VZCZCXRO5296
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0498/01 0791059
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 201059Z MAR 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4421
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 7594
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4579
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4427
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5921
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4343
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2917

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000498 
 
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 (03/20):  "WHAT COMES AFTER 
DIALOGUE?" 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
Al Quds and Al Hayat Al Jadida lead with statements by Israeli 
military officers and soldiers admitting to killing Palestinian 
civilians, sometimes for no reason, during the recent conflict in 
the Gaza Strip.  Citing a March 19 report in Israeli daily Haaretz, 
the papers run excerpts of soldiers' testimonies including the 
killing of a woman and her children because she turned left instead 
of right as she was ordered by Hebrew-speaking soldiers.  Both 
Palestinian and Israeli public outrage is captured in the coverage. 
The news also appearing as an AFP story on Al Ayyam's front page, 
notes a statement by U.N. Human Rights Rapporteur Richard Falk that 
recent events in Gaza merit an investigation of war crimes. 
 
Al Ayyam leads with the suspension of internal Palestinian dialogue 
in Cairo, without a new date for its resumption.  In contrast, Al 
Quds' and Al Hayat Al Jadida's front pages report that talks will 
resume next week.  The papers note that Egypt's Intelligence Chief 
Sulayman was told by U.S. officials in Washington that any 
Palestinian Authority government must accept Quartet conditions in 
order to be recognized internationally.  Al Quds quotes State 
Department Spokesman Wood confirming on March 19 that Sulayman 
discussed regional issues including Gaza with Secretary Clinton. 
 
Al Quds' front page reports that Palestinian Authority (PA) 
President Abbas held separate meetings in Ramallah with U.S. Consul 
General Jacob Walles, a delegation of business leaders, the PA 
Central Elections Committee and a Fatah delegation to brief them on 
the status of "Palestinian national dialogue" in Cairo.  In a second 
front page report, the paper quotes Abbas' spokesman Nabil Abu 
Rudaynah calling Israeli demolition orders of Palestinian houses in 
Jerusalem, ethnic cleansing and an "unprecedented escalation" of 
demolitions by the Jerusalem municipality. 
 
Al Quds' front page reports on a meeting between chief PLO 
negotiator Saeb Erekat and NSC Chief General Jones in Washington on 
March 19.  In the meeting, Jones reiterated U.S. commitment to 
promoting stability in the Middle East and the two-state solution 
and emphasized the need for all parties in the Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict to respect previous commitments. 
 
All front pages reports on the Israeli arrests of 19 Palestinians in 
the West Bank on March 19, including Hamas legislators and leaders. 
The arrests include "Deputy Premier" Nasser Eddin Al Sha'air of 
Hamas.  The papers report that the Palestinian Authority cabinet and 
Presidency condemned the Israeli "arrest campaign." 
 
Al Ayyam's front page reports on an internal Islamic Brotherhood 
memorandum criticizing the behavior of Hamas during the recent Gaza 
conflict.  The memo refers to the killing, kidnapping and torturing 
of Palestinians under several pretexts, including accusations of 
collaborating with Israel.-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
 
1)  Samih Shbib opines in independent daily Al Ayyam under the 
title, "What comes after dialogue?!!"(03/20):  "The coming days, in 
terms of Hamas and Palestinian Authority behavior, will begin to 
outline the path for the near future.  We hope that the upcoming 
Arab summits will play a positive role in returning parties to the 
national dialogue track and national agreement, since the 
alternative will mean great destruction, on top of the destruction 
 
JERUSALEM 00000498  002 OF 002 
 
 
in Gaza and [destruction] of politics and the whole national 
existence." 
 
2)  Omar Al Ghul comments in Al Hayat Al Jadida on the name of the 
new Palestinian Authority (PA) government and statements by Hamas 
leader Zahhar refusing to accept PA Premier Fayyad as a candidate 
for Premier even in exchange for having the sun in Hamas' hands. 
The editorial is titled, "Is the problem in the name?"(03/20): 
"Once again, the problem isn't in the name but in the content. 
Either a technocrat government is formed that responds to the 
interests of the Palestinian people and meets international 
requirements or the situation will remain unchanged because the 
world won't beg (for compliance to international norms] but will 
simply impose [its requirements]... any leader who believes that 
holding the sun in his left [hand] would do him any good is 
mistaken." 
 
WALLES