VZCZCXRO4919
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0681/01 1110958
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 210958Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4686
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 7648
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4624
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4473
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5967
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4388
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2965

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000681 
 
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 (04/21): PALESTINIANS:  POWERFUL 
WEST DECLINES TO COMBAT RACISM 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
Al-Quds leads with news of participants walking out on the Iranian 
President's address at the Durban UN Anti-Racism conference in 
Geneva on April 20.  The paper's lead photo shows Ahmadinejad giving 
his speech.  Separate front page coverage in Al-Quds cites DPA in 
reporting on reaction by French President Sarkozy who called the 
statements "provocative."  Similar coverage runs on Al Ayyam's front 
page, with photo and inside Al-Hayyat Al-Jadida.  All coverage notes 
the UN Secretary General's comments expressing his disappointment 
with Ahmadinejad's speech. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads with the Palestinian Authority President 
Abbas' visit to Abu Dhabi on April 20, where he met with Prince 
Mohammad Al-Nhayyan.  According to coverage that also appears on 
Al-Quds' front page, the meeting focused on bilateral relations, the 
political situation in the Palestinian Territories, Palestinian 
unity talks and Gaza reconstruction efforts. 
 
Al-Ayyam leads with reports about Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's 
willingness to pursue unconditional talks with Palestinians.  The 
report quotes Netanyahu stating that recognition of Israel as a 
Jewish state is not a precondition for negotiations.  The report 
also quotes Israeli Defense Minister Barak noting that Israel must 
be ready to accept a comprehensive settlement to the conflict that 
will include the establishment of a Palestinian State living in 
peace with Israel.  Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's front page coverage adds 
statements by Netanyahu stressing that though it is not a 
precondition, the recognition of Israel remains integral to making 
progress in the peace talks. 
 
All front pages report on the weekly Palestinian Authority(PA) 
ministerial cabinet meeting chaired by PA Premier Fayyad on April 20 
in Ramallah.  According to coverage, participants applauded Muslims 
and Palestinians for preventing "Israeli extremist Jewish groups" 
from breaking into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem at the 
end of Passover.  The Cabinet also condemned Israeli action that 
prevented worshipers from attending Easter services at the Holy 
Sepulcher Church in Jerusalem.  The Cabinet further condemned the 
April 19 attack against Hamas leader Al-Bitawi in Nablus.  Fayyad 
stressed in comments to the press that he is fully engaged in 
enforcing the rule of law in the West Bank.  Finally the Cabinet 
welcomed the recent Human Rights Watch report that criticized 
Israeli military action in the recent conflict in Gaza and Hamas 
attacks on Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. 
 
Al-Quds' front page cites Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, in 
reporting about continued rocket attacks from Gaza on southern 
Israel.  Israel is expected to pursue targeted assassinations 
against Hamas leaders in Gaza, according to coverage.  Reporting 
also notes that Israeli Premier Netanyahu is preparing for the April 
22 visit of Egyptian Intelligence Chief Sulayman during which he 
will explore Egyptian mediation on indirect talks with Hamas to 
secure the release of captured Israeli soldier Shalit. 
 
Al-Quds runs front page coverage of a "U.S. analytical report" on 
the future of Israeli-American relations given disagreement in 
recent official statements regarding the Palestinian- Israeli 
conflict and the two-state solution.  The report outlines a number 
 
JERUSALEM 00000681  002 OF 002 
 
 
of steps that the U.S. could take to force Israeli acceptance of the 
two-state solution, including cuts in economic assistance.  The 
steps, according to the report, should be coupled with international 
pressure on Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to, "take a more 
effective role." 
 
In economic news, Al-Quds' inside page reports on a signed agreement 
between the Palestinian and Qatari Red Crescent Societies to provide 
$750,000 to reconstruct Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza that was badly 
damaged in the recent conflict with Israel.  In other financial 
news, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's front page reports 3,870 Gaza families 
benefitting from the World Bank-funded social security network will 
receive payments on April 21.  According to Palestinian Authority 
Minister for Social Affairs Habbash, payments were delayed a month 
because of a, "lack of financial liquidity in Gaza banks." 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title, "Why 
do they decline to combat racism?"(04/21):  "Israel has been 
occupying the Palestinian Territories since the year 1967...yet the 
anti-racism conference confirms that some parties, not only in 
Israel, but also in powerful Western countries, do not want to 
criticize [Israel]... therefore, we do not expect conference 
decisions to change anything on the ground... still the conference 
constitutes a call on international public opinion to address the 
many problems [of racism] faced by people all over the world..." 
 
2) Regular columnist Rajab Abu Sirriyah opines in Al-Ayyam daily 
independent under the title, "An alternative  regional solution to 
the two-state solution"(04/21):  "It may be possible that 
Netanyahu's sudden change and  openness to pursuing negotiations 
with Palestinians without the precondition of recognizing Israel is 
s 
due to the clear insistence of the U.S. administration on the 
two-state solution.  This means that Netanyahu is not in favor of 
entering into an early conflict with the U.S. Democratic 
administration...although his alternate initiative is only a way to 
waste time and increase division among Arab countries" 
 
WALLES