VZCZCXRO7566
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1482/01 2240827
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 110827Z AUG 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2478
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 7257
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4246
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4099
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5593
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4012
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2580

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 001482 
 
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 (8/11):  Mourning over the death 
of Palestinian national poet Mahmoud Darwish 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All dailies focus on the passing away of the Palestinian national 
poet, Mahmoud Darwish, on August 9.  Al-Quds writes in a prominent 
black headline, "Sadness and mourning over the passing away of 
Darwish unites us. The [Palestinian Authority (PA)] President sends 
[PA Chief of Staff] Al-Husseini to Washington to arrange the 
procedure of transferring the body [to Ramallah]." Al-Ayyam's sole 
headline on the front page reads, "Darwish's body will be buried in 
Ramallah." Al-Hayat Al-Jadida writes, "The homeland is preparing for 
the funeral of Mahmoud Darwish in Ramallah tomorrow." In related 
coverage, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reports that PA President Abbas 
received letters of condolence from several leaders and officials, 
including the King of Morocco, the President of Tunisia, the Prime 
Minister of Lebanon, King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan, the 
U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem, and the Minister of Culture, Youth 
and Sports of the United Arab Emirates. 
 
Al-Quds reports that thousands of people participated in a sit-in 
organized by Hamas at the Rafah crossing point on August 10, in 
order to ask the Egyptian authorities to make a serious effort to 
open the crossing and end the Israeli "siege" on the Gaza Strip.  At 
the same time, Islamists held a demonstration in front of the 
Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo, asking for official 
Egyptian intervention to lift the "siege."  An Egyptian official 
reportedly told AFP that Egypt has intensified its security presence 
on the border to resist any Gazan attempts to enter by force.  In 
related coverage, Al-Quds cites findings from a poll conducted by 
Near East Consulting on July 29-30, according to which 40% of Gazans 
are thinking of emigrating. 
 
Citing DBA, Al-Quds writes on its front page that the leader of 
Hamas, Ismail Haniyyah, met with a recently-released prisoner from 
an Israeli jail and told the media that Hamas would hold firm in its 
demands regarding any prisoner exchange deal with Israel involving 
the captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. 
 
Al-Quds highlights news, cited from DBA, that the Arab League has 
welcomed the August 8 statement issued by the European Union 
criticizing Israel's decision to establish new settlements in the 
West Bank and Jerusalem, as well as a similar statement issued by 
Russia on August 10.  In related coverage in Al-Quds, the Regional 
and International Relations Department of the PLO is said to have 
asked UNESCO to withdraw its decision, made during a recent meeting 
in Canada,  granting Israel responsibility and supervision over the 
Al-Maghrabi Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. 
 
--------------- 
Weekend stories 
--------------- 
 
Sunday, August 10, 2008 
 
The death of the Palestinian national poet, Mahmoud Darwish, 
dominates the headlines in all the dailies.  Darwish died in a Texas 
hospital on August 9 from complications after undergoing open-heart 
surgery on August 7.  The dailies carry expressions of condolence 
from Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian 
Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, and the Minister of Culture. 
 
Al-Quds also leads with news that Fatah and Hamas agreed in 
principle on August 9 to cease their politically-motivated arrests 
of one another's members and to release all those who have been 
 
JERUSALEM 00001482  002 OF 003 
 
 
arrested since the Gaza beach explosion on July 25.  The agreement 
does not reportedly specify dates or procedures and the Islamic 
Jihad leader, Sheikh Nafez Azzam, announced to the press that Hamas 
will close their "political arrest file" in the Gaza Strip and the 
West Bank once Fatah demonstrates its readiness to do the same. 
 
All dailies cover Prime Minister Fayyad's meeting with Yemeni 
president Ali Abdallah Saleh in Sana'a on August 9.  The dailies 
report that Fayyad praised both the Yemeni initiative and President 
Abbas' initiative to achieve Palestinian national unity.  Fayyad 
reportedly suggested the formation of a transitional national 
reconciliation government, run by neither Fatah nor Hamas.  Fayyad 
is also said to have briefed the Yemeni president on the latest 
developments in the Palestinian Territories and the efforts that 
have been made to restore Palestinian national unity, as well as the 
suffering caused by Israeli policies, including the "escalation" of 
attacks in Palestinian areas and the expansion of settlements. 
 
Al-Ayyam carries a story reported by the Ma'an news agency, 
according to which Israel will allow 1000 Palestinians living abroad 
to return to the West Bank on the basis of family reunification. 
Hussein Al-Sheikh, head of the PA's Civil Affairs Committee, has 
reportedly asked these individuals to apply for visitor's permits 
through the Civil Affairs Committee to guarantee their return to the 
West Bank, where they will then be able to obtain national identity 
cards. 
 
