VZCZCXRO8166
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1259/01 1981041
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 161041Z JUL 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2139
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 7207
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4192
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4045
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5543
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 3961
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2526

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001259 
 
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 (7/16):  "HAS THE WORLD BECOME 
RESIGNED TO PALESTINIAN SUFFERING?" 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
The prisoners' exchange deal between Hizbollah and Israel dominates 
front page coverage in all dailies.  All papers run over-sized lead 
photos:  Al-Quds shows Lebanese trucks decorated with flowers, 
standing ready to receive the remains of Lebanese prisoners along 
with an in-set photo of Palestinian fighter Dalal Al-Mughraby in 
military dress; Al-Ayyam highlights a photo of a man hanging a 
poster of Al-Mughraby in southern Lebanon;  Al-Hayat Al-Jadida runs 
the same photo, next to a poster of Lebanese prisoner, Samir 
Al-Kuntar.  The papers outline the details of the exchange and note 
that Al-Mughraby may be returned as one of the "unidentified 
bodies."  Coverage says that Lebanon has declared July 16 as a 
national holiday to welcome the return of the prisoners. 
 
All front pages highlight reactions to the July 14 decision by the 
Israeli Supreme Court to evict Palestinian tenants from a home in 
the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.  The Palestinian 
Authority President's office complained on July 15 to the Quartet 
and Washington about the decision which comes after a protracted 
legal battle, according to coverage.  Al Quds quotes a Palestinian 
official stating that the United States sent U.S. Consulate General 
staff to the neighborhood to review the situation.  The Palestinian 
official also confirmed that the Consulate representative was given 
a letter by residents addressed to President Bush, requesting that 
Bush stop, "the humanitarian disaster." 
 
The cancellation of Quartet Representative Tony Blair's July 15 
visit to Gaza is front page news.  Blair said in an interview with 
Al-Quds that he has decided to delay, not cancel, his visit because 
of several credible security threats against him.  Blair added that 
the political situation in Israel will make it difficult for parties 
to reach a peace agreement by the end of the year.  Blair also 
confirmed that he has discussed recent Israeli Defense Force 
operations in the West Bank cities of Nablus and Janin with Israeli 
officials. 
Al-Quds highlights news that Chief Palestinian negotiator, Ahmad 
Quray and PLO negotiator Sa'eb Erekat have departed for Washington 
to meet with Secretary Rice.  The two Palestinian officials intend 
to brief Rice about, "the latest developments in the Palestinian 
Territories." 
 
Israeli authorities have begun the transformation of a historically 
Islamic cemetery in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Bab-Al-Rahma 
into a public garden, according to Al Quds' front page.  The paper 
quotes Sheikh Abu Sheikhah, head of the Al Aqsa institution which 
works for the restoration of Jerusalem Islamic Holy sites, who 
warns, "against this Israeli attack [and] ... judaization plan." 
Controversy over the plans began more than 1 and half years ago when 
Muslims were barred by Israeli authorities from entering the 
cemetery to visit relatives' graves.  Israel claims that the site 
contains historic Jewish ruins that will be incorporated into the 
garden that is situated near the Al Aqsa mosque compound, Al Quds 
reports. 
 
Al-Ayyam continues coverage on Palestinian national dialogue:  The 
paper's front page quotes Fatah representative Jibril Al-Rjub in an 
exclusive July 15 interview, confirming that dialogue will begin 
under Arab sponsorship in Egypt in August 2008.  In related 
coverage, the paper reports that Hamas leader, Mahmud Al-Zahhar 
emphasized that Palestinian national dialogue will be delayed, 
"until further notice due to external pressures."  Al-Zahhar added 
 
JERUSALEM 00001259  002 OF 002 
 
 
that priority should instead be given to the issues of reopening the 
Gaza-Egypt Rafah crossing point, the possible prisoners' exchange 
deal between Hamas and Israel, and stabilizing the truce in the Gaza 
Strip. 
 
Al-Quds runs the full text of Democratic presidential candidate 
Barak Obama's, "My Plan for Iraq" on page two.  Citing the New York 
Times, the paper runs the piece next to a photo of Obama.  U.S. 
policy towards Iraq is also the topic of Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's 
political cartoon which shows  Iraq personified as a headless man in 
a black suit, handing his head on a platter to Uncle Sam.  The 
cartoon is entitled, "the Iraqi Government allows investment in 
Iraq's oil sector." 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
¶1.  Al- Quds prints its daily editorial entitled, "A call on the 
international community to halt Israeli actions."  Everyday Israel 
performs acts of tyranny [against Palestinians] such as destroying 
houses, confiscating land or insisting on building barriers in the 
middle of farming villages that prevent people from reaching their 
fields and from communicating with their relatives... and all of 
this happens right in front of the international 'family', 
especially our brothers, the Arab countries... The 'siege' on the 
Gaza Strip continues and dozens of sick Palestinians are dying 
because of a lack of medicine or from being barred from treatment 
abroad.  This does not faze Arab or foreign officials, while the act 
of detaining one prisoner in any of the other five continents shakes 
the consciousness of the world... The question is:  Have the 
international community and our Arab brothers become apathetic and 
resigned to... continued Israeli tyranny against the 
Palestinians?... [Even though] it is the role of the international 
community and our Arab brothers to push Israel to stop its actions 
and end the occupation and settlement activities..." 
 
¶2.  Al-Ayyam runs an editorial by Hamada Fara'nah, entitled, "Syrian 
success in employing regional issues [to increase diplomatic clout]" 
(7/15):"...Syria [openly] seeks to continue negotiations with Tel 
Aviv under U.S. sponsorship.  Syria has also contributed to the 
success of the Qatari mediation at the Doha conference [on 
Palestinian reunification] and facilitated the election of the 
Lebanese president and thereby the Paris Mediterranean summit, with 
the participation of Al-Assad, Sulayman, the Qatari prince and 
Sarkozy... Damascus has welcomed Abu Mazin and the truce agreement 
between Hamas and Israel... so, Syria [is clearly skilled at 
leveraging its diplomatic clout]. 
 
Lapenn