VZCZCXRO1202
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1792/01 2690819
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 250819Z SEP 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2888
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 7337
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4317
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4170
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5664
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4086
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2651

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001792 
 
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 (9/25):  CALL FOR A MEDIA AND 
POLITICAL TRUCE AMONG PALESTINIAN FACTIONS 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Abbas says that he is against 
any "militarized intifada or armed resistance," according to Al 
Ayyam's lead story.  Citing remarks made to London-based Al-Hayat 
newspaper, Abbas is also quoted reiterating his position that he 
will accept any "Arab solution" for ending internal Palestinian 
division.  The same article quotes PA Presidential spokesman Nabil 
Abu Rudaynah confirming that Abbas will meet with President Bush at 
the White House on September 25 and ask Bush to pressure Israel to 
halt settlement activities.  Al Quds' front page expresses doubt 
that any tangible outcomes will come of the meeting, noting that 
Israeli internal politics have placed peace negotiations "on the 
backburner."  Other front-page articles note that Abbas will deliver 
a speech before the UN General Assembly on September 25. 
 
Al Quds leads with news about "American ideas" being proposed by the 
U.S. to bridge the gap between Israeli and Palestinian positions in 
peace negotiations.  Citing Israeli daily Haaretz, Al-Quds states 
that Israel has told Washington that Israeli security concerns must 
be addressed in any final-status agreement with the Palestinians. 
 
The dailies report that 20 international 
non-governmental-organizations will issue a report on September 25, 
condemning Israeli settlement activities and criticizing the Middle 
East Quartet for its "several failures" regarding the peace process 
and "on-the-ground" improvements for Palestinians.  In related news, 
Al-Quds front-pages a report that the UN Human Rights Council will 
adopt the conclusions of the fact-finding mission headed by South 
African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which found that the 2006 Israeli 
military operations against Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip may be war 
crimes. 
 
Al-Ayyam reports that the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) issued a 
report following its September 24 meeting in New York, that 
expresses the concern of donor countries' over "Israeli 
restrictions" imposed on Palestinian movement.  The report adds that 
Israeli practices have hindered the development of the Palestinian 
economy. 
 
Front-page reports cite Israeli security sources in reporting about 
the arrest of East Jerusalemites by Israeli police on charges of 
killing two Israeli soldiers.  The same reports quote Israeli police 
stating that there has been a "sharp increase in attacks carried out 
by East Jerusalem Arabs against Israelis." 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
¶1.  Under the title, "A Comprehensive Truce, not an Escalation of 
Disputes, is a Must Before Launching Dialogue", independent Al-Quds 
argues in its main editorial (09/25): "The success of [internal 
Palestinian] dialogue does not depend on Egyptian intentions or... 
the increased support of the Arab League, but ultimately on 
Palestinian intentions and the seriousness with which parties are 
willing to confront challenges and accept their national 
obligations.  One of the simplest measures that could be implemented 
would be a halt to [negative] media campaigns... yet the media 
campaigns have not stopped but have escalated along with political 
arrests including the arrest of Governor Osama Al-Farra, a Fatah 
delegate to the dialogue... There is another critical issue - the 
rising debate over how much time Abu Mazen [Abbas] has left in 
office... Does Hamas really believe that elections could be 
 
JERUSALEM 00001792  002 OF 002 
 
 
conducted in 60 days, amid all the internal divisions and disputes? 
And can the detained Palestinian Legislative Council chairman or his 
deputy really assume the role of president for an indefinite 
period?... We call for a comprehensive media and political truce 
that will allow for an environment to ensure the success of 
[internal] dialogue and put an immediate end to all empty rhetoric. 
Let us bring all points of dispute to the table of dialogue, so that 
the Cairo meeting does not fail." 
 
¶2.  Regular columnist Adli Sadiq of the official Al-Hayat Al-Jadida 
argues under the title "The Desire to Escape" (09/25): "Hamas is 
trying to escape [internal] dialogue and the Arab umbrella, which 
became a must after the Palestinians tore their own tent.  Hamas is 
running away now because their last theoretical positions, which 
cannot materialize, could very well be exposed during the dialogue 
when the Arabs and Palestinians demand an answer of what Hamas wants 
at the strategic level?  If the answer is a Palestine from river to 
sea [historical Palestine] then the next question would be when and 
how?  The resistance-themed 'victorious' theoretical position is 
[Hamas'] language for public mobilization and their justification to 
accuse others of treason.  This is what Hamas does not want to lose! 
 They want a rule in Gaza that can make great promises in mosques, 
forums and media outlets, alienating others as if other factions 
would hate to have a complete Palestine from river to sea..... 
Dialogue is an absolute necessity to reach reconciliation on 
principals that guarantee that [the coup] will not be repeated..." 
 
 
MARCHESE