VZCZCXRO2798
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1519/01 2310919
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 180919Z AUG 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2532
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 7269
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4258
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4111
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5605
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4025
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2592

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 JERUSALEM 001519 
 
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 (8/18):  All talk and no action on 
launching a Palestinian national dialogue 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All dailies highlight an Israeli Ma'ariv report on a document sent 
by Israel to the United States that outlines Israeli security 
requirements for any agreement on a Palestinian state.  The demands 
include: first, complete disarmament of a Palestinian state; second, 
prohibition of military alliances between a Palestinian state and 
other countries; third, creation of an Israeli early warning system 
on mountains in the West Bank; fourth, Israeli military presence 
along the Jordan River and at crossing points; fifth, continuous 
Israeli air control; sixth, the right to move through the main 
traffic points in the West Bank at any time. 
 
The decision of the Israeli government on August 17 to release 200 
Palestinian prisoners headlines the front pages of the three 
dailies. The papers report the decision was taken during the weekly 
session of the Israeli Ministerial Council and is intended to show 
good will toward Palestinian Authority (PA) President, Mahmoud 
Abbas. According to Al-Quds, the Palestinian Premier, Dr. Salam 
Fayyad, stated this decision is not sufficient and that all 
Palestinian prisoners should be released. Official Spokesperson of 
the Palestinian Presidency, Dr. Nabil Abu Rudayna, confirmed in an 
interview with Agence France Presse that this is an Israeli step in 
the right direction but that he considers it insufficient.  Al-Ayyam 
quotes the Palestinian Chief Negotiator, Dr. Sa'eb Erekat saying, 
"We principally welcome the release of any Palestinian prisoner." 
 
The three dailies report on developments in Egyptian mediation 
between the Palestinian factions.  Al-Quds reports that the Hamas 
leader, Izzat Al-Risheq, said in a statement to the press that Hamas 
did reply to the Egyptian letter sent to all Palestinian factions, 
and denied that Egypt had asked Hamas for guarantees to make the 
dialogue a success.  He also confirmed that the disagreement 
regarding security systems is not the only source of conflict 
between the Palestinian factions.  In related coverage in Al-Ayyam, 
reliable sources said Palestinian factions denied news reports that 
Egypt had given up on sponsoring the Palestinian national dialogue. 
Member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine 
(DFLP), Saleh Naser, said in an interview with Al-Ayyam that the 
leftist parties and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) will meet with 
members of Fatah in the Gaza Strip on August 20 to discuss issues 
previously discussed with Hamas leaders on the Palestinian national 
dialogue.  Al-Ayyam also reports that the Palestinian Ambassador to 
Egypt, in an interview with Voice of Palestine Radio, confirmed 
Egypt wants to achieve Palestinian unity and praised the Egyptians 
efforts. 
 
All dailies, citing international and Palestinian sources, report 
that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit the region 
on August 25 to hold talks with the Israelis and the Palestinians to 
discuss developments in negotiations and Road Map implementation. 
 
--------------- 
Weekend stories 
--------------- 
 
Sunday, August 17, 2008 
 
The highly-anticipated meeting between Fayyad and Barak receives 
modest coverage in the Palestinian press, with Al-Quds and Al-Ayyam 
noting that the meeting constituted part of the "usual" but 
"sporadic" contact between both sides.  Though Al-Quds front-pages a 
picture of both men shaking hands, none of the dailies leads with 
 
JERUSALEM 00001519  002 OF 004 
 
 
the story.  Instead, both Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida run their 
main stories highlighting Fayyad's tour in the Hebron Governorate 
yesterday, quoting him as reiterating the Palestinian leadership's 
"commitment toward the Palestinian national constants" and the need 
for Israel to abide by its Roadmap obligations.  As for the 
Fayyad-Barak meeting itself, the dailies cite a statement issued by 
the Fayyad office spotlighting Fayyad's demands that Israel must 
deal "seriously" with the prisoner issue, cease its raids into the 
West Bank, and commit to a comprehensive freeze of settlement 
activities. 
 
