VZCZCXRO1524
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0016/01 0061013
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061013Z JAN 10
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7177
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 8026
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4995
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4843
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6331
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4762
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3366

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000016 
 
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 (01/06): New settlement 
construction in East Jerusalem calls into question Israel's 
commitment to peace 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
-------------The lead stories in three dailies focus on the 
Jerusalem municipality endorsing a new settlement neighborhood of 24 
housing units on the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem. Al-Quds runs 
a headline saying the Jerusalem mayor is undermining the US position 
regarding settlement activities. Al-Quds quotes Palestinian 
Authority (PA) Presidency Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina condemning the 
decision, saying that the continued construction in East Jerusalem 
is a challenge to Arab and international efforts to achieve peace. 
 
PA official daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front pages news on PLO Chief 
Negotiator Saeb Erekat noting that Israel continues to talk about 
peace while constructing more settlements. He reiterated that PA 
President Mahmoud Abbas will not agree to the resumption of 
negotiations without a full settlement freeze. 
 
Local press reports on PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad affirming the 
dedication of the PA to clear the West Bank markets of settlement 
products and helped toss goods made in Israeli settlements into a 
fire. 
 
The dailies report on President Abbas confirming that a US peace 
plan is being prepared, supported by US guarantees for Israelis and 
Palestinians to ensure its success. Abbas reiterated that he told 
the US he won't agree to resume talks with the Israelis without a 
full settlement freeze. 
 
Al-Quds runs front page coverage citing Israeli media sources that 
senior Israeli decision makers oppose discussing the borders issue 
first in the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations based on the 
anticipated US peace plan. 
 
Independent daily Al-Ayyam reports on clashes between members of the 
humanitarian aid convoy Viva Palestine and the Egyptian police 
yesterday at the Al-Arish port after the convoy was not allowed to 
enter Gaza through Rafah. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front pages news on the Former Chief of Mossad 
Efraim Halevy admitting in an interview with the Israeli Army Radio 
that Israel has opened communication lines with Hamas in Gaza. He 
also called for weakening the authority of President Abbas, saying 
he "is unnecessary and it is time to overthrow him." He also called 
for weakening the PA and its security forces, noting that the US and 
Western support for the PA must stop. He said, "Hamas can be an 
alternate to the PA." This is a contradiction to statements of 
support for President Abbas and the PA security forces from Israeli 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials. 
 
Al-Quds published results of an opinion public poll conducted by 
Near East Consulting to assess which news outlets Palestinians say 
are their most trusted sources of information. The sample was 900 
people from the West Bank and Gaza.  The poll showed that Al-Quds 
newspaper is the most trusted and credible paper (43%), followed by 
Al-Ayyam (7%), Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (6%), and Falasteen and Al-Resala 
(5% each). As for the most trusted TV channel, Al-Jazeera came first 
with 47%, followed by PBC (19%), Al-Arabiya (9%) Hamas-affiliated 
Al-Aqsa (5%), and Al-Manar (3%). 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTE: 
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JERUSALEM 00000016  002 OF 002 
 
 
Al-Quds runs an editorial under the title "Despite the Claimed 
Freeze, Settlement Expansion Continues" which calls on the 
international community to find a mechanism to deal with the Israeli 
government that ensures a full and complete settlement freeze to 
pave the way for achieving a just and comprehensive peace. 
 
RUBINSTEIN