VZCZCXRO3305
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1259/01 2031016
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221016Z JUL 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5507
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 7785
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4757
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4604
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6098
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4523
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3099

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001259 
 
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 (07/22): Growing International 
Pressure on Settlements 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
Al-Quds and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida lead with news on continued 
international pressure on Israel to halt settlement construction. 
Coverage notes that European Union officials called the continuation 
of such activities "provocative," and renewed their calls on Israel 
to help create an environment conducive for re-launching 
negotiations with the Palestinians. German officials are also quoted 
in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida saying that Israel is committing a "slow 
suicide" that will negatively impact its political interests. 
Al-Quds runs separate front page coverage of a US official stressing 
that the US position concerning settlement construction activities 
has not changed and that the US wants to see a complete cessation of 
construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. 
 
All dailies report that Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister 
Salam Fayyad announced on July 21 during the weekly cabinet meeting 
that the PA will allocate $1.5 million as "exceptional aid" to 
support the institutions and local councils of Jerusalem in light of 
recent Israeli actions in the city. 
 
All dailies carry front page news on PA President Mahmoud Abbas's 
July 21 statement that the PA will resume negotiations with Israel 
only when the latter fulfills its road map obligations, which 
include the complete cessation of settlement construction activity 
in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. President Abbas also reiterated 
that the Fatah Party Congress will begin as planned on August 4. 
 
Al-Ayyam runs front page coverage on Israeli sources denying reports 
published in Haaretz of a plan to evacuate 23 West Bank settler 
outposts in one day. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front page news cites Wafa news agency on the 
July 21 World Bank announcement of a $40 million donation to the PA 
to implement the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan (PRDP). A 
World Bank representative stated that this donation reflects the 
World Bank's satisfaction with the government's efforts toward 
implementing the PRDP. He reiterated that Israel must ease its 
restrictions on access and movement to improve the economic 
environment and called for greater support to the private sector. 
 
Al-Ayyam runs front page coverage on the decision by the Palestinian 
Legislative Council (PLC) that Aziz Dweik, who was recently released 
from an Israeli jail, will resume his duties as the head of the PLC 
starting July 26. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida runs inside coverage on PLC 
Secretary General Ibrahim Khreisheh condemning this decision, saying 
"it will create a new crisis in the legislative authority." 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida runs inside page coverage on the latest opinion 
poll conducted by Al-Najah University in the West Bank city of 
Nablus. The poll shows that 67% of Palestinians would vote for 
President Abbas in a presidential election, while 21.4% would vote 
for Hamas Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh. The results also show that 
44.8% believe that Prime Minister Fayyad is capable of managing 
Palestinian internal business affairs, compared to only 23% who 
believe that the Hamas government could do so.-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
: 
-------------- 
1) Hani Habib opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily under the title, 
"Obama, Netanyahu and the Jewish lobby" (07/22): "What made 
Netanyahu suddenly authorize the construction of housing units in 
East Jerusalem? Did he fear that the Jewish lobby in the US agrees 
 
JERUSALEM 00001259  002 OF 002 
 
 
with Obama's position regarding the Middle East peace process and 
the necessity to halt settlement activities? Was he certain that by 
authorizing such a project in East Jerusalem, all Jews, no matter 
what their beliefs, would unite to defend Jerusalem?" 
 
2) Hafeth Barghouti opines in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida official daily 
under the title "The crisis" (07/22): "If Hamas wants a state, it 
has to commit to national principles and end divisions ... and if 
Netanyahu wants real peace with the Palestinians, he has to stop all 
settlement activities ... But as Palestinians, we lack a forceful 
position that could stand up to Hamas and Netanyahu's policies." 
 
WALLES