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Cablegate: Jerusalem Media Reaction (7/09): National Dialogue - To

Published: Wed 9 Jul 2008 10:29 AM
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SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (7/09): NATIONAL DIALOGUE - TO
WHERE?
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Main Stories:
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Lead stories differ in all dailies: Al- Quds' front page reports on
the "invasion" by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) of a shopping mall in
Nablus city in the West Bank on July 8, a day after the closing of
four Nablus charitable societies suspected by the IDF of links to
Hamas. Nablus Governor Jamal Muhaysin, considered, "the Israeli
procedures [to be] an attack on the [Palestinian] Authority," and he
promised to resist the measures, "with all available means."
Muhaysin's condemnation came during a July 8 press conference
organized by the Palestinian Ministry of Information. Al Quds' lead
photo shows two men looking at a flyer posted by Israeli soldiers on
the entrance to the Nablus shopping mall, instructing merchants to
vacate their stores.
Cairo's denial of an "American veto" on its efforts to achieve
reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas is the lead story in Al-
Ayyam. The Egyptians added that internal Palestinian talks will be
held at a suitable time and that priority now will be given to
bolstering the weak truce between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza
Strip. In related news, all front pages report that Israel reopened
Gaza Strip crossing points on July 8 at Egypt's request.
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads for a third day with news about the visit
of Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas to Damascus on July
8. In his statements to the press before leaving Damascus, Abbas
said, "Palestinian unity is important and laying a proper foundation
to regain unity through dialogue is also important... we are working
hard to overcome this dangerous crisis." Nabil Amro, Palestinian
Authority Ambassador to Egypt, commented that Egypt is, "strongly
insisting on establishing the necessary conditions to make [internal
Palestinian dialogue] successful."
In an exclusive interview with Al- Quds, Italian Foreign Minister
Franco Frattini said on July 8 that Italy is ready to work towards a
just settlement of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict without,
"unilateral actions or pre-set conditions." He also called on the
international community to support Palestinian Authority President
Abbas in restoring the Palestinian people's unity and reinstating a
"constitutional situation" in the Gaza Strip.
Al Quds highlights 15 million Euros in assistance from the European
Commision to cover salaries of Palestinian Authority employees. In
related coverage, all dailies note that France, the European
Commission and Tony Blair accused Israel of hindering their efforts
to help the Palestinians, in a statement released on July 8 after a
Paris "follow-up meeting" to the December international donors
conference also held in Paris.
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BLOCK QUOTES:
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1. Independent Al-Quds prints its daily editorial entitled,
"National dialogue should be comprehensive" (7/09): "...Certainly
Abu Mazen's visit to Damascus does not mean the end of...
Palestinian national dialogue. [The dialogue] will not be
successful unless it includes all of the factions and... the sole
loser of the current dramatic situation [internal division] is all
of the Palestinian people and their national cause. The sole and
final winner is the [Israeli] occupation and its settlement
activities and plans to 'swallow up' Palestinian land and change its
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[cultural] features, Jerusalem, in particular, and the West Bank, in
general..."
2. Independent Al-Ayyam runs its daily editorial by Dr. Maher Taha
entitled, "Abbas, Hamas and the truce speech" (7/09): "...Today,
Hamas officials are calling for all factions to unite around their
government and commit to the truce [with Israel]...these calls
resemble those of [Palestinian] National Authority leaders, when
they were in control of the Gaza Strip. We all know that whenever
Abu Mazin has succeeded in reaching an agreement with Israel on
anything in the past, Hamas has claimed that such an agreement
violates the Palestinian people's supreme interests and [Hamas]
makes every effort to undermine Abbas' achievement. Today, however,
much to our surprise, [Hamas] calls upon everybody to honor the
truce and claims that it serves the resistance and Palestinian
interests. Shouldn't we ask: How does Hamas define the people's
interest? Is there any relation between those 'interests'... and
the private interests of Hamas and its leaders?"
Walles
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