VZCZCXRO8614
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0611/01 0930943
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 030943Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4587
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
RHMFIUU/CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7625
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4601
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4450
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5943
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4365
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2942

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000611 
 
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 (04/03):  PALESTINIANS SEE NEED 
FOR CLEAR POLICY TO COUNTER NETANYAHU GOVERNMENT 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
Al-Quds and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida lead with news of "confiscations by 
settlers."  According to reports a building housing five Palestinian 
 
families, "was confiscated by settlers under Israeli police 
protection," in the Old City of Jerusalem on April 2.  The paper 
also runs a prominent cartoon on its back page showing the Damascus 
gate of the Jerusalem Old City, renamed "Arab Jerusalem," about to 
be demolished by a huge Israeli bulldozer.  In separate reporting 
the paper adds that 100 acres were confiscated in a Palestinian 
village near Nablus to allow for the construction of a settlement 
road.  Related coverage on Al Ayyam's front page cites AFP in 
reporting on four Hebron shopping centers being, "confiscated by 
settlers." 
Al- Ayyam leads with news that Palestinian national dialogue in 
Cairo is again on hold.  According to reports that also appear on 
the front pages of Al-Quds and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, the talks will 
recess for three weeks so that delegations can confer with their 
leadership.  The papers also report that Egyptian Intelligence Chief 
Sulayman briefed Palestinian delegations on his recent visit to the 
United States and conveyed U.S. policy regarding unity talks, 
specifically U.S. and EU commitment to Middle East Quartet 
conditions. 
 
Al-Ayyam front pages a photo of President Obama shaking hands with 
Saudi King Abdullah at the G20 summit in London on April 2. 
According to the report that appears on all front pages Obama and 
Abdullah discussed bilateral relations and how to advance the Middle 
East peace process based on the Arab Peace Initiative.  The report 
adds that Special Envoy Mitchell will visit the region soon and that 
the U.S. is "pushing hard" for acceptance of the two-state solution. 
 All front pages also run separate summary coverage of the G20 
summit, with excerpts from several leaders' remarks including 
President Obama who highlights that the summit was productive and 
resulted in coordinated efforts. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's front page cites wire reports about Israeli 
Foreign Minister Lieberman's 8-hour questioning by Israeli police on 
suspicions of corruption and money laundering.  According to 
Lieberman, who has denied all accusations, the investigation is 
meant to tarnish his reputation. 
 
All front pages report on the April 2 attack by a Palestinian in the 
Israeli settlement of Bat Ayin near Bethlehem.  Reporting is neutral 
in tone, describing the attack, including the ages of the young 
victims.  It focuses on the repercussions of the attack on 
surrounding Palestinian communities, noting that Israel imposed a 
curfew on neighboring villages and is searching for the attacker who 
fled after the attack.  Al Ayyam front pages a photo of a 
hand-cuffed youth, arrested in the attacker's home village of Beit 
Saffa. 
 
In economic news, Al-Quds and Al-Ayyam report on inside pages about 
the visit of a U.S. Consulate General, Jerusalem delegation to 
Nablus where they met with Nablus Businessmen Forum members on April 
¶1.  According to the report, the meeting comes within the framework 
of Consulate support for the Palestinian economy and private sector. 
 In other coverage of Consulate activities, an Al- Quds' inside page 
reports that U.S. Consulate General staff donated more than 800 
books to the RISOL Community center in Nablus on April 2. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
1) Majid Kayyali opines in Al-Quds independent daily under the 
 
JERUSALEM 00000611  002 OF 002 
 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
Al-Quds and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida lead with news of "confiscations by 
settlers."  According to reports a building housing five Palestinian 
families, "was confiscated by settlers under Israeli police 
protection," in the Old City of Jerusalem on April 2.  The paper 
also runs a prominent cartoon on its back page showing the Damascus 
gate of the Jerusalem Old City, renamed "Arab Jerusalem," about to 
be demolished by a huge Israeli bulldozer.  In separate reporting 
the paper adds that 100 acres were confiscated in a Palestinian 
village near Nablus to allow for the construction of a settlement 
road.  Related coverage on Al Ayyam's front page cites AFP in 
reporting on four Hebron shopping centers being, "confiscated by 
settlers." 
Al- Ayyam leads with news that Palestinian national dialogue in 
Cairo is again on hold.  According to reports that also appear on 
the front pages of Al-Quds and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, the talks will 
recess for three weeks so that delegations can confer with their 
leadership.  The papers also report that Egyptian Intelligence Chief 
Sulayman briefed Palestinian delegations on his recent visit to the 
United States and conveyed U.S. policy regarding unity talks, 
specifically U.S. and EU commitment to Middle East Quartet 
conditions. 
 
title, "The real questions Palestinians should be asking"(04/03): 
"Palestinian factions did well to engage in unity talks to resolve 
the Palestinian [internal division] crisis... which benefitted no 
one but Israel...[however] it's still obvious that the Palestinian 
Authority and opposition parties intentionally try to avoid the real 
issues... more specifically, they should be pondering questions like 
what's the future of negotiations?  What is the future of the 
two-state solution?... What do the factions in Gaza want?  Do they 
want it to become a base for launching rockets, or do they want to 
liberated it and transform it into a model [of good governance]? 
Questions like these cannot be answered with vague policies, the 
leaders should be smarter than that... Another strategic question to 
be asked regards armed resistance toward Israel.  The leaders should 
ask themselves if this policy is useful... will it free Palestine or 
even the West Bank." 
 
2) Samih Shibib opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily under  the 
title, "Netanyahu's agenda and Lieberman's statements"(04/03): 
"Israeli rejection of [Annapolis] is perceived as an insult to U.S. 
diplomatic efforts... As we await the U.S. response, there needs to 
is a Palestinian response... regarding negotiations with the 
Netanyahu government, whose platform clearly refuses the two-state 
solution, a move that will surely empower Palestinian extremist 
parties and weaken moderates.  A clear policy should be developed to 
either pursue or stop negotiations and thereby exploit Netanyahu's 
agenda and Lieberman's statements in a way that results in the 
isolation of Israel and condemnation of its policies that are 
against negotiations and peace in general." 
 
WALLES