VZCZCXRO6725
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1928 2950646
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 220646Z OCT 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6438
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 7906
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4881
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4731
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6219
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4650
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3242

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001928 
 
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 (10/22): Palestinians continue to 
question Hamas's intentions regarding national reconciliation 
 
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Main Stories: 
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The dailies prominently report that US Ambassador to the UN Susan 
Rice pledged, during her meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres 
yesterday, that the US will defend the Israeli position on the 
Goldstone report at the UN. Rice promised to urge the UNHRC to stop 
criticizing Israel for the findings of the report. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads with Palestinian Liberation Organization 
Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat calling on the US to publicly 
acknowledge that Israel is obstructing the peace process. In related 
coverage, the dailies report on talks between Israeli and US 
officials in Washington last week, including an expectation that 
negotiations with the Palestinians will resume soon. The reports 
note that the Israelis stressed that negotiations must be based on 
UN resolutions 242 and 338. The Palestinian Authority (PA) 
Presidency's office spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeina criticized this 
demand, saying it is unrealistic to resume negotiations based on 
resolution 242 since it does not call for Israel's complete 
withdrawal from the West Bank. Abu Rudeina noted that such a demand 
by the Israelis will take things back to square one. 
 
The dailies report on Fatah's announcement yesterday that it will 
not accept any amendments to the Egyptian proposal for national 
reconciliation. Fatah accused Hamas of wasting time to avoid signing 
the national reconciliation agreement. In related news, the press 
reports that Hamas leader Ismail Ridwan said Hamas is waiting for 
Egypt to invite them to Cairo to discuss the proposed amendments. He 
stated that Hamas can't sign the current proposal since it is biased 
against Hamas. 
 
Al-Quds leads with comments by Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti 
(imprisoned in an Israeli jail) that there is no rational excuse or 
justification behind postponing the reconciliation agreement. He 
commended the PA for its efforts to resubmit the Goldstone report to 
UNHRC, noting that this step should be appreciated by all parties. 
He also stated that he doesn't see any Israeli partner who is 
serious about the peace process. 
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BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------- 
 
1) Rimonda Taweel opines in Al-Quds independent daily under the 
title "Nobel, Obama and Hope" (10/22): "By having President Obama 
accept the Nobel prize, we understand that he is ready to bear 
responsibility. We know that he won't let the whole world down ... 
We, the Palestinians, want Obama to be the man of the world, the man 
of peace." 
 
2) Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily under 
the title "How to Fill the Constitutional Vacuum?"(10/22): "If the 
reconciliation agreement is not signed, we have to be ready to face 
a severe constitutional vacuum ... We have to prepare legal and 
constitutional solutions that will protect the Palestinians from a 
major crisis." 
 
 
RUBINSTEIN