VZCZCXRO0201
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1614/01 2511019
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 081019Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5989
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 7848
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4820
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4668
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6161
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4587
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3166

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 JERUSALEM 001614 
 
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 (09/08): Relations will not 
normalize without a freeze on settlement construction. 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
The Israeli government's decision to proceed with settlements 
activity in the West Bank despite pressure from the U.S. to halt 
such activity receives prominent coverage in all front pages.  The 
Israeli Ministry of Defense spokesperson announced September 7 that 
Israel's Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak, will endorse today the 
construction of 500 housing units in the West Bank settlements.  All 
front-page headlines highlight news that the Israeli government is 
challenging demands from the international community and the U.S. to 
stop all settlements activities.  All dailies report that 
Palestinian Authority Presidency spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeina is 
calling on the US to take a decisive position against Israel, in 
light of the continued settlements activity. 
 
Al-Quds front pages report on a story appearing in Haaretz where 
sources indicate that the U.S. received assurances from certain Arab 
States that are willing to extend gestures of goodwill towards 
Israel in an attempt to normalize relations, as a result of efforts 
by the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Sen. George Mitchell. 
 
The front pages of all three dailies reported on the Palestinian 
Authority's weekly cabinet meeting in Ramallah September 7. The 
Prime Minister for the Palestinian Authority, Dr. Salam Fayyad, 
condemned Israel's decision to expand and accelerate the 
construction of settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and 
reiterated the PA's commitment to achieving peace. 
 
Al-Ayyam's front page reports on statements made by Israel's 
Minister of Infrastructure Uzi Landau, which criticize Israeli Prime 
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's position regarding the settlement 
freeze. Landau stated that it is the Palestinians who are the 
occupiers, and that he considers any limitation to settlement 
construction as "human rights violations." 
 
Monday September 7 
 
The local press highlights news of the Palestinian national unity 
dialogue and national reconciliation efforts.  The head of Hamas' 
political bureau, Khaled Mishal, noted that Hamas agrees with 
Egyptian officials on the importance of pursuing reconciliation, as 
it is the only path that will lead to the presidential and 
legislative elections scheduled for early-2010.  Mishal also noted 
to the press that elections cannot be held unless a national 
consensus exists among all the Palestinian factions.  Mishal also 
pointed out that Egypt is preparing a document that outlines its 
vision for ending the Palestinian division, and achieving national 
reconciliation. The coverage notes that the document will be given 
to the Palestinian factions by November 2009. 
--------------- 
Weekend Stories 
--------------- 
 
Sunday September 6 
 
Al-Quds, Al-Ayyam, and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front-pages reported that 
a prominent European official provided details on the elements of a 
peace process under deliberation, that is expected to form the basis 
of President Obama's peace initiative.  The official, speaking under 
 
JERUSALEM 00001614  002 OF 004 
 
 
condition of anonymity, stated that the question of the Palestinian 
refugees is the most difficult and most complicated issue in the 
peace process, particularly those in Lebanon.  The official revealed 
several proposals for resolving that issue, including granting 
refugees Palestinian citizenship, the right to vote in the future 
Palestinian state, and the right to return, with time, to the future 
state of Palestine.  The proposals focus on three issues: borders, 
refugees, and Jerusalem. 
 
Al-Quds, Al-Ayyam, and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front-pages also reported 
statements made by President Mahmoud Abbas that there would be "no 
need for a meeting" with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu if 
Netanyahu "continued to approve the acceleration of constructing 
settlements... which means he does not want to do anything."  These 
statements were made during a press conference following Abbas' 
meeting yesterday with President Mubarak.  President Abbas commented 
on a possible meeting with President Obama and Prime Minister 
Netanyahu in New York before the end of this month, and that "if 
it's a meeting intended for the sake of meeting, then of course it 
would not be possible to hold it."  Abbas stated, however, that "if 
the meeting is for establishing a clear vision regarding settlements 
and what should take place after that, then we have no objection 
whatsoever to hold the meeting.  But, we should know exactly and in 
advance what the aim of the meeting will be." 
 
Al-Quds, Al-Ayyam, and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front-pages reported on 
Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's interview with Lebanese newspaper 
An-Nahar.  Fayyad discussed the government's document for statehood, 
and that the building of Palestinian institutions within the next 
two years is a priority before any attempt to respond to the efforts 
of the international community to end the occupation and establish a 
Palestinian state.  Fayyad also clarified that his economic plan 
does not accommodate or simulate the "economic peace" that was 
presented by Prime Minister Netanyahu, but rather gives a national 
and political objective for these efforts. 
 
