VZCZCXRO3787
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1529/01 2321029
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191029Z AUG 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2545
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 7273
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4262
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4115
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5609
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4029
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2596

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001529 
 
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 (8/19): Palestinian national 
dialogue needs political will and active Arab role 
 
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Main Stories: 
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All dailies lead with news about the decision of the Israeli 
Ministerial Committee of Prisoners' Affairs, announced on August 18, 
to release 199 Palestinian prisoners. The decision is intended as a 
goodwill gesture towards the Palestinian Authority (PA) President, 
Mahmoud Abbas.  The list of prisoners to be released includes two 
Palestinians who have been imprisoned for more than 25 years.  The 
dailies report that the PA government welcomed this decision, 
quoting the Palestinian Minister of Information, Dr. Riyad Al-Malki, 
in a press conference following the cabinet's weekly meeting on 
August 18. During the same press conference, Al-Malki condemned the 
Israeli excavations around Al-Aqsa Mosque and called on the 
Organization of the Islamic Conference to pressure Israeli to stop 
its plans to establish a synagogue and a bridge in that area. 
Al-Malki also said that President Abbas will head to Saudi Arabia on 
August 19 to brief the Saudi king about the latest developments in 
the Palestinian arena, the negotiations with Israel, and the 
Palestinian internal dialogue. 
 
All dailies report that the PA cabinet decided during its weekly 
session in Ramallah on August 18 to allocate $4.5 million to provide 
needy students in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with back-to-school 
supplies.  The government also decided to allocate $1 million to pay 
the first-semester tuition fees at local universities for students 
with high grades. 
 
Dailies highlight news about the latest developments in the 
Palestinian national dialogue.  According to an Al-Quds report, 
reliable Egyptian sources have confirmed that Cairo will host two 
dialogues for the Palestinian factions, most probably after the Eid 
Al-Fitr holiday [i.e. after Ramadan]. The same sources said that 
this serious dialogue will include the main factions: Fatah, Hamas, 
Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine 
(PFLP).  The Hamas leader, Fawzi Barhoum, confirmed that Hamas will 
respect the outcome of the national dialogue.  Al-Quds also cites a 
DBA report that the Khaled Abdul Majid, the Secretary General of the 
Palestinian Popular Struggle who currently lives in Damascus, 
confirmed that the Palestinian factions are ready to respond to 
Cairo's invitation and start dialogue. According to related coverage 
in Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, the Palestinian factions met in 
Gaza on August 18 and agreed that the aim of the dialogue is to end 
internal division and regain national unity. They also decided that 
it will be a comprehensive national dialogue based on the general 
national reconciliation document issued in 2006, the Cairo 
declaration in 2005, and the Yemeni initiative. The dialogue will 
cover: the formation of a national reconciliation government, the 
rebuilding of security systems at both a national and professional 
level, the activation of the Palestinian Legislative Council 
according to the basic law, and the implementation of the Cairo 
agreement to activate the PLO and to re-establish its institutions 
on the basis of democracy and elections.  The preparatory steps 
would be:  the immediate cessation of the politically-motivated 
arrest campaigns and the negative media campaigns between factions, 
the release of political prisoners, and the formation of a national 
committee to end the internal division, in which both Fatah and 
Hamas would participate. 
 
Al-Ayyam spotlights statements made by Islamic Jihad leader Ibrahim 
Al-Najjar concerning the truce between Israel and Hamas.  In a press 
statement distributed on August 18, Al-Najjar criticized the 
Palestinian's iron commitment to the truce, compared with Israeli's 
broken promises.  He said that Israel is the sole beneficiary of the 
 
JERUSALEM 00001529  002 OF 002 
 
 
truce, as it is guaranteeing security on Israeli borders and is 
reinforcing and deepening the internal division among the 
Palestinian factions. 
 
 
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BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
¶1. Independent Al-Quds carries an editorial by Walid Al-Awad, Member 
of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian People's Party, entitled, 
"the Palestinian National Dialogue Needs Palestinian Political Will 
and an Active Arab Role" (8/19): "Despite the increasing talks and 
press statements claiming that the Palestinian national dialogue 
will be launched soon, many signs indicate that this is still far 
away from happening and will require redoubled Palestinian efforts 
and a more serious Arab role ... It seems that the [internal 
Palestinian] conflict will not remain exclusively in the Gaza Strip, 
but will extend to the West Bank in different forms.  In this 
context, the political concern of Hamas to repair its relations with 
Jordan can be explained...by saying that Hamas is not yet ready to 
submit to what has been requested from it [by Cairo] to guarantee 
the success of the national dialogue ... On the other hand, despite 
President Abbas' July 4th call for dialogue and his subsequent tour 
of the Arab countries...and despite all his seriousness, there are 
attempts to put obstacles in the path of dialogue...and Hamas' 
attitudes and actions...such as political arrests, illegal closure 
of institutions, and delaying the implementation of President Abbas' 
order to release all the prisoners arrested following the Gaza beach 
explosion...reinforce these obstacles ... From the aforementioned, 
one can say that the desire for dialogue is one thing, while the 
existence of a political will and the readiness to submit 
requirements for its success is a completely different thing ... 
This painful attitude requires Palestinian efforts, especially from 
the left-wing parties..." 
 
¶2. Independent Al-Ayyam runs an editorial by Hasan Asfour entitled, 
"Arab Agreement is a Condition for Palestinian Agreement" (8/19): 
"...Arab agreement, which should be based on the Arab-regional 
parties and countries with special influence...is an essential 
condition to reach what is needed [for Palestinian agreement].  Any 
agreement [note: it is ambiguous whether author is referring here to 
Arab or Palestinian agreement] should be based on two main things: 
the context of the agreement and the mechanisms that will guarantee 
its success, including the Arab security force.  This is the path 
that has no alternative if there is still 'an Arab desire' to end 
'the big crisis'...and this requires not paying much attention to 
the individual attitudes of any party...because everything is 
clear...this [internal Palestinian division] has became a pure 
Israeli demand ... No doubt Egypt will be capable of finding a 
solution [to the internal Palestinian division], especially given 
the latest Arab moves, and the creation of a positive atmosphere 
particularly with Syria and other parties, in addition to Jordan's 
re-engagement with individuals from Hamas..." 
 
WALLES