Cablegate: Jerusalem Media Reaction (12/01): Pa Calls On

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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

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TAGS: PREL KMDR KPAL KWBG KPAO IS

SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (12/01): PA Calls on
International Community to Take Decisive Measures; EU to Recognize
Palestinian Capital

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Main Stories:
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Independent daily Al-Quds leads with coverage of remarks given by
Riyad Mansour, Permanent Palestinian observer, at the United Nations
in New York yesterday, on behalf of President Abbas commemorating
the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Abbas' statement proclaimed that "it is time for the international
community to take decisive measures that lead to a two state
solution and end Israeli occupation."

Citing Israeli daily Haaretz, Maan reports that EU's foreign
ministers plan to recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of a
future Palestinian state next week. According to the story,
Ha'aretz claimed it obtained a draft document (supposedly authored
by Sweden, the current EU presidency) which outlines the EU's plan
to recognize a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood.

Palestinian Authority official daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads with
the sarcastic headline "Israel Talks About Partial Settlement
Freeze: Netanyahu Approves Construction of 25 Housing Units."
According to the article, Netanyahu approved the units in the Kidar
Settlement in the West Bank because he did not considered those
units to be included in the freeze. The article did not provide
details as to why Netanyahu considered the units exceptions to the
moratorium.

Local press continues reporting on the prisoner exchange deal
despite conflicting information on the deal's status. Citing
Israeli TV, the dailies report that progress has been made and that
the deal is nearing conclusion. Independent news outlet Ma'an
however, reports that the chief justice of Israel's highest court
stated that the parties are far from a deal. According to the
article the parties disagree on 70 of the prisoners proposed for
released.

The dailies report that settlers from Yetzhar settlement attacked
Palestinians in Bourin village near the northern West Bank city of
Nablus yesterday. Independent daily Al-Quds frontpages a photo of
Israeli soldiers protecting a Palestinian house from the settlers'
attack.
Independent daily Al-Ayyam quotes Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouq
denying news that Hamas sent a delegation to Egypt to resume
national reconciliation efforts. Abu Marzouq called on the
Egyptians to return items that were previously included in the
reconciliation proposal.

Maan reports that Bethlehem University student Berlanty Assam, who
was deported to Gaza a month ago, appeared in an Israeli court
yesterday. A supporter who attended the hearing told Ma'an that the
Holy See's envoy to the Holy Land promised to personally ensure
Azzam's return to Gaza after graduation, but that the court rejected
the proposal. (Note: Berlanty's legal representative has informed
the Consulate that a follow up hearing for the case is scheduled for
Sunday, November 6.)

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BLOCK QUOTES:
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1. Hani Al-Masri writing in Al-Ayyam under the headline "The Impact

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of the Prisoner Exchange Deal on the Palestinian Map," urges Hamas
to become more flexible after the exchange is concluded to focus on
national reconciliation and achieving unity. Al-Masri opines that
Hamas has to understand that Israel will never favor Hamas over
Fatah or Fatah over Hamas. In his opinion, Israel will empower both
Hamas and Fatah to avoid strengthening any Palestinian faction to
dominate the Palestinian scene.

2) Al-Quds runs an editorial entitled "Settlers ... Above the Law,"
in which it raises the issue that although Israel is considered the
model for a democratic state in the Middle East, its settlers attack
the Palestinians without any respect for law and order. The writer
rhetorical questions, "How would the situation be if the
Palestinians were the ones who attacked the settlers? Would the
Israeli Government stay calm as it is now?"

3) Hamdi Farraj writing in Al-Quds under the title "During Al-Adha
Eid We Only Sacrificed Animals," calls on Hamas and Fatah to think
of the national interests of the Palestinian people, to sacrifice
and work towards achieving national reconciliation for their
people.

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