VZCZCXRO4137
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1171/01 1911041
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 101041Z JUL 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5382
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
RHMFIUU/CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7766
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4739
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4586
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6080
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4505
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3081 UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001171 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:            
SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (07/10): Egyptian Efforts at 
Mediation Continue; New Demolition Orders for East Jerusalem 
Neighborhood 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Al-Quds, and Al-Ayyam all run front-page 
coverage of an Egyptian delegation that arrived in Ramallah July 9. 
The delegation conducted a series of meetings with officials of the 
Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas representatives in preparation 
for the next round of unity talks in Cairo.  The delegation met with 
PA Presidency Secretary General Tayeb Abdel Rahim, who praised 
Egypt's role in supporting the Palestinian national dialogue, and 
stated that the priority for Palestinians is to end internal 
division and proceed with rebuilding Gaza. The delegation also met 
with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on July 9, and will meet with 
President Mamhoud Abbas on July 10. 
 
Al-Quds and Al-Ayyam run front page coverage of reports that 
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak expressed disappointment on the 
continued failure of a prisoner-exchange deal that would include the 
release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.  Mubarak noted 
that an agreement had nearly been reached, but claimed that the deal 
failed  due to the conditions set forth by Israel -- including the 
deportation of former Palestinian prisoners from the Palestinian 
Territories.. 
Al-Ayyam's front pages the statement issued by the G8 nations after 
their summit in Italy on July 9, which stated that the international 
community supports the peace process in the Middle East based upon 
the two-state solution.  The statement also stressed that the 
international community has to bear responsibility in achieving a 
comprehensive and permanent peace between the Israelis and the 
Palestinians. 
 
Al-Ayyam reports on comments made by French President Nicolas 
Sarkozy in a press conference during the G8 summit in Italy on July 
9 that Israel should not commit any unilateral attack against Iran. 
He also noted that Israel must understand that it is not alone in 
its conflict with Iran, and must use diplomacy in resolving the 
issue. 
 
Al-Quds reports on more demolition orders issued by Jerusalem 
municipality for Palestinian houses located in the Al-Bustan 
neighborhood of Silwan (East Jerusalem). These notices, according to 
Palestinian Authority officials, will leave more than 1500 
Palestinians homeless. 
 
Al-Ayyam reports on its front page on the implementation by the 
United Nations Development Program/Program of Assistance to the 
Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP) of a project to rebuild the Gaza 
Strip following the January 2009 conflict.  The project, which is 
expected to last one year, is valued at $12 million dollars, with 
contributions from the Canadian and Swedish governments.  The first 
phase of the project includes removing more than 240,000 tons of 
debris. 
 
Al-Ayyam's front page reports that Benzion Netanyahu (father of 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) appeared on Israeli TV 
Channel 2 in an interview July 9 stating that when his son announced 
his acceptance of the two-state solution, he did not seriously mean 
it.  Netanyahu's father also went on to state that his son had 
intentionally imposed strict conditions that could never be accepted 
by the Palestinians. -------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
1) Al-Quds, "What is Barak negotiating over?" (07/10): "Barak is 
 
JERUSALEM 00001171  002 OF 002 
 
 
negotiating over the expansion of settlement activities in the West 
Bank, although he knows that the settlements are illegitimate and 
will jeopardize the chances of achieving peace in the region... He 
does that in spite of its contradiction with the Labor party's 
agenda regarding settlements." 
 
2) Mouhammad Yaghi, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, "A new tone in Hamas' 
discourse" (07/10): "Many reasons could be behind the change in 
Hamas' political discourse... Maybe its hard experience in Gaza and 
the West Bank, or its readiness to be open to the world and get 
recognition, or because it doesn't want to be blamed for letting 
another opportunity for achieving peace in the region during Obama's 
era go to waste... Hamas should keep up this tone towards ending the 
internal division." 
 
 
WALLES 
S