VZCZCXRO3968
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHMS #0626/01 2470627
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 030627Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9914
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0558
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0446

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000626 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, NEA/PI, INR/R/MR, NEA/SA/EX/PMO 
LONDON FOR NEA WATCHER 
PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER 
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR NEA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KPAO KMDR MU
SUBJECT: OMAN MEDIA REACTION 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  While the state daily "Oman" praised U.S. efforts 
toward Israeli-Palestinian peace, private daily "Al-Watan" accused 
the American administration of a week stand on the issue, decrying a 
lack of firmness toward Israel. "Al-Watan" also suggested that the 
Israeli Prime Minister's proposals came at the wrong time at the end 
of his presidency, rendering any talk or meeting with him useless. 
END SUMMARY 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
SECRETARY "DEDICATED" TO THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2. On August 26, "Oman" (government-owned Arabic daily, circulation 
38,000) hailed positive U.S. efforts, as represented by the 
Secretary of State's visits to the region, in resolving the 
Palestinian-Israeli issue, "Trials to Solve Real Obstacles": 
 
"The visit by American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the 
region - the seventh to the Middle East since the Annapolis 
Conference for Peace in Washington - makes her the American foreign 
minister that has most visited the area, as well as the one most 
dedicated in time and effort to trying to reach a 
Palestinian-Israeli agreement, one that maintains what U.S. 
President Bush has promised:  the establishment of a viable 
Palestinian state that continues to live side by side with Israel. 
Taking into consideration Rice's statements about the 
Palestinian-Israeli negotiations and the possibility of reaching an 
agreement before end of Bush presidency, it seems the situation is 
moving towards greater relaxation in one way or another. The 
deliberately high tone used by Secretary Rice in her statements 
against Israeli abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories, 
which included criticizing Israeli programs to expand settlements, 
is merely a mechanism to shake and move forward negotiations that 
are scheduled to result in an agreement to establish a Palestinian 
state by next January.  However, it appears that Israel intends to 
swim in the opposite direction - one that does not match the goals 
set by Washington." 
 
---------------------- 
A "WEAK" AMERICAN ROLE 
---------------------- 
 
¶3. Private Arabic daily "Al Watan" (circulation 42,000) On August 28 
accused America of a weak and disappointing role regarding the 
Palestinian-Israeli issue, suggesting that the U.S. has not put 
enough pressure on Israel, saying "The Issue is Easy, but the Will 
is Absent": 
 
"The description given by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice 
regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state - that it is "not 
easy" does not indicate a real solution to the issue. This comes 
despite ongoing Palestinian-Israeli negotiations to reach genuine 
peace between the two sides, eventually leading to the establishment 
of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel (as U.S. 
officials have repeated constantly) and putting an end to all the 
complications arising from the Arab-Israeli conflict.  Her words 
raise frustration rather than optimism, because the American 
administration knows that the Israeli side is the problem, one that 
often places obstacles and invents arguments to break all their 
commitments. This description also reveals a weak American role, not 
an active and influential one.  Their role is limited to encouraging 
the Palestinian and Israeli sides to conduct negotiations only and 
to exclude any neutral third party from attending the negotiations, 
which could contribute to building confidence and pushing the 
parties to engage in discussing core issues: borders, refugees, and 
Jerusalem.  If there was a real desire and solid will by the U.S. 
administration to move forward to achieve its proposed initiatives, 
conferences, and road map, given the ability to pressure its ally 
Israel, it would have been different today, and the atmosphere of 
optimism and confidence in the skies of the Palestinian territories 
would have prevailed". 
 
---------------------------------------- 
OLMERT'S PEACE "A GIFT HE DOES NOT HAVE" 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. "Al-Watan" on September 1, expressed hopelessness regarding any 
Israeli effort carried out while the Israeli Prime Minister is 
leaving office, "Olmert's Proposals Logic in Wrong Time": 
 
"Israeli leaders are fond of talking about peace, negotiations, and 
plans of permanent solutions when they near the end of their 
political careers. Everyone knows that Olmert does not have any 
authority to talk on behalf of Israel; hence his meeting with the 
Palestinian president has no meaning - nor do his proposals, 
regardless of their logic.  Olmert's talk about plans of permanent 
 
MUSCAT 00000626  002 OF 002 
 
 
solutions and his readiness to provide a time frame to end 
negotiations is like presenting a gift that he does not have.  He 
should prepare to leave his office calmly, without turning his 
political opponents against him, because they will not approve any 
such proposals on their own behalf. The only thing that Israel can 
do even during political crisis is to continue its violence against 
the Palestinians." 
 
GRAPPO