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Cablegate: Jerusalem Media Reaction (6/12): The Difficulty Of

Published: Thu 12 Jun 2008 06:53 AM
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TAGS: PREL KMDR KPAL KWBG KPAO IS
SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (6/12): THE DIFFICULTY OF
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT "UNDER OCCUPATION"
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Main Stories:
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Events in Gaza dominate coverage in all dailies. A photo of a
distraught young girl injured in an Israeli air strike on June 11
leads coverage in Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida. Al-Quds leads
with a photo of an Israeli soldier leading a long-line of
blindfolded Palestinians to an Israeli jail near the Gaza border.
All dailies report that four Gazans were killed in the June 11 air
strike. According to Al-Ayyam's lead story, Israel has decided to
give truce efforts with Palestinians, "a chance" while it continues
to prepare for a military campaign in Gaza should truce talks fail.
Separate coverage in the dailies highlight a DPA wire story about
Israeli plans to release Palestinian prisoners from the West Bank
and send them to Gaza. Al-Ayyam also reports that Israeli Foreign
Minister Livni stated that, "the Palestinian nation should be an
unarmed state, with [international] supervision of the border
crossings."
All dailies report on the June 11 meeting between Palestinian
President Abbas and His Majesty King Abdullah II. According to the
coverage, the two leaders highlighted the, "importance of forcing
Israel to respect international agreements." Al-Quds reports that
both leaders insisted that Israeli commitment to prior agreements
will facilitate a just and lasting resolution to the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict." Related coverage states that the
King of Jordan has donated 15 million JD ($7.5 million) to renovate
mosaics at the Dome of the Rock mosque in Jerusalem.
All dailies note that the European Union has, "strong" internal
voices calling for the postponement of discussion about upgrading
the EU's relationship with Israel.
The dailies report that Israeli Premier Olmert has agreed to begin
preparations for early primary elections of the Kadima party.
All dailies give positive coverage to the launching of a USAID
project to rehabilitate the archeological site of Hisham's Palace in
the West Bank city of Jericho. The dailies report that local NGO
ANERA will implement the USAID project and finish it the next two
months. Photos of USAID Acting Country Director David Harden with
representatives of the Palestinian Authority and ANERA appear in all
dailies.
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BLOCK QUOTES:
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1. Al-Ayyam independent daily carries an op-ed by columnist Talal
Okal entitled, "We need a change in thinking" (6/12): "In the midst
of current events related to the Palestinian situation and its
relation to the external world and the Israeli policy of aggression,
and the severe consequences of complete internal Palestinian
division... many are asking about the geography of a future
Palestinian state. How can [a state] be established in the shadow
of this deep internal division and in the shadow of settlement
activity? And in the shadow of the wall that is eating up more and
more land? All of these issues raise larger questions that need
review..."
Independent daily Al-Ayyam carried an op-ed by columnist Abdullah
Awwad entitled, "The theory of possible economics and impossible
politics" (6/12): "...We assumed that the greatest part of the
Palestinians Authority's treasury or national income comes from
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donor countries in the form of assistance to the Palestinian
Authority. The greatest part is drained away by the Jewish state
through its occupation which paralyzes internal Palestinian economic
development through checkpoints and closed roads and closed border
crossings... The Europeans' theory which Palestinians are working
with, gives priority to economics as the basis for any possible
future political solution.... But wisdom dictates that... all
efforts should first focus on ending the occupation."
WALLES
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