VZCZCXRO0576
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0156/01 0201123
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 201123Z JAN 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3891
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 7496
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4481
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4329
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5823
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4245
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2817

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 000156 
 
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 (01/20):  OBAMA's "ERA OF 
DIALOGUE" BEGINS 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All papers lead with news of the reconciliation of Arab states at 
the January 19 Kuwait Arab economic summit and reports on the 
situation in Gaza.  The three papers run lead photos of Arab leaders 
at the summit.  Al Quds runs a photo of Palestinian Authority 
President Abbas at the summit next to a photo of a Gaza Palestinian 
youth consoling an elderly man whose house has been destroyed.  The 
photos' caption reads, "the Arabs reconciled... and the catastrophe 
continues in Gaza."  All papers run inside reports on the "post-war" 
shock experienced by Palestinians in Gaza, as they inspect their 
destroyed houses.  The three papers front page reports, citing news 
agencies, that an Amnesty International arms expert has confirmed 
that Israel used phosphorus bombs and further accused Israel of 
committing war crimes against Gazan Palestinians. 
The dailies report that most Israeli troops have left the Gaza Strip 
ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Obama, and quote 
Israeli sources saying that additional, if not all, forces will have 
left the Gaza Strip before the inauguration.  All papers dedicate 
one or more inside pages to the inauguration of President-elect 
Obama, and describe the event as a "historic".  The papers add that 
Obama's term begins with, "nervous hopes" for change.  The papers 
also comment that the Bush "evil axis" era will be succeeded by the 
Obama era of "dialogue". 
 
In Gaza reconstruction coverage, the three papers front page reports 
that Saudi King Abdullah announced the end of Arab states' internal 
division and pledged one billion dollars for Gaza reconstruction. 
Al Quds quotes EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero- 
Waldner stating on January 19 that there are efforts underway to 
hold a conference on Palestinian issues in Cairo next month.  She 
added that Hamas and Fatah need to end internal conflict before Gaza 
reconstruction begins.  Al Ayyam reports, citing AFP, that UN 
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will visit Sderot, Israel and Gaza on 
January 20.  The paper quotes Ki-moon announcing that he will send a 
needs assessment mission to Gaza to speed recovery there. 
In ceasefire news coverage, Al Quds' front page quotes a senior 
Egyptian official announcing on January 19 that Egypt is working on 
ideas for the sustaining of a Gaza ceasefire.  Those ideas will be 
presented to Israel and Palestinian factions in Cairo on January 22, 
according to coverage.  The papers further report that Egypt's 
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zaki denied, when speaking to AP on 
January 19, that Egypt has any written agreement with Israel on 
preventing arms smuggling into Gaza.  Al Quds and Al Ayyam's front 
pages report on a German proposal to begin assistance to Gaza, 
followed by efforts to prevent arms smuggling to the Strip, and a 
subsequent resumption of the peace process.  Al Ayyam comments that 
the German plan was announced by German Foreign Minister 
Frank-Walter Steinmeier one day before the inauguration of 
President-elect Obama and that the plan aims to stabilize the 
ceasefire and aid the reconstruction of Gaza.  Al Hayat Al Jadida's 
front page cites news agencies in reporting that EU foreign 
ministers will meet Israeli Foreign Minister Livni in Brussels on 
January 20 and then meet their Palestinian, Jordanian and Turkish 
counterparts on January 25 to discuss the ceasefire in Gaza. 
The possibility of a new Palestinian national unity government grabs 
front page headlines.  Palestinian Authority (PA) President Abbas is 
quoted in Al Quds and Al Ayyam calling on all Palestinian factions 
to immediately convene in Egypt to reconcile and form a national 
unity government.  Al Quds and Al Ayyam run front page statements by 
PA Premier Fayyad, warning parties not to treat Gaza as a separate 
entity, which he considers, "an Israeli effort to end the 
Palestinian cause."  Fayyad also echoed Abbas' call on Palestinian 
 
JERUSALEM 00000156  002 OF 003 
 
 
factions to agree to a new national unity government, according to 
reports.  The front pages further note that AFP quoted Palestinian 
Authority Ambassador to Egypt Nabil Amr announcing on January 19 
that Arab states have agreed that Egypt, exclusively, will work on 
Palestinian reconciliation efforts.  Finally, Al Quds' reports that 
"close aids" to French President Sarkozy, revealed that Europe would 
be ready to recognize Hamas if it agreed to be part of a unity 
government. 
 
