VZCZCXRO2500
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #2303 3560655
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 220655Z DEC 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7071
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 8012
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4979
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4829
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6317
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4748
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3352
UNCLAS JERUSALEM 002303
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 (12/22): Prisoner exchange deal
still up in the air
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Main Stories:
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The three dailies report that the Israeli cabinet will continue
discussions today regarding the prisoner exchange deal. Ma'an and Al
Jazeera report that the Israeli cabinet will announce its decision
later today. It is reported that Hamas officials expect to have the
deal concluded before the end of the year.
Independent daily Al-Quds' lead headline highlights Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence on deporting some of the
prisoners to Gaza or outside the country. Independent daily Al-Ayyam
reports that Hamas officials refuse to deport any of the released
prisoners.
Palestinian Authority (PA) official daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front
pages an article citing Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot publishing the
names of nine prisoners that Hamas wants released but Israel refuses
to approve.
Independent news outlet Ma'an reports that the Palestinian
Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council appointed Minister of
Prisoners Issa Qareqe to launch an investigation into the reported
organ theft of deceased Palestinians by Israeli officials in the
1990s.
Al-Ayyam reports that settlers attacked and threw stones at a
Palestinian home in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem last night. PA
presidency representative Rafiq Al-Husseini visited the family and
condemned the attack.
Citing DPA, Al-Quds reports that PLO Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat
noted that Egyptian Chief Intelligence Omar Suleiman asked Israeli
decision makers to take decisive measures to stop settlement
activity in order to pursue peace negotiations with the
Palestinians.
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BLOCK QUOTES:
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Al-Quds runs an editorial under the title "We Need an International
Investigation After the Israeli Official Admission of Organ Theft"
calling for an international committee to look into the issue,
punish officials responsible for the theft, and enact measures to
prevent such incidents from happening in future. The writer
questions whether the international community will do this or
continue to have double standards in regards to its bias against
Palestinians.
RUBINSTEIN
N