Cablegate: Tokyo Media Reaction - Middle East Peace

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STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
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USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
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CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - MIDDLE EAST PEACE

LEAD STORIES: Most Thursday morning papers front-paged
reports from Islamabad concerning a statement made
Wednesday by a Taliban spokesman that the group has
killed one of the 23 South Korean hostages.

1. "Stepped up Diplomacy for Middle East Peace"
Jerusalem correspondent Mina Mitsui of the top-
circulation, moderate Yomiuri wrote (7/26): "Egyptian
Foreign Minister Gheit and Jordanian Foreign Minister
al-Khatib visited Jerusalem for talks with Israeli
Prime Minister Olmert and Israeli Foreign Minister
Livni. During their meetings, the Egyptian and
Jordanian foreign ministers asked the senior Israeli
government officials to accept the 'comprehensive
Middle East peace plan' advocated by the Arab League.
At a time when Middle East diplomacy is becoming more
active, the Arab League, which has long viewed Israel
as an enemy, is for the first time engaging in direct
talks with the Jewish state. However, as governance of
the Palestinian territories has been split [between the
Palestinian Authority and Hamas], significant obstacles
still stand in the way of resuming peace talks.... The
Israeli, Jordanian, and Egyptian foreign ministers
appear to have discussed President Bush's proposal for
an international conference on Middle East peace. For
the Bush administration, bogged down in Iraq, the move
by moderate Arab states to support Palestinian
President Abbas has been welcome news. Secretary of
State Rice plans to visit the region at the end of this
month in a bid to open the way toward a resumption of
Middle East peace talks."

SCHIEFFER

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