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INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7279
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4268
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4121
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5615
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4035
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2602

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001555 
 
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 (8/22): Doubt concerning Hamas' 
commitment to Palestinian national dialogue 
 
JERUSALEM 00001555  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All dailies lead with news of the Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi 
Livni's doubts about the chances of reaching a peace agreement with 
the Palestinians before the end of the year. In a meeting with the 
foreign press on August 21, Livni said that reaching an incomplete 
agreement with the Palestinians may cause clashes, misunderstanding 
and violence, and that therefore any agreement between Israelis and 
Palestinians must address all the points.  She added that even if an 
agreement is reached, it might not be implemented as long as Hamas 
remains in control of the Gaza Strip. 
 
The three dailies report on Israeli actions in the West Bank and 
Jerusalem.  Al-Quds reports that the Israeli authorities issued a 
military order which allows Israel to occupy land in Hebron in order 
to open an access road to a settlement and establish a military 
base.  All dailies report the injury of several Palestinians 
(Al-Quds reports 7 injuries, while Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida 
report 9) in clashes with Israeli soldiers on August 21 in Ni'lin 
village near Ramallah.  In related coverage in all dailies, the 
Israeli public prosecutor's office informed the Israeli Supreme 
Court on August 21 that the Israeli Prime Minister and Defense 
Minister decided to make a significant change in the path of the 
separation barrier around the Ma'ale Adumim settlement, moving it 
westward to release 4,000 dunums of land.  In other coverage in 
Al-Ayyam, the Israeli forces announced that as of August 21, the Bir 
Nabala checkpoint which connects Ramallah with villages in 
north-west Jerusalem will be removed to allow the free passage of 
Palestinian foot and vehicle traffic. According to a statement made 
by the Israeli forces, this is the third checkpoint removed this 
month. 
 
All dailies highlight developments in the Egyptian-sponsored 
dialogue between Palestinian factions.  Al-Quds and Al-Ayyam report 
that seven Palestinian factions have called for the immediate start 
of a comprehensive national dialogue in order to end the internal 
crisis and the division of the Palestinian people.  This call for 
dialogue was made during a meeting held by the factions at the 
office of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front in the Gaza Strip. 
In related coverage in Al-Ayyam, the Palestinian Ambassador to 
Cairo, Dr. Nabil Amro, announced in a phone interview with Al-Ayyam 
that the dialogue between the Egyptians and the Palestinian factions 
will start on Monday, August 25.  He added that this dialogue may 
include 14 Palestinian factions.  He said that the launch date of 
the Palestinian comprehensive dialogue depends on the results of 
this dialogue between the Egyptians and the Palestinian factions. 
In other related coverage in Al-Quds, reliable sources from Hamas 
confirmed in a press statement on August 21 that there is a current 
crisis between Hamas and Egypt and that this crisis might intensify 
unless Egypt takes practical steps to open the Rafah crossing and 
resolve the issue of the prisoner exchange deal involving the 
Israeli solider Shalit.  Egypt reportedly warned Hamas that Israel 
might target Hamas leaders for assassination if Hamas continues to 
insist on its conditions for the prisoner exchange deal. 
 
Al-Quds carries a press statement made by the Popular Committee 
against the Siege in Gaza, in which they assert that the Cypriot 
ship will depart Cyprus on August 21 and will arrive at the Gaza 
Strip on August 23 despite Israeli obstacles and threats. 
 
Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida report that the Palestinian 
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas received the U.S. Consul General 
 
JERUSALEM 00001555  002 OF 002 
 
 
Jacob Walles at his office in Ramallah on August 21 to discuss the 
latest developments in the Palestinian arena and in peace efforts. 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
¶1. Independent Al-Quds runs an editorial entitled, "Our Cause and 
the Latest International Variables" (8/22): "Palestinians and Arabs 
need to benefit from the latest international variables and 
developments in order to advance the just peace process, taking into 
consideration that the conditions of the Cold War and the time of 
competition between the two greatest powers are definitively past, 
since Russia has become part of the Western world and its sole 
concern is its national interests and its strategic security. 
Despite that, Moscow is capable, within the Quartet framework, of 
playing an active and effective role in pushing the peace process 
and implementing the two-state solution.  In order [for Russia] to 
play this role,...the Arab and Palestinian moves based on the latest 
international developments and what might result from these 
developments in the near and far future should be carried out 
wisely." 
¶2.  Independent Al-Ayyam runs an editorial by regular columnist 
Samih Shbeib, entitled "The Cairo Dialogues!!" (8/22): "[H]amas's 
refusal to stop its revolution and to defer to the Palestinian 
Liberation Organization will make the dialogue an open dialogue that 
has a start but no end... Hamas' continued control over the Gaza 
Strip ...will equally prevent early or late elections.  What will 
happen in Cairo during and after Ramadan will force the Palestinian 
factions participating in the PLO framework to accelerate the 
[Palestinian] national dialogue, and to find a means of solving the 
internal crisis because if the dialogue remains where it is, the 
Palestinian political existence will disappear, while Egypt is 
working hard to make the dialogue-if it is held-successful!!!" 
 
WALLES