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OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0692/01 1131621
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 231621Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4703
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 7652
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4628
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4477
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5971
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4392
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2969

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000692 
 
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 (04/23):  PALESTINIANS: TANGIBLE 
RESULTS MUST FOLLOW POSITIVE U.S. STATEMENTS 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
Al-Quds leads with the Jerusalem Municipality's  "continued 
determination to demolish" 88 houses in the Al-Bustan neighborhood 
of East Jerusalem to make way for a public garden.  According to 
coverage that also appears on Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's and Al-Ayyam's 
front pages Israeli authorities also demolished one home in Jabal 
Al-Mukabbir in East Jerusalem on April 22 because it lacked a 
building permit.  In the West Bank, papers report that Israel 
demolished four homes in Aqraba village near Nablus.  Al-Quds runs a 
lead photo of a little girl in tears after her Jerusalem home was 
demolished on April 22. 
 
Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida lead with news on Palestinian 
Authority President Abbas receiving the Chinese Foreign Minister in 
Ramallah on April 22.  During a press conference for the two 
leaders, Abbas noted that his visit to the U.S. was confirmed for 
May 28 and added that the meeting will be "extremely important" to 
the peace process in the Middle East.  Abbas also noted that he has 
received "positive indications" from the U.S. regarding U.S. 
insistence on the two-state solution and an end to the 
Palestinian-Israeli conflict.  According to coverage, that also 
appears on Al-Quds' front page citing AFP, PLO chief negotiator 
Sa'eb Erikat is quoted stating, "President Abbas will ask President 
Obama to define steps for implementing the Road Map and Arab Peace 
Initiative to make the two-state solution, a fact on the ground." 
Erikat added that Abbas will also request Obama's assistance in 
identifying the mechanisms to halt settlement activities in all 
Palestinian Territories. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Ayyam run front page coverage citing wires 
about Egyptian Intelligence Chief Sulayman meetings with Israeli 
officials on April 22 to discuss security and political topics. 
According to coverage, Sulayman met with Israeli Prime Minister 
Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Lieberman, Defense Minister Barak and 
Israeli President Peres.  Sulayman extended an invitation to 
Netanyahu and Barak to visit Egypt.  Netanyahu noted that Israel and 
Egypt have excellent relations based on mutual interest, friendship 
and cooperation, reporting concludes. 
 
The three dailies front page coverage of U.S. Secretary Clinton 
stating on April 22 that the U.S. will not deal with any Palestinian 
government that includes or supports Hamas, unless Hamas recognizes 
Israel, denounces violence and respects all signed agreements with 
the Palestinian Authority as outlined by the Middle East Quartet. 
Al-Quds runs inside coverage, with a photo of Secretary Clinton 
addressing the House Foreign Affairs Committee and noting that 
serious sanctions will be imposed on Iran if it insists on 
continuing its nuclear program and that the U.S. is open and ready 
for talks. 
 
All front pages report that Palestinian Authority Premier Fayyad 
participated in the Fourth Belin Conference for Popular Resistance 
on April 22.  Fayyad indicated in his speech that time has come for 
the world to end the double standards used when dealing with Israel 
and Palestinian on the issue of Israeli occupation.  He added that 
international parties must earn credibility by achieving tangible 
results on the ground and forcing Israel to halt settlement 
activities and adhere to international law and agreements.  He 
 
JERUSALEM 00000692  002 OF 002 
 
 
further added that mechanisms for implementation of signed 
agreements must be identified, starting with serious talks between 
Palestinians and Israel with a clear timeframe for ending the 
occupation.  Fayyad added that peaceful, popular resistance will 
continue until the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories 
ends. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida runs a front page story quoting Israeli Foreign 
Minister Lieberman stating that the Arab Peace Initiative is 
extremely dangerous and meant to destroy Israel since the Initiative 
recognizes the right of return of Palestinian refugees.  Lieberman 
further described the two-state solution as, "empty and having no 
context," according to reporting. 
 
Al-Quds runs front page coverage of Palestinian factions in Gaza 
including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, meeting to discuss the current 
political situation in the Palestinian Territories in an attempt to 
pave the way for successful Palestinian unity talks in Cairo on 
April 26. 
 
In economic news, all dailies run inside page overage on the opening 
ceremony of a new branch of the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance 
in Yatta town in the West Bank Hebron district on April 21.  The 
opening ceremony was attended by the Governor of the Palestine 
Monetary Authority.  In other news, Palestinian Authority Minister 
of National Economy Hassounah told press conference that the merger 
agreement between Palestinian Telecommunications "Jawwal"  and 
Kwaiti "Zein" has been finalized and will be announced in few 
days.-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title, 
"They can't keep talking forever"(04/23): "Obama's statements say 
that Palestinians and Israelis cannot keep talking forever and that 
t 
tangible results have to be translated into progress on the 
ground... [the statements] are another positive step by President 
Obama regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in addition to his 
support for the two-state solution... [Now] he has to pursue this by 
translating the statements into tangible facts and action... If 
Obama is serious about improving relations with the Islamic world as 
he indicated many times, then he needs to realize that this can 
easily be achieved by resolving the Palestinian issue." 
 
2) Regular columnist Abdil Halim Swalim opines in Al-Ayyam 
independent daily under the title, "The Israeli Government: The end 
before the beginning" (04/23):  "The end of the Israeli government 
will be the beginning of a new and serious peace process...Given 
Israel's rejection of the Arab Peace Initiative, particularly the 
right of return for the Palestinian refugees... and given President 
Obama's support for the initiative, Israel will collapse at the 
first corner and a new government that is willing and open to 
accepting the new U.S. vision for the Middle East and the 
Arab-Israeli conflict will replace [Netanyahu's government]." 
 
WALLES