VZCZCXRO7245
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0998/01 1640653
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 120653Z JUN 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1785
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 7156
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4143
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3996
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5494
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 3912
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2474

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000998 
 
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 (6/12):  THE DIFFICULTY OF 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT "UNDER OCCUPATION" 
 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
Events in Gaza dominate coverage in all dailies.  A photo of a 
distraught young girl injured in an Israeli air strike on June 11 
leads coverage in Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida.  Al-Quds leads 
with a photo of an Israeli soldier leading a long-line of 
blindfolded Palestinians to an Israeli jail near the Gaza border. 
All dailies report that four Gazans were killed in the June 11 air 
strike.  According to Al-Ayyam's lead story, Israel has decided to 
give truce efforts with Palestinians, "a chance" while it continues 
to prepare for a military campaign in Gaza should truce talks fail. 
Separate coverage in the dailies highlight a DPA wire story about 
Israeli plans to release Palestinian prisoners from the West Bank 
and send them to Gaza.  Al-Ayyam also reports that Israeli Foreign 
Minister Livni stated that, "the Palestinian nation should be an 
unarmed state, with [international] supervision of the border 
crossings." 
 
All dailies report on the June 11 meeting between Palestinian 
President Abbas and His Majesty King Abdullah II.  According to the 
coverage, the two leaders highlighted the, "importance of forcing 
Israel to respect international agreements."  Al-Quds reports that 
both leaders insisted that Israeli commitment to prior agreements 
will facilitate a just and lasting resolution to the 
Palestinian-Israeli conflict."  Related coverage states that the 
King of Jordan has donated 15 million JD ($7.5 million) to renovate 
mosaics at the Dome of the Rock mosque in Jerusalem. 
 
All dailies note that the European Union has, "strong" internal 
voices calling for the postponement of discussion about upgrading 
the EU's relationship with Israel. 
 
The dailies report that Israeli Premier Olmert has agreed to begin 
preparations for early primary elections of the Kadima party. 
 
All dailies give positive coverage to the launching of a USAID 
project to rehabilitate the archeological site of Hisham's Palace in 
the West Bank city of Jericho.  The dailies report that local NGO 
ANERA will implement the USAID project and finish it the next two 
months.  Photos of USAID Acting Country Director David Harden with 
representatives of the Palestinian Authority and ANERA appear in all 
dailies. 
------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------- 
 
¶1. Al-Ayyam independent daily carries an op-ed by columnist Talal 
Okal entitled, "We need a change in thinking" (6/12): "In the midst 
of current events related to the Palestinian situation and its 
relation to the external world and the Israeli policy of aggression, 
and the severe consequences of complete internal Palestinian 
division... many are asking about the geography of a future 
Palestinian state.  How can [a state] be established in the shadow 
of this deep internal division and in the shadow of settlement 
activity? And in the shadow of the wall that is eating up more and 
more land?  All of these issues raise larger questions that need 
review..." 
 
Independent daily Al-Ayyam carried an op-ed by columnist Abdullah 
Awwad entitled, "The theory of possible economics and impossible 
politics" (6/12): "...We assumed that the greatest part of the 
Palestinians Authority's treasury or national income comes from 
 
JERUSALEM 00000998  002 OF 002 
 
 
donor countries in the form of assistance to the Palestinian 
Authority.  The greatest part is drained away by the Jewish state 
through its occupation which paralyzes internal Palestinian economic 
development through checkpoints and closed roads and closed border 
crossings... The Europeans' theory which Palestinians are working 
with, gives priority to economics as the basis for any possible 
future political solution.... But wisdom dictates that... all 
efforts should first focus on ending the occupation." 
 
 
WALLES