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DE RUEHJM #1834 2880719
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 150719Z OCT 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6322
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 7898
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4870
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4720
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6211
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4642
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3231

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001834 
 
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 (10/15): UN Security Council 
Discusses the Goldstone Report 
 
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Main Stories: 
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News on yesterday's UN Security Council discussion of the Goldstone 
report receives prominent coverage in the local press. The reports 
note that Palestinian Authority (PA) Foreign Minister Riyad 
Al-Maliki gave a speech criticizing US and UN statements that 
progress has been achieved towards ending the Palestinian-Israeli 
conflict, arguing that this is not true. The press also note that 
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev claimed that 
re-submitting the Goldstone report to the UN aims to distract the 
world's attention from the real threats in the region (in reference 
to Iran). She also noted that the Goldstone report is an obstacle to 
the peace process. The reports also state that the Israeli 
government said it will not join any peace talks with the 
Palestinians unless the report is withdrawn from the UN. The three 
dailies prominently report that the US pledged to veto any UNSC 
resolution that accuses Israel of committing war crimes. 
 
The dailies continue to report on national reconciliation efforts. 
The reports note that Fatah will submit its approval for the updated 
Egyptian plan for reconciliation today, while the Hamas position is 
still ambiguous. Hamas leader Fawzi Barhoum denied news that Hamas 
will not respond to the Egyptian plan, but noted that Hamas needs 
time to study and review the proposal without any pressure. Fatah's 
Azzam Al-Ahmad reiterated that President Abbas will issue a 
presidential decree before October 25 saying that presidential and 
legislative elections must be held by January 2010, according to 
coverage. 
 
The dailies report on PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad telling 
representatives of the foreign press in Ramallah yesterday that the 
PA will not accept Israel's vision for a Palestinian state, which he 
said would be "a Mickey Mouse state." Fayyad also noted that the 
Palestinians have not yet lost their confidence in President Obama, 
but criticized the international community's expectation for a 
resumption of negotiations given the fact that Israel has not 
fulfilled any of its obligations under the roadmap. 
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BLOCK QUOTES: 
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1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title 
"Don't we have enough obstacles internally that hinder the 
Palestinian reconciliation?" (10/15): "The US reiterates that any 
Palestinian unity government has to respect the Quartet principles, 
a position that won't be helpful at this stage ... The US should 
work on rectifying the extreme positions adopted by the Bush 
administration ... The national reconciliation is a strategic goal 
for the Palestinians and should be perceived that way by the 
international community ... Therefore, imposing any preconditions of 
this type means jeopardizing the national reconciliation. This 
position contradicts US promises to support the revival of the peace 
process." 
 
2) Azmi Al-khawaja opines in Al-Ayyam daily independent under the 
title "Obama and the absence of the US pressures on Netanyahu" 
(10/15): "Obama has let the Palestinians and Arabs down. Nothing has 
changed from the Bush administration ... Despite all the power he 
has as the President of the US, Obama is incapable of exerting any 
pressure on Israel." 
 
RUBINSTEIN