O 051105Z JUN 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1711
WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
WHITE HOUSE NSC
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 000945 
 
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 (6/05):  41ST ANNIVERSARY OF 1967 
WAR:  NO SOLUTION IN SIGHT 
 
 
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Main Stories: 
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Palestinian President Abbas's call for "comprehensive and national" 
dialogue between Fatah and Hamas leads coverage in all dailies. 
Both Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida run red banner headlines 
quoting Abbas stating that the dialogue should be based on the 
Yemeni initiative and include Arab involvement.  The Yemen-sponsored 
reconciliation plan pushed for talks between the two groups earlier 
this year.  Abbas, who did not stress a previous condition that 
Hamas return the Gaza Strip to Palestinian Authority rule, was 
speaking at a commemoration of the 41st anniversary of the 1967 war. 
 Other front-page reports cite Hamas welcoming Abbas' call. 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reports that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyya will 
respond to Abbas in an, "official address." 
 
Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad's remarks that continuing Israeli 
settlement activities, "will never bring security to Israel," are 
highlighted in all dailies.  The same reports quote Fayyad praising 
the peaceful resistance against the Israeli separation barrier of 
the Palestinian village Bl'in, stating that his Government's policy 
is based on the "Bl'in lesson."  The residents of Bl'in won an 
Israeli court case in September 2007 to change the route of the 
separation barrier and are continuing weekly protests with their 
international supporters to press for other changes related to the 
barrier which they say is built on village land. 
 
Front pages report that Israel has decided to delay the transfer of 
tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority in protest of a letter 
from Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad to the EU, urging European 
countries to "punish" Israel for continued settlement activities. 
The European Union is considering, "upgrading their relations" with 
Israel. 
 
Angry reaction to Barak Obama's June 4 address to AIPAC runs in 
front page headlines.  Al-Quds highlights that Palestinian President 
Abbas, "completely rejects" Obama's comments about Jerusalem 
remaining the united capital of Israel and reiterated the 
Palestinian position that the eastern part of the city, "shall be 
the capital of the future Palestinian state."  In a sarcastic tone, 
Al-Ayyam runs the headline, "Obama submits his credentials to Israel 
soon after he wins the Democratic Party's nomination."  Al-Quds 
quotes Abbas's Chief of Staff Rafiq Husseini stating that the 
situation in Jerusalem may "explode" and the whole conflict turn 
into an "ideological and religious" struggle. 
 
Coverage of Israeli Prime Minister Olmert's visit to Washington is 
highlighted in Al-Ayyam, citing his "threats" to wage a vast 
military offensive in the Gaza Strip.  The story states that 
Olmert's discussion with President Bush focused on Iran. 
 
Al-Ayyam reports that Israel has decided to suspend the delivery of 
fuel into Gaza amid the June 4 firing of missiles on Israeli targets 
from the Strip. 
 
All dailies front-page coverage of remarks by chief Palestinian 
negotiator Ahmad Quray that, "it would take a miracle to reach an 
agreement by the end of this year." 
 
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BLOCK QUOTES: 
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¶1. Veteran columnist Talal 'Ukal comments in independent Al-Ayyam 
under the headline, "Not Much Time Is Left," (6/5): "It is safe to 
say that [Israeli Prime Minister] Olmert has achieved the goals of 
his [Washington] visit.  I I think those goals can be summarized in 
the following two points:  The first is to ensure American 
administration support for Olmert to remain in office for at least a 
few more months.  The second is to acquire a possible American green 
light to wage vast military aggression on the Gaza Strip, for which 
it seems that detailed plans have already been drawn up and the 
countdown has started.  [American] statements that preceded Olmert's 
meeting with Bush indicate that the American administration is not 
the least bit concerned about the political crisis in Israel, and 
that Washington, in fact, would like to take advantage of Olmert's 
hardship ... to obtain guarantees on progress in Palestinian-Israeli 
negotiations.  For her part, Secretary Condoleezza Rice has restated 
that Washington is determined to forge an agreement this year.  She 
would not have said that if she doubted Olmert's chances of 
remaining in office... and [his] being capable of continuing to make 
decisions." 
 
¶2. Independent Al-Quds runs an op-ed by Jamil Salhut entitled, 
"Remembering the June [war], no signs of any solutions," (6/5): 
"These days mark the beginning of the 42nd year of Israel's 
occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Syrian Golan 
Heights....  In fact, settlement activities have never stopped in 
East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank.  Continued and 
accelerated announcements about additional settlement activities 
during ongoing negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian 
Authority can only mean that the current Israeli Government, like 
all previous Israeli governments, is not serious about peace.  This 
peace cannot be achieved without complete Israeli withdrawal from 
the occupied territories.  Therefore, any... possibility of 
establishing a Palestinian state by the end of this year, in 
accordance with President Bush's vision, is simply impossible...." 
 
WALLES