VZCZCXRO6601
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0371/01 0611123
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 021123Z MAR 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4238
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 7564
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4549
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4397
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5891
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4313
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2885

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000371 
 
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 (03/02):  "IS ISRAEL ABOVE 
INTERNATIONAL LAW?" 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All papers lead with news of the donor Gaza reconstruction 
conference in Egypt.  Al Quds predicts western pressure on Israel to 
lift the Gaza "siege", and reports that Secretary Clinton will meet 
with the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and the Gulf on 
March 7.  Al Ayyam adds quotes by State Department spokesman Wood 
confirming $900 million in U.S. assistance to Palestinians, of which 
$300 million will go to Gaza emergency humanitarian assistance 
channeled through the U.N. and non-governmental organizations.  The 
papers report that delegations from 75 countries will participate in 
the conference, both in the economic and political meetings, and 
that the Middle East Quartet will also meet.  The three papers also 
report that Gaza reconstruction funds will go towards the 
Palestinian Authority plan, published on Al Ayyam's front page. 
 
Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page notes that Palestinian Authority 
(PA) Premier Fayyad met with U.S. Special Envoy Mitchell and a 
number of Arab officials in Egypt and announced that the PA will be 
the only Palestinian party to submit a paper on Gaza reconstruction 
at the donors' conference in the hopes of raising $2.8 billion. 
Fayyad added that reconstruction could start in six weeks if funds 
were made available.  Al Ayyam's front page further reports, citing 
Reuters that humanitarian agencies are complaining that Israel 
continues to block assistance from reaching Gaza. 
 
The three front pages report on the visit by Middle East Quartet 
Envoy Tony Blair to Gaza on March 1. Blair is quoted noting 
significant destruction in Gaza and underscoring that, "through the 
peace process, we need to ensure that this destruction does not 
happen again in the future." 
Al Quds' front page runs a story, also inside other dailies, about 
Palestinian protest tents in Jerusalem, protesting Israeli 
demolition and settlement activities in the city.  Reporting 
continues news from the weekend about the high-level of attention 
that the tents have attracted, noting that Israeli municipal 
authorities are amazed at the extensive media coverage and 
diplomatic "stirring."  The papers highlight again, that several 
European, American and Arab diplomatic delegations have visited the 
tents, and that Egypt is studying how it may intervene to stop 
Israeli plans to demolish the Al Bustan neighborhood in East 
Jerusalem. 
All front pages run statements by Israeli Premier Olmert threatening 
a strong response to 11 Palestinian rockets fired on Israel from 
Gaza on February 28.  Olmert is quoted stating that Hamas is 
attempting to, "revive itself" in the aftermath of the recent "war" 
using the only language it understands - rocket fire.  Meanwhile, Al 
Quds' and Al Ayyam's front pages cite a UK daily in reporting that 
prior to the Gaza war, Hamas attempted to establish direct contact 
with the Israeli leadership through a relative of Israeli Premier 
Olmert.  Finally, Al Quds publishes a front page interview with a 
former Israeli sniper who implemented targeted assassination orders 
against Palestinian activists 8 years ago. 
 
All front pages report on the death of five Palestinians inside a 
collapsed smuggling tunnel in Gaza, caused by flooding and rain. 
Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page runs a Reuters story about Israeli 
Likud's rejection of the two-state solution, quoting a close aide to 
Premier designate Netanyahu, stating that Israel would not commit to 
Washington's goal of establishing the Palestinian state.  Rather, 
Netanyahu expected close cooperation with Washington without a 
commitment to the outcome of negotiations with Palestinian Authority 
President Abbas, according to reporting. 
 
JERUSALEM 00000371  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Al Ayyam's and Al Hayat Al Jadida's front pages revealing that the 
Palestinian Authority Civil Affairs Office will publish on March 2, 
3,458 names of Palestinians who Israel has agreed to allow to 
reunify with their families.  The action is part of a reunification 
program to allow family members outside of the Palestinian 
Territories to take up residence with their families in the 
Palestinian Territories. 
 
-------------- 
WEEKEND STORIES: 
-------------- 
Sunday, March 1, 2009 
 
Lead headlines in all dailies focused on remarks by Palestinian 
Authority (PA) President Abbas following a meeting in Ramallah with 
EU foreign policy chief Solana.  Abbas stated that Palestinians were 
moving towards national reconciliation and reiterated calls on 
Israel to endorse the two-state solution and halt settlement 
activities.  For his part, Solana confirmed that any EU assistance 
for reconstruction efforts in Gaza would be channeled through the 
PA. 
Al Quds and Al Ayyam front paged extensive excerpts from Secretary 
Clinton's recent interview with Voice of America. 
 
Saturday, February 28, 2009 
 
All front pages reported that Palestinian Authority President Abbas 
met in Ramallah with Special Envoy George Mitchell on February 27 to 
discuss "latest developments" and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip. 
PA Presidency spokesperson Abu Rudaynah told AFP that "Mitchell 
reiterated to President Abbas, American commitment to the two-state 
solution and the Road Map," and indicated that significant U.S. aid 
would be announced at the Sharm El Sheikh donors' conference.  Abu 
Rudaynah added the Israeli actions, such as plans to demolish homes 
in East Jerusalem's Al Bustan neighborhood are, "extremely 
dangerous," and he called upon President Obama to intervene. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
1)  Al Quds editorial is titled, "To ensure that Sharm El-Sheikh 
results in real support" (03/02):  "It is illogical for Israel to 
commit all this killing and destruction and then escape consequences 
each time, never facing any questioning or punishment.  It is as 
if[Israel] were above international law.  It is also illogical for 
the Palestinian people and international community to shoulder the 
brunt of Israel's killing and destruction policy.  Therefore, those 
meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh should send a clear message to Israel 
about its responsibility regarding [the recent conflict] in the Gaza 
Strip." 
 
 
2) Samih Shbib comments in Al Ayyam under the title, "Dialogue, and 
returning to square one"(03/02):  "Everyone hopes and expects that 
the work of the five [Palestinian reconciliation] committees will 
move quickly and produce findings soon, so as to put the 
reconciliation train back on track, headed for a new Palestinian 
homeland that has room for people from the entire ideological and 
political spectrums; based on a system that is capable of developing 
and improving, in [times of] difference and agreement. 
 
WALLES