Cablegate: Jerusalem Media Reaction (11/12): The Palestinian Authority

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SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (11/12): The Palestinian Authority
and Hamas signal a willingness to sign the Egyptian national
reconciliation plan

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Main Stories:
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The three dailies lead with the commemoration of the 5th anniversary
of Yasser Arafat's death on Wednesday. In his speech, Palestinian
Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas said that "no negotiations
will take place with Israel prior to halting all settlement
activity." He also reiterated that the PA rejects a state with
temporary borders. In addressing Hamas, Abbas said that Fatah is
still in favor of achieving national reconciliation with Hamas based
on the Egyptian proposal.

Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reports on Ramattan News Agency closing its
offices in Gaza in protest of a Hamas incursion of its premises on
Wednesday and obstructing a press conference on the commemoration of
the 5th anniversary of Arafat's death. In related news, the dailies
report that Hamas did not allow commemoration activities to take
place in Gaza and arrested tens of Fatah affiliates and supporters
in Gaza.

Maan reports on the Head of the Palestinian Legislative Council Aziz
Dweik saying to Al-Jazeera Arabic yesterday that Hamas will sign the
Egyptian proposal for national reconciliation before the end of the
month. Al-Ayyam quotes Dweik noting that he will run for president
if President Abbas resigns.

The dailies report on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's
meeting with President Obama in Washington on Tuesday. Al Ayyam
reports that Netanyahu seemed to be tense after the meeting and gave
no indication of what was discussed. Al Quds quotes a senior
official noting that the meeting between Netanyahu and Obama was an
"ice breaker between the two." The headline reads the "US
understands and respects the Israeli red lines." Israeli Defense
Minister Ehud Barak is quoted in Al Quds as saying that the meeting
"helped to identify a solid ground for the resumption of peace
talks." Citing Ha'aretz, Al-Hayat Al-Jadia reports that the US was
disappointed with the meeting.

Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Ayyam front page news on the Palestinian
Liberation Organization Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat saying that 18
years of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations failed and stressed that
President Abbas is convinced now that it is impossible to establish
a Palestinian state under the current Israeli government led by
Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The dailies and Maan report on Hamas Prime Minister Isma'el Haniyeh
telling a delegation from the International Committee of the Red
Cross that Hamas is "not looking for more violence," but that he was
sure Israel has "plans to target the Gaza Strip once again."

Hamas newspaper Al-Resalah reports on Israeli Foreign Minister
Avigdor Lieberman noting that President Abbas rejected the prisoner
exchange deal between Hamas and Israel which included the release of
450 Palestinian prisoners, claiming that their release would
increase the violence against Fatah members in the West Bank and
Gaza.

Wednesday, November 11:

The three dailies report on the Israeli authorities issuing 25 new
home demolition orders against Palestinian houses in the Beit-Hanina
neighborhood of East Jerusalem yesterday, claiming that the owners

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lack the appropriate building permits.

Al Quds front pages news citing Israeli TV Channel 10 that the
Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a telegraph stating
that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is considering resigning
from her position because she is not satisfied with her duties. The
coverage notes that Secretary Clinton did not confirm this news.
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BLOCK QUOTES:
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Al-Quds runs an editorial under the title "Abbas' Positions Are
Clear...Any Listeners?" (11/12): "After President Abbas laid out the
requirements he deems necessary for resuming peace talks with the
Israelis, including the cessation of settlement activity and ending
the occupation, things became clearer to everyone. But the question
remains, will the international community, Israel and the US listen
and respond to these requirements and help move the peace process
forward?"

RUBINSTEIN

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