Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02AMMAN5718
2002-10-03 05:44:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION ON U.S. DECISION REGARDING

Tags:  KMDR JO 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 005718

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR,
I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN
USAID/ANE/MEA
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH
PARIS FOR O'FRIEL
USCINCCENT//CCPA, USCENTCOM REAR MACDILL AFB FL
STATE PASS TO AID

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KMDR JO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON U.S. DECISION REGARDING
JERUSALEM


Summary

-- Lead stories in all Arabic dailies today, October
2, carry wire service reports highlighting President
Bush's signature of the Foreign Relations
Authorization Act for FY03, which includes a
"Jerusalem provision" that calls on the United States
to recognize Jerusalem as ISRAEL's "undivided and
eternal capital". One paper's headline announced "New
American Balfour Declaration" (Al-Aswaq); while the
headline in high-circulation, semi-official Al Ra'i's
read: "Bush signs Congressional decision to consider
Jerusalem as ISRAEL's capital". Mass-appeal,
independent daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm characterized the
signing as being the result of "a deal between the
Congress and the White House that opens the door for a
decision to strike Iraq." Majority of editorial
commentaries today strongly criticize the U.S. action
as "extremely provocative" and as a "blow" to
international legitimacy and "disrespect" to the
Muslim and Arab world.

Editorial Commentary

-- "A very provocative American law"

Center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(10/02) editorializes: "The law that was submitted by
Congress and signed by the President considering
Jerusalem as ISRAEL's capital represents the biggest
and most dangerous defiance of the Arab and Muslim
world. This law is, without a doubt, a huge blow to
the already fledgling peace process. It also weakens
even more the credibility of the American mediator,
who is well known for his blind bias in favor of the
ISRAELi viewpoint. Most of all, it is a sign of
disrespect and humiliation to all Muslims around the
world. We urge the Arab and Muslim world, on all
levels, to express their anger at this law that is a
stab in the back of more than one billion Muslims."

-- "America hates the Arabs and not the other way
around"

Daily columnist Musa Hawamdeh writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(10/02): "The latest American decision that considers
Jerusalem as ISRAEL's capital completely destroys U.S.
credibility as far as the Arab-ISRAELi conflict is
concerned. The American decision is a reward for the
occupation and for Sharon's massacres and bloodshed.
America has exposed its true nature of its intentions
towards the Palestinians and the Arabs. This poses
the question: why do they (the Americans) hate us
(Arabs)?"

-- "The U.S. is a party in the religious struggle over
Jerusalem"

Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(10/02): "It is clear that the Zionistic U.S.
Congress wants to get the U.S. administration involved
in a long struggle with the Muslim world by imposing
the Jerusalem provision in the Foreign Relations
Authorization Act. The requirement now is an Arab and
Muslim political campaign that rises up to the level
of this provocation. It is the responsibility of the
Arab and Muslim official authorities to respond to
this defiance, otherwise, the Muslim people and the
non-official organizations will respond, and we all
know how their response would be. Before Arab and
Muslim regimes start to criticize terrorism and
declare their readiness to combat it, they should
adopt a stand against this rude American provocation
that shows, once more, the America's insolence towards
the Muslim world."

-- "The American Knesset"

Columnist Rashad Abu Daoud writes on the back page of
center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(10/02): "Politically speaking, the law recognizing
Jerusalem as ISRAEL capital is a declaration changing
the Palestinian and Middle East issue as a whole from
a regional military and political struggle into a
religious cause. It also changes the issue from being
an issue that has to do with three million
Palestinians to a declaration of war against a billion
Muslim around the world."
GNEHM