VZCZCXRO7701
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1216/01 1960913
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 150913Z JUL 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5452
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 7773
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4746
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4593
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6087
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4512
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3088

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001216 
 
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 (07/15): Palestinian Factions Must 
Show Seriousness to Achieve National Reconciliation 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
Al-Quds leads with wire reports on President Barack Obama's comments 
after his July 13 meeting with Jewish leaders that he believes 
differences between the US and Israel concerning the cessation of 
settlement activities in the Palestinian territories has narrowed. 
Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat al-Jadida report on their front pages that 
President Obama intends to visit Israel to assure them that the US 
is committed to their security and to peace in the Middle East. 
Al-Ayyam quotes President Obama noting that "the establishment of 
the Palestinian state will not only serve the Palestinians, but 
Israeli interests as well." 
 
Al-Quds runs front page coverage on Egypt's extending invitations to 
Palestinian factions to meet in Cairo on July 18 to conduct a 
comprehensive evaluation of the national dialogue talks. According 
to Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum, "this meeting will focus on 
assessing the commitments of all parties to the national unity." 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads with news on preparations for holding the 
Sixth Fatah Party Congress. Senior Fatah leader Ahmad Qureia 
conducted a series of meetings with all of the conference 
preparatory committees to continue the preparations for holding the 
conference as planned on August 4th. 
 
Al-Ayyam leads with news of Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime 
Minister Salam Fayyad announcing on July 14 that the World Bank has 
approved the allocation of $40 million as direct support to the PA 
budget. The World Bank representative and PM Fayyad also signed an 
agreement on July 14 in Ramallah for transferring more than $33 
million to the PA to implement several development projects in the 
West Bank and Gaza. This allocation is part of the pledges announced 
during the Sharm Al-Sheikh Conference. 
 
Al-Ayyam runs inside coverage on the July 14 visit of US General 
Paul Selva accompanied by senior US officials from the US Consulate 
General in Jerusalem to Hebron governorate, during which they met 
with the head of the Hebron reconstruction committee Khaled Qawasmi 
and other dignitaries. Qawasmi briefed the US delegation on the 
economic and political difficulties facing the governorate. 
 
The dailies front page news on Palestinian Authority President 
Mahmud Abbas's meetings with the presidents of Sudan and Cuba in 
Sharm Al-Shiekh on July 14. Abbas briefed the two presidents on the 
recent developments in the Palestinian territories and the efforts 
exerted to achieve national reconciliation and lift the Gaza siege 
in order to proceed with Gaza reconstruction. 
 
All dailies report on the visit of Tony Blair to the West Bank city 
of Nablus on July 14. Blair noted to the press during the visit that 
"the national economy in Nablus is improving and this indicates that 
the Palestinians can build their independent state." Coverage also 
noted that Blair stated the Palestinians must have fewer 
restrictions in order to support reaching a political solution. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title, "The 
e 
Israeli tactic to waste time" (07/15): "The international community 
must not allow Netanyahu to waste more time in responding to the 
 
JERUSALEM 00001216  002 OF 002 
 
 
demands of the US administration. This could be done through 
exerting more pressure on the Israeli Prime Minister to get him 
seriously engaged in the peace process." 
 
2) Naji Shurrab opines in Al-Quds independent daily, under the title 
"Hamas and Fatah... the failure of the national dialogue" (07/15): 
"The several dialogue sessions have revealed that disagreements 
between Hamas and Fatah still exist...The two factions are stuck in 
a vicious cycle and instead of showing their good intentions to 
narrow their differences, we see more measures that harm the 
national reconciliation efforts, which give Israel every latitude to 
continue with its violations against the Palestinians." 
 
 
WALLES