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DE RUEHJM #1767/01 2781236
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O 051236Z OCT 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6208
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
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RUEAHQA/CSAF WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
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RHMFIUU/CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7880
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4852
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4702
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6193
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4619
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3207

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001767 
 
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 (10/05): Further Israeli actions 
at Al Aqsa Mosque anger Palestinians 
 
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Main Stories: 
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News on the October 4 confrontations between Palestinian protestors 
and Israeli soldiers in the old city of Jerusalem and at Al-Aqsa 
mosque receives prominent coverage in the local press. The reports 
note that citizens under 50 years old were denied entry to the 
mosque to pray. During the confrontations, 40 Palestinians were 
arrested and 23 were injured. Senior Fatah member Hatem Abdel Qader 
and Kamal Khatib, the head of the Islamic movement in Israel, were 
also arrested after being beaten by soldiers. They were later 
released after Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Salam 
Fayyad intervened on their behalf. According to coverage, Fayyad 
contacted the US Consul General in Jerusalem and other consuls 
general seeking their help to stop the Israeli escalations. The PA 
Ministry of Information issued a press release yesterday condemning 
the Israeli actions at Al-Aqsa mosque. 
 
The dailies report on Secretary General of the Palestinian 
Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Yasser Abed Rabbo 
announcing that PA President Mahmoud Abbas will form a committee to 
investigate the postponement of the vote on the Goldstone report 
until March 2010. The committee will prepare a report with the 
findings and recommendations in two weeks. In related news, Ma'an 
news Agency reports that the PA Minister of National Economy Bassem 
Khoury resigned in protest of the postponement. 
 
In news related to the national reconciliation efforts, the dailies 
quote Senior Fatah leader Mohammad Dahlan stating that the 
Palestinian factions are eager to reach an agreement that would end 
the internal Palestinian division. However, Dahlan noted there are 
still a few unresolved issues in Egypt's plan. 
 
 
Weekend stories: 
 
Sunday, October 4: 
 
All three dailies run front page stories quoting Egyptian diplomatic 
sources in Amman confirming to Al Quds newspaper that Egyptian 
Minister of Foreign Affairs Aboul Gheit and Director of Intelligence 
Omar Suleiman will conduct talks with President Abbas in Amman 
tomorrow to "discuss the latest developments regarding the 
Palestinian national dialogue" in preparation for the signing of the 
reconciliation agreement in Cairo on October 22. The Egyptian 
newspaper Al Ahram quoted Egyptian officials noting that the 
reconciliation agreement will include the return of the PA headed by 
President Abbas to the administration of Gaza Strip, in addition to 
the formation of a committee of Arab states to oversee the 
conducting of presidential, legislative, and national council 
elections. The PA would also re-assume security responsibilities in 
Gaza, including Rafah crossing. 
 
All three dailies also carry front page news on Egyptian President 
Mubarak's remarks urging Israel to "reconsider its policies toward 
Palestinians and Arabs," warning against its attempts to "impose 
facts on the ground" that will not bring peace to the region. 
Mubarak also added "If Israel showed good will in terms of its 
obligations in this regard, this would encourage Arabs to trust 
Israel's intentions." Mubarak also expressed his optimism regarding 
the American efforts to resume Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. 
 
Jailed Palestinian Legislative Council member Marwan Al Barghouthi 
 
spoke to all three dailies through his attorney, urging Palestinians 
to "hold on to the demand for freezing settlement activities." He 
also said that Fayyad's plan should be supported by peaceful and 
popular resistance. Al Barghouthi also called upon the PLO Executive 
Committee and PLO factions to develop a large-scale national plan to 
launch a popular peaceful resistance movement against settlement 
activities and Israeli actions in Jerusalem. 
 
All dailies highlight an unnamed PLO official saying that a number 
of the PLO Executive Committee members held an informal meeting 
yesterday to discuss the implications of postponing the vote on the 
Goldstone report. The official noted that the Executive Committee 
regards the postponement as a "mistake," adding that the Committee 
is waiting for the return of President Abbas from his tour abroad to 
discuss the issue. Meanwhile, the Arab League confirmed yesterday in 
a statement that it was not consulted about the decision. 
 
Saturday, October 3: 
 
All three dailies run front page stories on Friday's release of 19 
female Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a video of kidnapped 
Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. The deal came in the context of paving 
the way for a deal under which Gilad Shalit will be released in 
return for the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. President 
Abbas welcomed the prisoners at his headquarters in Ramallah. Khaled 
Misha'l, the head of the Hamas political bureau, welcomed the 
release and said in a statement from Damascus that "the release of 
Palestinian prisoners is a step towards the release of all 
prisoners." 
 
The local press report on the UN Human Rights Council agreement to 
postpone the vote on the draft resolution related to the Goldstone 
report. Palestine's permanent observer to the UN in Geneva 
Ambassador Ibrahim Khreisheh told reporters that more time is needed 
to carefully study the report. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson 
for the Office of the President, and Saeb Erekat, senior Palestinian 
negotiator, denied allegations by Israeli media that the PA decided 
not to endorse the recommendations of the report. Abu Rudeineh 
stressed that the postponement "came at the request of Russia, the 
US, and Europe, in agreement with the other groups within the 
Council." Riyad Al Malki, PA Minister of Foreign Affairs, told Al 
Ayyam that extreme pressure by the US and other countries in the 
Arab, Muslim, and Non-aligned groups led to the postponement. 
 
Al Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida run front page stories on Saeb 
Erekat's meetings in Washington with Secretary of State Hilary 
Clinton, Special Envoy George Mitchell, and other US officials. 
Erekat said that open and in-depth discussions took place and 
focused on the obligations of both the Palestinians and Israelis in 
accordance with the Road Map plan. Erekat stressed that negotiations 
should not start from scratch, but rather resume from the point at 
which they stopped in December 2008. 
 
Al Quds carries a front page story quoting the Egyptian Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ambassador Husam Zaki stating that 
Egypt will call for a meeting with all Palestinian factions on 
October 19, followed by the signing of the reconciliation agreement 
on October 22. Hamas Spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum confirmed that the 
meeting will involve all Palestinian factions. 
------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------- 
 
1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title 
"Al-Aqsa again?"(10/05): "The Israeli government certainly bears 
responsibility for the measures that took place at Al-Aqsa Mosque 
under its full protection ... It is unacceptable and unrealistic for 
the Arab and Muslim world to only condemn and criticize the 
violations without any serious effort to exert pressure on Israel to 
stop these acts, which if continue, will put the whole region in 
danger. Israel is mistaken if it believes that it can continue with 
implementing these violations and plans without serious Arab, Muslim 
and Palestinian reactions. It should put an end to these violations 
before things get worse." 
 
2) Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul opines in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida under the title 
"Who stops the Israeli violations?" (10/05):"Efforts needed to stop 
the Zionist violations [against Al-Aqsa Mosque] exceed the ability 
of the Arabs and Palestinians who have already tried all means 
possible to stop the Israel attacks. These efforts need to be 
supported by the international community, as well as the Arab and 
Muslim states, to form a more effective and influential plan than 
what we have now." 
 
RUBINSTEIN