VZCZCXRO1257
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0062/01 0071147
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 071147Z JAN 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3734
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 7478
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4463
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4311
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5805
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4227
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2797

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000062 
 
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 (01/07):  GAZA - "A FASCIST WAR" 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
The three papers lead with the January 6 "Israeli massacre" of 
displaced civilians who had sought refuge at a U.N. school in 
Jabaliyah refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.  In photo 
coverage, Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida run an oversized, graphic 
photo of a dead toddler, buried to her neck in the school rubble. 
Al Quds leads with a photo of medics carrying the body of a dead boy 
also killed on January 6.  The papers report on the killing of 42-45 
people at the U.N. school, bringing the death toll for January 6 to 
100, 71 of whom were children and seven, women.  Al Quds adds that 
UNRWA's flag was visible above the destroyed school and quotes an 
Israeli military spokesperson commenting that, "Israel was 
responding to Palestinian militants' fire."  Al Hayat Al Jadida 
reports on additional families "killed beneath the rubble of their 
homes," bringing the total death toll for Palestinians since the 
start of Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip to 660, with 
approximately 3,000 injured.  The paper also reports on the killing 
of five Israeli soldiers and injuring of 28 others, including a high 
ranking officer. 
 
All papers front page statements by Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime 
Minister Fayyad condemning Israel's attack on the UNRWA school, 
calling the situation in Gaza, "an unprecedented humanitarian 
catastrophe" and demanding an unconditional halt to the fighting, 
adding that the, "situation in Gaza cannot wait while the [UN] 
Security Council hesitates."  Al Ayyam's front page reports on 
discussions in New York at the U.N. Security Council on Gaza 
fighting, highlighting PA President Abbas' demand for an immediate 
ceasefire in Gaza.  Al Quds' front page quotes Abbas' spokesman 
Rafiq Hussayni stating on January 6 that the PA will sue Israel for 
"war crimes" committed in Gaza.  Finally, Al Quds and Al Ayyam front 
page a report that Israeli Prime Minister Olmert has agreed to open 
a humanitarian corridor into Gaza, to avoid a humanitarian crisis. 
 
Al Quds' front page cites AFP in reporting that President Bush is 
proposing "tough" conditions for a ceasefire in Gaza.  President 
Bush is quoted as demanding a durable ceasefire in Gaza under which 
Hamas will not be able to fire rockets from Gaza into Israel. 
President-elect Obama is also quoted on Al Quds' and Al Hayat Al 
Jadida's front pages, citing AFP, stating that lives lost in Gaza 
and Israel is "unfortunate" and that he will have, "a lot to say on 
the Middle East" once he assumes the presidency.  Al Quds' inside 
page cites NBC in revealing that U.S. military engineering units 
have deployed on the Egyptian side of the Gaza Strip to monitor 
borders and detect smuggling tunnels. 
 
Al Ayyam's front page cites news agencies in quoting Israeli Defense 
Minister Barak "acknowledging" that the Israeli army will face 
"difficulties" in Gaza operations, yet expressing Israel's 
determination to continue the "fighting" to the end.  The paper and 
several local on-line news agencies also quote Palestinian analyst 
Wasif Erekat predicting that Israel will decide in the "next few 
hours" whether to accept a ceasefire or continue fighting.  Erekat 
also noted that Israel is taking into account recent statements made 
by the Bush administration and incoming Obama administration over 
concern about the rising number of civilian casualties, according to 
the report. 
Al Quds' front page cites news agencies in reporting on a proposal 
by Egyptian President Mubarak for a ceasefire, "for a limited time." 
The paper adds that French President Sarkozy has stated that he 
awaits Israel's response to Mubarak's initiative.  Al Ayyam's front 
page reports that Palestinians and Americans "welcomed" Egypt's 
initiative and adds that a Hamas delegation is currently in Cairo to 
 
JERUSALEM 00000062  002 OF 002 
 
 
discuss Mubarak's initiative, before bringing it back to Hamas 
leaders in Damascus. 
Al Quds republishes on an inside page the op-ed by John Bolton 
titled, "The Three State Option" that first appeared in the 
Washington Post on January 5. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
 
1) Al Quds editorial is titled, "Who will stop the killing of 
children and women in Gaza?" (01/07):  "The Gaza Strip, that small, 
densely populated piece of Palestinian land that is under siege from 
all directions; from land, sea and air:  Where can its citizens take 
shelter from the intensive Israeli shelling?.. This mad war would 
have no justification if Israel had not besieged [blockaded] the 
Strip... When this war stops, the Israelis whose brutal military 
offensive has reached a dead end over the last two days, will 
realize that they made a mistake in sending their army to Gaza. 
Violence was not and never will be an effective way to settle 
political disputes." 
 
2) Jawad Al Bashiti comments in Al Ayyam on a recent Al Jazeera 
interview with Israeli President Shimon Peres, under the title, "The 
'war' logic in Peres explanation" (01/07):  "Israel used the pretext 
of Palestinian rocket and projectile attacks that injured five 
people, to wage a fascist war on the Gaza Strip which has so far 
killed and injured more than 3,000 Palestinians, most of whom are 
civilians, and a majority of whom, are children and women 
...Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas did well in declaring that the 
Palestinian Authority will not return to the [administration of the] 
Rafah crossing, if its return is part of a new reality that Israel 
is trying to create [in Gaza] through its fascist war - a war on all 
the Palestinian people." 
WALLES