A public donation campaign to benefit Gazans, sponsored by the 
USAID-supported Youth Development Resource Centers network under the 
U.S. Palestinian Partnership (UPP) program in the West Bank, 
receives positive coverage on inside pages of Al Hayat Al Jadida and 
Al Ayyam.  The donation drive was also featured on local radio 
outlets and a daytime live report on Al Jazeera.   -------------- 
WEEKEND NEWS: 
-------------- 
Sunday, January 11 
 
All front pages headlined news that Israel declared a unilateral 
ceasefire and would keep forces in the Gaza Strip.  They highlight 
remarks by Israeli Premier Olmert that Israel's goals had been met 
and Hamas' ability to launch rockets "severely weakened."  Olmert 
promised Hamas that continued rocket attacks on Israel would draw a 
military response whereas a halt to attacks would see the withdrawal 
of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, according to reporting. 
Front pages also run Hamas statements by spokesman Fawzi Barhum 
stating that, "Israel should stop its aggression, withdraw fully 
from the Gaza Strip, lift the siege and reopen the crossing 
points... Hamas remains strong and the resistance will continue..." 
 
 
Front pages continued daily reporting on the rising death toll of 
Gazans, the targeting of additional UN facilities, including schools 
and the use of "highly lethal" weapons by Israel that, "melt away 
the flesh leaving skeletons." 
 
Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page headlined that Egypt's Foreign 
Minister Abu Al Ghayt insisted on January 18 that Egypt has made no 
commitments vis-`-vis the Israeli-American memorandum of 
understanding regarding arms smuggling into Gaza.  The paper notes 
that Al Ghayt expressed, "the sharpest criticism of Israel since the 
beginning of the aggression, "and runs the quotes, "the memorandum 
seeks to impose control over the high seas and around the world, and 
this is purely the concern of Israel and the U.S." 
 
Saturday, January 10 
 
All front pages gave an update on civilians killed in the previous 
day's fighting and reported on discussion between Palestinian 
President Abbas and Ban Ki-moon stressing the need for an immediate 
ceasefire and exploring the possible deployment of an international 
military force to the Gaza Strip.  Meanwhile Al Quds and Al Ayyam's 
front pages headlined that, "Gaza Summit calls for the suspension of 
the Arab peace initiative, ending normalization with Israel, and 
pursuing Israel in courts."  The [Qatar] summit condemned the 
Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and Israel's refusal to 
abide by UN Security Council Resolution number 1860, according to 
coverage.  Papers also reported that the Israeli office in Doha was 
closed down and Mauritania announced the freezing of its diplomatic 
relations with Israel.  Finally, Palestinian Authority (PA) 
spokesman Rahim publicly chided Qatar for noting the absence of PA 
President Abbas, stating that, "the Prince of Qatar knows very well 
that President Abbas was the first to accept the invitation to 
 
JERUSALEM 00000156  003 OF 003 
 
 
attend the Qatar Summit were a quorum established. However, when 
such a quorum was not established..." 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
 
1)  Al Quds editorial is titled, "Meet...and don't leave without an 
agreement" (01/20):  "[Palestinian Authority] President Mahmud Abbas 
has called for a conference [for Palestinian unity] to include all 
Palestinian factions, to be held in Egypt... Ismail Haniyah... has 
also called for national reconciliation... Go to Cairo, Fatah, 
Hamas, [Islamic]Jihad, Popular [Front for the Liberation of 
Palestine], and all the other factional leaders and independents, 
don't procrastinate, and leave narrow factional interests aside. 
The remains of the homeland are calling you, and your patient 
steadfast people will hold you accountable." 
 
2)  Muhannad Abdul Hamid demands in Al Ayyam under the title, 
"Post-aggression questions" (01/20):  "We should reconsider 
the[Palestinian] negotiation policy that has yielded no positive 
results and lost the Palestinian people's confidence... When we go 
to the negotiation table and achieve nothing... does that not demand 
that we change the nature of negotiations?  We should employ some 
pressure tactics, think of forms of protest, abstain from 
negotiations, that is, attempt to change the political process that 
is within our sphere of influence." 
 
WALLES