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OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1137/01 1871050
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061050Z JUL 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5327
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 7756
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4731
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4578
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6072
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4497
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3073

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 001137 
 
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 (07/06): Abbas Calls for Cessation 
of all Settlement Activities Before Resumption of Negotiations 
 
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Main Stories: 
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Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front pages report on remarks by 
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Abbas during the inauguration 
of a new public park in Ramallah (July 5), that the PA will not 
accept the continuation of settlement activities on Palestinian 
land. Abbas called for a solution to the issue of the Palestinian 
refugees, based on road map obligations, the Arab Peace Initiative 
and UN Resolution 194. Abbas also added that the two-state solution 
is the best mechanism for ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, 
and all settlement activities must cease -- including "natural 
growth."  Abbas pointed that only then will negotiations resume 
between the two parties. Regarding the national reconciliation talks 
in Cairo, Abbas noted that the PA will fully support bringing an end 
to the internal division and achieving national unity. Concerning 
the Fatah 6th congressional conference, Abbas confirmed that the 
conference will be held in Bethlehem on August 4. 
 
Al-Quds, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, and Al-Ayyam run front page coverage of 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements made during 
the Israeli weekly cabinet meeting, in which he presented his 
government's achievements during his first 100 days in office. 
Netanyahu pointed out that he believes in the two-state solution. 
However, he noted that his government will not stop settlement 
activities, asserting that the Palestinians must recognize Israel as 
a Jewish state as a precondition to any future agreement between the 
Israelis and Palestinians. Netanyahu noted again that the issue of 
the refugees must be resolved without resettlement inside Israel and 
further that any Palestinian state has to be disarmed. 
 
All dailies run front page coverage on comments made by US Vice 
President Joe Biden, who stated that the US will not intervene to 
stop Israel from conducting an attack against Iranian nuclear 
facilities. 
 
Al-Quds and Al-Ayyam report on the Jerusalem municipality's 
endorsement of construction of 20 new housing units in the area 
surrounding the Shepherds Hotel in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem. 
Palestinian Authority experts on settlement issues condemned the 
decision, contending that it jeopardizes the chances of establishing 
a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. 
 
Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida run front page coverage of two new 
cases of swine flu in Ramallah, increasing to 61 the total number of 
reported cases in the West Bank and Gaza. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reports that a number of Palestinian Legislative 
Council (PLC) members protested in front of the PLC in Ramallah on 
July 5, calling for the release of colleagues jailed by the 
Government of Israel for more than 3 years. 
 
Al-Ayyam's front page reports that the Palestinian Authority will 
start paying salaries for civil servants of the PA working in the 
West Bank and Gaza on July 6, despite the PA's current severe 
financial crisis. 
 
-------------- 
Weekend Stories: 
-------------- 
 
Sunday, July 5: 
 
Al Quds, Al Ayyam, and Al Hayat Al Jadida report on an announcement 
 
JERUSALEM 00001137  002 OF 003 
 
 
by Fatah Central Committee member Ahmad Qurei', that final steps 
have been taken to convene the movement's sixth general conference. 
The conference will take place on August 4 in Bethlehem, to be named 
"the conference of the founding martyr Yasser Arafat." The number of 
members included in the conference will be limited to 1550. Measures 
are being taken to facilitate the travel of Fatah members from Gaza 
and abroad. 
 
Al Quds' front page reports that Palestinian legal sources revealed 
a series of new Israeli decisions and laws related to the 'Holy 
Basin' area to ensure Israeli control over the surroundings and 
vicinity of the Old City of Jerusalem, including a network of parks 
and roads encircling the Old City.  According to the report, this 
project is to be  funded with over one billion dollars in Israeli 
and Western financial support over the next four years. 
 
 
Al Quds and Al Hayat both report that a Hamas source denies claims 
that a heated argument occurred between senior Hamas figure Mahmud 
Zahhar and Omar Suleiman, Chief of the Egyptian Intelligence Service 
(EGIS), during the most recent round of the Cairo talks. The source 
claimed that some parties are trying to disrupt relations between 
Hamas and Egypt. The source also denied Hamas's accusation that 
Egypt is biased towards Fatah . 
 
