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DE RUEHJM #2278/01 3570958
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 220958Z DEC 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3566
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 7452
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4437
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4285
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5779
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4201
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2771

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 002278 
 
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 (12/22): OBSTACLES TO PEACE 
NEGOTIATIONS 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
All papers lead with growing tension in Gaza where the truce with 
Israel ended and, the papers speculate, an Israeli offensive is 
becoming more inevitable. Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadeeda report 
that four Palestinians were injured December 21 in Israeli strikes 
on Gaza, from where a projectile was fired into Israel. To garner 
international support for a possible Gaza offensive, Palestinian 
papers report that Israeli embassies have launched an international 
public relations campaign, with a focus on Security Council member 
states. Al Ayyam recounts statements from senior Israeli officials 
calling for an Israeli offensive in Gaza, while Prime Minister 
Olmert called for self restraint, and anonymous Israeli security 
officials said that an offensive is definite and that they are just 
waiting for the "appropriate" time.  Al Hayat Al Jadeeda notes that 
the situation in Gaza and Hamas rule of Gaza have become campaigning 
fodder for Israel's Likud party, with Netanyahu pledging to end 
Hamas rule.  The Labor party's Ehud Barak downplayed such promises, 
the papers note. 
 
On the humanitarian front, Al Ayyam reports that Egypt asked Hamas 
to establish 24 hours of calm in order to allow humanitarian 
assistance to enter into Gaza.  The paper notes that Jordan's 
Islamic movement and Egypt's Red Crescent Society both have 
shipments prepared to send to Gaza. Al Quds reports bakeries in Gaza 
will gradually stop functioning within the next two days due to 
diminishing supplies of flour.  While, Al Hayat Al Jadeeda publishes 
a photo of medics assisting an infant injured in Israeli strikes. Al 
Ayyam quotes Musheer Al Masri of Hamas denying any Arab overtures to 
Hamas to work to extend the truce or to resume the internal 
Palestinian dialogue. 
Al Quds quotes remarks made by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister 
Fayyad questioning Israel's commitment to peace and vowing to 
continue lobbying for economic pressure to be put on Israel to stop 
settlement expansion. Fayyad said he was "discouraged" by a recent 
EU decision to upgrade its relations with Israel without demanding a 
freeze on settlement expansion. 
All Palestinian papers report on "summit" meetings between PA 
President Abbas and Russian President Medvedev during which the two 
discussed the Middle East peace process and the Russian role in the 
Quartet and the Security Council. 
Al Quds and Al Hayat Al Jadeeda give prominent coverage to a hunger 
strike by Palestinian prisoners in Israel's Ofer prison that entered 
its second day.  The hunger strike comes following extensive clashes 
with prison guards over the weekend. The papers note growing 
Palestinian public support for the prisoners, adding that prisoners 
in Israel's Negev prison staged a token one meal hunger strike in 
solidarity with Ofer prisoners. 
Al Quds mentions the likely selection of retired Admiral Dennis 
Blair as President-elect Obama's Director of National Intelligence. 
It notes that the Wall Street Journal commented that in selecting a 
former military officer for this post, Obama could create tensions 
between his civilian and military staff. 
Al Hayat Al Jadeeda and Al Quds report that "Israeli Jews" 
vandalized a mosque in the Israeli city of Jaffa, writing 
intimidating and insulting slogans against the Prophet Mohammad. Al 
Hayat Al Jadeeda carries a photo of the defaced mosque on its front 
page. 
Al Quds reports on concerns expressed by lawyers and human rights 
activists on a "systematic Israeli campaign" to displace Palestinian 
Bedouins from areas around Jerusalem in order to expand Israeli 
settlements. The activists consider the land being targeted as the 
 
JERUSALEM 00002278  002 OF 003 
 
 
only space available for future expansion by Palestinian 
Jerusalemites and have demanded pressure be brought to bear on 
Israel to stop these actions. 
---------------- 
WEEKEND STORIES 
---------------- 
Sunday, December 21 
------------------- 
Al Quds, Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadeeda report that violent 
clashes erupted Saturday morning at the Ofer detention center 
between Israeli guards and Palestinian prisoners, resulting in a 
number of injuries and the burning of tents where prisoners are 
currently being held. The clashes started when prisoners protested 
an earlier search of prisoner property which damaged the living 
quarters of the prisoners. In response to the protest Israeli 
soldiers fired rounds of rubber coated bullets and tear gas 
canisters at the prisoners, igniting some of the tents. President 
Abbas condemned the attacks against the prisoners at Ofer. 
 
 
--------------------- 
Saturday, December 20 
--------------------- 
Al Quds reports that Sheikh Salhab, head of the Islamic Awqaf 
Council and acting Chief Justice, said in a special interview with 
Al Quds that Israeli violations against the sanctity of Al Aqsa 
Mosque are increasing. These violations present themselves in the 
form of continuous attempts by settlers and fundamentalists to enter 
the mosque and hold prayers on its grounds under the protection of 
Israeli police. Salhab stressed that these violations are happening 
on an almost daily basis. Salhab added that over the past few 
months, the mosque witnessed several violent attacks. 
Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadeeda report that 34 protestors, 
including an Israeli peace activist, as well as local and foreign 
journalists, were injured Friday during anti-wall protests in the 
villages of Bil'in, Ni'lin, Al Ma'sara, and Jayyous. Two residents 
of Bil'in were taken to a Ramallah hospital while the Israeli peace 
activist was taken to a hospital in Israel for treatment. Among the 
injured were a cameraman and two European journalists. Protestors in 
Bil'in and Ni'lin threw shoes at soldiers, who fired tear gas and 
stun grenades. 
------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------- 
 
¶1. The main editorial in Al Quds, "Prisoners once again," opines: 
"It is time for the Palestinian side to reject the Israeli position 
that deals with prisoners of freedom as criminal prisoners...it is 
time for European mediators, who always demand the release of 
[abducted Israeli soldier Gilad] Shalit, including France, to look 
at the facts of what is going on and to stop this hypocrisy and this 
double standard when dealing with human rights and the issue of 
prisoners... The issue of prisoners is an open wound that cannot be 
ignored, and there is no seriousness to peace negotiations or 
contacts with the Israeli side as long as Israel continues [its] 
practices." 
¶2. Jawad Al Basheeti editorializes in Al Ayyam under the title 
"Truce...results, expectations and lessons!" that: "The US well 
knows which are the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 
¶1967.  [T]he Palestinians (along with the Arabs) should know that 
there can be no serious negotiations ... without transferring 
authority over these territories from the Israeli occupying power to 
an interim international administration headed by the UN... such an 
administration, supported by a strong international military force, 
 
JERUSALEM 00002278  003 OF 003 
 
 
can, and should, continue until the two sides sign a peace 
agreement. Otherwise, the Palestinians will only succeed in 
undermining both of the current options: the negotiated solution and 
the solution through resistance." 
MARCHESE