VZCZCXRO1202
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1792/01 2690819
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 250819Z SEP 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2888
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 7337
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4317
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4170
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5664
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4086
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2651
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001792
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 (9/25): CALL FOR A MEDIA AND
POLITICAL TRUCE AMONG PALESTINIAN FACTIONS
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Main Stories:
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Palestinian Authority (PA) President Abbas says that he is against
any "militarized intifada or armed resistance," according to Al
Ayyam's lead story. Citing remarks made to London-based Al-Hayat
newspaper, Abbas is also quoted reiterating his position that he
will accept any "Arab solution" for ending internal Palestinian
division. The same article quotes PA Presidential spokesman Nabil
Abu Rudaynah confirming that Abbas will meet with President Bush at
the White House on September 25 and ask Bush to pressure Israel to
halt settlement activities. Al Quds' front page expresses doubt
that any tangible outcomes will come of the meeting, noting that
Israeli internal politics have placed peace negotiations "on the
backburner." Other front-page articles note that Abbas will deliver
a speech before the UN General Assembly on September 25.
Al Quds leads with news about "American ideas" being proposed by the
U.S. to bridge the gap between Israeli and Palestinian positions in
peace negotiations. Citing Israeli daily Haaretz, Al-Quds states
that Israel has told Washington that Israeli security concerns must
be addressed in any final-status agreement with the Palestinians.
The dailies report that 20 international
non-governmental-organizations will issue a report on September 25,
condemning Israeli settlement activities and criticizing the Middle
East Quartet for its "several failures" regarding the peace process
and "on-the-ground" improvements for Palestinians. In related news,
Al-Quds front-pages a report that the UN Human Rights Council will
adopt the conclusions of the fact-finding mission headed by South
African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which found that the 2006 Israeli
military operations against Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip may be war
crimes.
Al-Ayyam reports that the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) issued a
report following its September 24 meeting in New York, that
expresses the concern of donor countries' over "Israeli
restrictions" imposed on Palestinian movement. The report adds that
Israeli practices have hindered the development of the Palestinian
economy.
Front-page reports cite Israeli security sources in reporting about
the arrest of East Jerusalemites by Israeli police on charges of
killing two Israeli soldiers. The same reports quote Israeli police
stating that there has been a "sharp increase in attacks carried out
by East Jerusalem Arabs against Israelis."
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BLOCK QUOTES:
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1. Under the title, "A Comprehensive Truce, not an Escalation of
Disputes, is a Must Before Launching Dialogue", independent Al-Quds
argues in its main editorial (09/25): "The success of [internal
Palestinian] dialogue does not depend on Egyptian intentions or...
the increased support of the Arab League, but ultimately on
Palestinian intentions and the seriousness with which parties are
willing to confront challenges and accept their national
obligations. One of the simplest measures that could be implemented
would be a halt to [negative] media campaigns... yet the media
campaigns have not stopped but have escalated along with political
arrests including the arrest of Governor Osama Al-Farra, a Fatah
delegate to the dialogue... There is another critical issue - the
rising debate over how much time Abu Mazen [Abbas] has left in
office... Does Hamas really believe that elections could be
JERUSALEM 00001792 002 OF 002
conducted in 60 days, amid all the internal divisions and disputes?
And can the detained Palestinian Legislative Council chairman or his
deputy really assume the role of president for an indefinite
period?... We call for a comprehensive media and political truce
that will allow for an environment to ensure the success of
[internal] dialogue and put an immediate end to all empty rhetoric.
Let us bring all points of dispute to the table of dialogue, so that
the Cairo meeting does not fail."
2. Regular columnist Adli Sadiq of the official Al-Hayat Al-Jadida
argues under the title "The Desire to Escape" (09/25): "Hamas is
trying to escape [internal] dialogue and the Arab umbrella, which
became a must after the Palestinians tore their own tent. Hamas is
running away now because their last theoretical positions, which
cannot materialize, could very well be exposed during the dialogue
when the Arabs and Palestinians demand an answer of what Hamas wants
at the strategic level? If the answer is a Palestine from river to
sea [historical Palestine] then the next question would be when and
how? The resistance-themed 'victorious' theoretical position is
[Hamas'] language for public mobilization and their justification to
accuse others of treason. This is what Hamas does not want to lose!
They want a rule in Gaza that can make great promises in mosques,
forums and media outlets, alienating others as if other factions
would hate to have a complete Palestine from river to sea.....
Dialogue is an absolute necessity to reach reconciliation on
principals that guarantee that [the coup] will not be repeated..."
MARCHESE