VZCZCXRO9611
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1996 3090704
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 050704Z NOV 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6575
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 7933
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4900
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4750
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6238
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4669
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3261

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001996 
 
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 (11/5): Palestinian press and 
officials continue to criticize the US position on settlements 
 
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Main Stories: 
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The three dailies report on Secretary Hillary Clinton's remarks in 
Cairo yesterday reiterating that the US position on settlements "has 
not changed" and stressed that the US considers settlement activity 
"illegal." An Al-Quds headline highlights Clinton as saying that the 
US is still committed to the two-state solution. Al-Ayyam runs a 
cynical headline that reads "Clinton believes that the best way to 
freeze settlements is through the resumption of negotiations!" The 
headline continues to say that Clinton reaffirmed Israeli Prime 
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's position as "unprecedented." Al-Hayat 
Al-Jadida also front pages news on Clinton saying that moving 
towards the establishment of the Palestinian state has to include 
all pending issues, including Jerusalem. The coverage notes that 
Clinton received Egypt's support for the resumption of negotiations 
without preconditions. 
 
Al-Quds leads with Palestinian Liberation Organization Chief 
Negotiator Saeb Erekat's remarks yesterday in a press conference in 
Ramallah that Clinton's recent statements and appreciation of 
Netanyahu's position will only lead to an increase in settlement 
activities in the next two years. Erekat also stated that the only 
option remaining for Palestinians is "one state with Muslims, 
Christians and Jews living together as equals." Erekat described the 
current situation as very dangerous and noted that time has come for 
President Abbas to tell the people the truth, that "with continued 
settlement activity, the two state solution is no longer an 
option." 
 
Dailies report on the Fatah Central Committee encouraging President 
Abbas to run for reelection in the next presidential elections. 
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BLOCK QUOTES: 
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Al Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title 
"Continuous Visits ... Continuous Judaization" (11/5): "We wonder 
about Secretary Clinton's intentions with her visits to Arab 
capitals and her contradictory and ambiguous  statements ... we all 
know that the US goal is to resume direct Palestinian-Israeli 
negotiations. Clinton is looking for any way to achieve this goal 
despite the Palestinian and Israeli positions, which leads her to 
make such contradictory and ambiguous statements." 
 
 
 
RUBINSTEIN