VZCZCXYZ0003
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSO #0003 0051749
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051749Z JAN 09
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8828
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 9984
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 8966

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000003 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP XM XR XF BR
SUBJECT: Media Reaction - Mideast -  Gaza, Arab-Israeli engagement; 
Sco Paulo 
 
The Gaza invasion 
 
Editorial in liberal Folha de S.Paulo (1/5) states: "Aside from the 
unacceptable human and material  damages imposed on the 
Palestinians, the military strangulation launched by Israel is full 
of uncertainties as to its effectiveness. Hamas and its platform of 
hate that calls for the annihilation of its neighbor, is not an 
artificial or isolated movement in Gaza.... The rise of extremism in 
Gaza was facilitated by the corrupt incompetence of the Fatah 
government, the cruel embargo on the movement of people and goods by 
Israel, and the option taken by the U.S. and the EU to ignore Hamas 
diplomatically and to strengthen the Palestine National Authority. 
The outside pressure for a change of regime in Gaza failed because 
it tried to smash Hamas' legitimacy in the eyes of the people in the 
Gaza Strip.... It is necessary to re-engage the Palestinian 
leadership in Gaza and in the West Bank in a program of detente with 
Israel, a process that should be initiated by the immediate 
suspension of hostilities between Hamas and the Israelis-as well as 
the removal of the invading troops from the Palestinian territory." 
 
WHITE