VZCZCXRO7224
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #2183/01 3381039
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031039Z DEC 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3431
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 7430
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4412
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4263
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5757
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4179
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2749

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 002183 
 
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 (12/03): "EUROPE TO ACTIVATE ITS 
ROLE IN PEACE PROCESS" 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All dailies lead with photos and reporting on December 2 Israeli 
settler and military attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank.  The 
dailies report that settlers attacked Palestinians and property in 
the Hebron area.  Fifteen people were injured, including three 
children and an elderly woman.  The papers add that settlers slashed 
tires on more than 20 Palestinian cars and set fire to a few 
thousand dollars worth of animal feed.  Near Nablus, settlers 
sprayed graffiti on a local mosque with slogans insulting the 
prophet Mohammad, "death to Arabs" and the star of David, the papers 
report.  Area students were also harassed by settlers, who may have 
come from the nearby settlements of Rechelim, Eli and Shilo, 
reporting continues.  Meanwhile, residents of two Ramallah area 
villages, "found racist slogans written in Hebrew painted on the 
floors of two mosques," the dailies report. 
Palestinian Authority President Abbas condemned recent Israeli 
settler attacks and threatening to bring the incidents before the 
U.N. Security Council if Israel fails to reign in the settlers, 
according to Al Quds' and Al Hayat Al Jadida's front pages.  The two 
papers continue that Israeli troops installed new security measures 
on December 2:  a new gate on the Nablus-Tulkarim road and a 
checkpoint near the Nablus village of Dir Sharaf. 
In Gaza news, Al Quds' front page reports on a December 2 Israeli 
air strike that killed two Gazans and injured four others.  In a 
separate incident, an Israeli drone attacked a group of Palestinians 
near Gaza airport, the article notes.  The paper continues with 
comments that Gaza crossings remain closed for the 27th consecutive 
day per the Israeli Defense Minister's order.  In another front page 
article, Al Quds quotes Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister 
Fayyad warning on December 2 that Gaza Banks will not be able to 
disburse salaries to PA employees since Israel continues to block PA 
cash transfers to Gaza. 
Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Fayyad called on the 
international community to take "complete responsibility" for the 
peace process, especially in light of Israel's continued violations 
of signed agreements, according to Al Quds' and Al Ayyam's front 
pages.  Fayyad made his comments during the launch of a $57 million 
USAID-funded health flagship project in Ramallah on December 2.  "We 
are celebrating [this project], however, we cannot ignore Israel's 
daily actions against Palestinian citizens," Fayyad remarked.  He 
also highlighted the December 1 "assassination" by Israeli forces of 
a former Al Aqsa Brigades member in Nablus and condemned Israeli 
settler attacks in Nablus and Hebron.  Fayyad called on the EU to, 
"think long and hard" before upgrading its cooperation with Israel. 
Turning to the USAID project, he reiterated the importance of 
revitalizing the Palestinian health sector, while the PA Minister of 
Health highlighted that the USAID project is unprecedented in its 
size and "reflects the right kind of awareness."  Consul General 
Jake Walles added that the 5-year project will contribute to 
improving the health sector in the West Bank and Gaza, while USAID 
Director Howard Sumka noted that the project reflects Palestinian 
priorities and is the fruit of many years' intensive efforts. 
Al Quds' front page cites Israeli daily Haaretz in quoting a senior 
Israeli diplomat revealing that president-elect Obama is considering 
the appointment of former U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer 
as Special Envoy to the Middle East.  The paper opines that a 
presidential-level envoy instead of a State Department envoy can be 
seen as a sign of U.S. interest and "serious involvement" in the 
Middle East peace process. 
Al Ayyam's front page reports that the EU Commission in Jerusalem 
announced on December 2, 42 million additional Euros in assistance 
to the Palestinian Authority.  The amount includes one million Euros 
 
JERUSALEM 00002183  002 OF 002 
 
 
from Austria, reporting notes, and will be used for expenses related 
to public services through the end of the year. 
Al Quds' and Al Ayyam's front pages report that a French Foreign 
Ministry spokesman told journalists on December 2 that any upgrade 
of EU relations with Israel should take "progress in the peace 
process", into consideration.  Al Ayyam's and Al Hayat Al Jadida's 
front pages cite news agencies in quoting Israeli Foreign Minister 
Livni from Brussels on December 2, urging the EU to support the 
U.S.-sponsored peace process instead of proposing new initiatives. 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
1)  Al Quds' editorial is titled, "Europe seeks to activate its role 
in the peace process" (12/03):  "There are positive indicators to 
suggest that Europe is moving in a serious and realistic fashion 
towards implementing the road map's call for freezing [Israeli] 
settlement activities and reopening Palestinian organizations in 
Jerusalem, while also coordinating efforts with the incoming U.S. 
administration... the real test for the European efforts will be to 
see if [Europe's] can walk side-by-side with the U.S. in these 
regional efforts." 
 
2)   Jawad Bashiti writes in Al Ayyam under the title, "We are to 
blame for the international economic and financial crisis" (12/03): 
"Had we [Arabs] invested our hard currency into our own, real 
economy, we would have made a great contribution towards averting 
the world's financial crisis.  Without the Arab financial 
"surpluses" that we [invested in western] banks and financial 
institutions, [the West] would not have succumbed to the temptation 
of what they call, "irresponsible lending", and thus, they would not 
have destroyed the temple over their and our heads." 
Walles