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OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1845/01 2801104
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061104Z OCT 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2953
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 7348
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4328
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4181
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5675
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4097
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2662

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 001845 
 
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 (10/06):  "WHAT IS LEFT OF PEACE 
EFFORTS?" 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
The lead photo in all dailies shows two "Jewish settlers" lighting 
celebratory lamps after moving into a previously Palestinian-owned 
home in the Old City of Jerusalem.  Al Quds runs a front page photo 
of the Mufti of Jerusalem next to quotes of the Mufti declaring the 
sale or turn-over of Palestinian real estate to Israeli groups as 
tantamount to, "treason against God."  All front pages highlight 
reporting about settlement activities in Jerusalem, noting that the 
"extremist Jewish society" Atirit Khohanim will organize a 
celebration for a separate, recent move by a Jewish family into a, 
"Muslim neighborhood of East Jerusalem."  The stories report that 
more than 900 Jews are now living in houses bought by Atirit 
Khohanim. 
 
Separate settlement reporting leads in Al Ayyam and Al Quds.  The 
two papers, and Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page run statements by 
the Arab League warning of "unprecedented" Israeli efforts to 
judaize Jerusalem and take over land in the West Bank.  Reports 
explain that Israeli settlers are "smuggling" mobile homes into the 
West Bank to establish thousands of new settlement units.  The 
dailies highlight the assertion by Israeli daily Maariv that, 
despite official Israeli commitments made by the Israeli Prime 
Minister and his deputy, nearly 15,000 new settlers have moved to 
the West Bank, according to the Israeli director general of the 
settlement council. 
 
Al Ayyam's front page reports that Israel has issued an ultimatum to 
dozens of Palestinian Bedouin families to leave their houses in 
preparation of demolition.  The families, whose members number 250, 
are from the Mlihat clan near Mali Mukhmas in the East Jerusalem 
area. 
 
All dailies highlight an in-depth interview with visiting French 
Foreign Minister Kouchner.  Al Ayyam runs the news under the 
headline:  Respecting the Road Map Peace Plan.  Kouchner is quoted 
stating that he is, "not denying having semi-official contacts with 
Hamas.  Kouchner adds that he considers a freeze on Israeli 
settlement activities to be a priority, in accordance with 
commitments pledged at Annapolis.  Kouchner also notes that, 
"economic activity cannot make a real start under current Israeli 
limitations," and calls for the reopening of Palestinian 
institutions in Jerusalem, starting with the Chamber of Commerce and 
the Housing Council.  He states that the idea of deploying 
international forces to the Palestinian Territories would facilitate 
Israeli withdrawal and bolster Palestinian security efforts. 
According to reports, he concludes that it is an idea worth 
considering as part of a political agreement between Israel and 
Palestinians. 
 
Comments by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Fayyad about 
internal affairs and the peace process make above-the-fold, front 
page reporting in all dailies.  Al Quds highlights Fayyad calling 
for the establishment of a national consensus government and warning 
that the two-state solution is endangered by Israeli settlement 
activities.  Al Ayyam highlights Fayyad stating that, "it is time 
refocus the peace process by focusing on the Palestinian peace 
initiative of 1988."  In a related front page article, Al Ayyam 
quotes Israeli Foreign Minister and Kadima party chief Livni stating 
that she remains committed to peace talks with the Palestinians, 
stating, "Annapolis continues." 
 
The three dailies, Maan and Wafa headline quotes by Egypt's 
 
JERUSALEM 00001845  002 OF 003 
 
 
President Mubarak stating that Egypt will not dictate positions to 
any Palestinian parties regarding upcoming Palestinian talks in 
Cairo.  Al Quds reports that several Arab and Islamic countries 
would support an extension of Palestinian Authority President Abbas' 
term in office if "unity dialogue" in Cairo fails.  Maan and Al Quds 
quote Walid Al Awad, Peoples Party Secretary General, stating that 
the "new" government would be more than a technocrat government and 
would be tasked with uniting Palestinian institutions, 
reconstruction, and preparing for presidential and legislative 
elections in 2009, within the first 6-9 months.  Al Awad adds that a 
proposal is on the table to deploy civil police to Gaza and 
establish a strong security council.  An Arab security committee 
would oversee the reform of security services in the West Bank and 
Gaza, according to Al Awad's comments to the press.  The comments 
come after reporting from the weekend that Hamas has rejected the 
idea of forming a technocrat government. 
 
Front page reports in all dailies announce an expected economic 
recession and collapse of the stock market in Israel.  The 
newspapers comment that the American recession will eventually cause 
a recession in Israel and that the American bailout plan cannot 
"rescue" the American economy.  Stories on the fall-out of the U.S. 
economic crisis appear daily on front pages. 
 
