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OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0146/01 0161104
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 161104Z JAN 09 ZDK
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3866
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 7493
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4478
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4326
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5820
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4242
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2814

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 000146 
 
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 (01/16): EGYPTIAN PROPOSAL - 
"FASTEST WAY TO SAVE GAZA" 
 
JERUSALEM 00000146  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All papers lead with the escalation of violence in Gaza and report 
on January 15 as "the bloodiest day" in the war, as Israeli strikes 
kill 71 Palestinians and injure 300 others, bringing the estimated 
Palestinian death toll to 1,105.  All front pages report on the 
killing of "Hamas Interior Minister" Said Siam in an Israeli air 
strike that killed dozens, including his family and Hamas' security 
chief Salih Abu Shraykh.  Al Quds adds that Israel "targeted" the 
UNRWA compound, two hospitals and a building with media offices in 
Gaza City, whereas Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida use a more 
neutral verb, reporting that the sites were "hit".  Al Ayyam further 
adds that the Israeli army carried out the strikes while trying to 
advance into downtown Gaza City. 
 
The three papers run the same lead photo of the raging fire inside 
the Gaza City UNRWA compound warehouse, filled with food and 
medicine.  Al Quds runs another photo of a Gaza medical team holding 
an Israeli shell that was fired on January 15 onto the Jerusalem 
hospital in Gaza.  AccompanyiQreporting notes that the shelling 
caused panic and "mass fleeing" of the injured and sick, as others 
struggled to evacuate newborns and those too sick to move to the 
outside streets.  Al Hayat Al Jadida inserts into the lead photo, a 
smaller photo of "martyr Said Siam," the "Hamas Interior Minister." 
Al Quds and Al Ayyam allocate separate front page space with photos, 
to Siam's "assassination." 
In coverage of the USQAl Ayyam's front page cites DPA in reporting 
that the US has decided to cut back on loan guarantees to Israel 
because of Israeli West Bank settlement policy.  The paper comments 
that the US decision has already been made, but will only be 
communicated to Israel after the presidential inauguration.  In 
other new,  Al Quds' front page cites AFP in reporting that the 
Pentagon is drawing up plans for the accelerated withdrawal of 
troops from Iraq, in order to have plans ready for President Obama's 
review when he assumes office. 
 
Secretary State Rice is, "worried" and called Israeli leaders to 
express, "deep concern" over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, 
according to an inside report in Al Ayyam that cites AFP.  State 
Department spokesman McCormack is also quoted saying, "we are 
working very hard to reach a ceasefire that is permanent and not 
limited."  Al Hayat Al Jadida and Al Ayyam's front pages and Al 
Quds' inside page, report in neutral language that Israeli Foreign 
Minister Livni will travel on January 16 to Washington to sign a US 
assistance agreement to combat arms smuggling to Hamas.  The papers 
report that Secretary Rice told Israel that the US can assist in 
combating arms smuggling and the papers' remind readers that Israel 
is demanding that smuggling must be disrupted before arms arrive 
into Gaza, possibly through pressure on Iran and the targeting of 
transit points, for example, in Sudan. 
 
In front page coverage of the international response to escalating 
military operations in Gaza, the three papers report "shock and 
anger" on the part of international organizations, including the UN 
and EU.  They further report on a January 15 call by Amnesty 
International to launch an independent investigation into Israeli 
"war crimes" in Gaza, in light of the attack on UNRWA's Gaza City 
compound.  Al Quds cites AFP in reporting that UN Secretary General 
Ban Ki Moon was "furious" and told journalists in Tel Aviv that he 
demanded from Israeli Defense Minister Barak a full explanation, to 
which Barak responded that the strike on the compound was a "grave 
mistake".  In separate reporting, Al Quds' front page cites AFP in 
reporting that the EU Parliament adopted on January 15, a decision, 
 
JERUSALEM 00000146  002 OF 003 
 
 
"condemning Israel's collective punishment of Palestinians as a 
violation of international humanitarian law." 
 
