VZCZCXRO9400
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0209/01 0301524
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301524Z JAN 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3982
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 7519
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4504
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4352
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5846
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4268
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2840

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000209 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS BBG 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD, PA/PRS 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
NSC 
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: CORRECTED DATE: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (01/30): 
"MITCHELL WILL NEED HONESTY AND PERSISTENCE" 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All papers lead with statements by U.S. Special Envoy George 
Mitchell, made after his meeting with Palestinian Authority 
President Abbas in Ramallah on January 29.  Al Quds quotes Mitchell 
pledging to, "turn US commitment to the peace process into actions 
to realize the two-state solution."  Al Ayyam quotes Mitchell 
calling for the opening of Gaza crossings with Palestinian Authority 
participation, and commenting on the need for allowing licit goods 
to enter Gaza if smuggling is to be stopped.  Al Hayat Al Jadida 
reports that Mitchell met with Abbas in order to stress U.S. 
commitment to the two-state solution, and quote Mitchell calling for 
a mechanism to allow for the permanent opening of crossings.  All 
front pages highlight that Mitchell expressed his and President 
Obama's, "deep concern about the loss of Palestinian life and the 
humanitarian needs in Gaza" and that, "it is important to reach a 
sustainable ceasefire and we encourage ongoing efforts in this 
regard." 
 
In photo coverage, Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida front page 
pictures of Special Envoy Mitchell and Palestinian Authority (PA) 
President Abbas, meeting at the PA Presidential compound in 
Ramallah.  Al Quds runs an inside photo of Mitchell and Abbas, with 
all papers running inside coverage of Ramallah meetings with photos 
of Mitchell and PA officials.  Al Quds and Al Ayyam run a front page 
photo of a young girl in a Gaza hospital crying as an IV is inserted 
into her arm.   Al Quds runs a second photo of a Gaza family sitting 
outside their temporary, tin shack, next to the ruins of their 
former home. 
Al Quds' front page reports that "senior US sources" state that the 
U.S. and Europe are determined not to negotiate with Hamas until the 
organization explicitly recognizes Israel.  The paper also quotes 
the sources stating that the U.S. administration wants to manage 
expectations of the outcome of Special Envoy Mitchell's tour to the 
region, describing it as a fact finding tour. 
 
President Obama's "first victory in Congress" is front page news in 
Al Quds.  The paper runs a Reuters story about the approval of 
Obama's $825 billion stimulus package.  However, the report also 
notes that Obama failed to achieve his goal of gaining Republican 
support for the plan.  In further wire stories, the paper reports 
inside that President Obama's team is preparing a message "to melt 
the ice" with Iran and that Obama is signing into law a bill to 
mandate equal wages for men and women.  Another inside story reports 
that Senator Clinton called Lebanese Premier Siniora to reassure him 
of U.S. commitment to a "safe, independent" Lebanon, while an AFP 
story reports that U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Richard Holbrook is 
planning to visit the region next week.  A final wire story in Al 
Ayyam reports that a Congressional delegation is visiting Damascus 
on January 30. 
 
Al Ayyam's front page runs a wire report about Israeli Premier 
Olmert briefing Mitchell during their meeting in Jerusalem on July 
28, on Olmert's understandings with Palestinian Authority President 
Abbas about ideas for a final peace settlement.  Among the 
understandings is that 60,000 of the 250,000 Israeli settlers in the 
West Bank would be evacuated. 
Al Quds cites AFP in reporting that the Spanish judiciary will 
investigate a 2002 Israeli strike on Gaza that killed 14 civilians. 
The law suit was filed by human rights organizations.  The paper 
further reports that Israeli Foreign Minister Livni has sent a 
letter to her Spanish counterpart strongly objecting to the action 
of the Spanish courts. 
 
JERUSALEM 00000209  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
All front pages report that 18 Palestinians, of which 11 were 
children, were injured in an Israeli missile strike in Khan Yunis, 
Gaza on January 29.  Al Ayyam further reports on the death of two 
Palestinians in Egyptian hospitals, who succumbed to injuries 
sustained in the recent fighting in Gaza.  The paper continues that 
the UN launched an appeal on January 29 to raise $613 million in 
urgent assistance to Gaza. 
Al Quds' front page cites Israeli daily Haaretz in reporting that 
Israeli settlers took advantage of the, "aggression on Gaza" to 
confiscate Palestinian land and begin settlement construction 
projects on large areas of the West Bank.  The settlers built roads, 
infrastructure and new buildings at several settlement outposts, 
according to coverage. 
 
All the papers run front page and inside coverage of PLO and public 
Palestinian negative reactions to statements made by Hamas chief 
Khalid Misha'al about the establishment of a new authority to 
represent the Palestinian people.  Al Quds' also front pages a wire 
story about  Hamas Gaza leader Haniyah conditioning any ceasefire 
with Israel on the "lifting of the Gaza siege."  Haniyah also called 
for Palestinian reconciliation during his first public appearance 
since "the war on Gaza," the papers note. 
Al Quds prints an op-ed by EU Development and Humanitarian 
Assistance Commissioner Louis Michel stating that U.N. Secretary 
General Ban Ki Moon's calls for the investigation of war crimes 
committed in recent Gaza fighting cannot be ignored.  Michel 
denounces Israel's use of excessive force in Gaza and further 
reminds Israel of its responsibilities to international law.  In 
another inside report, the paper cites DPA in revealing that 
Egyptian forces are being trained at the U.S.-Mexican border on how 
to destroy tunnels. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
 
1)  Samir Ghayth opines in Al Quds under the title, "Will Mitchell 
succeed as he did in Ireland?" (01/30):  "If George Mitchell wanted 
to achieve success as he did in Northern Ireland, he should arm 
himself with the same amount of honesty, determination, and 
persistence, and pick up from where the 42nd President Bill Clinton 
and his foreign policy team left off.  The peoples in the region, 
primarily the Palestinians and a large majority of the Israelis, 
pine for a just peace that will restore the rights of the owners and 
grant them freedom and independence." 
2)  Hamada Farana writes in Al Ayyam under the title, "Will we learn 
from our enemy?" (01/30):  "The Israelis... [are] united behind 
their government... against a single Palestinian enemy... Our people 
face several hurdles [to unity]:  First, presidential and 
legislative elections based on the proportional representation law; 
second, convening the Palestinian National Council to elect a 
Central Council, the Executive Committee, the Board for the National 
Fund; and, third, empowering PLO entities.  [These steps are 
necessary] in order to rise to a level where we can resist the 
occupation successfully... If we do not benefit from the lessons of 
our enemy, our sacrifices will remain mere suicide." 
 
WALLES