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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJM #1587 2461012
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031012Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5954
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 7843
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4815
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4663
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6156
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4582
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3161

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001587 
 
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 (09/02): Palestinian press report 
on US efforts to re-start negotiations 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
 
All dailies front page news citing US and Israeli government 
officials that President Barack Obama will announce the re-launching 
of negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis during the UN 
General Assembly in New York this month. According to coverage, an 
expected trilateral meeting will take place on the margins of the UN 
meeting that will include President Obama, Israeli Prime Minister 
Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud 
Abbas. Al-Quds reports that President Obama will propose a new plan 
based on the Road Map with a larger US involvement. The local press 
also report on the expected meeting between the US Special Envoy to 
the Middle East George Mitchell with Israeli officials in New York 
today. 
 
Al-Ayyam runs front page news on European Union Foreign Policy Chief 
Javier Solana noting to Al-Ayyam that extensive talks have started 
in the US between the Palestinians and Israelis to discuss the 
details of freezing settlement activity in preparation for 
re-launching negotiations. Solana noted that if the two parties 
reach an agreement on final status, the settlements issue will be a 
small obstacle. 
 
The local press report news citing Egyptian sources saying that the 
prisoners exchange deal between Hamas and Israel has reached a very 
advanced stage and that a final agreement could be reached within 
the next few days. Approximately 100 Palestinian prisoners will be 
deported to Yemen, Sudan and Syria after their release, according to 
coverage. 
 
Al-Quds runs front page news citing senior Israeli Defense Force 
colonels stating that they received orders to cancel a number of 
activities and incursions in the West Bank. They noted that they did 
not want to be observed doing anything controversial by US Consulate 
officials who monitor Israeli settlement activity and home 
demolitions, as well as attacks against US funded projects in the 
area. ------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------- 
 
1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title "The 
bilateral and trilateral meetings are not the solution" (09/02): 
"There is no point in calling for summits and meetings to discuss 
s 
the mechanisms of achieving peace while the Israeli mentality is 
still dominated by the hunger to construct and expand settlements. 
In order for the summits and meetings to have value, Israel has to 
respect the rights of the Palestinian people and stop all settlement 
activity first." 
 
2) Hani Habib opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily under the 
headline "Netanyahu... settlements transformation" (09/02):"There is 
a big difference between Netanyahu when he was the Prime Minister in 
1997 and now. He is now chairing an extremist and radical government 
which will make any progress in achieving peace almost impossible. 
This raises doubts in the minds of the Palestinians and the 
international community about the feasibility of US involvement in 
forcing the Israelis to halt all settlement activity." 
 
MARCHESE