Al Ayyam runs a Reuters story about U.S. policy towards Syria on its 
front page.  The story notes that the U.S. Administration is 
reconsidering its policies regarding relations with Syria in light 
of the close relationship between Syria and France. 
 
--------------- 
Weekend stories 
--------------- 
 
Sunday, October 5, 2008 
Al Quds' front page announced that Secretary Rice has asked Egypt to 
host a meeting with Israeli, Palestinian, and Quartet 
representatives to discuss the status of peace talks before 
President Bush ends his term in office.  Egypt responded with 
support for the request, the paper reports, and adds that French 
sources disclosed on September 20, that the US Administration is 
exerting pressure on Israelis and Palestinians to release a 
memorandum of understanding summarizing achievements made in talks. 
 
 
Citing Wafa, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida led with a story about Palestinian 
Authority President Abbas' call on the EU to work with the U.S. to 
consolidate its political role in the peace process.  Abbas stressed 
the importance of the return of Gaza to the "homeland," highlighting 
Egypt's role in achieving national unity and dialogue, the paper 
reported. 
 
Al Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reported that Secretary Rice will 
make a tour of the region in the middle of October in a new bid to 
push forward talks between Israelis and Palestinians.  She will also 
explore whether it is possible for the two sides to reach an 
agreement on final status issues, according to reporting.  In 
related news, Al Quds and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida quote Palestinian 
Authority (PA) Presidency spokesperson Abu Rudaynah asserting that 
the coming weeks and months will be critical for and leave a great, 
lasting impact on the internal Palestinian situation and the peace 
process.  For his part, PA Prime Minister Fayyad commented on 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's front page that Palestinians are adamant about 
establishing a Palestinian state, the blueprints of which, "shall 
rise from the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem and Nablus." 
 
JERUSALEM 00001845  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
Saturday, October 4, 2008 
 
"President Abbas to visit India and Syria soon," Al Ayyam's front 
page announced.  Abbas' media advisor announced that Abbas will 
begin a tour of Arab and Asian capitals soon and will meet with 
Secretary of State Rice in Ramallah in the next two weeks. 
 
Clashes over olive harvesting in villages near Hebron were front 
page news in Al Ayyam.  Settlers near Ramallah and Hebron clashed 
with Palestinians and peace activists as Palestinians sought, "to 
harvest olives from areas confiscated by Israel."  Al Quds' front 
page noted injuries of protesters by the Israeli military during the 
weekly anti separation-wall marches in the West Bank towns of 
Ni'lin, Bil'in and Al Ma'sara. 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
¶1.  Al Ayyam publishes an opinion piece by columnist Samih Shbib 
under the title, "A dialogue waiting to be clarified" (10/06): 
"Hamas has its own agenda [that does not include] the PA and PLO... 
such an agenda bets on the success of Iranian expansion and 
consequently, the resurgence of regional Islamic extremist 
factions... [however,] developments are not in favor of Hamas 
betting... the goals behind Hamas' use of arbitrary rocket attacks 
and killing are now clear to everyone.  They were meant to destroy 
the Palestinian Authority (PA), undermine its policies and sabotage 
any serious progress between Palestinians and the Israelis... to 
show that the PA is surrendering while Hamas is depicted as the 
resistance... After Hamas assumed office, they stopped all the 
bombing and killing, so all is now revealed and they have used force 
to end all opposition... What will Hamas do now after all its 
pretexts have fallen away?" 
 
 
¶2.  Al Quds editorial was titled, "What is left of peace 
efforts?"(10/06):  "While Egypt was announcing that... Rice asked 
Cairo to host an Israeli-Palestinian meeting with Quartet members... 
and while French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner was announcing 
that Europe will continue support for peace efforts and the 
establishment of a Palestinian state, it was declared in Israel that 
the number of [West Bank Israeli] settlers has increased by 15,000 
during Olmert's tenure and that [settlers] have moved 400 mobile 
homes into settlements since the beginning of this year...  At the 
same time senior members of Israel's Kadima party are ignoring 
statements made by Olmert regarding [the need for] Israeli 
withdrawal from almost all of the occupied territories in order to 
achieve peace, and [Kadima] stressed that these statements do not 
represent Kadima policy nor the policies of the other two major 
parties, Likud and Labor... If Europe and America really want to 
revitalize the peace process, what is required is to realize 
conditions for peace, not just hold more conferences and launch 
slogans that Israel ignores as [they have since] Madrid, Oslo and 
finally Annapolis and Paris, in addition to innumerable other 
summits..." 
 
Walles