VZCZCXRO3480
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #2052/01 3231010
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181010Z NOV 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3259
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 7407
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4387
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4240
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5734
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4156
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2722

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 002052 
 
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 (11/18):  AMERICA'S HONEYMOON 
PERIOD 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
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The three papers lead with statements by Palestinian Authority 
President Abbas after his meeting with Israel's Premier Olmert on 
November 17 in Jerusalem. Olmert promised Abbas to release 250 
Palestinian prisoners in early December to coincide with the Islamic 
Eid al Adha holiday.  Al Hayat Al Jadida notes that 11,000 
Palestinians are in Israeli detention.  The papers also report that 
Olmert promised to freeze 3,000 demolition orders against 
Palestinian houses located throughout the West Bank.  Al Quds adds 
that Abbas demanded Olmert halt all Israeli settlement activities in 
the West Bank and urged him to work on sustaining the ceasefire with 
Hamas and lifting the Gaza "siege." Al Ayyam reports that the 
meeting did achieve agreement on the return of Palestinians who were 
deported to Gaza by the Israeli Military after participating in the 
Church of the Nativity stand-off in 2002.  They will return to the 
West Bank.  Al Hayat Al Jadida publishes a photo of Abbas and Olmert 
with their teams at the Jerusalem meeting. 
 
Front pages highlight a second story about Palestinian Authority 
President Abbas' meeting with British Foreign Minister Miliband in 
Ramallah on November 17.  In a press Conference with Miliband, Abbas 
stated that, "partial agreements [with Israel] are not acceptable. 
The only agreement to be made is a comprehensive peace deal." 
Miliband reiterated a theme underscored at the Quartet meeting in 
Egypt, that negotiations are irreversible.  He called on Israel to 
halt settlement activities and expected that 2009 will be a "very 
important year," especially in light of the incoming U.S. 
administration, and new Israeli government, and the ongoing peace 
efforts by Abbas.  Miliband added that UK laws prohibit favoring 
products made in Israeli settlements.  The three papers publish 
front page photos of the two leaders in Ramallah. 
 
Al Quds' front page reports statements made to AP by Palestinian 
Authority (PA) Prime Minister Fayyad.  Speaking before his November 
17 meeting with British Foreign Minister Miliband, Fayyad called on 
the E.U. to tighten restrictions on Israeli settlement products. 
Fayyad continued that while the PA has thus far only made the demand 
informally, the time has come to make an official request for such 
restrictions, adding that peace talks have collapsed under the 
pressure of Israeli settlement expansion.  The paper notes that 
Miliband has been lobbying E.U. countries to restrict Israeli 
settlements products. 
 
Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page publishes, under a lead photo of an 
Israeli tank near Gaza statements made by Israeli Defense Minister 
Barak that he is not ruling out the option of military action 
against the Gaza Strip.  The paper also quotes Israel's Foreign 
Minister Livni stating that truce in Gaza has collapsed and blamed 
Hamas for the collapse. Al Ayyam's front page reports that 
Palestinians in Gaza fired homemade rockets on Israeli towns, with 
two rockets hitting the southern Israeli city of Sderot. 
 
Al Quds' front page reports that Israel allowed for the entry of 
limited humanitarian assistance into Gaza.  Thirty trucks crossed 
into the Strip to deliver humanitarian assistance. 
 
Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida front page statements by Hamas 
leader Haniyyah stating that Egypt's efforts for achieving internal 
Palestinian unity have not failed and that Egypt is following up on 
those efforts.  Haniyah also highlighted the efforts of Arab League 
Secretary General Amr Musa as proof of continuing Arab support to 
internal Palestinian dialogue. 
 
JERUSALEM 00002052  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida's front pages report on statements 
made by Palestinian Authority (PA) Information Minister Riyad Al 
Malki warning against an escalation of Israeli actions in Gaza and 
calling for parties to respect the existing truce there.  Al Malki's 
statements came following the weekly Palestinian Authority cabinet 
meeting on November 17.  Al Malki added that his government has 
achieved success at the security level and continues to work for 
greater law enforcement in the southern West Bank, building on 
success in the north. 
 
The Ma'an news network website reports that U.S. Under Secretary of 
State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs James K. Glassman and 
Palestinian Authority Minister of Youth and Sports Abu Daqqah 
inaugurated the first Palestinian Center for Youth Development 
Resources in Beita village near Nablus in the West Bank on November 
¶17.  Mr. Glassman said that he will never forget the sight of 
Palestinian children at the event and added that the project was an 
initiative by Secretary of State Rice to give hope and encourage 
development opportunities for Palestinian youth, while also 
assisting them to achieve peace. 
 
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BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
1)  Columnist Rajab Abu Sarayah opines in Al Ayyam under the title, 
"Palestine, a victim of regional polarization" (11/18): 
"Palestinians [should] craft their way to freedom by disengaging 
from financial dependence... and should join the regional systems 
[such as]... the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic 
Conference countries... this option would require a vigorous 
struggle on the part of all Palestinians, not just those living in 
the West Bank and Gaza or those divided and polarized by Fatah and 
Hamas." 
 
2)  Jamil Matar writes in Al Quds under the title "America is in a 
honeymoon period with the world" (11/18):  "With Obama's victory, 
[the world's] people have begun to lean towards loving America and 
shy away from hating it.  America has started, or should start, the 
journey of changing its policies and behaviors and begin preparing 
itself for a growing revolution in international expectations." 
 
Walles