VZCZCXRO6120
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1237/01 1960821
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 140821Z JUL 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2114
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 7203
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4188
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4041
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5539
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 3957
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2522

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 001237 
 
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 (7/14):  WHICH COMES FIRST:  UNITY 
OR NATIONAL DIALOGUE? 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
The July 13 joint press conference held by Palestinian Authority 
President Abbas, Israeli Premier Olmert and French President Sarkozy 
on the margins of the Paris Mediterranean conference leads coverage 
in all dailies. Al-Quds quotes the three leaders:  Abbas stated 
that, "we are serious about achieving peace and committed to the 
road map," while Sarkozy reconfirmed that, "we strongly support the 
establishment of an independent, viable Palestinian state."  Olmert 
stated that, "reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians is 
closer than at any time in the past."  Al- Ayyam reports that Olmert 
promised Abbas to release Palestinian prisoners and the remains of, 
"Palestinian victims" while Abbas asked Olmert to stop settlement 
activities and bolster the Hamas/Israel truce in the Gaza Strip, 
emphasizing that the world will not feel secure until peace prevails 
in the Middle East. 
 
All front pages report on Israel's announcement that the Hizbollah 
prisoners' exchange deal will be implemented on July 16.  Fatah 
leader in southern Lebanon, Sultan Abu Al-Aynin Fatah, also 
confirmed on July 13 that the exchange deal will include the return 
of the remains of 160 Fatah members.  In related news, Al-Quds runs 
a July 7 article from the Israeli daily Yediot claiming that 
kidnapped Israeli soldier Shalit is imprisoned in a tunnel in the 
Gaza Strip. 
 
Al-Ayyam reports that a Hamas delegation headed by Khalid Mish'al 
arrived in Yemen on July 13.  The delegation was received by the 
Yemeni President who suggested organizing a conference for 
"reconciliation" between Fatah and Hamas in Doha. 
 
The visit of Democratic presidential candidate Barak Obama to the 
Palestinian Territories is front page news in Al-Ayyam.  Barak will 
meet with Palestinian Authority President Abbas on July 23, the 
paper notes. 
 
--------------- 
Weekend stories 
--------------- 
 
Sunday, July 13, 2008 
 
Al Quds led with, and others front paged, news of "intensive 
Syrian-Egyptian calls," on Hamas to accept Palestinian Authority 
President Abbas' proposal to launch a national dialogue.  Official 
Palestinian sources revealed in statements published on Al Quds' 
website that Abbas will meet with leaders of Palestinian factions in 
Syria in the coming week to discuss preparations for the dialogue. 
The same sources reported that Damascus and Cairo are calling 
"intensively" on Hamas to at least agree with Fatah on next steps 
towards ending internal Palestinian division. 
 
All dailies ran headlines announcing the intention of the 
Palestinian Authority Government (PA) to call on the Quartet to 
reverse the Israeli decision to close Nablus institutions, according 
to the PA Minister of Economy Hassounah who visited Nablus on July 
¶12. 
 
The three dailies reported that Israeli police have been on high 
alert in Jerusalem since July 12.  The police have, "conducted 
wide-spread incursion campaigns into the Old City of Jerusalem," 
following an attack on two Israeli policemen at Lion's Gate on July 
¶11.  Dailies led with the same photo of young Palestinian men lying 
 
JERUSALEM 00001237  002 OF 003 
 
 
shirtless on the ground, after being arrested by Israeli authorities 
in the Old City of Jerusalem at dawn on July 12. 
 
Saturday, July 12, 2008 
 
The three dailies led with news about the July 11 meeting of 
Palestinian Authority President Abbas with Italian Prime Minister 
Berlusconi in Italy.  In a joint press conference, Abbas said, "We 
need international and Italian support in order to push the peace 
process forward."  Abbas added that he discussed the security and 
economic situation in the Palestinian Territories with his Italian 
counterpart.  Al Ayyam quotes Abbas stating, "We hope that the 
Mediterranean summit, which will take place on July 13 in Paris, 
will give a positive push to the peace process and provide economic 
support to the Palestinian Authority." 
 
All dailies covered news about Hamas leader Haniyyah's agreement to 
a proposal by the Carter Center to monitor Hamas' and Israeli 
adherence to the Gaza Strip truce.  The proposal was made to 
Haniyyah by two delegates from the Carter Center during a July 11 
meeting in the Gaza Strip.  Coverage detailed the Carter Center's 
policy that condemns the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip and 
Israeli operations in the West Bank. 
 
Israeli security operations on July 11 in the West Bank attracted 
front page headlines.  Papers gave their daily roundup of Israeli 
Defense Force operations:  one Palestinian was killed near the 
northern city of Salfit;  13 Palestinians were arrested in Al 
Jalazone refugee camp north of Ramallah; two Nablus factories were, 
"attacked"; demonstrations against the separation barrier were 
dispersed in the Ramallah area villages of Ni'lin, Bi'lin, and Al 
Khudar.  Al Quds lead photo showed Palestinians and international 
peace activists resisting attempts by the IDF to break up an 
"anti-wall" demonstration in Bi'lin and throwing stones at the 
soldiers.  Al Hayat Al Jadida's lead photo showed anti-wall 
protesters holding a large placard saying, "this is apartheid." 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
¶1.  Al-Quds prints its daily editorial entitled, "Obstacles to 
Palestinian dialogue"(7/14): "...the overwhelming majority of [the 
Palestinian] people ...believe that dialogue is the solution [to 
internal Palestinian division]...[however]...  the most dangerous 
obstacle in the way of dialogue is that many [Palestinians] who 
appear on TV as patriots, wholeheartedly devoted to... dialogue... 
have a very different opinion when they appear elsewhere!  Some have 
even begun to describe the dialogue as being the problem... we are 
in need of comprehensive reform throughout the Palestinian house... 
[we need to implement] previous Palestinian agreements, especially 
the Cairo and Prisoners' document in order to establish a new PLO 
through which it will be possible to reform the other [government] 
branches..." 
 
¶2.  Al-Ayyam runs an editorial by Jamal Zaqut entitled, "Unity in 
the homeland now... a priority that should precede dialogue"(7/14): 
"Since Abu Mazin launched his initiative to restore unity, Hamas... 
has made the initiative into a game of words...and when [Hamas] 
witnessed the extent to which Palestinian, Arab, and even 
international voices welcomed [the initiative], Hamas submitted a 
letter to the Secretary General of the Arab League in which it 
refused the initiative... meanwhile, Palestinian Premier, Salam 
Fayyad, surprised Hamas with a political and positive... dual 
 
JERUSALEM 00001237  003 OF 003 
 
 
attack...in order to revive the Abbas initiative: 'unity in the 
homeland now...' what is Hamas waiting for [before it acts] to 
counter the Israeli attempt to destroy the national project [by 
dividing the homeland and splitting it up into cantons]...?" 
 
Lapenn