VZCZCXRO7791
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #2339 3640740
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 300740Z DEC 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7144
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 8021
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4988
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4838
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6326
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4757
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3361

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 002339 
 
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 (12/30): Hamas says it did not 
reject the prisoner exchange deal 
 
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Main Stories: 
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Lead stories in the dailies focus on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 
Netanyahu's meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak yesterday. 
Egyptian Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit described the meeting as "very 
positive" and noted that the Egyptian officials sensed a positive 
tone from the Israeli Prime Minister towards the resumption of 
negotiations with the Palestinians. 
 
The three dailies report that Hamas did not reject the prisoner 
exchange deal. Hamas official in Damascus Osama Abu Khaled denied 
news published on Tuesday that the Hamas political bureau rejected 
the deal. He noted that Hamas is still reviewing the Israeli 
response that was delivered through the German mediator. 
 
PA official daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reports that China and Russia 
oppose the Israeli plan to construct more settlement units in 
Jerusalem. The headline highlights the continued Israeli settlement 
activities in Jerusalem despite international condemnation. 
 
Al-Ayyam front pages a photo of Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime 
Minister Salam Fayyad at the opening of the sixth exhibition for 
local food products in Jericho. Prime Minister Fayyad reiterated the 
PA's commitment to get rid of all settlement products in the 
Palestinian markets and to promote Palestinian products as 
alternatives in the international markets. 
 
Citing several sources, Al-Ayyam reports that the anticipated US 
peace plan that Special Envoy Mitchell will propose soon will not 
bring new developments. According to analysts, the plan will focus 
on the importance of direct negotiations between Palestinians and 
Israelis to solve the conflict. 
 
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BLOCK QUOTE: 
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Al-Quds runs an editorial under the title "Between Netanyahu and 
Lieberman...Who Expresses the Israeli Policy?" The writer believes 
that both Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Prime 
Minister Netanyahu express the real policy of Israel, just in 
different ways. Lieberman is very extremist and blunt, never 
expressing a desire to see a Palestinian state, while Netanyahu 
tries to deceive the world and pretend he is willing and ready to 
resume peace talks with the Palestinians, when he really feels the 
same as Lieberman. 
 
 
 
 
RUBINSTEIN