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DE RUEHJM #2008/01 3150940
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 100940Z NOV 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3197
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
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RUEAHQA/CSAF WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
RHMFIUU/CMC WASHINGTON DC
RUENAAA/CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7394
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4374
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4227
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5721
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4143
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2708

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 002008 
 
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 (11/10):  PALESTINIAN FAMILY 
EVICTED AMID CALLS FOR END OF SETTLEMENT ACTIVITIES 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
Al Quds leads with news of Israeli police using force to evict a 
Palestinian family from their home in Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah 
neighborhood and then handing the property over to "Israeli 
settlers" on November 9.  All front pages highlight the news, with 
Al Ayyam and Al Quds running photographs of the evicted Al Kurd 
family, including the handicapped owner in a wheelchair surrounded 
by supporters and Israeli police.  The Ayyam reports that Israel 
issued eviction ultimatums to seven other families in the 
neighborhood, adding that, "the eviction, which coincided with the 
[Middle East] Quartet meeting, is part of the Israeli plan to build 
an Israeli settlement replacing 28 Arab houses."  Al Quds' inside 
page shows a series of photos from the eviction including one of 
Israeli settlers clapping in applause of the eviction. 
 
Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida lead with news from the Middle East 
Quartet meeting in Sharm Al-Sheikh in Egypt on November 9.  Al Ayyam 
quotes Jordan's King Abdullah and the Quartet calling for a 
continuation of the Annapolis process and a freeze of Israeli 
settlement activities.  Al Hayat Al Jadida quotes Quartet 
Representative Tony Blair calling on president-elect Obama to give 
priority to the Palestinian question.  The papers also quote 
Palestinian Authority President Abbas from a joint press conference 
with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, stating that PA meetings 
with Israeli Premier Olmert and Livni will continue.  Abbas also 
revealed that the Quartet meeting produced a detailed report about 
the progress of negotiations since the Annapolis conference."  Abbas 
added, "we know that we will not achieve peace now, but we will make 
every possible effort to move in that direction," papers report. 
 
Al Quds' front page runs statements by Palestinian Authority (PA) 
Presidency representative Nabil Sha'ath announcing that he expects 
internal Palestinian dialogue to continue in Cairo in two weeks 
time.  The comment, reacting to Hamas' boycott of the talks, was 
made in Cairo on November 9.  The dailies run inside reports about 
wide-spread anger among the Palestinian public over Hamas' boycott 
of the talks.  Al Ayyam runs a quote by PA President Abbas asking 
Egypt during a November 9 press conference to assist in forming a 
transitional PA government committed to previous PLO agreements. 
 
Al Hayat Al Jadida's inside page reports on mass arrests of Fatah 
activists in Gaza by Hamas. 
 
All front pages report on the Israeli decision to keep Gaza 
crossings points closed.  The reports also note that 30% of Gaza 
residents suffered loss of electricity on November 9 and experts 
expect the blackouts to become more frequent and severe if the 
supply of fuel and spare parts continues to be limited by Israel. 
The Hamas-run electricity authority in Gaza stated that the 
population will face, "tough rationing" as Hamas prepares for the 
population's winter heating needs.  In related news, Al Quds' inside 
page reports on Israeli concerns that smuggling tunnels from Egypt 
to Gaza have weakened the impact of Israeli sanctions on the Strip. 
 
Al Quds' and Al Hayat Al Jadida's front pages cite Israeli daily 
Haaretz in quoting Hamas leader Haniyyah expressing willingness to 
recognize Israel if Israel accepts a Palestinian state within the 
1967 borders.  Haniyyah's statements were made during a November 9 
meeting with foreign supporters who made front page headlines in all 
Palestinian dailies on November 9 for sailing into Gaza a day before 
to protest Israel's "blockade" of the Strip.  Meanwhile, Hamas 
 
JERUSALEM 00002008  002 OF 003 
 
 
leader Zahhar is quoted on an inside page of Al Quds stating that, 
"there is no room for a long-term truce with Israel." 
 
