VZCZCXRO9275
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #2201/01 3411014
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 071014Z DEC 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6878
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 7979
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4946
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4796
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6284
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4715
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3319

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 002201 
 
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 (12/07):  Will a Prisoner-Exchange 
Deal Move Negotiations Forward? 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
Independent News Outlet Ma'an, and the dailies, report that Israeli 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that the settlement 
suspension is limited to a ten-month timeframe only - not beyond. 
The Prime Minister added that "in the Cabinet's decision, we made it 
clear that upon the conclusion of the period of suspension, 
construction will resume." 
 
The Palestinian dailies continue to report on protests by West Bank 
settlers against the GOI's settlement moratorium. Coverage notes 
that settlers set fire to Palestinian vehicles and buildings and 
uprooted more than 50 trees in the northern West Bank village of 
Einabous near Nablus on Sunday. Lead photos in the dailies today 
depict the burned and damaged property in the village of Einabous. 
 
Palestinian media reports on the European Foreign Ministers meeting 
today in Brussels to discuss the Swedish initiative aimed at 
recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian 
state. Netanyahu contacted a number of European leaders urging them 
not to vote for the proposal. In related news, Independent daily 
Al-Ayyam reports that France proposed an amendment to the initiative 
calling for the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital for both the 
states of Israel and Palestine. 
 
News on the Gilad Shalit prisoner-exchange deal receives front page 
coverage in the dailies. According to coverage, the German mediator 
for an exchange deal is in Israel today to submit Hamas' response to 
the GOI.  The dailies quote a well-informed Hamas source as stating 
that the next 48 hours will either lead to the conclusion of the 
deal, or postponement of it.  In related news, senior Hamas leader 
Mahmoud Zahhar denies reports in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida that a French 
medical delegation visited Shalit in Gaza. Egyptian Foreign Minister 
Abu Gheit accused Israel of obstructing a final deal. 
 
Palestinian Authority (PA) official daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and 
Ma'an report on President Mahmoud Abbas' visit to Lebanon today 
seeking the Arab states' support  for a UNSC resolution delineating 
the borders of aPalestinian state. Abbas reiterated his opposition 
to resettling Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. "The Palestinians are 
guests in Lebanon until our question is resolved... (w)e will not 
accept any homeland other than Palestine," Abbas said in an 
interview with the Lebanese daily Al-Liwa. 
 
---------------- 
Weekend stories: 
---------------- 
Sunday, December 6 
 
Al Ayyam, Al Hayat Al Jadida front page story. Daniel Ben Simon, a 
Labor Party Member of the Knesset, said that Prime Minister 
Netanyahu has informed him that the prisoner-exchange deal will take 
place within two weeks, and will include Marwan Al Barghouthi, 
member of the Central Committee of Fatah movement.  However, 
Netanyahu's office, which maintains complete silence regarding the 
developments in negotiations regarding the deal, rushed to deny Ben 
Simon's statements or that Netanyahu made such comments.   Ben Simon 
had given statements to the Israeli media saying that Marwan Al 
Barghouthi was on the list of those to be released and that the 
 
JERUSALEM 00002201  002 OF 003 
 
 
discussions are taking place only about the possibility of expelling 
him for a specific period of time or releasing him and transferring 
him to Ramallah. 
 
Al-Quds front page reports that Israeli sources are saying that the 
American administration is exerting pressures on Abu Mazen to stay 
in his position.  The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported a senior 
Israeli security source in Tel Aviv as saying that President Abbas 
will give in to the pressures without excluding the possibility of 
the President's resignation. However, according to Palestinian 
political analyst Hani Al Masri in an article in Al Sharq Al Awsat, 
it is improbable that the PLO will adopt a more difficult option 
such as dismantling the PNA and launching resistance.  According to 
sources, the U.S. administration is studying several initiatives, 
including the drafting of a letter in the name of President Obama 
that reiterates the United States' support of the fact that the 
final status solution depends on the June 4 1967 borders and its 
position not to recognize Israel's sovereignty over East Jerusalem. 
Aides to President Abbas say the President has other options and 
surprises if no change took place in terms of the American pressures 
on Israel to resume negotiations according to the Palestinian 
conditions. 
 
The three major Palestinian dailies (Al Quds, Al Ayyam, Al Hayat Al 
Jadida) all report on a meeting between President Mahmoud Abbas, 
Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Naser Joudeh and Dr. Riyad Al 
Malki, Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs, at his headquarters 
in Ramallah.  The parties stated in a joint press conference that 
"the meeting addressed all issues of concern to the two countries in 
addition to other issues in the region, particularly at these 
important times in the life of the Arab nation."  Al Malki also 
referred to EU's upcoming meeting in Brussels on Monday, to discuss 
the Swedish document that aims at recognizing East Jerusalem as the 
capital of the Palestinian state. 
 
Saturday, December 5 
 
Al Quds, Al Ayyam, and Al Hayat Al Jadida all report on statements 
made by a Hamas official in a newspaper interview that the 
conditions imposed by Israel over the release of Palestinian 
prisoners are preventing the conclusion of an agreement to release 
Gilad Shalit.  Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reported that the un-named Hamas 
official stated that negotiations between Hamas and Israel through 
the German mediation and through Egypt, are facing obstacles 
pertaining to the number and inclusion of certain prisoners.  GOI 
officials are reported to have decided that the anticipated 
prisoner-exchange deal between Hamas and Israel will not lead to any 
change in Israel's policy in terms of the siege imposed on Gaza 
Strip, nor in terms of the restrictions on freedom of movement and 
movement of goods between the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 
 
Al Quds front page reports that the local planning and construction 
committee in Jerusalem approved the deposit of a plan to establish 
the "Strauss House" in 'Al Buraq' Plaza.  The plan, as reported by 
the weekly Israeli newspaper Yerushalym, stipulates the building of 
a police station, an educational center, offices for the 'Al Buraq 
heritage' Fund, and a building for public services.  Four appeals 
were filed against the plan. Police sources stated also that 
approval of a specific plan in such a highly sensitive area requires 
the preparation of a comprehensive plan to examine all the 
organizational and public dimensions and results that the plan could 
have on the surrounding area and on the site itself.  Jerusalem's 
deputy mayor is quoted as saying that "(the) area is very sensitive 
 
JERUSALEM 00002201  003 OF 003 
 
 
and no specific plan such as the Strauss House should be approved." 
------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------- 
1) Issa Qaraq', Minister of Prisoner Affairs for the Palestinian 
Authority, writes in Al-Quds newspaper, "Shalit Deal... Lessons for 
Those Who Chose War" that he believes that the capture of Shalit 
should make Israel realize that any announcement of a future war 
will involve repercussions, and that the suffering will not be 
exclusive to Palestinians only. 
 
2) Veteran analyst Samih Shbeib, writes in Al-Ayyam newspaper, "Will 
There Be A Resumption Of Negotiations?" that he believes that there 
are not many options left for the Palestinians to end their current 
crisis, in light of Israel's continued measures in Jerusalem, 
settlement expansion, and the purportedly biased position of the 
U.S. (in favor of Israel).  According to Shbeib, there must be a 
national consensus and a new political program that can rescue the 
Palestinians and enable them from facing the current challenges. 
 
MARCHESE