VZCZCXRO0436
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1834 2880719
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 150719Z OCT 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6322
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 7898
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4870
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4720
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6211
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4642
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3231
UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001834
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 (10/15): UN Security Council
Discusses the Goldstone Report
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Main Stories:
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News on yesterday's UN Security Council discussion of the Goldstone
report receives prominent coverage in the local press. The reports
note that Palestinian Authority (PA) Foreign Minister Riyad
Al-Maliki gave a speech criticizing US and UN statements that
progress has been achieved towards ending the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict, arguing that this is not true. The press also note that
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev claimed that
re-submitting the Goldstone report to the UN aims to distract the
world's attention from the real threats in the region (in reference
to Iran). She also noted that the Goldstone report is an obstacle to
the peace process. The reports also state that the Israeli
government said it will not join any peace talks with the
Palestinians unless the report is withdrawn from the UN. The three
dailies prominently report that the US pledged to veto any UNSC
resolution that accuses Israel of committing war crimes.
The dailies continue to report on national reconciliation efforts.
The reports note that Fatah will submit its approval for the updated
Egyptian plan for reconciliation today, while the Hamas position is
still ambiguous. Hamas leader Fawzi Barhoum denied news that Hamas
will not respond to the Egyptian plan, but noted that Hamas needs
time to study and review the proposal without any pressure. Fatah's
Azzam Al-Ahmad reiterated that President Abbas will issue a
presidential decree before October 25 saying that presidential and
legislative elections must be held by January 2010, according to
coverage.
The dailies report on PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad telling
representatives of the foreign press in Ramallah yesterday that the
PA will not accept Israel's vision for a Palestinian state, which he
said would be "a Mickey Mouse state." Fayyad also noted that the
Palestinians have not yet lost their confidence in President Obama,
but criticized the international community's expectation for a
resumption of negotiations given the fact that Israel has not
fulfilled any of its obligations under the roadmap.
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BLOCK QUOTES:
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1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title
"Don't we have enough obstacles internally that hinder the
Palestinian reconciliation?" (10/15): "The US reiterates that any
Palestinian unity government has to respect the Quartet principles,
a position that won't be helpful at this stage ... The US should
work on rectifying the extreme positions adopted by the Bush
administration ... The national reconciliation is a strategic goal
for the Palestinians and should be perceived that way by the
international community ... Therefore, imposing any preconditions of
this type means jeopardizing the national reconciliation. This
position contradicts US promises to support the revival of the peace
process."
2) Azmi Al-khawaja opines in Al-Ayyam daily independent under the
title "Obama and the absence of the US pressures on Netanyahu"
(10/15): "Obama has let the Palestinians and Arabs down. Nothing has
changed from the Bush administration ... Despite all the power he
has as the President of the US, Obama is incapable of exerting any
pressure on Israel."
RUBINSTEIN