--------------- 
Weekend stories 
--------------- 
Sunday, November 9 
 
All front pages highlighted Secretary Rice's November 8 
"unprecedented" visit to Jenin.  Al Quds ran the headline, 
Palestinian Authority (PA) Premier, "Fayyad: We thank the United 
States for its assistance, and need U.S. involvement to end the 
occupation."  Al Ayyam headlines, "Rice in Jenin: This is a place of 
hope and inspiration- $14 million dollars to fund projects in the 
Governorate."  Al Hayat Al Jadida headlines, "Rice: I am ever more 
convinced of the establishment of the Palestinian state."  Reporting 
highlights the success of (PA) security efforts in Jenin, including 
comments by both Rice and Fayyad that Jenin provides a model for 
Palestinian government institutions that will make a Palestinian 
state possible.  Photos show Rice and Fayyad cutting a ribbon on a 
new USAID-funded wing of a Jenin hospital. 
 
Al Ayyam's front page headlines comments by Egypt's Foreign Minister 
Abu Ghayt expressing his hope that president elect Obama will 
continue to push the peace process forward, and warning that "the 
Palestinian people will pay the price," for the postponement of 
Cairo Palestinian unity talks. "   The Arab Leagues' Secretary 
General Amr Mousa adds his warning in the article, stating, "all 
Palestinian factions should be aware of the danger of [internal] 
division to the Palestinian question and the achievement of peace. 
 
Saturday, November 8 
The three dailies lead with coverage of the November 7 meeting 
between Secretary Rice and Palestinian Authority President Abbas in 
Ramallah.  Al Quds quotes "well-informed" sources confirming that 
Secretary Rice informed Abbas that she will prepare a comprehensive 
report on the progress made in Palestinian-Israeli negotiations 
since Annapolis.  Sources say Rice stated that the report would 
"certainly" not blame the Palestinian side and would not contain any 
"surprises" for the Palestinians.  The three newspapers report that 
Rice expressed 'confidence' that Palestinians will have a state in 
the near future, reiterating that the process launched in Annapolis 
laid the foundations for such a state. 
Al Ayyam's front page quoted former HAMAS Prime Minister Haniyyah 
stating that real impediments still exist before a national dialogue 
can be launched in Cairo.  Haniyyah cited the continued arrests of 
Hamas activists in the West Bank as an obstacle also inferring that 
they occur in accordance to U.S. and Israeli requests. 
Al Qud's front page announced "Plans to enhance settlement 
activities in Jerusalem neighborhoods."  The paper reported that 
Deuty head of the Israeli Mertz left-wing movement and a member of 
the Jerusalem Municipal Council "wh is known for his stand against 
the Israeli occuation and settlement activities," announced on 
November 7 that two large tunnels underneath Jerusalem's Al Aqsa 
Mosque complex and in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan will 
be opened soon.  He added that plans are underway to prepare East 
Jerusalem for settlers in the near future.  In other Jerusalem news, 
Al Ayyam front pages a headline that, "only 20% of houses in East 
Jerusalem to be included" in the Israeli census, according to Al 
Ayyam's front page. The report quotes officials from the Israeli 
National Census Department explaining how this year's census of East 
Jerusalem residents will be conducted.  In door-to-door interviews 
in Dec to Feb., 30 "East Jerusalemite" census department employees 
will sample 20% of the houses.  The process will also include the 
 
JERUSALEM 00002008  003 OF 003 
 
 
registration of buildings, reporting notes. 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
1) Al Quds opines under an editorial entitled, "Evicting the Al Kurd 
family is another step towards Judaizing Jerusalem" (11/10) "It's 
unfortunate, if not scandalous, that Palestinian rifts and divisions 
continue... Israel makes use of these differences to consolidate its 
presence in Jerusalem and create new de facto settlements in the 
Arab neighborhoods one house at a time... [Palestinian leaders, you, 
show] little responsibility towards your capital... Jerusalem's 
neighborhoods and houses are being lost before your eyes, and you 
continue bickering; like the monks of the besieged Constantinople, 
hours before its fall... you argue about what comes first, the 
release of prisoners or starting dialogue... what a dialogue!" 
 
2)  Faisal Abu Khadra writes in Al Ayyam under the title, "A letter 
to president-elect Obama" (11/10) "Kindly remember that your 
upcoming administration wants to be a mediator and sponsor of the 
peace process; which will require standing at an equal distance from 
the parties, so that it [the administration] won't be for Israel nor 
against it.  We Arabs do not want [the U.S. administration] to be 
for us but rather for itself and stand for its proposals and 
programs that have been accepted by all countries; that is, peace 
for land....Your highness is kindly requested...not to select your 
envoys, representatives, ambassadors, advisors and mediators for the 
Middle East issues from one sect and one ideology that is against 
the Arabs and supports Israel; you can imagine the disappointment in 
the Arab world when these officials are your top chief employees. 
 
Walles