VZCZCXRO3633
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0853/01 1470918
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 270918Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4921
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 7693
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4671
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4518
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6012
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4433
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3010

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000853 
 
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 (05/27):  PALESTINIANS: "MEEK U.S. 
RESPONSE TO ISRAELI VIOLATIONS" 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
A May 26 interview of senior Fatah official Ahmad Quray with Israeli 
daily Haaretz leads Al Quds coverage.  All front pages run the 
interview during which Quray reiterates Palestinian Authority 
opposition to starting negotiations with Israel "from scratch," an 
idea proposed by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, according to 
Quray.  Quray also stresses that in any final agreement, 
settlements, East Jerusalem and historic sites must be subject to 
Palestinian rule ("sovereignty").  He also repeated that 
Palestinians will not recognize Israel as a Jewish state. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads with Palestinian Authority President Abbas' 
meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Harper in Ottawa on May 26. 
Abbas noted that all settlements are "illegal and illegitimate." 
The Wafa article also summarizes Abbas' statements before the 
Canadian-Palestinian parliamentary committee where he called on 
Israel to halt settlement activities and dismantle West Bank 
settlement outposts, stressing that both activities are destroying 
chances for regional peace. Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida run 
separate front page coverage of comments by Canadian Foreign 
Minister Cannon highlighting Canadian Government opposition to 
settlement expansion and support for the two-state solution. 
 
Al-Quds runs an inside page cartoon showing President Obama 
declaring his support for the two-state solution, as settlement 
construction crowds in around him.  In related news, Al-Hayat 
Al-Jadida's front page cites AFP in reporting about Israeli Premier 
Netanyahu's intends to dismantle West Bank outposts in the hopes of 
gaining U.S. agreement on "natural growth" expansion.  According to 
coverage, Netanyahu is also seeking U.S. support in countering the 
Iranian nuclear threat. 
 
Al-Quds' front page and Al-Ayyam's inside page reports on a British 
convoy arriving to Gaza on May 26 with several tons of medical 
supplies and advanced medical equipment for Gaza hospitals.  Hamas 
officials received the convoy and expressed their appreciation for 
the gesture, according to coverage. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title, "All 
settlements are illegitimate, not only outposts"(05/27):  "What the 
international community must realize is that no peace agreement will 
ever be reached between Palestinians and Israelis as long as one 
single Israeli settlement still exists in the Palestinian 
Territories, regardless of its size, its purpose or location... When 
Israelis talk about dismantling outposts and whether or not they are 
licensed, they are only seeking to... deflect the international 
community's attention away from the large, problematic settlements 
which continue to expand every day.  Everyone should know that all 
settlement activities are illegal and illegitimate.  There is 
nothing legal about building settlements on other people's land." 
 
2) Regular Columnist Omar Hilmi Al-Ghul opines in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida 
official daily under the title, "Will the visit have any effect on 
Obama?"(05/27):  "The two leaders [Abbas and Obama] will find common 
ground during the upcoming trip of [Palestinian Authority] President 
Abbas to Washington, since Obama is serious about all previous 
commitments.  Abbas' problem doesn't lie in Obama's continuous 
statements [of support], but rather in the absence of effective U.S. 
intervention that will halt Israeli attacks such as Jerusalem home 
demolitions, settlements, and the occupation... Abbas' problem is 
 
JERUSALEM 00000853  002 OF 002 
 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
American patience and tolerance of Israeli violations.  His problem 
is meek U.S. response to Israeli violations... 
 
WALLES