Cablegate: Jerusalem Media Reaction (10/30): In-Fighting Vs. Fighting
VZCZCXRO8979
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1974/01 3041116
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301116Z OCT 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3140
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
RUENAAA/CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7380
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4360
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4213
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5707
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4129
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2694
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001974
SIPDIS
STATE PASS BBG
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM
NSC FOR ABRAMS
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 (10/30): IN-FIGHTING VS. FIGHTING
"THE OCCUPATION"
-------------
Main Stories:
-------------
Al Quds and Al Ayyam lead with news of Egypt delivering invitations
to Palestinian factions for a national dialogue conference. All
papers report on details including Palestinian Authority President
Abbas being invited to attend the opening session on November 9th.
Five committees will be established to discuss the Egyptian proposal
for Palestinian unity and report out 4 weeks later, according to
reporting. Al Quds reports separately on a telephone call between
Abbas and his Egyptian counterpart on October 29. The two leaders
discussed Palestinian national dialogue, the peace process, and the
recent U.S. military strike on Syria.
Al Hayat Al Jadida leads with the arrival of the "international
solidarity" boat to Gaza on October 29. All front pages highlight
photos of the boat. In other Gaza news, Al Ayyam and Al Quds run
front page comments by Israeli Defense Minister Barak threatening to
use force to free kidnapped Israeli soldier Shalit from Gaza. Barak
also urged his government to make "difficult" decisions to secure
Shalit's freedom before the formation of a new Israeli government.
All front page run stories and photos of flooding in Gaza and the
West Bank. The papers quote Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime
Minister Fayyad stating on October 29 that the PA would provide
"everything possible" to assist Palestinians affected by the
flooding in Gaza. Fayyad also called on the international community
to "immediately intervene" to "avert the disaster" facing the Gaza
Strip, according to the papers. Front pages note international
assistance announced by Japan: $10 million in direct budget support
to the PA.
Several "peace process" meetings are highlighted on front pages: Al
Ayyam quotes Israeli and American spokespersons revealing a meeting
in the next few weeks between President Bush and Israeli Premier
Olmert, while Al Quds reports that Secretary of State Rice will
visit the region next week. The paper comments that the visit could
be to, "show the world that the Bush administration is not a lame
duck." In a separate announcement, Al Quds' front page notes a
November 4 meeting of the Middle East Quartet to take place in Sharm
Al Sheikh, Egypt.
The three papers run front page stories about the "cold-blooded"
killing by Israeli soldiers of a 70-year old Palestinian at his farm
in Al Yamun village, near the West Bank city of Jenin on October 29.
Al Ayyam's front-page reports on an "extremist Jew" vandalizing the
Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Al Quds runs a similar
inside story explaining that several crosses were damaged and monks
attacked during the incident.
The papers report on inside pages about a new partnership between
USAID and Al Quds University in the area of legal studies. The
report reveals that the joint project was launched on October 29 in
the presence of USAID Director Howard Sumka.
------------
BLOCK QUOTES:
------------
1) Regular contributor Talal Okal writes in Al Ayyam under the
title, "Nothing more than nonsense" (10/30): "There is nothing in
JERUSALEM 00001974 002 OF 002
[Israeli President] Peres' proposal that merits even a moment's
thought. [Peres] lacks any decision making power or influence over
Israeli decision makers... So, can we expect Israel to accept the
Arab initiative? We might have if Palestinians and Arabs were in a
better and stronger position, or if they were the party hindering a
solution [to the conflict]. Given the current state of affairs,
everything proposed by Peres is nothing but nonsense."
2) Abdullah Awwad opines in Al Ayyam under the title "Prices
collapsed....but here they remain (steady)" (10/30): "Our
experience [of the siege] shows us clearly that ... as people
continue to suffer from poverty and hunger...and economic
hardship... our factions are spending large sums of money on
armaments... that are ultimately used in an [internal] struggle for
power and not in resisting the [Israeli] occupation..."
Walles