VZCZCXRO5458
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1915/01 2940643
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 210643Z OCT 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6424
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 7904
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4879
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4729
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6217
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4648
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3240

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001915 
 
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 (10/21): President Mahmoud Abbas 
will move ahead with elections if Hamas refuses to sign the national 
reconciliation agreement 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
The dailies report on Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud 
Abbas's meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo 
yesterday. Abbas stated that the PA remains committed to national 
reconciliation, but reiterated that he will issue a presidential 
decree to hold presidential and legislative elections in January, 
2010 in case Hamas refuses to sign the agreement. Abbas also stated 
that Hamas' decision to evade national reconciliation surprised him 
and noted that the PA and Egypt will not accept any amendments to 
the Egyptian reconciliation agreement. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reports on the deputy chief of the Hamas 
political bureau Mousa Abu Marzouq's interview with Al-Arabiya TV. 
The report quotes Abu Marzouq saying that there is no harm in 
further discussing the Egyptian proposal for national reconciliation 
in order to integrate Hamas amendments to it. Abu Marzouq noted that 
"some items were dropped from the original version which we agreed 
to with Egypt." He also commented on President Abbas's announcement 
that elections will be held in January 2010 by saying that "Abu 
Mazen can't conduct the elections separately in the West Bank." 
 
The dailies report on Palestinian Liberation Organization Chief 
Negotiator Saeb Erekat's talks with US officials in Washington. 
Erekat told Al-Ayyam in a phone interview that Secretary Hillary 
Clinton and Special Envoy George Mitchell assured him that there is 
no agreement between the US and Israel regarding settlements and 
that there is no US peace plan. Erekat noted that he explained to 
the US that the PA will not accept partial solutions regarding the 
cessation of settlement activity and urged Israel to respect their 
obligations under the road map in order to restart negotiations. 
 
Al-Quds leads with news on the continued settlement activity in the 
West Bank despite Israeli claims of freezing construction. The story 
leads with news on an agreement between the Israeli Ministers of 
Defense and Interior to facilitate the issuance of building permits 
for constructing new settlements in the West Bank. 
 
The dailies report on Israeli President Shimon Peres criticizing the 
Goldstone report before the US Ambassador to the UN Suzan Rice 
yesterday. Peres described the report as "shameful." 
 
Hamas newspaper Al-Resalah reports on Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu 
Zuhri noting yesterday that Hamas' prposed amendments on the 
Egyptian reconciliation agreement are to ensure the successful 
implementation of the plan after the agreement is signed. He noted 
that a Hamas delegation will visit Cairo to discuss their 
reservations. Abu Zuhi criticized President Abbas's announcement to 
hold the elections in January 2010. 
 
Al-Quds radio (Hamas outlet from Gaza) reports that Egypt gave Hamas 
24 hours to determine its position on the national reconciliation 
plan without any amendments. If they do not respond, Egypt will 
publicly accuse Hamas of obstructing the reconciliation process. 
 ------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------- 
 
 
1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title 
"Announcing the elections date doesn't mean deepening the division" 
 
JERUSALEM 00001915  002 OF 002 
 
 
(10/21): "From the legal perspective, we should hold the 
presidential and legislative elections before January 2010 ... but 
the Palestinian factions have to sign the national reconciliation 
proposal in order to agree on the date for holding the 
elections[either January or June according to the Egyptian plan], 
otherwise the state of division will leave Palestine with a 
constitutional vacuum that will be rejected by the Palestinian 
people." 
 
2) Ashraf Al-Ajrami opines in Al-Ayyam daily independent under the 
title "Unity and reconciliation are not considered by Hamas" 
(10/21): "Hamas will not agree to national unity whether it signs 
the reconciliation agreement or not ... The interests of Hamas, 
Israel and Iran meet together to protect the Hamas empire in Gaza 
and allow Hamas to ruin any chance at national unity ... Achieving 
national unity is not a goal for Hamas, Israel, or the regional 
powers." 
 
 
RUBINSTEIN