VZCZCXRO4094
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0292/01 0481155
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 171155Z FEB 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4114
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 7544
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4529
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4377
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5871
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4293
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2865

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 000292 
 
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 (02/17):  NEWS OF SETTLEMENT 
EXPANSION 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All front pages report on, and Al Quds leads with the decision by 
Israel to reject claims of Palestinian private ownership to 437 
37 
acres surrounding the West Bank Ifrat settlement, paving the way for 
the settlement's expansion.  Papers note that Israel's Civil 
Administration rejected the claims on the grounds that the land is 
Israeli state-owned and add that any building will require the 
approval of the Israeli Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.  The 
Ifrat settlement council plans to request approval for the 
construction of 2,500 new houses from the new Israeli government, 
reporting notes.  Al Quds runs a front page photo of the 
"confiscated land." 
Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida lead with statements by Palestinian 
Authority (PA) President Abbas, also appearing on Al Quds front 
page, from a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister 
Sergei Lavrov in Ramallah on February 16.  Abbas renewed his refusal 
to negotiate with Israel until it halts all settlement activities, 
removes checkpoints and withdraws to the September 28, 2000 borders 
(pre-second intifada).  Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page quotes 
Lavrov expressing support for Palestinian unity efforts based on 
recognition of the PLO, and proposing a future peace summit in 
Moscow, as discussed at the Annapolis conference. 
 
The Palestinian Authority's (PA) finances feature on Al Hayat Al 
Jadida's and Al Quds' front pages.  PA President Abbas stated on 
February 16 that the PA is in a, "very difficult financial 
situation."  Both papers report that the PA paid salaries from a 
bank loan, following EU and Dutch promises to assist in the payment 
of the salaries. 
 
On Gaza truce talks, Al Quds and Al Ayyam run front page statements 
by Egyptian President Mubarak from Bahrain on February 16.  Mubarak 
is quoted rejecting the linkage of Gaza truce talks to an 
Israeli-Hamas prisoner exchange.  He is also quoted rejecting the 
idea of Israel "deporting" a number of Palestinian prisoners to 
outside the Palestinian Territories.  The report further quotes 
statements by Deputy Hamas Chief Musa Abu Marzuq stating that Hamas 
does not reject the idea of reaching a comprehensive package deal 
with Israel. 
 
Al Quds and Al Ayyam run front page reports on the February 18 
Israeli cabinet meeting that will include discussion on the Gaza 
truce and prisoner exchange with Hamas.  Al Ayyam further reports 
wire coverage of remarks by Israeli Foreign Minister Livni to a 
group of American Jewish leaders.  Livni stated that Israel should 
implement the Annapolis peace plan and, as the paper reports, "cede 
half of Israel's biblical land," in order to preserve the Jewish 
character of the Israeli state. 
The papers run a front page report by AFP, quoting King Abdullah of 
Jordan noting the "seriousness" of the new American administration 
in solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.  The King also rejected 
the idea of an "alternative homeland" for Palestinians and warned 
that the failure of the two-state solution would threaten Israel 
itself, according to AFP.  He further rejected any Jordanian role in 
the Palestinian Territories and renewed his call for, "a just 
solution" to the Palestinian cause. 
On Palestinian unity talks, all front pages take note of a February 
16 meeting between Fatah and Hamas in Ramallah, the "first of its 
kind since 2007."  Fatah and Hamas were represented by Azzam Al 
Ahmad and Nasser Al Sha'ir, respectively.  In related news, Al Quds 
runs a front page DPA report about a meeting to be held on an 
 
JERUSALEM 00000292  002 OF 003 
 
 
unspecified date between Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa and 
Hamas Chief Misha'al to discuss Palestinian reconciliation. 
In an inside report, Al Quds reports that the Hampshire College in 
Amherst, Massachusetts has divested from six U.S. companies that do 
business with Israel:  Caterpillar, Motorola, ITT, Tirex, United 
Technologies and General Electric.  The paper notes that the College 
was the first to divest from companies with business ties to 
Apartheid South Africa.  In another inside report, the paper reports 
on a, "wave of student demonstrations," at British universities 
demanding scholarships for Palestinian students and demanding 
divestment from companies that do business with Israel. 
 
The three papers run front page reports on the death of a 
Palestinian youth and injury of five others in a February 16 Israeli 
strike on smuggling tunnels in northern Gaza.-------------- 
WEEKEND STORIES: 
-------------- 
On February 16, Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page reported that the 
U.S. is preparing to exert "strong pressure" on the incoming Israeli 
government to freeze settlement activities in the West Bank.  Citing 
Israeli daily Haaretz as its source, the paper predicted that the 
U.S. will ask Israel to desist from "creating facts on the ground" 
and fulfill its promises to remove checkpoints to facilitate the 
movement of Palestinians.  Meanwhile, Al Quds' front page reported 
that U.S. envoy George Mitchell will return to the region on 
February 26, to prepare for the visit by Secretary of State Hillary 
Clinton on March 3 and 4. 
 
On February 16, Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page reported that 
Egyptian President Mubarak met with U.S. Senator John Kerry in Cairo 
to discuss the Middle East peace process and Palestinian 
reconciliation. On February 14, Al Quds ran the front page 
headline, "After his meeting with Hillary Clinton in Washington, Abu 
Al Ghayt commented that Palestinian dialogue addresses five 
important issues and that Abu Mazin's mandate has not expired." 
Reporting records the Egyptian Foreign Minister's read-out of his 
meeting with Secretary Clinton, explaining that the officials 
discussed Egyptian efforts to achieve a Gaza truce and that he 
invited Clinton to attend the Cairo conference for the 
reconstruction of Gaza.  According to Al Ghayt, Secretary Clinton, 
"expressed her intention to participate in the conference," the 
paper noted. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
 
1) "Al Quds editorial opines under the title, "Why does Israel 
procrastinate in accepting a truce?"(02/17):  "[Truce] negotiations 
have taken too long, while Gazan citizens, whose houses were 
destroyed, camp out on the remains of their houses or in tents that 
provide no shelter against the cold of winter, rain or floods.  It 
is not acceptable for these citizens to continue suffering from the 
bitterness of displacement... linking the truce and the prisoner 
exchange results in nothing but the prolonging of negotiations and 
detention of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit." 
2)  Rajab Abu Sarayyah opines in Al Ayyam under the title 
"Reconciliation first" (02/17):  "Let Ramallah and Gaza decide the 
fate of Palestinians, on the basis of a partnership of 
responsibility, and on the basis of complementary roles... the 
leadership of the two movements [Fatah and Hamas should commit]... 
to acting in the interests of the people, not in making agreements 
with other [external] forces, whether they be allies or brotherly 
forces." 
 
 
JERUSALEM 00000292  003 OF 003 
 
 
WALLES