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O 191002Z OCT 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6400
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 7900
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4872
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4722
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6213
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4644
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3236

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 001897 
 
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 (10/19): Palestinians question 
Hamas' reasons for delaying national reconciliation 
 
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Main Stories: 
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The dailies prominently report on Palestinian national 
reconciliation efforts. The reports note that Egypt accused Hamas of 
delaying and obstructing the signing of the national reconciliation 
agreement. Egyptian officials noted that Hamas' excuses are 
unrealistic and don't reflect good intentions. The officials implied 
that by doing this, Hamas is serving the agendas of Iran and Syria. 
Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hussam Zaki noted to 
Al-Arabiya TV channel yesterday that Egypt will not wait forever to 
achieve national reconciliation and added that the Egyptian plan is 
not for negotiations but for signing. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, however, 
reports that Hamas officials announced yesterday that they will sign 
the agreement, saying that they still have a few questions but not 
reservations. Hamas officials noted that the signing will be held 
when the head of the Hamas political bureau Khaled Mishal returns to 
Damascus. 
 
The press reports on Israeli reaction to the UN Human Rights Council 
vote on the Goldstone report on Friday. Israeli Minister of Finance 
Yuval Steinitz is quoted in the dailies accusing the UNHRC's 
endorsement of the report as "an anti-Semitic attempt to decide that 
what is allowed for the United States in Afghanistan, Russia in 
Chechnya and Turkey in northern Iraq isn't allowed for Israel, a 
state that is trying to defend itself from the Gaza Strip." 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front pages results of a recent opinion poll 
conducted by Tel Aviv University to assess Israelis view of the 
peace process. The poll shows that 64% of those surveyed are in 
favor of the two state solution, and 66% don't believe that the 
continuation of settlement activities will jeopardize the two state 
solution. Regarding the Goldstone report, 79% of the respondents 
reject the findings of the report, and 6% say that the report is 
biased against Israeli soldiers. 
 
News on the Fatah Revolutionary Council endorsing the appointment of 
19 new members receives prominent coverage in the press. The members 
were nominated by the Fatah Central Committee. The reports note that 
the Revolutionary Council will convene today to finalize the 
appointments. 
 
The local press report on the Palestinian Authority noting that 
settlers started enlarging the settlement of Itma east Nablus city 
through the land of Palestinian families residing in the villages of 
Awarta and Beit Foureek. 
 
Weekend stories: 
 
Sunday, October 18: 
 
The three dailies lead with Saturday's announcement by prominent 
Hamas leader Izzat Ar Risheq that Hamas has comments regarding the 
national reconciliation agreement, saying that these comments need 
to be discussed with Cairo prior to approving the proposed 
agreement. Ar Risheq said that they have not set a date to visit 
Cairo to discuss these issues. According to the reports, senior 
Egyptian officials have expressed to Hamas their resentment of the 
way the movement has been dealing with the Egyptian efforts to end 
the Palestinian divisions. Meanwhile, Yaser Abed Rabbo, Secretary 
General of the PLO Executive Committee, stressed that the 
Palestinian leadership will not accept "any comments, amendments, or 
reservations to the Egyptian plan that Hamas might submit." 
 
JERUSALEM 00001897  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
Al Quds runs a front page story quoting PA President Mahmoud Abbas 
saying that "we will announce on October 25 that elections will be 
held on January 25, 2010." Abbas added that anyone who is capable of 
going to Gaza should go, saying that "this is very important for 
Fatah's presence there. We need everyone to go to protect our 
movement there ... Fatah does not only exist in the West Bank. Fatah 
exists in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and everywhere." 
 
Al Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida cary front page news on the 
Palestinian Liberation Organization's Friday announcement that it 
has begun the establishment of a specialized committee to follow up 
on the implementation of the Goldstone report at various 
international bodies after its endorsement by the UN Human Rights 
Council. Yaser Abed Rabbo said the committee will consist of 
representatives from Palestinian, Arab, and international human 
rights organizations and civil society groups. The reports quoted an 
unnamed Israeli official saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 
Netanyahu pledged to launch a diplomatic battle to "de-legitimize" 
the accusations that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza. 
 
Saturday, October 17: 
 
The local press lead with news of the UN Human Rights Council 
approving the recommendations in the Goldstone report. Palestinian 
Ambassador to the UN Mission in Geneva Ibrahim Khreisheh told Al 
Quds newspaper that "the adoption by the Council of the report's 
recommendations is a first step on a long road to achieve justice 
for the Palestinian people and bring criminals to justice." Senior 
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said "the PA welcomes the UN 
Human Rights Council's decision" and added "we hope that the 
decision remains as such and that it will be pursued according to 
the mechanisms and procedures of the UN Security Council ... to 
ensure that these crimes will not be repeated." President Abbas said 
that the adoption of Goldstone's report "gives justice to the 
victims of the Israel aggression against the Gaza Strip and the 
Palestinian people as a whole." The International Criminal Court 
(ICC) announced that Palestinian officials requesting an 
investigation against Israel presented additional documents that 
support their request. 
 
All three dailies ran front page stories on Egypt's announcement 
that the signing of the national reconciliation agreement is 
postponed until further notice. An Egyptian official told Reuters 
that a new date for signing the agreement has not yet been 
determined. The official also noted that "we will not let things 
collapse. We will wait until the situation settles down before 
reactivating our efforts." Meanwhile, Mousa Abu Marzouq, deputy head 
of the Hamas political bureau, said that they have reservations 
about the American demand that reconciliation should be based on the 
Road Map and the Quartet principles, the need for guarantees that 
election results will be respected, the status of Rafah crossing, 
and the fate of Hamas prisoners in Egyptian jails. 
 
Al Quds carries a front page story on Israel starting large-scale 
construction work in 11 settlements in the West Bank. The 
construction is not part of the 2500 units that the US agreed Israel 
could complete. Additionally, construction works continued in 
another 20 settlements and the Israeli Minister of Transportation 
approved last Wednesday a series of transportation related projects 
throughout the West Bank, according to coverage. 
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BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
JERUSALEM 00001897  003 OF 003 
 
 
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1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title 
"Vague excuses for deepening the division" (10/19): "It is hard to 
understand the position of Hamas refusing to sign the national 
reconciliation agreement after the PA exerted all efforts to 
re-submit the Goldstone report. Hamas' position doesn't support 
national reconciliation and the excuses are un-justified". 
 
2) Talal Okal opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily under the title 
"What's after the first step?" (10/19): "In order to push the 
Goldstone report forward and benefit from the historic victory that 
was achieved at the United Nations Human Rights Council, 
Palestinians have to end the state of division to support the report 
until the end." 
 
 
RUBINSTEIN