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DE RUEHJM #0343/01 0581139
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 271139Z FEB 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4208
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 7562
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4547
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4395
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5889
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4311
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2883

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000343 
 
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 (02/27):  UNITY AS THE ANECTDOTE 
TO A NETANYAHU GOVERNMENT 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All papers lead with the "Palestinian reconciliation dialogue 
conference" in Cairo that opened on February 26.  Al Hayat Al Jadida 
runs a photo spread across the front page of Fatah and Hamas 
delegations sitting together, while the Al Quds and Al Ayyam lead 
photos show a close-up of Fatah's Ahmed Quray and Hamas' Musa Abu 
Marzuq.  Papers report that Palestinian factions are satisfied with 
the conference and announced at a joint press conference plans to 
establish a natQnal consensus Palestinian Authority government by 
the end of next month.  The papers further report that factions 
agreed to form working committees for specific issues and that the 
committee's would finish their work at the end of March. 
 
The three papers run an AFP report on the regional visit of U.S. 
Special Envoy George Mitchell.  Al Ayyam feature's Mitchell's photo 
on the front page.  The report notes that Mitchell stated in Turkey 
that Turkey plays a key role in promoting peace in the region and 
that Turkish relations with Israel and Arab countries are important 
to realizing President Obama's promise to make peace in the region. 
The report further adds that Mitchell met with Israeli Foreign 
Minister Livni to discuss the Gaza reconstruction conference in 
Egypt.  Mitchell also met with Israeli Premier designate Netanyahu 
and will meet with Palestinian Authority President Abbas in Ramallah 
on February 27, according to reporting. 
 
Al Quds' front page reports that Secretary of State Clinton and more 
than 40 foreign ministers will attend the Gaza reconstruction 
conference in Egypt.  The report further adds that several bilateral 
meetings will be held by the foreign ministers. 
All front pages report on statements by Palestinian Authority (PA) 
Premier Fayyad reiterating that donor funds should be channeled 
through the PA government in, "direct compensation payments to the 
war victims in Gaza."  Fayyad is also quoted predicting difficulties 
in paying salaries to PA staff this month. 
Al Quds' front page cites Reuters in reporting that 14 former 
foreign ministers and peace mediators have published a letter in the 
British Times newspaper calling on the U.S. and Israel to change 
their policies toward Hamas.  The signatories note that negotiations 
cannot be successful while, "one party is being destroyed instead of 
engaged in the peace process." 
Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page runs an AFP story on calls by the 
International Red Cross on Israel to immediately lift the Gaza 
"siege."  The organization notes that even if the situation returns 
to the "pre-war" situation, things will not improve unless crossings 
remain open.  The paper also cites Reuters in quoting the UN's World 
Food Program Regional Director for the Middle East warning of a food 
crisis in Gaza.  In other Gaza news, Al Ayyam's front page reports 
on Israeli airstrikes against smuggling tunnels in Rafah in the Gaza 
Strip and the firing of two rockets from Gaza into Israel's Sderot 
area. 
Al Ayyam's front page reports that the International Monetary Fund 
stated in a recent report that Israel is expanding settlements and 
tightening restrictions on the movement of Palestinians.  The report 
further adds that the humanitarian and economic situation has 
deteriorated in the Palestinian Territories. 
 
Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida's front pages, and Al Quds' inside 
page, run a DPA report on a Spanish request for Israel to 
investigate six Israeli officials on their alleged role in the 
assassination of Hamas leader Salah Shihada in Gaza in 2002.  The 
report cites an Israeli radio report revealing that the Israeli 
Minister of Internal Security Dichter is one of the six officers. 
 
JERUSALEM 00000343  002 OF 002 
 
 
Al Quds' front page reports on Israeli intelligence storming a 
Palestinian protest tent in East Jerusalem's Bustan neighborhood in 
the Silwan area.  The report adds that foreign diplomatic missions 
had visited the tent, erected by Palestinians to protest Israeli 
plans to demolish the neighborhood. 
Al Quds' front page reports on confrontations between Muslims and 
"extremist" Jews near the Jerusalem Al Aqsa mosque on February 26. 
The report adds that Jews were escorted with by, "intensive Israeli 
police presence." 
Al Ayyam's front page runs an AFP report quoting Israeli Likud 
official Shalom calling for the resumption of the Israeli targeted 
assassination policy against the Palestinian activists. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
1)  Al Quds' editorial is titled, "Encouraging signs at the 
[internal Palestinian] dialogue conference"(02/27):  "The 
Palestinian factions should take into account that the Israeli 
rightwing under the leadership of Binyamin Netanyahu is about to 
unite in an extremist government coalition rejects international 
[peace]initiatives, does not accept the two-state solution and wants 
to waste time[to mask] settlement expansion and prevent the 
establishment of a Palestinian state at any cost.  The best way to 
face this challenge is to accelerate the process of Palestinian 
unity and draft a strategy based on common understandings." 
2) Jawad Bashiti opines in Al Ayyam under the title "First, 
Netanyahu should make the same commitments as Abbas"(02/27):  "How 
can we pin our hopes on President Obama's administration and his 
envoy Mitchell when we have heard the U.S. reconfirm more than once, 
even after... the possible formation of an Israeli government headed 
by Binyamin Netanyahu with the participation of Lieberman..., that 
the U.S. special relationship with Israel will not change." 
WALLES