Cablegate: Jerusalem Media Reaction (10/05): Further Israeli Actions

VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJM #1767/01 2781236
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051236Z OCT 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6208
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
RHMFIUU/CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7880
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4852
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4702
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6193
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4619
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3207

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001767

SIPDIS

STATE PASS BBG
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM
NSC
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 (10/05): Further Israeli actions
at Al Aqsa Mosque anger Palestinians

-------------
Main Stories:
-------------
News on the October 4 confrontations between Palestinian protestors
and Israeli soldiers in the old city of Jerusalem and at Al-Aqsa
mosque receives prominent coverage in the local press. The reports
note that citizens under 50 years old were denied entry to the
mosque to pray. During the confrontations, 40 Palestinians were
arrested and 23 were injured. Senior Fatah member Hatem Abdel Qader
and Kamal Khatib, the head of the Islamic movement in Israel, were
also arrested after being beaten by soldiers. They were later
released after Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Salam
Fayyad intervened on their behalf. According to coverage, Fayyad
contacted the US Consul General in Jerusalem and other consuls
general seeking their help to stop the Israeli escalations. The PA
Ministry of Information issued a press release yesterday condemning
the Israeli actions at Al-Aqsa mosque.

The dailies report on Secretary General of the Palestinian
Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Yasser Abed Rabbo
announcing that PA President Mahmoud Abbas will form a committee to
investigate the postponement of the vote on the Goldstone report
until March 2010. The committee will prepare a report with the
findings and recommendations in two weeks. In related news, Ma'an
news Agency reports that the PA Minister of National Economy Bassem
Khoury resigned in protest of the postponement.

In news related to the national reconciliation efforts, the dailies
quote Senior Fatah leader Mohammad Dahlan stating that the
Palestinian factions are eager to reach an agreement that would end
the internal Palestinian division. However, Dahlan noted there are
still a few unresolved issues in Egypt's plan.

Weekend stories:

Sunday, October 4:

All three dailies run front page stories quoting Egyptian diplomatic
sources in Amman confirming to Al Quds newspaper that Egyptian
Minister of Foreign Affairs Aboul Gheit and Director of Intelligence
Omar Suleiman will conduct talks with President Abbas in Amman
tomorrow to "discuss the latest developments regarding the
Palestinian national dialogue" in preparation for the signing of the
reconciliation agreement in Cairo on October 22. The Egyptian
newspaper Al Ahram quoted Egyptian officials noting that the
reconciliation agreement will include the return of the PA headed by
President Abbas to the administration of Gaza Strip, in addition to
the formation of a committee of Arab states to oversee the
conducting of presidential, legislative, and national council
elections. The PA would also re-assume security responsibilities in
Gaza, including Rafah crossing.

All three dailies also carry front page news on Egyptian President
Mubarak's remarks urging Israel to "reconsider its policies toward
Palestinians and Arabs," warning against its attempts to "impose
facts on the ground" that will not bring peace to the region.
Mubarak also added "If Israel showed good will in terms of its
obligations in this regard, this would encourage Arabs to trust
Israel's intentions." Mubarak also expressed his optimism regarding
the American efforts to resume Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.

Jailed Palestinian Legislative Council member Marwan Al Barghouthi

spoke to all three dailies through his attorney, urging Palestinians
to "hold on to the demand for freezing settlement activities." He
also said that Fayyad's plan should be supported by peaceful and
popular resistance. Al Barghouthi also called upon the PLO Executive
Committee and PLO factions to develop a large-scale national plan to
launch a popular peaceful resistance movement against settlement
activities and Israeli actions in Jerusalem.

All dailies highlight an unnamed PLO official saying that a number
of the PLO Executive Committee members held an informal meeting
yesterday to discuss the implications of postponing the vote on the
Goldstone report. The official noted that the Executive Committee
regards the postponement as a "mistake," adding that the Committee
is waiting for the return of President Abbas from his tour abroad to
discuss the issue. Meanwhile, the Arab League confirmed yesterday in
a statement that it was not consulted about the decision.

Saturday, October 3:

All three dailies run front page stories on Friday's release of 19
female Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a video of kidnapped
Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. The deal came in the context of paving
the way for a deal under which Gilad Shalit will be released in
return for the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. President
Abbas welcomed the prisoners at his headquarters in Ramallah. Khaled
Misha'l, the head of the Hamas political bureau, welcomed the
release and said in a statement from Damascus that "the release of
Palestinian prisoners is a step towards the release of all
prisoners."

The local press report on the UN Human Rights Council agreement to
postpone the vote on the draft resolution related to the Goldstone
report. Palestine's permanent observer to the UN in Geneva
Ambassador Ibrahim Khreisheh told reporters that more time is needed
to carefully study the report. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson
for the Office of the President, and Saeb Erekat, senior Palestinian
negotiator, denied allegations by Israeli media that the PA decided
not to endorse the recommendations of the report. Abu Rudeineh
stressed that the postponement "came at the request of Russia, the
US, and Europe, in agreement with the other groups within the
Council." Riyad Al Malki, PA Minister of Foreign Affairs, told Al
Ayyam that extreme pressure by the US and other countries in the
Arab, Muslim, and Non-aligned groups led to the postponement.

Al Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida run front page stories on Saeb
Erekat's meetings in Washington with Secretary of State Hilary
Clinton, Special Envoy George Mitchell, and other US officials.
Erekat said that open and in-depth discussions took place and
focused on the obligations of both the Palestinians and Israelis in
accordance with the Road Map plan. Erekat stressed that negotiations
should not start from scratch, but rather resume from the point at
which they stopped in December 2008.

Al Quds carries a front page story quoting the Egyptian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ambassador Husam Zaki stating that
Egypt will call for a meeting with all Palestinian factions on
October 19, followed by the signing of the reconciliation agreement
on October 22. Hamas Spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum confirmed that the
meeting will involve all Palestinian factions.
-------------
BLOCK QUOTES:
-------------

1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title
"Al-Aqsa again?"(10/05): "The Israeli government certainly bears
responsibility for the measures that took place at Al-Aqsa Mosque
under its full protection ... It is unacceptable and unrealistic for
the Arab and Muslim world to only condemn and criticize the
violations without any serious effort to exert pressure on Israel to
stop these acts, which if continue, will put the whole region in
danger. Israel is mistaken if it believes that it can continue with
implementing these violations and plans without serious Arab, Muslim
and Palestinian reactions. It should put an end to these violations
before things get worse."

2) Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul opines in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida under the title
"Who stops the Israeli violations?" (10/05):"Efforts needed to stop
the Zionist violations [against Al-Aqsa Mosque] exceed the ability
of the Arabs and Palestinians who have already tried all means
possible to stop the Israel attacks. These efforts need to be
supported by the international community, as well as the Arab and
Muslim states, to form a more effective and influential plan than
what we have now."

RUBINSTEIN

© Scoop Media