Al Ayyam reported on statements made by Dr. Abdallah Abu Samahdaneh, 
member of Fatah leadership in the Gaza Strip, concerning the names 
of candidates for membership in Fatah's Central Committee. 
According to Abu Samahdaneh, the names of candidates are still under 
internal deliberations within the movement, in order to gauge the 
extent of their acceptability by Fatah members, and to assess their 
abilities to serve the movement.  There will be three names chosen 
by the Central Committee that will then be approved by the 
Revolutionary Council. 
 
Saturday September 5 
 
Al-Quds, Al-Ayyam, and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front-pages reported that 
despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements about 
his intention to "partially" freeze settlement activities in the 
occupied Palestinian Territories for nine months, Israeli sources 
announced yesterday that Netanyahu intends to approve (over the next 
few days) several new settlement construction projects prior to any 
freezing.  U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that 
Israel's plan to expand settlements in the West Bank was 
"regrettable" and "did not correspond" to the international peace 
plan that aims at ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 
Meanwhile, Chief Negotiator for the Palestinians Saeb Ereikat 
announced that Israel's plan is "totally unacceptable," and added 
that the "only thing that will be suspended following these Israeli 
announcements would be the peace process."  The White House 
spokesperson stated that the U.S. "regrets the announcement of 
 
JERUSALEM 00001614  003 OF 004 
 
 
Israel's plans to approve more settlements," and reiterated that the 
U.S. does not accept the legitimacy of settlement expansion of 
settlements, and demands its freezing. 
 
Al-Quds, Al-Ayyam, and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front-pages reported that 
President Abbas' reaction to Netanyahu's intention to approve the 
construction of new units in West Bank settlements was that this 
intention is "unacceptable." Abbas, following a meeting with French 
President Sarkozy in Paris, stated that Palestinians want to see a 
freezing of all settlement activities.  Furthermore, Abbas commented 
to journalists about a potential meeting with President Obama and 
Prime Minister Netanyahu in New York, but that it would depend on 
the steps taken in regards to freezing settlement activities. 
 
Al Ayyam's front page reports that a senior Palestinian official 
confirmed to Al Ayyam that any decision by the PLO to resume 
negotiations will be taken in close coordination with the Arab 
nations.  The official stressed that President Abbas will be ready 
to meet with Netanyahu in New York and resume final status 
negotiations with Israel if the Israeli government announced openly 
the freezing of all settlement activities in the Palestinian 
Territories, and its commitment to the two-state solution. 
 
Al-Quds, Al-Ayyam, and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front-pages reported on 
statements made by Prime Minister for the Palestinian Authority 
Salam Fayyad which stressed the need to continue the popular 
resistance against the Israeli occupation, and expressed his 
readiness to support this struggle by providing a way to maintain 
its continuity.  The Prime Minister's comments were made at an Iftar 
in Bil'in Friday.  Fayyad pointed out that the popular resistance in 
Bil'in, Ni'lin, Al Ma'sara, and other places represents the actual 
activation of The Hague Advisory Opinion (the ICJ Advisory Opinion 
regarding the Wall) that was issued four years ago, that demanded 
Israel to end its violations of the international law and stop the 
construction of the Wall on occupied Palestinian Territories 
including in East Jerusalem. 
 
The Jewish weekly newspaper Yerushalayim reported that a conflict is 
brewing in the Jewish settlement neighbourhoods located on 
Jerusalem's 'green line.'  According to the newspaper, a group of 
Rabbis convened a conference in Pisgat Ze'ev settlement last week, 
during which they decided to take all measures to prevent 
neighbourhood residents from selling houses to Palestinians. 
Meanwhile, a group from the Jewish settlement Mod'in Ellit 
established a settlement outpost and declared it a religious school 
under the name of "Giv'at Sefer," after the settlement "Kiryat 
Sefer."  This outpost is located close to The Wall near the village 
of Bil'in.  The Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv reported yesterday that 
this was the first time that such a group took the initiative to 
establish a settlement outpost, and that this was in protest against 
a decision by the Israeli High Court to freeze settlement activities 
in a nearby neighbourhood. 
------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------- 
1)Hassan Al-Batal, Al-Ayyam, "Obama...throw your stick away," 
(09/08):  "President Obama made a big mistake when he connected the 
settlements cessation with the Arab States taking steps towards 
normalizing relations with Israel... Any Israeli promise to halt 
settlement activities will be a deception against the international 
community." 
 
2) Al-Quds, "Settlements expansion leads to Carter's choice," 
 
JERUSALEM 00001614  004 OF 004 
 
 
(09/08):  " Through its determination to pursue the Judaization of 
the West Bank, settlement expansion, and to challenge the efforts of 
President Obama, we believe that the Israeli government pushes 
towards the option that was presented by former US President 
Carter... That the only solution for the Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict is through establishing one democratic state in which 
Muslims, Christians and Jews live equally, receive the same rights, 
and have the same obligations". 
 
RUBINSTEIN