VZCZCXRO6085
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1651/01 2491010
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051010Z SEP 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2696
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 7305
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4287
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4140
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5634
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4055
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2621 UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001651 
 
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:            
SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (9/05): INTERNAL PALESTINIAN 
DIVISION DOES NOT EXPLAIN ABSENCE OF PEACE AGREEMENT 
 
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Main Stories: 
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Al-Quds and Al-Ayyam lead with photos and news from the wires, 
especially AFP, about the September 4 Damascus meeting between 
leaders of France, Syria, Turkey and Qatar.  The two papers headline 
Syrian President Al-Assad's quote, "we defined a general negotiation 
document with six points," while Al-Quds' front page story 
highlights the letter for Israeli soldier Shalit.  Al-Ayyam 
underscores wire reporting on the purpose of the meeting to give 
momentum to Syrian-Israeli negotiations and also tackle the 
"dangerous" Iranian nuclear issue and "fragile" situation in 
Lebanon.  Al-Quds gives prominence to wire reporting on Al-Assad's 
assurance in a September 4 interview with Hezbollah satellite TV 
Al-Manar, that Damascus will not forsake Hezbollah and has no 
interest in seeing resistance [to Israeli occupation] end. 
 
The three dailies highlight statements by Palestinian Authority 
Prime Minister Fayyad reiterating the importance of establishing a 
Palestinian state along the 1967 borders and warning all parties in 
the peace process, especially the Unites States and the Quartet, 
against the danger of continued Israeli "stalling" on adhering to 
"rules of the peace process" as outlined by international law. 
Fayad added that all parties are responsible for endig [negative] 
Israeli policies, especially settlemnt expansion, which endanger 
the peace process, ccording to reporting.  The comments came duringthe inauguration of the new courthouse in the WestBank city of 
Jericho, a project largely funded b USAID.  Fayyad stressed that 
the Palestinian Authority (PA) is placing special emphasis on 
improving the judicial branch, its infrastructure and capacity.  On 
inside pages, USAID's significant role in the establishment of the 
new courthouse is highlighted:  Prime Minister Fayyad and the PA 
chief justice expressed appreciation for USAID contributions. 
Remarks by USAID eputy Director Dave Harden were also reported, 
quting Harden, "complimenting PA efforts to empower he judiciary 
branch" and stating that the U.S. sared the Palestinian "dreams for 
justice and peae." 
 
Al-Hayyat Al-Jadida leads with intra-Palestnian dialogue issues, 
including accusations that amas is hindering the process.  The 
daily writesthat Egyptian officials continue to meet with 
Paestinian factions in preparation for a comprehensie dialogue 
following Eid Al-Fitr that will focuson the establishment of a 
transitional governmentthat will prepare concurrent Palestinian 
legislaive and presidential elections.  Democratic Front or the 
Liberation of Palestine party leader Hawamah maintained that Hamas 
continues to underminedialogue by insisting on a bilateral meeting 
with Fatah before the launch of talks.  In related coverage, Al-Quds 
front page reports that Palestinian Authority (PA) presidential 
advisor, Ahmad Abdel-Rahman, told reporters that Fatah will go to 
the Cairo dialogue with no pre-conditions and PA President Abbas 
will not participate in his role as a party member because he is 
everybody's president.  Al-Quds, in an exclusive interview with 
Ahmad Yousef political advisor to Hamas leader Haniyyah, quotes 
Yousef calling for an end to "disputes and hatred between Fatah and 
Hamas. 
 
The Republican convention is covered on Al-Quds' front page by its 
Washington correspondent.  The article highlights Vice Presidential 
nominee Palin, "violently attacked Obama, defended herself and 
praised McCain," in her acceptance speech.  The bold-print headline 
reads, "the war in Iraq is a mission from God," while the article 
runs the Palin quote, "Pray for our soldiers who seek to do the 
right thing for this country... our national leadership sent them on 
 
JERUSALEM 00001651  002 OF 002 
 
 
a mission from God." 
 
Al-Ayyam reports that Israeli authorities are restricting access to 
the Al-Aqsa mosque on September 5, the first Friday of Ramadan. 
 
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BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
 1.  Wadi' Abu Nassar, Executive Director of the Assembly of Catholic 
Bishops in the Holy Land, opines in independent Al-Quds under the 
headline  "An agreement to show off, not to implement" (09/05): 
"Recently, American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice concluded 
her 17th visit to the Middle East by insisting that Palestinian and 
Israeli leaders continue negotiations to reach an agreement before 
the end of the year, despite her realization that the chances of 
this happening have become extremely slim.  It appears that Rice is 
not at all concerned by her aides' and diplomats' analysis that the 
current Israeli Premier Olmert not only does not want to reach an 
agreement with the Palestinians on the core issues... but 
essentially is incapable because [of political weakness].  Rice also 
seems to ignore warnings that Palestinian leadership will not accept 
an incomplete agreement that ignores any of the permanent status 
issues... because [acceptance] would destroy what is left of their 
credibility in the eyes of the Palestinian people and all the Arab 
and Muslim peoples in the world..." 
 
 2.  Al-Ayyam independent runs an editorial by regular contributor 
Mohamid Yaghy entitled, "Do not export their crisis to us" (09/05/) 
that argues: "We are in a crisis... but is it the [internal] crisis 
that is denying our people a political solution?  No... Take note 
that negotiations with Israel started 17 years ago.  During 16 of 
those years, we were not divided into Gaza and the West Bank and we 
did not have an open dispute over who represents the Palestinian 
people and there was no armed competition between the factions... if 
Israel does not want peace and does not want to stop settlements and 
has no desire to remove any checkpoints [or] modify the route of its 
barrier to conform with the green line... [Israel will have to] 
confront its enemies on its own.  In the south, it has to face Hamas 
and in the north, Hezbollah and Syria, and in the east Iran... 
Moreover, Israel must face the deep and ever-mounting hatred 
accumulating against her in the Arab and Muslim world." 
 
WALLES