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FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6272
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INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7889
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4861
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4711
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6202
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4628
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3222

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 001803 
 
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 (10/13): Palestinians exert every 
effort for a vote on the Goldstone report at the UN Security Council 
 
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Main Stories: 
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All three dailies report on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 
Netanyahu's remarks at the opening session of the Knesset yesterday. 
Netanyahu renewed his call for the Palestinians to recognize Israel 
as a Jewish state for the Jewish people. He also heavily criticized 
the Goldstone report and said that it encourages terrorism and 
doesn't promote peace in the region. Netanyahu reiterated that he 
will not allow any Israeli soldier or political leader to be accused 
of or punished for war crimes. He noted that the report denies the 
right of Israel to defend itself and stressed that he will exert 
every effort to ensure that the vote on the report at the UN 
Security Council on Wednesday fails. 
 
In reaction to Netanyahu's remarks, Palestinian Authority (PA) 
Presidency spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeina noted to the press that 
Netanyahu is only wasting time and evading responsibility. He also 
noted that Netanyahu doesn't recognize the rights of the Palestinian 
people to establish an independent state with Jerusalem its 
capital. 
 
The dailies also report on the PA's efforts to ensure a vote on the 
Goldstone report during the UN Security Council session on 
Wednesday. PA Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki will travel to New 
York today to attend the UNSC session and will give a speech to 
condemn the Israeli attacks against Al-Aqsa and East Jerusalem. He 
will also discuss the Goldstone report. 
 
News on Palestinian national reconciliation efforts continues to 
receive prominent coverage in the local press. The reports note that 
Fatah approved the modified Egyptian proposal for national 
reconciliation. The reports also note that Egypt gave Hamas 48 hours 
to submit their final response on the proposal. 
 
The dailies report on the PA weekly ministerial cabinet meeting 
yesterday in Ramallah. Prime Minister Salam Fayyad urged the 
international community to force Israel to stop its attacks against 
Jerusalem. The cabinet noted that despite the importance of Special 
Envoy George Mitchell's recent visit to the region, he wasn't able 
to achieve any tangible progress towards the resumption of 
negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis because of 
Israeli stubbornness and rejection to halt settlement activities. 
 
The local press reports on the Israeli authorities demolishing four 
houses in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit-Hanina yesterday 
due to the lack of appropriate building permits under full 
protection of the Israeli police. 
 
Monday, October 12: 
 
The dailies reported on PA President Mahmoud Abbas' speech in which 
he explained the details surrounding the PA's decision to postpone 
the vote on the Goldstone report at the UN Human Rights Council. 
Abbas also accused Hamas of taking advantage of the repercussions of 
the postponement to evade signing the national reconciliation 
agreement. 
 
The dailies also report on the Head of the Hamas political bureau 
Khaled Mish'al's speech on Sunday. Mish'al criticized the PA for 
postponing the Goldstone report and noted that the Palestinian 
Liberation Organizatoin should be restructured. He also accused the 
 
JERUSALEM 00001803  002 OF 003 
 
 
Obama administration of being biased to Israel. 
 
The dailies report on member of the Fatah Central Committee, 
Muhammad Dahlan, noting that Fatah is extremely disappointed and 
concerned about the reversal of the US position regarding the peace 
process. He added that Fatah is also concerned about the US silence 
towards the Israeli measures in East Jerusalem and its attacks 
against Al-Aqsa Mosque. He called on President Obama to immediately 
intervene and rescue the peace process by imposing a complete freeze 
of settlement activities. 
 
The dailies report on Special Envoy George Mitchell concluding his 
trip to Israel and the Palestinian Authority without achieving any 
tangible movement toward the resumption of negotiations between the 
Palestinians and Israelis. 
 
Weekend Stories: 
 
Sunday, October 11, 
 
All three dailies carry front page news on Hamas confirming that its 
delegation in Cairo has finished its discussions with Egyptian 
officials regarding the national reconciliation agreement. Hamas 
spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said that "Hamas expressed its desire to 
postpone the signing of the agreement," noting that Cairo understood 
the reasons behind the postponement, primarily because the 
atmosphere is not appropriate for signing the agreement. Barhoum 
added that "it is very difficult for Hamas to ignore the public 
reaction to the postponement of the vote on the Goldstone report." 
Salah Al Bardawil, a leading figure of Hamas, said that Egypt agreed 
to postpone the signing until after Eid Al Adha. 
 
The three dailies report that the UN Human Rights Council is 
expected to convene an emergency session to discuss the Goldstone 
report within the next two weeks. Palestinian Ambassador Ibrahim 
Khreisheh is conducting meetings with the various parties within the 
Council to convene this emergency session upon the request of 
President Abbas. Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat announced 
that the PA will re-submit the report to the UN Human Rights Council 
for a re-vote. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its 
readiness to launch an international diplomatic campaign against the 
vote, according to coverage. 
 
The local press highlight Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's meeting with 
Special Envoy George Mitchell. Dr. Ghassan Al Khatib, Director of 
the Government Media Center, said that Fayyad reiterated the 
Palestinian position calling on Israel to freeze all settlement 
activities to create a positive atmosphere for the resumption of 
negotiations. Al Khatib added that Senator Mitchell is seeking the 
resumption of negotiations as soon as possible. 
 
Saturday, October 10: 
 
The three dailies lead with stories about Friday's protests and 
condemnations of the Israeli restrictions imposed on Jerusalem and 
Al Aqsa Mosque. A general strike was observed in all West Bank 
governorates. Jerusalem mosques were overcrowded with young 
worshippers, hundreds of whom were forced to pray in the streets 
after being banned from entering Al Aqsa Mosque. Despite the 
deployment of thousands of police in the vicinity of Al Aqsa Mosque, 
some clashes erupted between young Palestinians and these forces. 
Israel relaxed the restrictions on Friday afternoon and opened all 
of the gates leading to Al Aqsa Mosque, thus allowing worshippers to 
 
JERUSALEM 00001803  003 OF 003 
 
 
enter. 
 
The local press highlights Special Envoy George Mitchell's 
announcement that he invited Palestinian and Israeli officials to 
continue consultations with him in Washington. Mitchell said in a 
statement to journalists following his meeting with President Abbas, 
"I have had a very good meeting with President Abbas during which we 
discussed our shared vision of establishing an independent, viable, 
and geographically congruent Palestinian state." Mitchell also added 
that "President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton are personally 
and deeply interested in achieving this objective" saying that the 
"only and most practical solution for this conflict is to fulfil the 
dreams of both parties and for the parties to live side by side in 
peace, security, stability, and prosperity." President Abbas told 
Mitchell that talk about resuming peace negotiations cannot take 
place prior to the complete freeze of settlement activities, 
particularly in Jerusalem, and prior to defining clear terms of 
reference for these negotiations. 
------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------- 
 
1) Fadwa Al-Barghouti opines in Al-Quds independent daily under the 
title "Obama's first failure in the New York Summit" (10/13): 
"Obama's remarks after the trilateral meeting in New York and 
Mitchell's most recent remarks show that the US president failed his 
first test and has wasted the first 8 months of his administration 
in useless negotiations with the Israeli government. He also 
reversed some of his positions ... obviously there are limits to US 
pressure on Israel." 
 
 
2) Abdallah Al-Itibi opines in Al-Quds independent daily under the 
title "Obama and Palestine: impressive statements and bitter 
decisions" (10/13): "Obama has to know that US leadership and its 
influence on the entire world should not be based on election 
slogans, but rather on presidential decisions ... If he wants to be 
an exceptional president, he should not only be satisfied with 
speeches and words, but has to follow this with actions." 
 
RUBINSTEIN