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FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3197
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RUEAHQA/CSAF WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
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RUENAAA/CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7394
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4374
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4227
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5721
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4143
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2708
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 002008
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 (11/10): PALESTINIAN FAMILY
EVICTED AMID CALLS FOR END OF SETTLEMENT ACTIVITIES
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Main Stories:
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Al Quds leads with news of Israeli police using force to evict a
Palestinian family from their home in Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah
neighborhood and then handing the property over to "Israeli
settlers" on November 9. All front pages highlight the news, with
Al Ayyam and Al Quds running photographs of the evicted Al Kurd
family, including the handicapped owner in a wheelchair surrounded
by supporters and Israeli police. The Ayyam reports that Israel
issued eviction ultimatums to seven other families in the
neighborhood, adding that, "the eviction, which coincided with the
[Middle East] Quartet meeting, is part of the Israeli plan to build
an Israeli settlement replacing 28 Arab houses." Al Quds' inside
page shows a series of photos from the eviction including one of
Israeli settlers clapping in applause of the eviction.
Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida lead with news from the Middle East
Quartet meeting in Sharm Al-Sheikh in Egypt on November 9. Al Ayyam
quotes Jordan's King Abdullah and the Quartet calling for a
continuation of the Annapolis process and a freeze of Israeli
settlement activities. Al Hayat Al Jadida quotes Quartet
Representative Tony Blair calling on president-elect Obama to give
priority to the Palestinian question. The papers also quote
Palestinian Authority President Abbas from a joint press conference
with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, stating that PA meetings
with Israeli Premier Olmert and Livni will continue. Abbas also
revealed that the Quartet meeting produced a detailed report about
the progress of negotiations since the Annapolis conference." Abbas
added, "we know that we will not achieve peace now, but we will make
every possible effort to move in that direction," papers report.
Al Quds' front page runs statements by Palestinian Authority (PA)
Presidency representative Nabil Sha'ath announcing that he expects
internal Palestinian dialogue to continue in Cairo in two weeks
time. The comment, reacting to Hamas' boycott of the talks, was
made in Cairo on November 9. The dailies run inside reports about
wide-spread anger among the Palestinian public over Hamas' boycott
of the talks. Al Ayyam runs a quote by PA President Abbas asking
Egypt during a November 9 press conference to assist in forming a
transitional PA government committed to previous PLO agreements.
Al Hayat Al Jadida's inside page reports on mass arrests of Fatah
activists in Gaza by Hamas.
All front pages report on the Israeli decision to keep Gaza
crossings points closed. The reports also note that 30% of Gaza
residents suffered loss of electricity on November 9 and experts
expect the blackouts to become more frequent and severe if the
supply of fuel and spare parts continues to be limited by Israel.
The Hamas-run electricity authority in Gaza stated that the
population will face, "tough rationing" as Hamas prepares for the
population's winter heating needs. In related news, Al Quds' inside
page reports on Israeli concerns that smuggling tunnels from Egypt
to Gaza have weakened the impact of Israeli sanctions on the Strip.
Al Quds' and Al Hayat Al Jadida's front pages cite Israeli daily
Haaretz in quoting Hamas leader Haniyyah expressing willingness to
recognize Israel if Israel accepts a Palestinian state within the
1967 borders. Haniyyah's statements were made during a November 9
meeting with foreign supporters who made front page headlines in all
Palestinian dailies on November 9 for sailing into Gaza a day before
to protest Israel's "blockade" of the Strip. Meanwhile, Hamas
JERUSALEM 00002008 002 OF 003
leader Zahhar is quoted on an inside page of Al Quds stating that,
"there is no room for a long-term truce with Israel."
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Weekend stories
---------------
Sunday, November 9
All front pages highlighted Secretary Rice's November 8
"unprecedented" visit to Jenin. Al Quds ran the headline,
Palestinian Authority (PA) Premier, "Fayyad: We thank the United
States for its assistance, and need U.S. involvement to end the
occupation." Al Ayyam headlines, "Rice in Jenin: This is a place of
hope and inspiration- $14 million dollars to fund projects in the
Governorate." Al Hayat Al Jadida headlines, "Rice: I am ever more
convinced of the establishment of the Palestinian state." Reporting
highlights the success of (PA) security efforts in Jenin, including
comments by both Rice and Fayyad that Jenin provides a model for
Palestinian government institutions that will make a Palestinian
state possible. Photos show Rice and Fayyad cutting a ribbon on a
new USAID-funded wing of a Jenin hospital.
