Cablegate: Jerusalem Media Reaction (10/22): Palestinians Continue To

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TAGS: PREL KMDR KPAL KWBG KPAO IS

SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (10/22): Palestinians continue to
question Hamas's intentions regarding national reconciliation

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Main Stories:
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The dailies prominently report that US Ambassador to the UN Susan
Rice pledged, during her meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres
yesterday, that the US will defend the Israeli position on the
Goldstone report at the UN. Rice promised to urge the UNHRC to stop
criticizing Israel for the findings of the report.

Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads with Palestinian Liberation Organization
Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat calling on the US to publicly
acknowledge that Israel is obstructing the peace process. In related
coverage, the dailies report on talks between Israeli and US
officials in Washington last week, including an expectation that
negotiations with the Palestinians will resume soon. The reports
note that the Israelis stressed that negotiations must be based on
UN resolutions 242 and 338. The Palestinian Authority (PA)
Presidency's office spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeina criticized this
demand, saying it is unrealistic to resume negotiations based on
resolution 242 since it does not call for Israel's complete
withdrawal from the West Bank. Abu Rudeina noted that such a demand
by the Israelis will take things back to square one.

The dailies report on Fatah's announcement yesterday that it will
not accept any amendments to the Egyptian proposal for national
reconciliation. Fatah accused Hamas of wasting time to avoid signing
the national reconciliation agreement. In related news, the press
reports that Hamas leader Ismail Ridwan said Hamas is waiting for
Egypt to invite them to Cairo to discuss the proposed amendments. He
stated that Hamas can't sign the current proposal since it is biased
against Hamas.

Al-Quds leads with comments by Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti
(imprisoned in an Israeli jail) that there is no rational excuse or
justification behind postponing the reconciliation agreement. He
commended the PA for its efforts to resubmit the Goldstone report to
UNHRC, noting that this step should be appreciated by all parties.
He also stated that he doesn't see any Israeli partner who is
serious about the peace process.
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BLOCK QUOTES:
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1) Rimonda Taweel opines in Al-Quds independent daily under the
title "Nobel, Obama and Hope" (10/22): "By having President Obama
accept the Nobel prize, we understand that he is ready to bear
responsibility. We know that he won't let the whole world down ...
We, the Palestinians, want Obama to be the man of the world, the man
of peace."

2) Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily under
the title "How to Fill the Constitutional Vacuum?"(10/22): "If the
reconciliation agreement is not signed, we have to be ready to face
a severe constitutional vacuum ... We have to prepare legal and
constitutional solutions that will protect the Palestinians from a
major crisis."

RUBINSTEIN

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