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OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1786 2810740
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 080740Z OCT 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6236
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
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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 7886
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4858
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4708
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6199
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4625
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3219

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001786 
 
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 (10/08): Hamas threatens to 
postpone national reconciliation over Goldstone report 
 
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Main Stories: 
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The local press highlights news on the UN Security Council rejecting 
Libya's request to discuss the Goldstone report, saying that the 
Human Rights Council is the most appropriate body for such a 
discussion. In related news, the dailies report on State Department 
Spokesperson Ian Kelley reiterating that the US wants to defer 
discussion of the report so it will not become an impediment to the 
resumption of negotiations. 
 
News questioning whether or not Hamas will participate in the 
national reconciliation talks scheduled for later this month in 
Egypt receives prominent coverage in the local press. Hamas' 
spokespersons note that they are working with Egyptian officials to 
determine whether or not they will boycott the talks to protest 
against the Palestinian Authority's (PA) involvement in delaying the 
vote on the Goldstone report. Egyptian Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit 
is quoted in the press stating that any Palestinian faction that 
tries to postpone the reconciliation agreement will damage 
Palestinian national efforts. 
 
The dailies continue to report on the demonstrations against the PA 
for postponing the vote on the Goldstone report.  The Secretary 
General of the Palestinian Liberation Organization Central 
Committee, Yasser Abed Rabbo, noted in an interview with Palestinian 
official TV that the PA made a mistake and must rectify it. 
 
The dailies report on Israeli settlers inaugurating the second phase 
of a settlement project in Jabal Al-Mukabber in East Jerusalem. The 
project includes the establishment of 104 housing units after 
confiscating land in East Jerusalem. The inauguration, according to 
coverage, was conducted under the full protection of the Israeli 
police. 
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BLOCK QUOTES: 
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1) Basem Al-Jiser opines in Al-Quds independent daily under the 
title "The world ... after a year with Obama in office" (10/08): 
"President Obama has realized that in order to ensure peace and 
stability in the region, the Palestinians need an independent state 
... to a certain extent, Obama has succeeded in changing the image 
of the US in the Arab and Muslim worlds. However, the new era that 
President Obama promised he will bring has not yet arrived. If it 
doesn't arrive in the next year, then it will never come with Obama 
in office." 
 
2) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title "The 
solution is through reconciliation and elections and not in 
postponing" (10/08):"We call on the Palestinian factions not to 
postpone the reconciliation and we call on them to agree on a final 
date for holding presidential and legislative elections ... we have 
already suffered a lot from the internal division, the 
reconciliation and elections are our only exit." 
 
RUBINSTEIN