VZCZCXRO6026
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0840/01 1371022
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 161022Z MAY 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1547
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 7119
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4106
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3959
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5457
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 3875
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2437

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000840 
 
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 (5/16): IGNORING THE NAKBA 
 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
Negative coverage surrounds front page reporting on President Bush's 
May 15 speech before the Israeli Knesset. The dailies accuse Bush 
of, "ignoring the catastrophe of the Palestinians and the peace 
process."  Al-Quds reports that Bush, "ignored the right of 
Palestinians to establish an independent state," adding that Bush 
said, "greater Israel is a promise from God to the Jews."  Citing 
the German wire DPA, the dailies report that PLO executive committee 
member Tayseer Khaled commented that, "the speech by Bush exceeded 
the extremes of [Israeli Premier] Olmert and [Israeli Likud 
opposition leader] Netanyahu." Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reports that 
"Israeli officials consider Bush more Zionist than many Israeli 
ministers."  Al-Ayyam reports under a red banner, "Bush pledged to 
support the 'chosen people' and suggested that the prophecy of 
regional peace will only be fulfilled sixty years from now!" The 
dailies also highlight coverage on the visit of Bush to Saudi 
Arabia.  The papers report that the Saudis will urge Bush to find a 
solution to the "Palestinian cause" in order to limit Iranian 
influence in the region. 
 
 
Extensive coverage with photos of Nakba commemoration events 
throughout the West Bank and Gaza dominate front pages. 
Palestinians in Jerusalem and Israel also marked the 60th 
anniversary, the dailies report.  Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's lead story 
quotes Palestinian President Abbas stating that, "it is time for 
this blight on humanity to end, called the Nakba, should end." 
Al-Quds leads with "Abbas:  The security of Israel is connected to 
our independence, continuing this catastrophe will not bring 
security to anyone."  Al-Ayyam quotes Abbas saying, "60 years of 
struggle have not weakened us."  All front pages quote Palestinian 
Premier Fayyad's comments that, "this collective pain can be healed 
through a just peace."  Al-Ayyam reports that Fayyad added that, 
"Israel is celebrating and we are in pain because of the continuing 
occupation and settlement activity and the brutality of the 
settlers."  In Gaza, the dailies reported that Hamas used force to 
prevent Nakba commemoration events in the area of Jabalya.  The 
Israeli Foreign Minister was quoted in the dailies saying, 
"Palestinians cannot celebrate independence unless they drop the 
word catastrophe." 
 
The dailies report that Israeli authorities are planning to close 
the Ibrahim mosque in Hebron in order to "evaluate the security 
situation there."  The front page of Al-Hayat Al-Jadida quotes 
Hebron Waqf Director Zaid Al-Jabari asserting that, "We consider 
this decision a violation of the mosque, and the right to religious 
freedom." 
 
The dailies report that the situation on the ground in Gaza will 
likely see an escalation in military activity as Israeli authorities 
consider a wide-scale military operation in Gaza. 
 
The dailies highlight coverage of the attempt by 100 Israeli 
settlers to take over land in the West Bank town of Beit Sahour. 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
¶1.  Independent Al-Quds runs its daily editorial entitled, "Bias 
even towards the significance of the catastrophe" (5/16):  "... 
while Israeli and international media are full of news about the 
 
JERUSALEM 00000840  002 OF 002 
 
 
Israeli celebration of its 60th independence anniversary, the 
Palestinian catastrophe has been totally ignored internationally. 
The American position would have seemed more balanced if President 
Bush had shown symbolic feelings [sympathy]for the Palestinians who 
are commemorating their catastrophe... ordinary Arabs, Muslims and 
Palestinians know there is a strategic and strong bond between the 
United States and Israel.  But the significance of the catastrophe 
and its consequences are humanitarian in nature.  Western 
civilizations are proud of ... revolutions like the French 
revolution and the 
American Revolution... We can understand the American and western 
bias towards Israel, but we cannot at all understand the phenomenon 
of anti-Nakba feelings that [ignore that] our people have been 
suffering from its continuing consequences since the last sixty 
years." 
 
¶2. Independent Al-Ayyam runs an editorial by veteran columnist 
Muhammed Yaghi entitled, "America does not hold the papers for a 
solution" (5/16): "Do not believe that the United States holds the 
papers for solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict ... on the eve 
of the American elections we see that all American candidates are 
racing to claim a close relationship with Israel.  John McCain said 
that Hamas is a nightmare and that Hamas supports Obama. McCain 
visited [the southern Israeli city of] Sderot and refused to visit 
[Palestinian President] Abbas in Ramallah. And when he was asked if 
Palestinians will consider his actions to be biased towards Israel, 
he replied by saying, "let them think whatever they want." Obama 
defended himself by accusing McCain of, "losing his mind" and how 
could McCain say that when my [Obama] policy is similar to his 
regarding Hamas?  Obama added that he, "would like to see Israel 
standing side by side with America for the next 600 years." Hillary 
Clinton said that she will wipe Iran off of the map if it uses 
nuclear power against Israel."  Can we, after all of the above, 
believe the Americans hold the papers for a solution? 
 
WALLES