VZCZCXRO2695
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1200/01 1911029
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 091029Z JUL 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2049
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 7197
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4182
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4035
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5533
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 3951
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2516

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001200 
 
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 (7/09): NATIONAL DIALOGUE - TO 
WHERE? 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
Lead stories differ in all dailies:  Al- Quds' front page reports on 
the "invasion" by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) of a shopping mall in 
Nablus city in the West Bank on July 8, a day after the closing of 
four Nablus charitable societies suspected by the IDF of links to 
Hamas.  Nablus Governor Jamal Muhaysin, considered, "the Israeli 
procedures [to be] an attack on the [Palestinian] Authority," and he 
promised to resist the measures, "with all available means." 
Muhaysin's condemnation came during a July 8 press conference 
organized by the Palestinian Ministry of Information.  Al Quds' lead 
photo shows two men looking at a flyer posted by Israeli soldiers on 
the entrance to the Nablus shopping mall, instructing merchants to 
vacate their stores. 
 
Cairo's denial of an "American veto" on its efforts to achieve 
reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas is the lead story in Al- 
Ayyam.  The Egyptians added that internal Palestinian talks will be 
held at a suitable time and that priority now will be given to 
bolstering the weak truce between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza 
Strip.  In related news, all front pages report that Israel reopened 
Gaza Strip crossing points on July 8 at Egypt's request. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads for a third day with news about the visit 
of Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas to Damascus on July 
¶8.  In his statements to the press before leaving Damascus, Abbas 
said, "Palestinian unity is important and laying a proper foundation 
to regain unity through dialogue is also important... we are working 
hard to overcome this dangerous crisis."  Nabil Amro, Palestinian 
Authority Ambassador to Egypt, commented that Egypt is, "strongly 
insisting on establishing the necessary conditions to make [internal 
Palestinian dialogue] successful." 
 
In an exclusive interview with Al- Quds, Italian Foreign Minister 
Franco Frattini said on July 8 that Italy is ready to work towards a 
just settlement of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict without, 
"unilateral actions or pre-set conditions."  He also called on the 
international community to support Palestinian Authority President 
Abbas in restoring the Palestinian people's unity and reinstating a 
"constitutional situation" in the Gaza Strip. 
 
Al Quds highlights 15 million Euros in assistance from the European 
Commision to cover salaries of Palestinian Authority employees.  In 
related coverage, all dailies note that France, the European 
Commission and Tony Blair accused Israel of hindering their efforts 
to help the Palestinians, in a statement released on July 8 after a 
Paris "follow-up meeting" to the December international donors 
conference also held in Paris. 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
¶1. Independent Al-Quds prints its daily editorial entitled, 
"National dialogue should be comprehensive" (7/09):  "...Certainly 
Abu Mazen's visit to Damascus does not mean the end of... 
Palestinian national dialogue.  [The dialogue] will not be 
successful unless it includes all of the factions and...  the sole 
loser of the current dramatic situation [internal division] is all 
of the Palestinian people and their national cause.  The sole and 
final winner is the [Israeli] occupation and its settlement 
activities and plans to 'swallow up' Palestinian land and change its 
 
JERUSALEM 00001200  002 OF 002 
 
 
[cultural] features, Jerusalem, in particular, and the West Bank, in 
general..." 
 
¶2.  Independent Al-Ayyam runs its daily editorial by Dr. Maher Taha 
entitled, "Abbas, Hamas and the truce speech" (7/09): "...Today, 
Hamas officials are calling for all factions to unite around their 
government and commit to the truce [with Israel]...these calls 
resemble those of [Palestinian] National Authority leaders, when 
they were in control of the Gaza Strip.  We all know that whenever 
Abu Mazin has succeeded in reaching an agreement with Israel on 
anything in the past, Hamas has claimed that such an agreement 
violates the Palestinian people's supreme interests and [Hamas] 
makes every effort to undermine Abbas' achievement.  Today, however, 
much to our surprise, [Hamas] calls upon everybody to honor the 
truce and claims that it serves the resistance and Palestinian 
interests. Shouldn't we ask:  How does Hamas define the people's 
interest?  Is there any relation between those 'interests'... and 
the private interests of Hamas and its leaders?" 
 
Walles