VZCZCXRO4552
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #2058/01 3241027
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191027Z NOV 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3266
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 7409
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4389
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4242
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5736
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4158
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2724

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 002058 
 
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 (11/19):  PALESTINIANS SEE NEW 
OPPORTUNITIES IN OBAMA'S "PARTNERSHIP" POLICIES 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
Coverage of tensions in Gaza dominates front pages.  Al Quds and Al 
Ayyam lead with news of Israel arresting three foreign human rights 
activists and 16 Palestinian fishermen.  Coverage also highlights 
that Gaza crossings remain closed, while homemade Palestinian 
rockets continue to fall on the Israeli town of Sderot, following a 
November 18 Israeli incursion into Rafah in the Gaza Strip.  Al Quds 
adds that Hamas has called on Palestinian factions to meet 
"immediately" to review the truce with Israel and runs front page 
statements by UN human rights chief Navi Pillay calling for an 
immediate end to the Israeli "blockade" of Gaza.  Al Ayyam cites 
Israeli daily Ma'ariv in news that the Israeli military has issued a 
one week ultimatum to Hamas to halt the fire of homemade rockets on 
Israel.  Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page focuses on humanitarian 
suffering in Gaza and notes that Gazans lined up to receive UNRWA 
assistance, after Israel allowed some U.N. supplies to enter the 
Strip on November 18. 
 
Photo coverage on front pages includes a photo in Al Quds of 
Palestinian women receiving kidney dialysis in a Gaza hospital via 
electric generator power, due to fuel shortages.  Al Ayyam's lead 
photo shows a Gazan woman waiting for her share of a humanitarian 
distribution.  Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page shows an Israeli 
bulldozer demolishing a Palestinian house in the East Jerusalem 
neighborhood of Essawiya, noting that a second demolition order for 
a Palestinian home in Jerusalem's Jabal Al Mukaber neighborhood has 
been postponed.  The same page carries a photo of Palestinian 
Authority President Abbas and Consul General Jake Walles meeting in 
Ramallah on November 18 to discuss the peace process. 
 
The three papers front page news of a November 18 telephone call 
from president-elect Obama to Palestinian Authority President Abbas. 
 Obama assured continued U.S. commitment to the Palestinian-Israel 
peace process and thanked Abbas for his letter of congratulations on 
his election as U.S. President, the papers note.  According to 
coverage, PLO chief negotiator Sa'eb Erekat commented on November 18 
that Obama has been in contact with Abbas even before U.S. 
elections, showing Obama's, "strong commitment to solving the Middle 
East conflict." 
 
Al Ayyam leads with five conditions set by Hamas to resume dialogue 
with Fatah in Cairo.  The paper cites Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum 
stating, in a Gaza press conference on November 18, that Hamas would 
resume dialogue if 1) its comments regarding Egypt's proposal are 
accepted; 2) Palestinian Authority(PA) President Abbas attends 
dialogue sessions; 3) the Hamas West Bank delegation can join the 
dialogue; 4) Hamas activists are released from PA prisons, 5) "equal 
protocol arrangements" are made for Fatah and Hamas in Cairo. 
 
Al Quds and Al Hayat Al Jadida front page official British 
statements from November 18, denying that the UK has had contact 
with Hamas, but adding British readiness to dialogue with the group 
if it denounces violence and accepts the peace process.  The 
statements also call for Palestinian unity, describe Israeli 
settlements as an obstacle to peace and demand the reopening of Gaza 
crossings by Israel. 
 
Al Quds front pages statements made by Deputy Speaker of the EU 
Parliament Luisa Morgantini calling for a freeze of the EU-Israeli 
partnership agreement in the wake of Israel's forced eviction of a 
Palestinian family from their Jerusalem home.  The daily continues 
that Israeli demolitions of Palestinian houses and settlement 
 
JERUSALEM 00002058  002 OF 002 
 
 
construction continue on a daily basis in the Palestinian 
Territories. 
 
Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page and inside pages of Al Ayyam and Al 
Quds, report on a USAID-Palestinian Authority (PA) inauguration of a 
public park and cornerstone laying for a multi-purpose hall in 
Zababda village near Jenin on November 18.  USAID Director Sumka is 
quoted stating that USAID carries out these projects with the vision 
of empowering the Palestinian people and organizations to establish 
an independent state of Palestine.  Sumka reminded listeners that 
two weeks ago Secretary Rice visited a Palestinian government 
hospital that was renovated by USAID.  Al Quds and Al Ayyam run 
photos of the inauguration that was also attended by PA Premier 
Fayyad. 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
1)  George Jaqaman of Birzeit University writes in Al Ayyam under 
the title, "Is there a new role for the Arabs and Europe in the 
Middle East, now that Obama is here?"(11/19):  The international 
financial crisis that started in the U.S.... resulted in European 
demands for greater "partnership" in decision making, including 
economic decisions that might impact political decisions related to 
the Middle East... in light of Obama's declared policy calling for 
greater partnership with Europe... there is still time for Arab 
states... to condition their financial contributions to solving the 
Euro-American economic crisis on political demands related the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Clearly, this is a golden opportunity 
- will Arabs take advantage of it?  Herein lies the future of 
solving or not solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict... will Arab 
weakness, once again, be one of the reasons for the continuing 
conflict?" 
 
2)  Columnist Hani Habib writes in Al Ayyam under the title, "The 
lost dialogue"(11/19):  "Without the creation of a supportive Arab 
environment, the Palestinian national dialogue will remain tied to 
the political interests and polarizing effects of one Arab regional 
party or another. The Arab League Secretary General, if he wants to 
prepare well for the League's Council meeting on Palestinian 
dialogue, should remember that, above all else, this issue is not an 
internal Palestinian one, but rather, a purely Arab issue with 
regional and international implications." 
 
Walles