Cablegate: Jerusalem Special Media Reaction (10/13): Palestinian

VZCZCXRO8692
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1813/01 2861420
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 131420Z OCT 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6296
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 7892
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4864
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4714
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6205
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4636
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3225

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 001813

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 SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION (10/13): Palestinian
Authority officials, Hamas, and opinion leaders react to speeches by
President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mishal

--------
Summary:
--------

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader
Khaled Mishal gave back-to-back speeches October 11. In his speech
from Ramallah, President Abbas reiterated that the PA is committed
to the peace process. However, he noted that in order to achieve
peace, the Israelis must halt all the settlement activities and stop
escalating their attacks against Jerusalem. Abbas also explained the
rationale for postponing the vote of the Goldstone report, saying
that the PA feared it would not secure enough support for a positive
outcome. Finally, Abbas accused Hamas of taking advantage of the
repercussions of postponing the vote to evade the national
reconciliation agreement and provoke tension.

Minutes later, Mishal gave a speech from Damascus in which he
insisted on the Palestinians' right of resistance as long as the
occupation continues. He accused the PA and Abbas of wasting the
only chance to punish Israel for committing war crimes in Gaza by
postponing the vote on the report. He also called on the PA to stop
the security coordination with the Israelis and Americans. Mishal
explained that Hamas called for postponing the national
reconciliation agreement date because the climate is not appropriate
after the anger that resulted from the Goldstone issue. He accused
President Obama of being biased to the Israelis, and expressed his
surprise that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for his words only.

-------------
Main Stories:
-------------
Hamas, Palestinian Authority officials, and opinion leaders reacted
immediately to the two speeches in the Palestinian and Hamas-run
press.

Palestinian press and Hamas media outlets highlighted Hamas's swift
reaction to Abbas's speech; spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri noted on
Al-Jazeera Arabic that Hamas considered President Abbas's remarks on
the Goldstone report an attempt to evade responsibility. He opined
that the speech included many inaccuracies and contradictions, and
was full of attacks against Hamas that do not serve Palestinian
national interests. Finally, Abu Zuhri said that Abbas should have
admitted that he made a mistake when he called for a postponement to
the vote on the Goldstone report.

Spokesperson of the Hamas government in Gaza, Taher Al-Nouno, noted
in a press conference that President Abbas's speech was an attempt
to deceive the public and evade responsibility for his role in the
postponement of the vote on the Goldstone report. He noted that
Palestinians expected an apology from the President but instead
Abbas appeared adamant that his intentions not be misunderstood. He
added that the speech did not show a spirit of reconciliation, but
rather it deepened divisions and hatred.

Hamas's Gaza leader Ismail Haniyyeh said that the speech reflected
the severe political crime that Abbas committed against the
Palestinian people. He noted that the speech merely reiterated
Israeli and US policies, and added that "the conspiracy that is
being cooked up against our people is very big, and its final
chapters are almost ready."

Hamas's representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan expressed his

JERUSALEM 00001813 002 OF 003

disappointment that Abbas did not apologize to the Palestinians, but
rather he chose to escalate things with Hamas. He noted that Hamas
needs more time to consult with its leadership concerning national
reconciliation in light of Abbas's speech.

In parallel to these reactions, the local press also highlighted
Palestinian reactions to Khaled Mishal's speech. The dailies report
on the Fatah Central Committee condemning Mishal's speech and
expressing its disappointment in the attacks against Fatah and the
Palestinian leadership. The reports note that Mishal used a tone of
incitement against Fatah and President Abbas.

Al-Ayyam reports on Abdel Alim Da'na, member of the Central
Committee of the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine,
reiterating that the only way to end the Palestinian division is
through the national reconciliation process and therefore he
criticized Mishal for postponing the reconciliation date. Political
leaders and analysts echoed this reaction, also criticizing Mishal
for postponing the national reconciliation agreement date.

Fatah leader Fathallah Abu Samhadana noted that Hamas is only
looking for justifications to evade the national reconciliation
agreement and the national dialogue. He stressed that if it wasn't
the Goldstone report, Hamas would have invented other reasons to
avoid signing the national reconciliation agreement.

Fatah leader Hussein Al-Sheikh said that Mishal's speech complicates
the national reconciliation efforts. In reference to Mishal's
statement that they keep resistance as an option, Al-Sheikh
inquired, "Where is the resistance that you are talking about when
you agreed to a truce with Israel in Gaza?"
-------------
BLOCK QUOTES:
-------------

1) Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul opines in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida under the title
"What did Mishal start the auction with?" (10/13): "Comparing the
two speeches of President Abbas [Abu Mazen] and Khaled Mishal, we
notice a big difference between the two. We have a balanced and wise
man [Abu Mazen] and a selfish narrow minded man [Mishal] who is
ready to do anything in order to become the leader of the PLO ...
Mishal could have done much better if he abdandoned the hatred and
selfishness. He could have criticized Abbas and the leadership but
in an objective manner ... The auction is open to everyone, Mishal
can keep raising the ceiling to destroy national unity and ruin the
political regime."

2) Rajab Abu Sirriyeh opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily under the
title: "Abbas/Mishal : Parallel Speeches" (10/13): "While the Abbas
speech was very well written and focused ... Mishal had an emotional
speech that addressed the political instincts of the public, a
typical third world leader. Abbas and Mishal represented two
different worlds. One belongs to the modern world who seeks to
become a member of the democratic regime, while the other still
belongs to a world that disappeared a long time ago ... Mishal's
speech will serve Netanyahu and ... unfortunately, the Palestinian
state exists between the weakness of the PA and the stubbornness and
selfishness of Hamas."

3) Oraib Rintawi opines in Paltoday.com under the title
"An honest analysis of Abbas speech" (10/13): "How did you, Mr.
President, allow your people - including Yasser Abed Rabbo - to

JERUSALEM 00001813 003 OF 003

speak on your behalf and admit that you made a mistake in postponing
the vote on the Goldstone report if you say that there wasn't a
mistake? ... You could have solved all of this with one statement of
apology to your people ... Such a sentence could have rescued the
national reconciliation."

RUBINSTEIN

© Scoop Media