Al-Quds carries a press release on p. 2 from the Palestinian NGO 
Ta'oun, announcing the signing of an agreement with the U.S. 
Consulate General in Jerusalem and MEPI which aims at developing the 
capacity of local civil society, law, and government institutions in 
Nablus. 
 
 
Saturday, August 9, 2008 
 
All dailies lead with different remarks made by Palestinian Prime 
Minister Salam Fayyad during his trip to Yemen on August 8.  Al-Quds 
writes that Fayyad asked the Arab countries to make good on monetary 
pledges they made to the Palestinian Authority (PA), given the PA's 
critical financial situation.  Al-Ayyam focuses on Fayyad's 
statement that his current government position will be his last in 
the PA.  Citing the official Palestine News Agency WAFA, Al-Hayat 
Al-Jadida carries Fayyad's remark that the revolution in Gaza has 
allowed Israel to act freely in the West Bank in terms of settlement 
and security activities. 
 
A lead story in Al-Quds focuses on the "Arab failure" to prevent 
Israeli involvement in a Jordanian project aimed at protecting the 
Al-Maghrabi Gate in Jerusalem's Old City.  Citing remarks made by 
the head of the Al-Aqsa Reconstruction Committee, Ra'ef Nijem, in an 
interview with the Jordanian newspaper Al-Dustur on August 7, 
Al-Quds writes that the recent decision of the "International 
Folklore Committee," made during meetings in Canada at which a 
Jordanian delegation was present, allows the Israeli authorities to 
share in the responsibility for Al Aqsa.  No other details about 
this decision are provided. 
 
All dailies report on Israeli actions in the West Bank and Jerusalem 
on August 8.  Al-Quds writes that Israeli soldiers attacked 
demonstrators during their weekly peaceful demonstrations against 
the separation barrier in Ni'lin and Be'lin villages outside of 
Ramallah, and in Al Ma'sara village near Bethlehem.  Al-Hayat 
Al-Jadida reports that Israeli soldiers used large water hoses to 
 
JERUSALEM 00001482  003 OF 003 
 
 
disperse the demonstrators in Be'lin and Ni'lin, and Al-Ayyam states 
that dozens of demonstrators were injured. 
 
Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida carry remarks made by the U.S. 
Security Coordinator, General Dayton, in an interview with the 
Israeli daily Ha'aretz that Israel will allow 200 bullet-proof vests 
and 145 cars destined for Palestinian security forces to enter the 
Palestinian Territories from Jordan. 
 
According to Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, the Palestinian owner 
of a house in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem, was arrested on August 
8 and sentenced to 3 months in jail for refusing to give the keys of 
his house to a Jewish Committee and an Israeli court who intend to 
establish a settlement in the area. 
 
Al-Quds writes on p. 2 that the U.S. Consul General, Jake Walles, 
called the Nablus-based Palestinian businessman Ziad Anabtawi, 
Executive Manager of the Anabtawi Companies for Investment and 
Development, to congratulate him on his release from an Israeli 
prison and to confirm his support for the Palestinian private sector 
in Nablus. 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
¶1. Independent Al-Ayyam runs its daily editorial by Hamada Fara'neh 
entitled, "Advice for the Palestinian President" (08/11): "More than 
ever before, President Mahmoud Abbas needs the solidarity of the 
Fatah movement.  The movement, as a political struggle organization, 
is the mother that delivered Abu Mazen and made him president, as it 
did the late Arafat before him, and Ahmad Qureia after [Arafat]. 
Without Fatah, these leaders and others would not have had the 
chance to be in the position of decision-maker, and they would not 
have had the national respect ... Abu Mazen wishes to re-run for the 
Palestinian Authority elections, and this will not be accomplished, 
will not happen, and will not be successful without the solidarity 
and unity of the Fatah movement...in order for this to happen, Abu 
Mazen must have his main responsibility, his main effort and his 
main initiative towards his colleagues and brothers in the [Fatah] 
movement. He will be grand in their eyes when he takes the 
[national] reconciliation initiative...because this is the way to 
overcome the revolution [note: it is unclear whether the writer 
refers to a revolution within Fatah, or between Fatah and Hamas]... 
Without taking this road, the Palestinian national movement will not 
prevail over Israel; without this option, the national project will 
not succeed in facing the expanding Israeli settlement project.  So, 
will Abu Mazen do it [reunite Fatah]?  Can anyone advise him to do 
this, for his sake in the first place, and for the sake of the 
Palestinian people in the second and last place?  He is known to be 
a man of freedom...and democracy, and this is why he succeeded in 
becoming president and gained the support of the Palestinian people. 
 In order for him to continue, he has to fulfill his duties, which 
no one can do in his place...since he is the president, the 
candidate and the leader." 
 
WALLES