VZCZCXRO5497
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1276/01 2051014
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 241014Z JUL 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5546
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 7789
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4761
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4608
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6102
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4527
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3103 UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001276 
 
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 (07/24): PALESTINIANS CALL FOR 
GREATER PRESSURE ON ISRAEL REGARDING SETTLEMENTS 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
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Al-Quds and Al-Ayyam front page news that Secretary Clinton will 
announce a $200 million cash transfer to the Palestinian Authority 
(PA) based on pledges made at the Sharm Al-Sheikh donors' 
conference. The coverage reports that Secretary Clinton will 
announce the cash transfer via videoconference link from Washington 
on July 24 in conjunction with PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Ayyam front page news on Special Envoy 
George Mitchell's visit to Syria. Coverage notes State Department 
Spokesperson P.J. Crowley's statements  that the visit will help the 
US assess the prospects for achieving peace with Israel and to see 
if Syria is ready to help lead the peace process in the region. 
 
Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida lead with news that the Israeli 
government transferred property in the Al-Bustan neighborhood in 
East Jerusalem to the "extremist Jewish movement" ElAd Groupin. The 
report highlights the Israeli government's intentions to evacuate 
the neighborhood of Arab residents and construct a public park and 
housing units under Jewish Israeli ownership. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida runs front page coverage on Israeli Prime 
Minister Netanyahu calling for a "very warm peace with the Arab 
states" during a statement he made at the house of the Egyptian 
Ambassador to Israel on July 23. Netanyahu noted that he hopes to 
have peace with the Palestinians, but did not mention the cessation 
of settlement activities. In related news, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front 
pages PA Spokesperson Abu Rudeina's comments on Netanyahu's speech, 
saying that "what we need now is to translate words into actions, 
halt the settlement activities, especially in East Jerusalem, and 
accept the two state solution without any preconditions." 
 
Al-Ayyam runs front page coverage citing DPA on PLO Chief Negotiator 
Saeb Erekat denying news that the PA requested to meet with Israeli 
officials to pursue peace talks. Erekat is quoted saying "the 
Palestinians will not have any meetings with Israel unless the 
Israeli Prime Minister clearly recognizes the two state solution and 
stops all settlement activity, including natural growth." 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's front page and Al-Quds and Al-Ayyam inside 
pages report on US Consul General Jake Walles's July 23 visit to 
Hebron to meet with local officials and entrepreneurs. 
 
Al-Ayyam front pages news citing DPA that Senior Fatah leader Nabil 
Sha'ath called for an end to the internal division and called on 
Fatah and Hamas to engage in a real reconciliation dialogue. Sha'ath 
stated that failure to do so will lead to the continued 
deterioration of the situation in Gaza and the Palestinian cause as 
a whole, and will justify Israel's continued violations. 
 
All dailies front page news on the head of the Fatah's parliamentary 
block, Azzam Al-Ahmad, noting on July 23 that recently released 
Hamas Palestinian Liberation Council (PLC) member Dr. Aziz Dweik 
cannot resume his duties as the head of the PLC as he was not 
elected by the PLC members for a second term. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
- 
1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title, "Who 
is responsible for freezing the peace process?" (07/24): "The 
 
JERUSALEM 00001276  002 OF 002 
 
 
Palestinians are not the obstacle to peace. On the contrary, they 
consider peace a strategic choice. They are not the ones who hinder 
the peace process, it is the Israelis who continuously create 
excuses to delay the peace process and suspend negotiations. Now we 
have Netanyahu who laid out many unrealistic preconditions to 
re-launching peace talks, which proves that he and his government 
are not serious about peace!" 
 
2) Samih Shbeib opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily under the title 
"The Settlements and the US Stance" (07/24): "If the US position on 
settlements remains the same without any real pressure on Israel to 
halt settlements...then the US administration under Obama will lose 
its credibility and will be exactly like the previous 
administrations, and this will deepen the gap between the US and the 
Muslim world again". 
 
WALLES