VZCZCXRO8065
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1144/01 1841124
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 021124Z JUL 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1968
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 7188
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4173
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4026
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5524
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 3942
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2506

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001144 
 
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 (7/02): THE GAZA STRIP TRUCE _ 
"NOT ABOUT MILITARY OBJECTIVES" 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
The speech by Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas at the 
Socialist International Conference in Athens on June 1 is front page 
news in all dailies.  The dailies reprint the full text in which 
Abbas emphasizes that peace negotiations with Israel, "continue to 
face huge obstacles. The gap between the two positions continues to 
be wide and cannot be overcome if the Israeli Government does not 
take firm action and implement measures that confirm its serious 
desire to protect this opportunity."  Abbas adds, "despite the 
tragic situation that we are living in, we have decided to give 
peace talks a chance to continue," the papers report. 
 
News about Gaza crossing points continues to attract headlines. 
Al-Quds leads with a photo of exhausted Palestinian children waiting 
on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing.  The front page report 
notes that Egypt opened the southern Rafah crossing point on July 1 
to allow the passage of individuals stranded in Egypt into Gaza; and 
for the passage of Palestinians needing medical treatment into 
Egypt.  Al-Hayat Al-Jadida highlights a photo of ambulances waiting 
in a crowd of people to exit Gaza into Egypt.  Related coverage in 
Al-Quds highlights the July 1 assessment made by European Commission 
head General Pietro Pistolese in Rafah that he does not expect the 
Gaza crossings to remain permanently open. 
 
Al-Quds' front page reports that Hamas denies deploying its forces 
along the northern borders of the Gaza Strip.  Former Hamas Prime 
Minister Haniyyah criticized the Israeli position towards the truce 
[closing of crossing points] and considered it, "a discouraging 
start to the agreement" in a speech on July 1.  For his part, 
Israeli Premier Olmert 'threatened" on July 1, that his country 
will, "fight with all of Israel's power," if Palestinians do not 
honor the truce agreement.  The paper rounds out reporting with a 
note that Palestinian factions are considering the adoption of a 
united position towards Israel if Israel, "continues its truce 
violations" in Gaza. 
 
The three dailies highlight a rocket attack by Israeli settlers on 
the Palestinian village of Burin near the West Bank city of Nablus 
on their front pages.  The attack, which did not cause any injuries 
or material damage, was characterized by Palestinian presidency 
spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudaynah as, "Israeli escalation [of 
violence] by the settlers."  PLO negotiator Sa'eb Erekat described 
the incident as, "a terrorist act by the settlers against our 
unarmed people and dangerous development," according to all papers. 
Al-Ayyam covers the July 1 meeting of Palestinian Authority 
President Abbas with Israeli Minister of Defense Barak held on the 
margins of the Socialist International Conference in Athens. 
Official Palestinian presidency spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudaynah told 
Al-Ayyam that Abbas reiterated to Barak the need to remove [West 
Bank] checkpoints to enable the free movement of the Palestinian 
people.  The two officials also discussed the issue of halting 
Israeli settlement activities, the paper notes. 
In a brief report on Al-Ayyam's front page, Hamas denies handing 
Israel a new list of prisoners to be released in a possible exchange 
deal.  Al-Ayyam also briefly reports that Hamas denied on July 1 
that Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas will meet with 
head of the Hamas Politburo Khaled Mish'al in Damascus next month. 
 
Al-Quds reports on a USAID event in Yatta city in the West Bank 
Hebron Governorate.  On July 1, the residents of Yatta city 
celebrated infrastructure improvements funded by USAID. 
 
 
JERUSALEM 00001144  002 OF 002 
 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
¶1.  In one of its main editorials, under the headline, "Will the 
Truce Last Long?" independent Al-Quds opines, (07/02) "...In 
evaluating the truce, one can conclude that it will not last long 
for several reasons.  Mainly, because the basis of Israeli policy is 
not to implement a true peace with the Palestinians by respecting 
their demands, but rather to impose a peace by force that is in 
accordance with Israel's wishes ...Israel knows that the Palestinian 
people will not accept such an Israeli peace since it would mean 
surrender ..." 
 
¶2.  Independent Al-Ayyam runs an editorial by Dr. Ibrahim Ibrach 
entitled, "Why a Truce Now? Whose interest would an extension to the 
West Bank serve?" (07/02): "In order for us to understand the truce, 
we have to ask why there is a truce now?...For Israel, had the truce 
been successful in the past, Israel would have been forced to give 
up control of land in the West Bank.  Today, however, the truce 
enables Israel to keep control of the West Bank at no cost except 
for allowing the entry of food and fuel, bought by Palestinians 
themselves, into the Gaza Strip... The truce and its success are not 
related to military objectives but to a political and strategic 
horizon... Israel will give the Palestinians, especially Hamas, one 
of two choices:  Either maintain the truce in the Gaza Strip or 
embark on national reconciliation and the uniting of the two parts 
of the homeland..." 
 
Walles