VZCZCXRO1384
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0281/01 0441054
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 131054Z FEB 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4100
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 7542
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4527
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4375
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5869
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4291
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2863

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000281 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS BBG 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
NSC 
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 (02/13):  PEACE PROCESS - "BIGGEST 
LOSER IN ISREALI ELECTIONS" 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
Al Quds leads with news of a Cairo meeting on February 13 between 
Fatah and Hamas that will prepare for Palestinian reconciliation 
on 
talks to take place in Cairo on February 22.  Ahmad Quray will lead 
the Fatah delegation at the meeting and deputy Hamas Chief Abu 
Marzoq will lead the Hamas delegation.  Al Ayyam's front page adds 
that the operation of the Gaza Rafah crossing will be discussed. 
The paper also reports that Fatah and Hamas have formed a joint 
committee to solve the issue of detainees being held in each other's 
custody.  The paper also runs the text of the Egyptian document on 
"principles of common ground" among the factions.  The document was 
distributed on February 11 to Palestinian factions, the paper 
reports. 
Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida lead with similar headlines that 
Hamas leader Abu Marzoq has confirmed that Hamas has agreed to an 
18-month truce agreement with Israel and that Egypt will announce 
that agreement within the next 48 hours.  Abu Marzoq is quoted 
stating obstacles were overcome related to a possible prisoner 
exchange deal and that the release of captured Israeli soldier 
Shalit is no longer linked to the truce.  He is also quoted stating 
that the agreement allows for the opening of all Gaza crossings and 
halts Israeli "aggressions" on Gaza.  Meanwhile, Al Ayyam's front 
page reports that a Turkish delegation and Hamas leaders in Damascus 
are discussing a possible prisoner exchange deal between Israel and 
Hamas. 
Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page highlights the February 12 meeting 
in Washington between Secretary Clinton and Egyptian Foreign 
Minister Abul Al Ghayt, noting that Clinton will participate in the 
Gaza reconstruction conference in Cairo.  Al Ayyam runs a front page 
photo of the two officials.  The paper reminds readers that 
Secretary Clinton recently announced that the U.S. will have a 
senior representative at March conference.  The paper also notes 
that the U.S. has reservations about funding reconstruction in Gaza 
because of fears that such funding could be confiscated by Hamas. 
 
 
Al Hayat Al Jadida runs an AFP front page story under the headline, 
"the results of the Israeli elections are bad news for President 
Obama," noting that American experts believe that the "rightwing 
tendencies" of Israeli voters will "deal a blow" to Obama's efforts 
for peace in the Middle East.  Nonetheless, the paper takes note of 
statements by the U.S. administration that they are ready to deal 
with any elected Israeli government to achieve regional peace and 
security.  Al Quds and Al Ayyam also run front page stories on the 
final results of Israeli elections.  The reports predict that 
Netanyahu's Likud is "almost sure" to form the next Israeli 
government in Israel depending on the support of other rightist 
parties. 
 
Al Ayyam's front page reports that President Obama telephoned 
Israeli President Peres on February 11 and expressed his surprise 
over the "complicated" Israeli political system.  In other U.S. 
news, Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page reports that Senator Kerry 
will meet with Syrian President Assad as part of his Middle East 
tour.  The paper notes that the U.S. administration has "kept an 
open door" to possible dialogue with Syria. 
 
Palestinian Authority President Abbas is conducting a "diplomatic 
resistance campaign" against Israel and the Hamas policy of armed 
struggle, according to Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page that cites 
Israeli daily Haaretz.  The report notes that Abbas is on an 
 
JERUSALEM 00000281  002 OF 002 
 
 
international tour in an effort to isolate the upcoming Israeli 
"rightwing" government and demand international sanctions on the 
Israeli government, similar to sanctions imposed on the Hamas 
"government" when it refused peace negotiations with Israel.  The 
report adds that French, British and Italian leaders have told Abbas 
that they will not allow the new Israeli government to "obstruct or 
freeze" the peace process. 
 
A coordination meeting between Palestinian Authority (PA) security 
commanders and Israeli Army commanders is front page news in Al 
Hayat Al Jadida and inside Al Quds.  The February 12 meeting 
resulted in an agreement to remove two Israeli checkpoints, Bani 
Naim near Hebron and Silwad near Ramallah, and the opening of 12 PA 
police stations in West Bank "B" areas, according to reporting. 
 
Al Quds runs a front page photo of trucks lined up on the Israeli 
side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, waiting for passage into Gaza. 
The paper reports that Israel opened the crossing on February 12 for 
the entry of 130 trucks carrying foodstuffs, of which, 80 were 
destined for UNRWA and 13 for the private sector.  The paper also 
reports that Israel allowed for the entry of 70 trucks carrying 
wheat and animal feed through the Karni crossing, and allowed Gazans 
to export 25,000 flowers to Holland on Valentine's Day. 
 
Al Ayyam's front page reports on an Israeli airstrike on a Hamas 
police facility in Gaza's Khan Yunis on February 12.  No casualties 
were reported and the paper notes that the station had been bombed 
before in the recent conflict with Israel.  Israel stated that the 
action was in response to rocket fire from Gaza, the paper 
concludes. -------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
 
1)  Al Quds editorial, "The peace process is the greatest loser in 
Israeli elections"(02/13):  "Just as the new U.S. administration and 
President Barak Obama were ready to intensively engage in moving the 
peace process forward... by sending envoy George Mitchell to the 
region, and just as the EU had prepared itself to... support 
American efforts -just then the disappointing results of the Israeli 
elections dealt a lethal blow to the peace efforts, setting them 
back to square one." 
2)  Samih Shabib opines in Al Ayyam under the title "Reconciliation 
and early elections"(02/13):  "The parties to internal [Palestinian] 
conflict have become well aware that overcoming the internal crisis 
is... a crucial matter and that the shortest way to overcome it is 
by holding simultaneous, early legislative and presidential 
elections." 
WALLES