Hamas's agreement with four Palestinian factions yesterday to 
"expedite the national dialogue" by approving the formation of a 
joint committee to put forth a unified vision to resume a promising 
inter-Palestinian dialogue is captured in all of the dailies' 
front-pages.  Leading with the story, Al-Quds reports that the 
participants in the meeting, which included the PFLP, the DFLP, PIJ, 
and the Palestinian People's Party, as well as Hamas, issued a joint 
statement outlining the "consensus decisions" reached by the 
factions.  These decisions include ending internal division, forming 
a national consensus government, rebuilding the security forces, 
reviving the PLC, and reforming the PLO.  The same article quotes 
Fatah senior leader in Gaza, Zakaria Al-Agha, that Egypt will issue 
invitations to the Palestinian factions to meet in Cairo "very 
soon." 
 
A reported improvement in relations between Jordan and Hamas is the 
theme of several articles, including a front-page story in Al-Quds 
stating that Amman intends to invite Hamas's Mishal for a visit to 
the Kingdom as a step to "open a new page" in relations between 
Jordan and Hamas. 
 
Highlighting a report by its Washington correspondent, Al-Quds cites 
remarks by A/S Welch during his briefing in Washington on Iran two 
days ago that the goals set by the U.S. concerning the reaching of 
an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians have not changed. 
Welch is also reported as saying that there is a "political 
reference" in place for all issues, which is being worked on with PM 
Olmert despite his decision to step down next month.  The same 
article reports that the Palestinian Chief Negotiator, Dr. Sa'eb 
Erekat met with Codels Jim Marshall and Chris Shays yesterday and 
qualified as "baseless" the recent Israeli press leaks on solutions 
reportedly proposed for the issues of borders, refugees and 
Jerusalem. 
 
 
Saturday, August 16, 2008 
 
The Fayyad-Barak meeting scheduled to take place today in Tel Aviv 
receives highlighted coverage in all dailies.  The meeting will 
discuss political developments and the release of Palestinian 
prisoners, according to the reports.  Running its lead story under 
the headline, "Intensifying Palestinian-Israeli Meetings on the Eve 
of Rice's Arrival," Al-Ayyam sees these bilateral meetings, 
including the one between Fayyad and Barak and another upcoming 
round of talks between the negotiating teams from both sides, headed 
by Qureia and Livni, as "preparations" for Secretary Rice's upcoming 
visit.  The report notes that in addition to holding her usual 
separate meetings with Olmert and Abbas, the Secretary is expected 
to convene trilateral meetings, one with Fayyad and Barak, and 
another with Qureia and Livni.  Al-Quds quotes Erekat that the 
Palestinian Authority reject's Israel's "test balloons" aimed at 
"shifting the blame" for any failure of future negotiations on the 
Palestinians.  The article adds that the PA has communicated its 
 
JERUSALEM 00001519  003 OF 004 
 
 
position concerning these Israeli practices to foreign diplomats, 
including American Consul General Jake Walles. 
 
Israel's decision to postpone the evacuation of the largest 
unauthorized Jewish settlement near Ramallah receives front-page 
coverage in the dailies.  Leading with the story, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida 
cites an AFP article that the Israeli Ministry of Defense has 
informed the High Court that the Migron settlers living on private 
Palestinian land will continue to stay there until a nearby 
settlement is built for them.  In a separate front-page article, 
Al-Quds cites a UN report accusing Jewish settlers of escalating 
their attacks on Palestinian residents. 
 
The weekly anti-wall protests by Palestinians and international 
peace activists in several Palestinian localities in the West Bank, 
including Al-Khader, Al-Ma'sara, Be'lin and Ne'lin, and the Israeli 
soldiers' "violent" crackdown against these demonstrators, receive 
above-the-fold reports juxtaposed with pictures of protestors 
arguing with soldiers.  Several injuries and detentions, including 
the arrest of an Israeli photographer, are reported. 
 
