VZCZCXRO6158
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0264/01 0401118
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 091118Z FEB 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4073
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 7534
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4519
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4367
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5861
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4283
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2855

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000264 
 
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 (02/09):  TURKEY'S "GROWING ROLE" 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All papers lead with Egyptian hopes for reaching a verbal Gaza truce 
agreement in the next few days between Hamas and Israel.  Al Quds 
adds that Egypt has submitted to Israel and Hamasa proposal to 
include an 18-month truce linked t a prisoners' exchange and the 
opening of two Gaa crossings.  The two crossings would be opened 
for the entry of goods, immediately after the truce begins.  Israel 
would also "cease all hostilities" in the Strip and Hamas would 
cease all rocket attacks, according to coverage. 
 
All front pages run wire stories about conflicting Israeli responses 
to the proposed truce and prisoner exchange with Hamas.  Israeli 
Premier Olmert is quoted calling recent statements by Defense 
Minister Barak that a truce and exchange deal were "very near" as 
"not helpful."  Al Quds runs ront page statements by Israeli 
Minister of Retied Affairs Rafi Etan stating that a prisoner 
excange deal is expected within weeks, not days, and efore the new 
Israeli Prime Minister assumes offie. 
 
Al Quds and Al Ayyam, citing AFP, run front age statements by 
Palestinian Authority Premier ayyad stressing that his Government 
has already egun an emergency shelter program for the Gaza, 
victims of war."  Al Ayyam adds that Fayyad called or an end to 
Israeli settlement activities in th West Bank and called for ending 
the occupation. Coverage also runs comments by the Speaker of the 
Fatah parliamentary block Azzam Al Ahmad observig that internal 
Palestinian division can not be resolved without "democratic 
dialogue" through theEgyptian initiative.  Al Ahmad hoped that 
"natioal" intra-Palestinian talks would begin by the endof 
February.  All statements were part of coverae of February 8 
meetings between Palestinian officials and a visiting French 
parliamentary delegaton. 
Al Quds runs a front page AFP story about Jodanian King Abdullah 
hoping for speedy Palestinin reconciliation and an end to Arab 
internal diferences as soon as possible. 
 
Al Ayyam runs a front page story on a visit by Palestinian Authority 
(PA)President Abbas to a hospital in Ankara where Palestinians are 
being treated for, "injuries sustained in the war on Gaza."  Abbas, 
who is on a tour of foreign capitals, is quoted expressing 
appreciation for Turkish assistance and its bilateral relations with 
the PA. 
 
The three papers run front page reports on the death of a 
Palestinian in Palestinian Authority (PA) Preventative Security 
detention in Janin.  The prisoner reportedly committed suicide by 
hanging himself.  The Independent Human Rights Commission is quoted 
as visiting and inspecting the detention facility and body of the 
detainee as part of an investigation into the death.  The detainee's 
family and brother accused PA security of killing him because of his 
Hamas affiliation.  PA security is quoted saying that he was 
detained for "criminal violations," according to reporting. 
 
Al Hayat Al Jadida runs front page statements by Hamas leader Al 
Zahhar stating in a February 8 interview with Al Jazeera Arabic TV, 
that his movement is not against the PLO but rather against its 
policies. 
 
The three papers run front page reports on Israeli elections 
scheduled for February 10.  Reporting notes that "the war on Gaza 
pushed" Israeli society to the right and that Likud leader Netanyahu 
will likely be the next Israeli Premier.  Al Hayat Al Jadida further 
 
JERUSALEM 00000264  002 OF 002 
 
 
reports, citing Israeli daily Haaretz, that current Israeli Premier 
Olmert will leave office without having fulfilled promises he made 
to the U.S. administration on evacuating settlement outposts in the 
West Bank.  The paper names the Migron settlement outpost near 
Ramallah in the West Bank where the Israeli Government, according to 
the paper, has delayed the evacuation under the pretext of seeking a 
peaceful agreement with the settlers.  Al Hayat Al Jadida's front 
page adds, citing AFP, that Olmert has endorsed Foreign Minister 
Livni in the elections.-------------- 
WEEKEND NEWS: 
-------------- 
Sunday, February 8 
 
All papers ran similar front page headlines:  "Biden stresses the 
need for a new partnership for the two-state solution."  The papers 
reported extensively on the Vice President's remarks at the Munich 
security conference, highlighting his comments about the 
Israeli-Palestinian peace process. 
All front pages report extensively from the February 7 joint press 
conference held by Palestinian Authority President Abbas and Turkish 
President Gul.  Both presidents highlighted the importance of 
national Palestinian reconciliation to clear the way for the 
formation of a new Palestinian government and Gaza reconstruction. 
Abbas added that any new government whether a national unity or 
national consensus government, or even a government of technocrats 
should not suffer a new siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and should 
work as quickly as possible to hold democratic presidential and 
legislative elections. 
"Fayyad:  We intend to present a transparent mechanism for 
reconstructing what was destroyed by Israel during its aggression 
against Gaza- We spent $2,250 billion on the Gaza Strip since the 
Hamas takeover of power," according to headlines on all front pages. 
 According to reporting, Fayyad will present the new mechanism at 
the March donors' conference in Cairo.  Fayyad also renewed his call 
for the formation of a national consensus government 
Saturday, February 7 
 
All front pages reported that UNRWA suspended its assistance to the 
Gaza Strip because Hamas confiscated aid, including ten trucks 
loaded with wheat and rice.  The papers reported that Hamas 
responded immediately to the halt by stressing the importance of 
maintaining good relations with UNRWA and that it would return the 
supplies "that were loaded by mistake onto trucks owned by the 
[Hamas] Ministry of Social Affairs." 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
 
1)  Khalid Hroub comments in Al Ayyam under the title, "Hamas needs 
humility"(02/09):  "It's the Palestinians' right to hold Hamas 
accountable for its current national policy [and hold it 
responsible] should it seek to profit from or waste post-war 
opportunities, especially since [Palestinians] paid a high, dire 
price for the war.  To be more precise, Hamas must present a 
national political platform, not a partisan or factional one... 
[unity] is destroyed by any calls for new bodies of authority [to 
replace the PLO.]" 
2) Al Sayid opines in Al Quds under the title, "The growing Turkish 
role in the Middle East"(0/09):  "It's well known that Turkey has 
succeeded in [brokering] an agreement for water sharing with Syria 
and Iraq, which might be soon  implemented... this would give Ankara 
more regional, political influence in dealing with Iraq and 
Palestine issues and maybe more." 
WALLES