VZCZCXRO6271
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #2168/01 3370955
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 030955Z DEC 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6832
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 7975
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4942
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4792
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6280
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4711
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3315

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 002168 
 
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 (12/03):  Settlement Moratorium 
Continues to Elicit Strong Reactions Among Israeli Settlers and 
Palestinians 
 
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Main Stories: 
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The dailies continue to lead with coverage on reaction to GOI's 
settlement moratorium.  In its lead story, independent daily 
Al-Ayyam bannered "Netanyahu Approved Construction of 84 Buildings 
in Settlements."  (Note:  the 84 buildings would amount to about 450 
housing units.)  According to article, Netanyahu's decision was a 
good faith gesture to settlers who reject the settlement freeze. 
Palestinian Authority (PA) official daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida quotes 
Netanyahu telling the settlers that the US is driving him "crazy" 
regarding freezing settlement construction in Jerusalem.  He pledged 
to try to reach consensus with the settlers.  Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and 
Al-Ayyam run lead photos of settlers laying the cornerstone for a 
new building in the Efrat settlement near Bethlehem.  One of the 
photos is of a banner prepared by settlers that reads "Bibi: Arabs 
IN, Jews OUT."  Al-Hayat Al-Jadida also front pages President Abbas' 
statements yesterday that full cessation of settlement activity and 
a clear framework for the peace process are the only means to ensure 
a resumption of negotiations. 
 
Independent daily Al-Quds and independent news outlet Maan front 
page news that the Israeli Interior Ministry stripped 4,577 
Palestinians of their right to live in East Jerusalem in 2008, an 
all time record in 42 years of occupation.  Al-Quds reports that 
this action is aimed at protecting Jewish demographic presence in 
Jerusalem. 
 
Citing Hebrew daily Ha'aretz, Palestinian dailies report that the 
European Consuls in Jerusalem and Ramallah prepared a classified 
report criticizing Israeli policies in East Jerusalem and Israeli 
attempts to change the demographic balance in the city and sever it 
from the West Bank.  Al-Quds reports that Ahmad Qurei, a member of 
the PLO Executive Committee, welcomed the European draft resolution 
recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state 
stressing Jerusalem is the key to peace. 
 
In coverage about the Israeli-Hamas prisoner exchange, Al-Quds 
reports that the German mediator and Hamas continue discussions 
regarding the identity and number of prisoners to be released and 
their disposition following release.  Ma'an runs a story published 
in the Kuwaiti daily "Al-Jarida Al-Kuwaitiya," which, citing trusted 
resources, reports that Shalit was secretly transferred to Egypt 
with Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar before Al-Adha Eid holiday. (Note: 
We contacted Ma'an to verify the accuracy of the story and were told 
that it posted the Kuwaiti story as published and could not 
corroborate the story's claims.)  In a related story, Al-Hayat 
Al-Jadida reports that Jewish religious groups are preparing a 
petition that calls for closing the Al-Aqsa Mosque and preventing 
Muslims from visiting it until Shalit is released. 
 
Citing PA official news outlet Wafa, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reports that 
the Fatah Revolutionary Council will hold a consultation session on 
December 5 to discuss the implications of the latest internal PA 
developments (Abbas' decision not to run, for example) prior to the 
Central Council meeting scheduled for December 15. 
 
Dailies report that PA Prime Minister Fayyad told PA security 
officers yesterday in Ramallah that maintaining security in the West 
 
JERUSALEM 00002168  002 OF 002 
 
 
Bank is a national obligation and that the [Israeli] occupation, 
which he characterized as the biggest challenge to the success of 
the national project plan, must be ended. 
 
Ma'an posts a video clip from Al Jazeera that shows an Israeli 
settler repeatedly running over a wounded Palestinian at a gas 
station in the Kiryat Arba settlement near Hebron last week. 
According to reports, the Palestinian was shot by an Israeli soldier 
several times following an alleged knife attack at the station.  The 
video shows a silver Mercedes running down the injured Palestinian 
and then reversing and running over him again as Israeli soldiers 
and others look on.  Ma'an reports that the Israeli police detained 
the driver, whose wife is alleged to have been one of the stabbing 
victims, and later released him to home arrest.  According to the 
Jerusalem Post, the settler may face attempted murder charges.  The 
Palestinian survived and was sent to Hadassa hospital in Ein Karem 
with critical injuries.  (Link to Ma'an story/video: 
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx? ID=243887) 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
Coverage of the President Afghanistan Message 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
All dailies ran coverage of President Obama's decision to send new 
troops to Afghanistan and the timeline for withdrawal in their 
International news sections.  Coverage included quotes from 
President Obama's speech and the White House factsheet, which the 
Consulate provided to them, and quotes from Secretary Clinton, 
National Security Advisor Jim Jones (from his interview with Der 
Spiegel) and U.S. Congressmen as well as reaction from other 
governments as reported by AFP.  There was no local Palestinian 
reaction to the news. 
 
------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------- 
 
1)  Abdel Majid Swelem writing in Al-Ayyam under the title 
"Promising European Positions" believes that the European efforts to 
recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state 
reflect the positive impact of Palestinian tolerance and the 
increased Palestinian motivation to achieve an independent state. 
 
2)  Tala Okal opines in an article in Al-Ayyam under the title "EU: 
Towards a Different International Climate," that the EU gesture 
rewards the Palestinians for their patience, their credible 
political discourse and their real commitment to peace. 
 
 
MARCHESE