VZCZCXRO5242
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0983/01 1620957
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 100957Z JUN 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1765
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 7152
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4139
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3992
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5490
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 3908
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2470

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000983 
 
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 
LQDON 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 (6/10):  DIALOGUE - ONLY WAY OUT 
OF INTERNAL CONFLICT 
 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
President Abbas' repeated calls for dialogue with Hamas and for the 
need to ensure the success of an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with 
Israel, continue to capture lead coverage in all dailies.  Al-Quds 
highlights Abbas' call for a halt to, "hostile media campaigns" by 
Palestinian factions against each other.  Following his meeting with 
Egyptian President Mubarak, the dailies quote Abbas praising 
Egyptian efforts to forge a ceasefire agreement with Israel, adding 
that he, "rejects any aggression against the Gaza Strip."  The same 
reports quote Hamas leader Khaled Misha'al confirming that his 
movement is ready to engage in unconditional dialogue with Fatah. 
Other front-page reports highlight the Senegalese President's recent 
efforts to resolve the internal Palestinian conflict, including an 
attempt to arrange for a meeting between Abbas and Misha'al. 
 
Palestinian public sector employee salaries will soon be paid, 
according to Al-Ayyam.  The paper quotes Palestinian Prime Minister 
Fayyad confirming that Israel has informed the Palestinians that it 
has transferred tax revenues owed to the PaQstinian Authority.  The 
report states that Israel held back 80 million NIS ($23 million) of 
the total 330 million NIS ($97 million) to cover several Palestinian 
municipalities' unpaid electricity bills.  Al-Hayat Al-Jadida quotes 
Minister of Information Malki confirming that the funds would be 
transferred to Palestinian Authority bank accounts by June 10. 
 
Al-Quds quotes chief PLO negotiator Sa'eb Erekat confirming an, 
"Israeli-Palestinian meeting" to be held on June 15.  The story 
notes that Secretary Rice will participate in the meeting in order 
to, "assess the status of negotiations." 
 
Anticipation of a major Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip 
is highlighted in several front-page stories.  The stories report on 
a "decisive" session to be held by the Israeli Government on June 
10, to discuss details of the military offensive. 
 
Monday, June 9, 2008 
 
Citing the Israeli daily Maariv, Al-Quds led with a story about 
Palestinian lead negotiator Ahmad Quray demanding the Israeli 
handover of, "all territories occupied in 1967."  Quray added that 
his negotiation team's goal is to reach agreement with Israelis on a 
draft document by the end of the year, one that will be binding on 
both parties.  The same article quotes Israeli Foreign Minister 
Livni stating that differences with the Palestinians on final-status 
issues remain substantial. 
 
------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------- 
 
¶1. Ali Abu Hilal, member of the Palestinian National Council, 
commented in independent Al-Quds under the headline, "In Order to 
End Internal Division and Achieve National Unity," (6/10): "It is 
important to point out that real national unity... is one that is 
based on a shared Qatform of policy and resistance... Some 
observers argue that the Palestinian President's [recent] call for 
national unity was dictated by external factors related to the 
failure of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations sponsored by an American 
mediation that is biased towards Israel....  Regardless, Palestinian 
national dialogue can only succeed in ending internal division if... 
dialogue [is accepted] as the only means to resolve differences." 
 
JERUSALEM 00000983  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶2. Veteran columnist Hani Masri opined in independent Al-Ayyam under 
the headline, "For the Sake of Serious Dialogue Capable of Restoring 
Unity," (6/10): "Hamas must reexamine its experience [with the 
Palestinian political process] and reflect on lessons learned.  It 
must also consider if it really wants to take part in the political 
process, one that is restricted by the Oslo agreement and its 
obligations...  Hamas- and all Palestinians- have to make a real 
choice between the political process and armed resistance. 
Combining the two options has clearly failed, resulting in 
continuous warfare since 2000.  So, it will have to be either the 
government or armed resistance, and if the choice is the government, 
then Hamas must change [its] style of ruling and [its] actions to 
best serve the Palestinian national interest." 
 
WALLES