Al Ayyam reports statements made by Dr. Zakariah Al Agha, member of 
the Fatah movement Central Committee, that failure to reach an 
agreement in the next round of unity talks will affect the 
conducting of presidential and legislative elections on January 25, 
¶2010. Dr. Al Agha further stated that "the failure to conclude 
matters at the end of this current month, will cast doubts regarding 
the timing of the presidential and legislative elections." Al Agha 
indicated that issues of contention remained the same, despite some 
progress, and stressed that the issue of political arrests was 
accorded a lot of attention during the most recent round of 
dialogue. 
 
Saturday, July 4: 
 
Al Quds, Al Ayyam, and Al Hayat Al Jadida include front-page reports 
of statements made by President Obama calling for Palestinians and 
Israelis to "fulfil their obligations" towards peace, in a letter 
sent by the President to King Mohammad VI of Morocco.  President 
Obama is reported to have stressed the importance of negotiations 
between Israelis and Palestinians, which would not succeed unless 
both parties are committed to negotiations. For Israel, this means 
halting settlement activities and removing checkpoints. For 
Palestinians, this means enhancing their security forces and ending 
to all incitement, as well as reforming their institutions for the 
establishment of a Palestinian state." 
 
Al Ayyam reports statements by western diplomats that in recent 
discussions with leaders of Arab governments, the U.S. and its 
Western allies tried to gauge the willingness of Arab governments to 
remove some of the sanctions imposed on Israel if Israel stopped the 
construction of Jewish settlements.  According to the diplomats, the 
positions of the Arab leaders were lukewarm and reserved. 
 
Al Quds front page reports that information received by Israeli 
military officials from American engineers working with the Egyptian 
army that Hamas has dug tunnels that resist detection and 
destruction by the Israeli army.  According to Israeli assessments, 
Hamas currently has hundreds of active tunnels under the Philadelphi 
corridor despite Israeli air forces destroying around 200 tunnels 
 
JERUSALEM 00001137  003 OF 003 
 
 
during the war on Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009. 
 
Al Quds, Al Ayyam, and Al Hayat Al Jadida report that Israeli 
security agencies have recommended to the Israeli government that a 
number of measures be taken to alleviate the situation for 
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in an attempt to support efforts to 
release the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. According to the 
report in the Israeli daily Yediot Aharanot, the security agencies 
recommend allowing the entry of certain products into the strip that 
includes fuel, coffee, tea, and canned food. 
 
Al Quds, Al Ayyam, and Al Hayat Al Jadida all reported on an 
announcement by Bahrain that it sent an official delegation to 
Tel-Aviv, in the first visit by Bahraini officials to Israel - a 
country not recognized by the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Bahraini 
delegation was sent to accompany five Bahrainis who were arrested in 
the "Free Gaza" boat incident. 
Friday, July 3: 
 
Al Quds, Al Ayyam, Al Hayat Al Jadida ran extensive coverage of the 
U.S. Independence Day celebration at the Consulate General in 
Jerusalem (July 2).  Al Quds and Al Hayat Al Jadida covered the 
event on its front pages, with Al Ayyam reporting the event in its 
inside pages.  Photos of Consul General Jacob Walles delivering his 
remarks were also included in Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida. 
Headlines emphasized Walles' affirmation of the importance of a 
two-state solution, and President Obama's determination to achieve 
peace between the Palestinians and Israelis. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
1) Al-Quds editorial, "Israel tries to gain more time" (07/06): 
"After the statements by the Israeli Prime Minister on not halting 
any of the settlement activities, it is obvious to the US and the 
international community that Israel is the real obstacle that 
hinders the success of the peace process (and) all that Israel is 
trying to do is to gain more time and mislead public opinion... the 
US must now insist on the international peace conference with the 
participation of all related parties so that Israel, [if it declines 
to meet its obligations] can be accused of playing a negative role 
in jeopardizing peace, security and order in the region." 
 
2) Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul, Al-Hayat Al-Al-Jadida, "What is still hidden 
for Jerusalem" (07/06): "In light of the continued Israeli 
violations and measures against the Judaization of Jerusalem, is 
there any one to rescue the city? Would the Arabs think seriously of 
punishing Israel and stop normalizing relations with her, would the 
West and Obama's administration take a strict decision regarding the 
settlements and the violations, would the West impose any pressure 
on Israel other than the public announcements?" 
 
 
WALLES