VZCZCXRO7744
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0815/01 1391004
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191004Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4874
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 7686
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4664
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4511
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6005
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4426
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3003

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000815 
 
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 (05/19):  PALESTINIANS QUESTION 
U.S. RESOLVE 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All dailies run extensive coverage on U.S. topics throughout their 
editions.  President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's 
May 18 joint press availability takes top billing in all papers that 
include photos of the two leaders.  Reporting highlights Obama's 
message of support for the two-state solution and call on Israel to 
halt all settlement activities, as well as his comments that peace 
is in all parties' interest.  Reporting also highlights Netanyahu's 
support of Palestinian self-rule and his failure to reference an 
independent Palestinian state and his insistence on preconditions 
before negotiating with the Palestinians.  The same articles report 
on "conflicting" U.S. and Israeli Iran policy, noting Obama 
willingness to pursue diplomatic channels and Netanyahu's push for a 
deadline by which Iran must halt its nuclear program. 
 
Al-Ayyam runs a back-page cartoon of President Obama and Israeli 
Premier Netanyahu secretly thinking they are the senior partner 
controlling the other.  Al-Quds runs an inside cartoon of Obama and 
Netanyahu's coat tails tied together with Obama walking towards the 
Palestinian-Israeli issue and Netanyahu pulling in the opposite 
direction towards the Iranian issue.  In other images, Al-Quds' runs 
an inside photo of "supporters of Israel" protesting in Washington 
on May 18 against the two state-solution, holding a sign with the 
text, "NO PLO Terrorist State in the Jewish Biblical Heartland." 
 
All front pages highlight the conclusion of the fifth round of 
Palestinian national unity talks in Cairo on May 18.  Al Ayyam runs 
quotes by head of the Fatah parliamentary block Azzam Al-Ahmad 
noting that the round ended without meaningful results in the areas 
of new elections, security, and government composition.  Al-Ahmad 
further clarified that there was no agreement on forming a joint 
security committee in Gaza since Hamas seeks to minimize Fatah's 
role on the issue.  All dailies report that the new transitional 
Palestinian Authority (PA) care-taker government will be led by PA 
Premier Fayyad who is to be sworn into office on May 19. 
 
U.S. Consul General Jake Walles' meeting with Palestinian Authority 
President Abbas in Ramallah on May 18 is front page news in Al Hayat 
Al Jadida.  Al Quds also runs inside coverage on the meeting that 
focused on preparations for Abbas' visit to Washington.  The papers 
also note that Abbas briefed Walles on "recent developments" in the 
Palestinian Territories and efforts to end internal Palestinian 
division. 
 
An Al-Quds' inside page reports on U.S. Security Coordinator General 
Dayton's lecture at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on 
May 7.  According to coverage, Dayton stated that ending the 
Palestinian-Israeli conflict serves U.S. national security interests 
as well as the interests of the whole world.  Dayton reiterated 
strong U.S. support for the two-state solution, reporting 
concludes. 
 
Al-Quds runs front page coverage of Senator Kerry's May 18 interview 
with London-based Al-Hayat newspaper.  Speaking at the World 
Economic Forum at the Dead Sea Kerry stated that the U.S will not 
abandon the Arab Peace Initiative.  On the contrary, the U.S. will 
build on the initiative that provides a good framework for 
restarting negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel, Kerry 
added, according to reporting. 
 
All dailies report on the Israeli Government's intention to enlarge 
the Miskyot settlement in the Jordan Valley, West Bank.  Israel has 
 
JERUSALEM 00000815  002 OF 002 
 
 
put out a call for bids to construct 20 housing units, according to 
reporting.  Palestinian Authority presidential spokesperson Abu 
Rudaynah called the move provocative and proof that the Israeli 
government will continue settlement activities.  Abu Rudaynah also 
condemned the Israeli decision to allowed settlers access to Hebron 
city on May 18.  Al Quds front pages a photo from the settlers' 
entry into the city, showing a Palestinian woman anxiously observing 
a tense Israeli soldier standing guard.  She is standing in front of 
a shuttered Palestinian shop with a bright red Star of David 
spray-painted on the door.  Papers also note that several protests 
were organized by Palestinians during the settlers' visit. 
 
In local economic news, front pages highlight the May 18 Amman 
signing ceremony of the merger between Palestinian 
telecommunications company Paltel and Kuwaiti Zein company. 
According to Sabih Al-Masri, head of Paltel Board of Directors, 
"this merger is the largest deal ever reached in the history of the 
Palestinian Territories as it will generate annual revenues 
exceeding $1 billion." 
  -------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
1)  Abdil Rahim Malluh, Vice Secretary of the Popular Front for the 
Liberation of Palestine opines in Al-Quds independent daily under 
the title, "Obama, Netanyahu and the latest in the region" (05/19): 
"For the Obama administration to establish credibility, Obama needs 
to seriously move towards forcing Israel to halt all settlement 
activities, particularly in the E1 block; halt the expansion of the 
Ma'ale Adumim settlement, halt all actions aimed at transforming 
Jerusalem into a Jewish city and lift the siege on Gaza.  He must 
call on the U.N. Security Council to enforce U.N. resolutions 
regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict, respect for the establishment 
of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and the right 
of return for refugees based on resolution number 194." 
 
2) Regular columnist Adli Sadik opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily 
under the tile, "Awaiting a U.S. change" (05/19):  "Forcing 
Netanyahu to speak about the two-state solution is not enough 
because the Americans and the whole world are fed up with statements 
...the scene now requires... [proof of] the seriousness of the 
American people to support the peace process during the Obama era... 
if Obama's administration does not support a real peace process, 
then it will repeat the same mistakes as the previous administration 
which contributed nothing to the world except for making it less 
secure." 
 
WALLES