VZCZCXRO2860
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0784/01 1330600
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 130600Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4831
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 7677
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4655
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4502
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5996
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4417
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2994

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000784 
 
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 (05/13): "A WEAK AND BIASED 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY" 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
Al-Quds leads with wire reports about President Obama's intention to 
propose a comprehensive plan for ending the Palestinian-Israeli 
conflict during his upcoming meetings with Israeli Premier Netanyahu 
and Palestinian Authority President Abbas.  According to coverage, 
the meetings will focus on identifying the appropriate role for the 
U.S. in the Middle East peace process and discussing each party's 
obligations to making peace.  Reporting concludes that Obama has 
pledged to make the Palestinian-Israeli conflict a foreign policy 
priority. 
 
Al-Ayyam leads with and Al-Quds front page cites AFP in reporting 
that Israeli Premier Netanyahu will tell President Obama in 
Washington next week that Israel will continue settlement expansion 
in the West Bank.  According to unnamed sources, Netanyahu's policy 
is expected to complicate U.S. efforts to resolve the 
Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads with Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the Dome 
of the Rock mosque in Jerusalem on May 12.  All dailies lead with 
photos of the Pope with Muslim religious leaders and highlight that 
he removed his shoes before entering the mosque - a welcome gesture 
of respect.  In his speech during a May 12 mass outside Jerusalem's 
Old City, the Pope urged all parties, "to overcome the conflicts of 
the past and open a serious dialogue among the religions."  The Pope 
added that current world crises should move all peoples to unite, 
reporting notes. 
 
Al-Quds and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida run front page coverage of the 
Palestinian Authority's (PA) decision to postpone the formation of a 
new PA government until PA President Abbas returns from a visit to 
Syria scheduled for May 14. Abbas will meet with Syrian President 
Asad to discuss bilateral relations and efforts to foster Arab 
unity. According to coverage, some PLO representatives and 
independent figures have turned down requests to join the new 
government. 
 
All dailies run front page coverage of remarks by Egypt's President 
Mubarak from a May 12 joint press conference with Italian Prime 
Minister Berlusconi in Egypt.  Mubarak stressed that Israeli Foreign 
Minister Lieberman is still unwelcome in Egypt and urged Palestinian 
factions to unite and work towards establishing an independent 
Palestinian state, according to the AFP story.  Mubarak also noted 
that Palestinian division will not help the Palestinian cause but 
rather serve Israeli interests, according to coverage. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida runs front page coverage citing AFP about PLO 
chief negotiator Saeb Erekat confirming on May 12 that the 
Palestinian Authority President Abbas will not meet with Israeli 
Prime Minister Netanyahu as long as Netanyahu rejects the two-state 
solution and continues settlement expansion in the West Bank. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida runs front page coverage citing Wafa about the 
Spanish Government providing three million Euros of assistance to 
the Palestinian Authority.  The assistance is for the purchase of 
pharmaceuticals to revive the Palestinian economy and improve health 
services, according to coverage.  Reporting also notes that funds 
are part of Spain's pledge made at the 2007 Paris donors conference. 
 
 
Al-Quds and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida run inside coverage about the visit 
of a U.S. delegation to Hebron on May 12.  The delegation met with 
 
JERUSALEM 00000784  002 OF 002 
 
 
the Hebron Governor and Mayor who gave a briefing on the political 
and economic situation in the Governorate. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title, 
"Immediate peace, before it is too late"(05/13): "Sixty-one years 
have passed since the Palestinian Nakba [the catastrophe] which 
resulted in the creation of thousands of refugees and disbursed 
villages, and still the Palestinian issue remains complicated and 
unresolved...The Palestinian crisis should have been solved long 
ago, however, its continuation for more than 60 years proves how 
weak and biased [towards Israel] the international community is.  It 
is time for all world leaders to force Israel to withdraw from the 
Palestinian Territories and leave the Palestinians to live in peace 
- one of the most basic human rights of the 21st century." 
 
2) Regular columnist Hani Habib opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily 
under the title, "Does Israel need Peace?(05/13):  "The failure of 
negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel is due to Israel's 
unwillingness to accept any compromises and refusal to withdraw from 
occupied lands.  In addition, the world has failed to boycott 
Israel, in fact, all countries want to maintain relations with 
Israel.  The international community has forgotten about the 
Palestinian issue... The world has become more stable and has new 
priorities and the Palestinian issue is not one of them... Israel 
can play with 'peace' forever without getting serious because peace 
simply does not serve Israeli interests and Israel does not need 
peace." 
 
WALLES