VZCZCXRO0282
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1499/01 2270900
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 140900Z AUG 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2503
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 7264
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4253
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4106
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5600
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4020
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2587

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001499 
 
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 (8/14): "Dangerous Signs in 
Jerusalem" 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
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The funeral of the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish in Ramallah on 
August 13 dominates the front pages of all dailies.  Al-Quds writes, 
"In an official ceremony attended by the public, Palestine bade 
farewell to Mahmoud Darwish. [Palestinian Authority (PA)] President: 
'You will remain with us, Mahmoud, because you left us something 
that makes us say 'see you' and not 'goodbye''". Al-Ayyam writes in 
large white letters against a black border, "After an official 
farewell in Amman and a crowded funeral led by the President [Abbas] 
in Ramallah, 'Palestine' bids farewell to Mahmoud Darwish." 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads with a large two-sentence headline: 
"Palestine pays its last honors to the poet of its resistance and 
cause, Mahmoud Darwish.  PA President--'August 9 [the date of 
Darwish's death] is a pivotal day in the history of Palestinian and 
human culture.'" 
 
All dailies highlight news about Cairo's invitation to the 
Palestinian factions to launch a national dialogue.  Al-Quds carries 
several statements by Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar, including his 
announcement that Hamas has not yet received this invitation. 
Al-Zahar added that Hamas will answer the three questions 
[previously posed by Egypt] regarding the movement's opinion of the 
national dialogue agenda.  Al-Zahar also expressed doubts about 
Fatah's seriousness in achieving national reconciliation.  Dr. Rabah 
Mhanna, a member of the Central Committee of the PFLP, asserted that 
there are some leaders in Fatah and Hamas who are not making any 
effort to pursue a Palestinian dialogue to end the internal 
division. 
 
All dailies cover news on the explosion that took place in Tripoli, 
in Lebanon, on August 13.  The explosion reportedly caused 18 deaths 
and 45 injuries.  According to the dailies, Syrian and Lebanese 
officials believe that the explosion was intended to hinder the 
relations between the two countries. 
 
The dailies carry a story about Israeli Defense Minister Ehud 
Barak's speech during a Labor Party conference in Demona, first 
reported in the Israeli daily, The Jerusalem Post.  According to the 
story, Barak said that Israel must make a difficult decision in 
order to guarantee the release and safe return of its captive 
soldier, Gilad Shalit.  He added that Israel must make use of the 
truce with Hamas to push forward the negotiations on Shalit. 
 
Al-Ayyam cites WAFA's coverage about Israeli actions in East 
Jerusalem on August 13, reporting that Israeli bulldozers demolished 
three houses in Beit Hanina and the Al-Eisawiya village in East 
Jerusalem under the "pretext" that the houses had been built a 
license.  In other coverage in Al-Ayyam, the Israeli NGO "Peace Now" 
revealed that the Israeli government has issued bids to establish 
1761 housing units in East Jerusalem settlements since the Annapolis 
Conference took place in November 2007. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida cites Reuters as reporting that Israeli gave 
Washington the green light to supply the Palestinian security forces 
with flak jackets.  Al-Quds carries the same story on an inside 
page.  According to the report, Palestinian officials asked the U.S. 
Consulate in Jerusalem whether Israel would attempt to alter the 
equipment, but the U.S. Consulate declined to comment on the issue. 
 
 
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BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
JERUSALEM 00001499  002 OF 002 
 
 
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Al-Quds runs its daily editorial entitled, "Dangerous Signs in 
Jerusalem" (8/14): "Since the very beginning, they [the Israelis] 
were planning something special for Jerusalem. They announced its 
reunification [after the 1967 Six-Day War] and began practical steps 
towards Judaizing it. Then, the Oslo agreements came and postponed 
the question of Jerusalem to a later stage.  Finally, from the 
Israeli side, the peace talks, negotiations and proposals excluded 
Jerusalem while the Palestinians have insisted that Jerusalem is an 
issue that cannot be ignored...and that Jerusalem is the heart of 
Palestine and its permanent capital.  In the past few days, the 
Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported that Olmert presented proposals 
regarding the final status issues but excluded Jerusalem again, 
claiming that raising the issue of Jerusalem may lead to problems in 
the [Israeli] government.  The former Israeli governments ignored 
all Palestinian demands and all international calls and decisions 
regarding Jerusalem.  And they [Israeli governments] continued their 
policies of Judaization and control and claimed that the settlement 
activities in Jerusalem and its surroundings were taking place 
'inside Israeli borders' and were therefore not considered 
settlements or violations of agreements.  In the past few weeks, new 
developments have taken place.  These new developments indicate that 
there are more dangerous plans that threaten not only Jerusalem in 
general, but also the Al-Aqsa Mosque in particular, starting from 
the Al-Maghrabi Gate ... The new plans include two parts: the first, 
building a synagogue and an iron bridge in the area, which some 
describe as a military bridge that would allow Israeli forces and 
vehicles to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque space at will.  The second, 
more seemingly dangerous part, which was revealed by Sheikh Ra'ed 
Salah, head of the Islamic Movement, and is based on official 
Israeli documents and plans ... These documents are issued by the 
Israeli government and consider that the area around the Al-Aqsa 
Mosque is a public space, and that the holy sites do not exceed the 
actual buildings of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock ... 
The signs are very big and dangerous and a political move on all 
levels should be made rapidly in order to confront these dangers and 
prevent the Israeli activities from taking place..." 
 
WALLES