The Palestinian press continues to devote front-page attention to 
coverage of developments in the conflict in Georgia.  Drawing 
attention to U.S. concern over the conflict, Al-Quds runs the story 
under a headline quoting President Bush warning Moscow against 
"bullying" its neighbors.  A sub-headline of the same story quotes 
Secretary Rice demanding an immediate Russian pullout from Georgia. 
 
The dailies front-page reports that two American soldiers have died 
in Iraq in the past two days.  Other stories report that two NATO 
soldiers and four Afghani police were killed in Afghanistan last 
night during military operations. 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
¶1. Independent Al-Quds prints its daily editorial entitled, 
"National Dialogue...Again" (8/18): "We are getting tired of calling 
for [Palestinian] national unity and we request that it be achieved 
as quickly as possible to end the division ... Everybody is talking 
about the national dialogue, its importance, and the necessity of 
achieving it, but nothing is taking place on the ground. On the 
contrary, we see an escalation in the division and the conflicts, 
mainly through mutual negative media campaigns and the 
politically-motivated mutual arrest campaign, targeting Hamas and 
Fatah supporters as well as leaders and cadres of Fatah in the Gaza 
Strip ... The DFLP and the PFLP met with Hamas and they agreed on 
the necessity of accelerating the comprehensive national dialogue in 
order to end the division and to regain unity ... So, what is the 
problem, why hasn't the dialogue started, why haven't we achieved 
national unity, and why don't we unite against the big challenges we 
are facing?  And why haven't the Egyptian initiative and the other 
Arab initiatives succeeded in achieving an agreement despite the 
sincerity of the Egyptian will and its efforts to start dialogue?... 
[Palestinian national] dialogue should start immediately and 
national unity must be achieved but it seems that no one is 
listening because...these people [Palestinian factions] are only 
good at hiding their true intentions by making eloquent speeches and 
statements.  However, people will not give up on reiterating the 
call for dialogue and for the removal of the division and national 
gridlock." 
 
¶2. Independent Al-Ayyam runs a daily editorial by Dr. Khaled 
 
JERUSALEM 00001519  004 OF 004 
 
 
Al-Hroub from Bir Zeit entitled, "Hamas and the Extension of 
President Abbas' Reign" (8/18): "...on the Palestinian [political] 
level and on the ground, things are getting worse. On the internal 
level, the internal division between the West Bank and the Gaza 
Strip is increasing.  And with each passing week that this division 
continues, its resolution is delayed by a month.  Practically and on 
ground, the chances to reunite the homeland are difficult ... One of 
the upcoming crises which Palestinians are facing is the end of 
Abbas' reign on January 9, 2009.  According to the Palestinian law, 
the Hamas Speaker of the PLC, Ahmad Bahar from Gaza, becomes 
President of the Palestinian 
Authority during the 60-day period allotted for presidential 
elections.  Up till now, Hamas has insisted that it will refuse to 
recognize Abbas' presidential authority one day after his reign is 
over. What does this refusal mean, and what are the scenarios 
awaiting the Palestinians in the first month of the coming year? The 
first scenario, which is very optimistic, is that a miracle will 
happen and the national dialogue will succeed, resulting in the 
formation of a transitional or national unity government empowered 
to supervise the presidential elections in the West Bank and the 
Gaza Strip, and this way we will avoid the constitutional gap 
crisis.  The second scenario is that things will remain as they are. 
Hamas will refuse to recognize Abbas as president, whereas the West 
Bank will make a legal decision to extend his presidential reign 
until the coming legislative elections.  In this case, Hamas will 
reject this decision and will insist on the appointment of Ahmad 
Bahar as president.  And since Bahar resides in Gaza and will remain 
there, and Hamas is under an international boycott, this means that 
the Palestinian division will develop to an 'advanced' stage which 
is: in addition to the presence of two separate governments, the 
Palestinians will have (while they are under occupation) two 
presidents.  Of course Hamas will not be able to hold presidential 
elections in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip within 60 days, 
meaning that they will decide to extend the rule of the PLC Speaker. 
Then there will be no other option except to hold presidential 
elections in the Gaza Strip only.  Regardless of the direction of 
the second scenario, it remains ambiguous and deepens the current 
division..." 
 
 
WALLES