VZCZCXRO1366
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0160/01 0211114
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 211114Z JAN 09 ZDK
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3899
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 7499
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4484
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4332
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5826
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4248
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2820

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000160 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS BBG 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
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 (01/21): OBAMA INAUGURATION USHERS 
IN "NEW ERA" IN U.S.-ARAB RELATIONS 
 
JERUSALEM 00000160  001.4 OF 002 
 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All papers front page news of the inauguration of U.S. President 
Barack Obama.  Al Quds leads with the headline: "Barack Hussein 
Obama is the 44th President of the United States". The paper runs a 
front page photo of President Obama taking the oath of office and 
includes a full translation of the President's inaugural address, 
noting that hundreds of thousands of Americans flocked to Washington 
to watch the inauguration. Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadeeda both run 
front page photos from the ceremony and note the President's 
statement that the US is "a friend of all nations and ready to lead 
once again". All papers note that President Obama pledged to take a 
new path in dealing with the Islamic world. 
All papers front page news of the conclusion of the Arab summit in 
Kuwait, noting that that the Arab states had failed to reconcile 
their differences and therefore did not take any firm decisions. 
The papers report that the summit called for Palestinian 
reconciliation and expressed commitment to Gaza's reconstruction. 
The papers note that some leaders tried to include the final 
statement from last week's Doha Arab summit in the Kuwait summit's 
communiqu, and that this led to disagreements and a watered down 
final communiqu. 
All papers front page statements by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon 
during his January 20 visit to Gaza. He is quoted describing what he 
saw as "heartbreaking" and is also quoted as urging Palestinian 
national unity and demanding an investigation into the attack on 
UNRWA's facilities in Gaza. The papers also note that Israeli Prime 
Minister Ehud Olmert told Ban that if an investigation is to be 
conducted, then damage caused by Palestinian rockets fired on 
southern Israel must also be taken into consideration. Al Ayyam and 
Al Hayat Al Jadeeda run front page photos of Ban inspecting the 
destruction of UNRWA's facilities in Gaza. Al Ayyam quotes UN 
sources who revealed that the UN may select an international expert 
to investigate the Gaza attacks, and that the three primary 
candidates are former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, former UN 
Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson, and former UNRWA 
Commissioner Peter Hansen. 
Al Quds front page runs two stories quoting a spokesman for the 
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying that France would be 
willing to talk to a Palestinian national unity government that 
includes Hamas members if that government respects the principles of 
the peace process and is committed to negotiating with Israel. The 
paper cites reports that European states are seeking to reach 
understandings to end the Hamas boycott. The paper adds that Europe 
demands that Hamas commit to internal Palestinian unity on the basis 
of the Mecca agreement and establish either a technocratic national 
unity government or a government headed by Hamas, but under the 
Presidency of Abu Mazen. All papers run reports quoting Turkish and 
Egyptian senior officials saying that they will be focused on 
achieving Palestinian national unity as their next goal. 
All papers front page reports of the killing of two Palestinian boys 
and a farmer in Gaza, stating that two young brothers were killed as 
they touched unexploded Israeli ordnance, while the farmer was 
killed while working on his farm. Al Quds further reports that Hamas 
police revealed that 230 of its members were killed in the Gaza 
fighting. The paper quotes a Hamas spokesman in Gaza saying that 
plans to change the reality in Gaza had failed and that Hamas 
remains in control. Al Quds runs an inside report on the New York 
Times coverage of life in Gaza following the war, noting reports of 
how the Palestinians are trying to move on with their lives despite 
the massive devastation wrought by the recent conflict. 
   ------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------- 
 
JERUSALEM 00000160  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
1) Al Quds editorial  "Barack Obama...A new era" states: "The 
Palestinians feel some optimism after the inauguration of the new 
American President Barack Obama, especially after his inaugural 
address and the reports of his intention to place the Palestinian 
issue at the top of his agenda. Without doubt, any steps President 
Obama takes to positively amend U.S. foreign policy via-a-vis the 
Palestinian people will be reciprocated in turn by the Arab world, 
and consequently improve the image of the USA following its 
deterioration during the term of former President Bush". 
 
2) Dr. Khaled Hroub writes in Al Ayyam under the title "Gaza war and 
the rise of a rejectionist Middle East": "The war and the 
steadfastness of the Gaza Strip and the military performance of 
Hamas and resistance factions allowed for a reshuffling of the cards 
and the creation of a new reality on the ground. The essence of this 
new reality is that Hamas is strengthened and Fatah is weakened. 
This new political rebalancing will be reflected in the substance 
and results of any upcoming intra-Palestinian dialogue". 
 
WALLES