In ceasefire efforts' coverage, the three front pages quote a senior 
Egyptian diplomat stating in Cairo on January 15 that Israel has 
accepted the Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire.  What remains, 
according to the diplomat, is the scheduling of meetings to decide 
on how to implement the proposal.  Al Ayyam adds that Israel has 
denied agreeing to the proposal.  In separate reporting, Al Ayyam's 
front page cites Reuters in reporting that Hamas offered Israel, via 
Egyptian mediators, a one-year truce if Israel agrees to withdraw 
from the Gaza Strip in one week and reopens Gaza crossings. 
 
In coverage of official Palestinian statements, all front pages 
quote Palestinian Authority (PA) President Abbas during a January 15 
press conference with German Foreign Minister Steinmeier in 
Ramallah, stating that the next few hours would be "decisive" for 
reaching a ceasefire in Gaza.  Abbas would not elaborate, but added 
that there are developments that he hoped would prove positive.  He 
also revealed that there is a five-point Chinese proposal for a 
ceasefire.  Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida front page statements by 
PA Prime Minister Fayyad announcing in Ramallah on January 15 that 
the PA will seek a UN resolution under article VII of the UN 
charter, to stop "the Israeli war on Gaza."  Fayyad also noted that 
the PA will seek international protection for all Palestinians, 
beyond current international commitments to monitor the Rafah 
Gaza-Egypt crossing. 
In coverage of Arab summits, Al Quds' front page runs statements by 
a Qatari official that the planned January 16 Doha summit will 
proceed, regardless of the number of states attending.  Al Ayyam's 
and Al Hayat Al Jadida's front pages report on the January 15 Gulf 
summit, noting that it further diminished support for the Qatari 
summit.  The papers add that the Gulf summit led to agreement on 
working towards the success of the January 19 Arab economic summit 
in Kuwait, at which, according to Kuwaiti Emir Al Ahmad, the 
situation in Gaza will be among the top agenda items.  Finally, the 
papers report that Saudi Foreign Minister Al Faisal told journalists 
that Gulf States on January 15 decided to allocate "generous" 
assistance to the Palestinians. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
 
1)  Al Quds' editorial is titled, "Bombing the UNRWA compound during 
the Ban Ki Moon-Livni meeting"(01/16):  "Is it a coincidence that 
the Israeli bombing of the UNRWA compound in Gaza coincided with the 
UN Secretary General's visit to the region?...the bombing is clear 
evidence... that Israel does not care about the international 
community ['s will] represented by the UN and its Secretary General. 
 All that Israel cares about is... seeking to reestablish its 
capability for deterrence that it lost in Lebanon in 2006... Ban Ki 
Moon was the recipient of the news of the bombing of the UNRWA 
compound in Gaza.  He must have understood the Israeli message, but 
responding to that message might not be within his purview, since 
that response will come from the people of the world who are 
denouncing this aggression and demanding [the conflict] end 
immediately and unconditionally." 
2)  Rajab Abu Sirriyiah editorializes in Al Ayyam under the title, 
"The Egyptian proposal is the fastest way to save Gaza": (01/16) 
"The Hamas leadership and its delegation in Cairo have been pushed 
to understand that the Egyptian proposal is the fastest way to stop 
the insane Israeli war on Gaza.  Until now, they have not given 
their explicit endorsement of the initiative, apparently waiting for 
the Israeli endorsement first... one could say that political 
 
JERUSALEM 00000146  003 OF 003 
 
 
naivet and the effect of negative, opposition forces exploiting 
internal Palestinian [division]... have caused the death of all 
these victims, since this was all avoidable had the opening of the 
Rafah crossing on the basis of the 2005 agreements been accepted a 
year and a half ago, and had a serious... vigorous process been 
employed to arrange internal affairs." 
WALLES