VZCZCXRO8648
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0006/01 0021102
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 021102Z JAN 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3650
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 7471
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4456
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4304
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5798
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4220
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2790

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000006 
 
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 (01/02): "The Peace Process is 
also a Victim of Aggression on Gaza" 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
All papers lead with news of increased Palestinian casualties on the 
sixth day of Israel's attack on Gaza, including news that a senior 
Hamas leader, Nizar Rayan, was killed in his home along with several 
members of his family.  The papers describe the latest killings as a 
"massacre" and note that 23 people were killed on Thursday, among 
them 11 children and nine women, bringing the total death toll from 
the air strikes to 420. Al Quds runs two lead photos of the 
destroyed Palestinian Legislative Council building and the destroyed 
home of Hamas leader Rayan.  The paper's banner headline reads that 
"Israel Begins Dangerous Escalation of its Aggression, Targeting 
Children and Civilians."  Al Ayyam leads with the headline "Israel 
Escalates its Aggression on Gaza" next to a photo of a young man 
carrying a bleeding young girl.  Al Hayat Al Jadeeda headlines the 
"New Massacre in Gaza, Including Women and Children", and below that 
runs a half-page photo of the rubble of the house of Hamas leader 
Rayan. The paper inserts two smaller photos of bleeding and 
dust-covered children.  Al Ayyam reports that Hamas fired rockets at 
an Israeli air force base in southern Israel.  Al Quds reports of 
Hamas' call for a "Day of Anger" on Friday in the West Bank and East 
Jerusalem, with rallies to commence from mosques in Jerusalem and 
all over the West Bank following the Friday prayers. The papers all 
report on the heavy Israeli police deployment around the Aqsa mosque 
in Jerusalem in anticipation of confrontations after the midday 
prayer. 
Al Ayyam reports on orders by Palestinian Authority President Marwan 
Abbas yesterday prohibiting any media incitement against Hamas. The 
paper also cites "intensive efforts" by representatives of different 
Palestinian factions to achieve internal Palestinian unity. Al Quds 
reports on a rally jointly staged by Fatah and Hamas legislators in 
Ramallah yesterday to protest the Israeli offensive against Gaza. 
The paper also reports on orders from the Palestinian Authority for 
clerics to dedicate Friday prayers to the theme of national unity. 
Al Quds reports on growing disappointment among Arabs about the 
failure of their regimes to stop the Israeli attacks on Gaza, and 
further reports on rallies in Tunisia and Jordan demanding the 
closing of Israeli embassies in Arab countries.  Al Hayat Al Jadeeda 
and Al Ayyam report that PA President Abbas will chair the Arab 
delegation to the UN Security Council in New York to push for a 
binding resolution for Israel to stop its offensive in Gaza. 
Regarding international developments, Al-Ayyam reports that Egyptian 
President Hosni Mubarak and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan 
called on Israel to stop its "aggression" and the Palestinians to 
stop firing rockets.  Al-Ayyam provides highlights of Israeli 
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's trip to Paris, noting that she 
refused to set a date for ending the strikes against Gaza and stated 
that the attacks would end "at the appropriate time". 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 
1) From an Al Quds editorial, "The Peace Process is also a Victim of 
the Aggression on Gaza": "If the international community is unable 
to rein in the Israeli aggression and is incapable of getting a 
resolution by the United Nations Security Council to end the brutal 
aggression, how can they be expected to realize a just peace to end 
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? More than 400 Palestinian martyrs 
have been killed so far and around 2100 others injured, all victims 
of the Israeli aggression.  But the peace process is also a victim 
after it received a knockout blow from which it will not be 
 
JERUSALEM 00000006  002 OF 002 
 
 
revived". 
 
2) Columnist Samih Shabib opines in Al Ayyam under the title "The 
Palestinian Solution to Gaza": "The Palestinian national interest is 
in reaching a state of agreement, whereby the Presidency fights the 
political battles with the support of all parties, including Hamas. 
This requires Hamas to end the state of internal Palestinian 
division immediately and without hesitation.  This will prove Hamas 
has the true spirit for resistance and facing up to the 
aggression". 
 
WALLES