Al Ayyam's front page headlines comments by Egypt's Foreign Minister
Abu Ghayt expressing his hope that president elect Obama will
continue to push the peace process forward, and warning that "the
Palestinian people will pay the price," for the postponement of
Cairo Palestinian unity talks. " The Arab Leagues' Secretary
General Amr Mousa adds his warning in the article, stating, "all
Palestinian factions should be aware of the danger of [internal]
division to the Palestinian question and the achievement of peace.
Saturday, November 8
The three dailies lead with coverage of the November 7 meeting
between Secretary Rice and Palestinian Authority President Abbas in
Ramallah. Al Quds quotes "well-informed" sources confirming that
Secretary Rice informed Abbas that she will prepare a comprehensive
report on the progress made in Palestinian-Israeli negotiations
since Annapolis. Sources say Rice stated that the report would
"certainly" not blame the Palestinian side and would not contain any
"surprises" for the Palestinians. The three newspapers report that
Rice expressed 'confidence' that Palestinians will have a state in
the near future, reiterating that the process launched in Annapolis
laid the foundations for such a state.
Al Ayyam's front page quoted former HAMAS Prime Minister Haniyyah
stating that real impediments still exist before a national dialogue
can be launched in Cairo. Haniyyah cited the continued arrests of
Hamas activists in the West Bank as an obstacle also inferring that
they occur in accordance to U.S. and Israeli requests.
Al Qud's front page announced "Plans to enhance settlement
activities in Jerusalem neighborhoods." The paper reported that
Deuty head of the Israeli Mertz left-wing movement and a member of
the Jerusalem Municipal Council "wh is known for his stand against
the Israeli occuation and settlement activities," announced on
November 7 that two large tunnels underneath Jerusalem's Al Aqsa
Mosque complex and in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan will
be opened soon. He added that plans are underway to prepare East
Jerusalem for settlers in the near future. In other Jerusalem news,
Al Ayyam front pages a headline that, "only 20% of houses in East
Jerusalem to be included" in the Israeli census, according to Al
Ayyam's front page. The report quotes officials from the Israeli
National Census Department explaining how this year's census of East
Jerusalem residents will be conducted. In door-to-door interviews
in Dec to Feb., 30 "East Jerusalemite" census department employees
will sample 20% of the houses. The process will also include the
JERUSALEM 00002008 003 OF 003
registration of buildings, reporting notes.
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BLOCK QUOTES:
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1) Al Quds opines under an editorial entitled, "Evicting the Al Kurd
family is another step towards Judaizing Jerusalem" (11/10) "It's
unfortunate, if not scandalous, that Palestinian rifts and divisions
continue... Israel makes use of these differences to consolidate its
presence in Jerusalem and create new de facto settlements in the
Arab neighborhoods one house at a time... [Palestinian leaders, you,
show] little responsibility towards your capital... Jerusalem's
neighborhoods and houses are being lost before your eyes, and you
continue bickering; like the monks of the besieged Constantinople,
hours before its fall... you argue about what comes first, the
release of prisoners or starting dialogue... what a dialogue!"
2) Faisal Abu Khadra writes in Al Ayyam under the title, "A letter
to president-elect Obama" (11/10) "Kindly remember that your
upcoming administration wants to be a mediator and sponsor of the
peace process; which will require standing at an equal distance from
the parties, so that it [the administration] won't be for Israel nor
against it. We Arabs do not want [the U.S. administration] to be
for us but rather for itself and stand for its proposals and
programs that have been accepted by all countries; that is, peace
for land....Your highness is kindly requested...not to select your
envoys, representatives, ambassadors, advisors and mediators for the
Middle East issues from one sect and one ideology that is against
the Arabs and supports Israel; you can imagine the disappointment in
the Arab world when these officials are your top chief employees.
Walles