VZCZCXRO3528
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1120/01 1821042
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 011042Z JUL 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5308
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 7752
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4727
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4574
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6068
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4493
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3069

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001120 
 
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 (07/01):  PALESTINIANS:  HAMAS HAS 
A NARROW, SELFISH PERSPECTIVE 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
Al-Quds leads with, and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Ayyam run front 
page news coverage of the Palestinian unity talks in Cairo.  The 
sixth session of the talks concluded on June 30 with no tangible 
results, according to coverage.  Egypt will host a seventh (final) 
round of talks on July 25 to ensure that the factions reach an 
agreement on all pending issues and noted that the signing of the 
reconciliation agreement originally scheduled for July 7 will be 
postponed to July 28 after the final round.  Fatah senior official 
Qurai' noted to Al-Quds that the factions have conducted extensive 
discussions of a number of issues concerning the political prisoners 
from Fatah and Hamas, elections arrangements, security forces and 
the formation of the government, without reaching a final agreement 
on any of these issues.  According to Egyptian officials, there was 
an interim agreement that included three elements, including forming 
a joint security force in Gaza which would start operations after 
the signing of the reconciliation agreement, forming a joint 
committee with representatives from all factions to coordinate and 
monitor the implementation of the reconciliation agreement, and 
identifying the general guidelines for solving the political 
prisoners issue. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads with news citing Wafa on Palestinian 
Authority President Abbas having received Hamas leader Dweik in the 
Presidency office in Ramallah on June 30.  Abbas congratulated Dweik 
for his release from Israeli prison after a three-year term.  They 
also discussed the recent developments of the national unity talks 
in Cairo. 
 
Al-Ayyam leads with, and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Quds run front 
page coverage on, Iraqi celebrations of the withdrawal of US forces 
from Iraq on June 30.  The dailies run front page photos of the 
celebrations. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Ayyam front page and Al-Quds runs inside 
page coverage citing wire service reports on Israeli Defense 
Minister Barak's meeting with U.S. Envoy Mitchell on June 30 in New 
York.  Barak noted to the press that "it is too early to indicate 
whether Israel will temporarily freeze settlement activities in the 
West Bank" and noted that the talks with Mitchell were "positive," 
but that there still remain some "disagreements," according to 
coverage. 
 
All dailies run front page coverage of Palestinian Authority Prime 
Minister Fayyad's visit to Austria on June 30 and his speech on the 
60th anniversary of UNRWA.  Fayyad stressed the need to help 
Palestinian refugees retain hope by ending their sufferings and 
noted that the "time has come to force Israel to respect 
international resolutions and to stop violating international law." 
Fayyad urged the international community to stop the double 
standards in dealing with Israel, according to coverage. 
 
Al-Quds runs a front page photo of two demolished houses in the 
Al-Tour neighborhood of East Jerusalem, which according to coverage, 
were demolished by the Jerusalem municipality on June 30 due to the 
lack of appropriate building permits. In related news, all dailies 
run front page news of the resignation of the Palestinian Authority 
Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Abdul Qader on June 30.  The 
resignation was in protest to the Palestinian Authority's failure to 
pay the fees for the lawyers assigned by the PA to pursue the issue 
of Israeli attacks against the homes of Palestinians in East 
 
JERUSALEM 00001120  002 OF 002 
 
 
Jerusalem.  -------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
1) Hafeth Barghouti opines in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida official daily 
under the title, "Hamas and Fatah" (07/01):  "It is obvious that 
Hamas doesn't want to be part of any unity government, Hamas doesn't 
look at the conflict and the internal division from a national point 
of view but rather from a very narrow and selfish perspective, it is 
not  willing to take any sacrifice and lose its control over Gaza. 
It prefers to expand its control over to the West Bank, but it will 
realize very soon that this approach is not helpful and it will be 
the first loser." 
 
2) Hamada Fara'na opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily under the 
e 
title "the story of Palestine" (07/01):  "In his speech, Fayyad 
clearly presented the history of the Palestinians' sufferings in a 
way that neither Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu can deny nor 
President Obama can refuse.  It was clear, comprehensive and 
factual.  It presented the lengthy sufferings and crises that should 
be ended soon." 
 
 
WALLES