VZCZCXRO2743
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1085/01 1771122
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 251122Z JUN 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1902
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
RUENAAA/CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7176
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4163
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4016
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5514
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 3932
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2496
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001085
SIPDIS
STATE PASS BBG
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM
NSC FOR ABRAMS
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 (6/25): "NO HOPE FOR PALESTINE
WITHOUT INTERNAL UNITY"
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Main Stories:
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The three dailies lead with French President Sarkozy's visit to
Bethlehem and meeting with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas on
June 24. After signing an agreement worth $21 million to build an
industrial zone in Bethlehem, Sarkozy commented that, "the tyranny
suffered by the Jews ...should not be remedied by punishing the
Palestinian people." He emphasized that Israel's security cannot be
achieved by the separation barrier or by settlement activities, but
rather through the establishment of a democratic Palestinian state,
which he considers a "priority" for France. In Al-Hayat Al-Jadida,
the French President promised strong support for a "true" peace
process in terms of economic, political, diplomatic and even
military support. Abbas welcomed Sarkozy as a, "close friend to the
Palestinian people," and praised the French President's view of how
to solve the conflict.
The June 24 Berlin donor conference is also front page news. Donors
pledged $242 million in support to the Palestinian police and
Palestinian judicial institutions. The three dailies report that
donors expressed support for the two-state solution and that
Palestinian Premier Fayyad stressed the need to achieve progress on
political and security tracks. Fayyad underscored that halting
Israeli settlement activity is a central topic in peace talks. In
related coverage, PLO negotiator Erekat reveals in an exclusive
interview with Al Ayyam that Secretary Rice has invited the
Palestinian negotiating team to Washington in July, to discuss
issues related to a final peace agreement.
The June 24 meeting between Israeli Premier Olmert and Egyptian
President Mubarak focuses headlines on Hamas/Israel prisoner
exchange talks. Al- Ayyam reports that the leaders agreed to
intensify exchange negotiations involving the release by Hamas of
Israeli soldier Shalit. The leaders also discussed reopening the
Rafah crossing point according to the 2005 protocol whereby the
Palestinian Authority and Egypt share responsibility for the
management of the crossing under EU supervision. In separate
reporting, Mubarak stated that it is, "illogical" to link talks
about the Hamas/Israeli truce in the Gaza Strip with the issue of
freeing Israeli soldier Shalit. Al-Quds notes comments by an
Israeli official confirming a promise by Egypt not to reopen the
Rafah crossing point until Shalit is released.
All dailies express outrage over the, "assassination" of a
university student and a leader of Islamic Jihad's military wing,
Al-Quds Brigades, in the West Bank city of Nablus by Israeli
soldiers on June 24. Widespread condemnation of the act and calls
by Islamic Jihad and Hamas for a "response" are reported in the
dailies. Papers note that Islamic Jihad launched a rocket attack on
June 24 on the southern Israeli city of Sderot in retaliation.
The dailies highlight a brief announcement that Israeli authorities
have issued orders to suspend the demolition of 450 houses in the
Mount of Olives neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
Al- Quds runs an inside report about the June 24 reception held at
the American Center in Jerusalem in honor of Palestinian and Israeli
prize winners of the Institute of International Education's Goldberg
Prize for Peace. The award went to members of the Parents Circle
Family Forum, a group of Israeli and Palestinian families who have
lost family members to the conflict and now advocate reconciliation.
The paper notes that Deputy Principal Officer Thomas Duffy from the
JERUSALEM 00001085 002 OF 002
U.S. Consulate-Jerusalem and Deputy Chief of Mission Luis G. Moreno
of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv delivered remarks.
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BLOCK QUOTES:
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1. Al- Quds prints its daily editorial entitled, "In order to
regain Arab and world support" (6/25): Palestinian, Arab and
international factors have led to a decrease in interest in the
Palestinian cause compared to the support witnessed in the sixties
and seventies... Internal Palestinian division, especially between
Fatah and Hamas, is the latest factor... [the result is] a
continuous decrease in Palestinian demands and continuous increase
in Israeli greed... the greatest powers in the world have not put
any real pressure on Israel to limit settlement activity and
remove... checkpoints and obstacles....the greatest blame should be
assigned to us as Palestinians, because we have closed our eyes to
the danger of settlement activity and busied ourselves with marginal
clashes over artificial positions and authority at a time when
Israel has all the political, economic and security clout.
Palestinians will not regain international support for their just
cause unless they abandon these marginal conflicts and show proof of
national unity and dedication to Palestine...
2. Al-Quds carries an op-ed by Awni Sadeq entitled," No... solutions
through division" (6/25): ...[if we] look at the Palestinian
situation... we do not see anything to inspire Israel to be serious
or respond to any of the two Palestinian factions demands.
[Negotiations] are only a game for the Israelis... they see some
benefit to them ... internal Palestinian division cannot project any
power that would force the [Israelis] to take negotiations
seriously, but rather, it shows a weakness [that can be
exploited]... There can be no... solutions while division remains."
Duffy