VZCZCXRO5842
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0214 0350706
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 040706Z FEB 10
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7481
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 8075
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 5030
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4874
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6362
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4793
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3397

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000214 
 
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 (02/04): PA and Hamas officials 
meet in Gaza to discuss national unity efforts 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
-------------Independent daily Al-Quds leads with news that Fatah 
Central Committee member Nabil Shaath visited Gaza yesterday to 
discuss the national unity efforts with Hamas and Palestinian 
factions. Hamas' Ismail Haniyeh is quoted speaking with prominent 
businessman Munib Masri, who accompanied Shaath to Gaza, saying that 
reconciliation is a national necessity and reaffirmed that Gaza "is 
open for all." He also called for "unifying the Palestinians to 
confront the challenges and risks which Jerusalem and the 
Palestinian cause are facing." Haniyeh is quoted calling on the US 
to open dialogue with Hamas and noted that Hamas is ready to talk to 
all regional and international parties, including the US. 
 
PA official daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads with news that Jerusalem 
mayor Brakat intends to implement all demolition orders against 
Palestinian houses in the Silwan neighborhood in East Jerusalem that 
lack the necessary building permits. Reports note that the Peace Now 
movement accused Brakat of becoming an agent for the Israeli right 
wing. 
 
The dailies report on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 
remarks at the Herzilya conference that he is optimistic about the 
possibility of resuming peace talks with the Palestinians within a 
few weeks. In response to this statement, PA Presidency spokesperson 
Nabil Abu Rudeina told Wafa News Agency that the Palestinians are 
committed to serious and meaningful negotiations when settlement 
activities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem stop. 
 
The dailies report that Mustafa Barghouti, founder of the political 
party the Palestinian National Initiative, was nominated for the 
2010 Nobel Peace Prize by Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate and 
co-founder of Peace People in Northern Ireland. 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTE: 
------------ 
Under the title "With Reconciliation...We Can Break the Siege" an 
editorial in Al-Quds argues that it is not enough to blame Israel 
for the Palestinians' misery, and that the Palestinians themselves 
bear responsibility because of the continued state of division. The 
author calls on all Palestinian factions to unite to face the 
Israeli restrictions and challenges. 
 
RUBINSTEIN