what comes 
after Olmert and Barak hints at the possibility of early elections." 
 Al-Quds reports that, "Olmert is on the edge of falling [from 
power]."  All dailies report about the possibility that Israeli 
Foreign Minister Livni would head the government, should Olmert 
leave. 
 
Palestinian Authority security forces in Jenin continue to be front 
page news in all papers.  The dailies again highlight the 
determination of the Palestinian Authority to make the Jenin 
security mission a success, while noting that one Palestinian near 
Jenin was injured by the security forces on May 6. 
 
A Palestinian was killed in Gaza on May 6, following an Israeli 
airstrike, headlines reveal.  The death of another Palestinian in an 
earlier airstike, is the subject of an Al-Ayyam front page article. 
The daily runs a Reuters' story about the killing of a UN teacher 
who was "a vice principle in the morning and a bomb maker at night." 
 Meanwhile, a report on the front page of Al-Hayat Al-Jadida 
headlines, "Israel found rockets and weapons in the Shufat refugee 
camp [in the Jerusalem area]." 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
¶1.  Independent Al-Quds runs its daily editorial entitled "They are 
ignoring our catastrophe" (5/07):  "... upon the 60th anniversary of 
the establishment of Israel, we should remember that negotiations 
between Palestinians and Israelis have reached a dead end.  This is 
because of extensive settlement activities, the confiscation of land 
and the building of the wall [separation barrier].  [It is also 
because of Israeli efforts to] change the demography of Jerusalem 
and create realities on the ground in order to impose the Israeli 
vision of a solution regarding the future of the city.  This goes 
hand in hand with the disregard for the rights of Palestinians, 
Arabs and Muslims living [in Jerusalem]. All previous indicators 
show that the peace process is threatened and needs international 
intervention to stop these Israeli actions.  These actions give the 
impression that the catastrophe of 1948 will continue..." 
 
¶2.  Official Al-Hayat Al-Jadida features veteran columnist Omar 
 
JERUSALEM 00000759  002 OF 002 
 
 
Al-Ghoul, opining under the title, "Why don't you lift the siege?" 
(5/07):  "Two days ago, Hamas spokesperson, Sami Abu Zahri 
threatened during a press conference to end the siege [in Gaza] if 
Israel does not respond to their demands.  This threat attracted the 
attention of local and international observers because it raises a 
central issue that Hamas has the ability to lift the siege on Gaza 
[demonstrated by the breach of the Egyptian border], and it holds 
the key to [such a possible] solution.  Following the coup in Gaza 
in 2007, Hamas blamed the Palestinian Authority and Abbas for 
standing behind the Israeli Gaza siege policy... The Question is, if 
Hamas can lift the siege in Gaza, why doesn't it do it?  What is 
Hamas waiting for?... national Palestinian interests require Hamas 
to back off from its policies and return to the options that people 
want [reconcile with the Palestinian Authority]." 
 
WALLES