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OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0155 0260730
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 260730Z JAN 10
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7394
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 8067
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 5022
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4866
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6354
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4785
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3389

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000155 
 
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 (01/26): Palestinian press report 
on a new US plan to help relaunch negotiations 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
-------------The three dailies lead with news that Special Envoy 
George Mitchell presented a US proposal to help relaunch peace talks 
between the Israelis and Palestinians during his meetings with 
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas. According to 
coverage, the US proposal calls for Israel to stop incursions into 
Area A, transfer some of Area B to Area A, allow the PA and its 
security forces to enter Area C, and to release Palestinian 
prisoners from Israeli jails. PA official daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida 
reports that a Palestinian official said that according to the US 
proposal, Israel will be asked to transfer tax revenues to the PA on 
a monthly basis and allow construction goods into Gaza. The source 
said that President Abbas is currently reviewing the proposal. 
 
Independent daily Al-Quds reports that Mitchell suggested that 
Palestinian and Israeli senior officials work together in working 
groups to discuss the implementation of the US proposal, which will 
also involve marathon visits for Mitchell between Ramallah and 
Tel-Aviv. The headlines quote President Abbas stating that he will 
not return to peace talks with Israel unless the latter stops all 
settlement activities, noting that the US guarantees are not 
enough. 
 
Al-Quds front pages news that since the Palestinian presidency and 
PLC terms ended yesterday, many Palestinian factions and national 
institutions stressed the need to end the Palestinian division and 
pursue national reconciliation in order to pave the way for holding 
presidential and legislative elections. In related news, independent 
daily Al-Ayyam reports that President Abbas signed a presidential 
decree calling for postponing the presidential and legislative 
elections until a national consensus is reached. 
 
The dailies front page news on the weekly PA cabinet meeting held 
yesterday. According to coverage, the cabinet announced that January 
27 will be a national day of solidarity with prisoners. 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTE: 
------------ 
Nabil Amer, writing in Al-Quds under the title "People Are Asking, 
What To Do?" suggests that it would be much easier for Senator 
Mitchell to succeed in his efforts to convince the Palestinians and 
Israelis to return to peace talks if he rented an apartment in 
Ramallah and Tel-Aviv. Amer is pessimistic about any breakthrough in 
peace talks, as he believes that the Palestinians are only clients 
of the Americans; they are not allies and not friends. He asks, "How 
long can the Palestinians count on US promises without achieving 
them?" 
 
RUBINSTEIN