VZCZCXRO0430
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0041/01 0061108
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061108Z JAN 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3704
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 7476
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4461
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4309
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5803
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4225
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2795

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000041 
 
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 (01/06):  GAZA -- ANOTHER EPISODE 
IN THE STORY OF PALESTINE 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All papers provide extensive front and inside-page photo and print 
coverage, under crisis red and black font headlines, of "bitter 
fighting" and "roving massacres" in Gaza, where reporting highlights 
that dozens of civilians, including entire Palestinian families have 
been killed.  The papers lead with photos of the bodies of dead 
Palestinian children and families and run statistics of the current 
death toll, breaking it down into number of Palestinian civilian 
dead (550), children dead (50), women (29), injured (2,700) and 
Israeli soldiers dead (4), Israeli injured (32). 
 
Al Quds' front page reports on the "bitter fighting" around Gaza 
City, where the Israeli army suffered causalities. 
Al Ayyam leads with news of "heavy fighting", as the Israeli army 
used air power and tanks in operations in several Gaza City 
neighborhoods.  Al Hayat Al Jadida's lead reports focus on several 
"massacres and heavy fighting" in Gaza and add that three Israeli 
soldiers were killed as Israel turned down European ceasefire 
proposals.  Al Quds' front page also notes that the Red Cross stated 
on January 5 that injured Gazans are dying because ambulances cannot 
reach medical services due to heavy fighting. 
 
Al Quds and Al Hayat Al Jadida front page comments by 
president-elect Obama, citing AFP, in which he expressed "stong 
concern" about the situation in Gaza and stressed his unwillingness 
to comment on the issue before assuming the presidency.  The paper 
also cites AFP in reporting on an op-ed published by the Washington 
Post on January 5, written by former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, John 
Bolton, stating that the two-state solution is no longer possible 
and proposing the hand-over of control for the West Bank to Jordan; 
and Gaza to Egypt. 
 
Al Quds front pages statements by Palestinian Authority President 
Abbas made after a January 5 meeting in Ramallah with the EU Troika. 
 Abbas stated that his priority remains establishing Palestinian 
national unity and that he is not interested in destroying Hamas. 
 
State Department Spokesman McCormack is quoted on Al Quds' front 
page stating that the United States is seeking a ceasefire in Gaza 
that will end Hamas rocket attacks on Israel and re-open crossing 
points into the Gaza Strip. He also stated that Secretary Rice has 
been contacting more than 12 of her counterparts to secure their 
support for the U.S. ceasefire proposal, which will also deal with 
the issue of tunnel smuggling from Egypt into Gaza, according to the 
report.  Al Ayyam cites AFP in quoting President Bush speaking from 
the White House on January 5, stating that any ceasefire must ensure 
that Hamas cannot fire rockets into Israel. 
Front pages highlight statements from January 5 made by several 
international leaders on the situation in Gaza:  Al Hayat Al Jadida 
quotes French President Sarkozy revealing that Europe is working 
with Egypt on a joint initiative for a humanitarian truce.  Al Ayyam 
highlights statements by Middle East Quartet Envoy Tony Blair about 
Quartet efforts to end the violence in Gaza.  The paper notes EU 
readiness to again deploy monitors to the Rafah Egypt-Gaza crossing 
point, following any ceasefire agreement and runs statements from 
Egyptian officials stating that the Rafah crossing remains open for 
the entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza.  Al Ayyam's front 
page also reports that Israel has rejected calls by visiting 
European diplomats to deploy international observers to Gaza, an 
immediate cease-fire, and has demanded the implementation of an 
international mechanism to prevent Hamas from arming itself. 
 
 
JERUSALEM 00000041  002 OF 002 
 
 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
 
1) Al Quds editorial is titled, "Will diplomacy stop genocide war?" 
(01/06):  "The EU Troika mission and French President Nicolas 
Sarkozy arrived in the region within the framework of diplomatic 
efforts to stop the war on Gaza... We believe that the European 
position is positive in demanding an immediate ceasefire, but we 
also believe that it should be made more clear and firm... What we 
need is a cease-fire and a stop to the escalating violence, along 
with an end to the humanitarian catastrophe that has caught over one 
and a half million Palestinians in its storm... We also call on our 
brothers in Hamas, in the delegation to Cairo, to meet their 
responsibilities and recognize the full impact of the dangers 
threatening us all." 
 
 
2) Hani Al Masri writes in Al Ayyam under the title, "Aggression on 
Gaza:  A new episode in the story of ending the Palestinian state" 
(01/05):  "Israel, if it succeeds in its current aggression, will be 
encouraged to use Gaza as a precedent for similar operations in the 
West Bank; it will throw the West Bank to Jordan, after Israel has 
annexed all the land it wants, especially Jerusalem, water and other 
resources, including strategic and religious areas... Beware of 
considering the battle in Gaza as only a battle against Hamas or a 
battle for security... It is yet another battle in the continuing 
story of Israel trying to impose a solution of stamping out the 
Palestinian cause and forcing Palestinians to accept co-existence 
and cooperation with the occupation." 
 
WALLES