MEDIA REACTION ON MIDDLE EAST

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003870 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 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR JO SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON MIDDLE EAST Summary -- Lead stories in all papers today, June 29, focus on the efforts to achieve a ceasefire by Palestinian militant groups and National Security Advisor Rice's arrival in the region to further the peace process. A number of editorial commentaries today discuss the Palestinian factions agreement to a "truce". Editorial Commentary -- "A successful tactical move" Daily columnist Mohammad Kawash writes on the back page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (06/29): "The resistance factions did not alter their strategies, nor did they retract their objectives and their demands for a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal and for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. They are dealing with the current dangerous events leniently, realistically and sensibly.. The Palestinians are telling the international community, as well as the Americans and the Israelis, that the Palestinian people do not fight for fighting's sake and do not go to war for war's sake, but for their rights, their freedom, their dignity and to achieve statehood. The Palestinian people, after all, want a normal and dignified life, just like all people on this earth." -- "The truce is self-protecting and a first step towards statehood" Daily columnist Hamadeh Fara'neh writes on the op-ed page of semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (06/29): "The American intervention is not a gift or a grant given to the Palestinian people. It is the result of urgent demands by America's Arab friends (Jordan, Egypt, Saudi and Morocco),of continuous European pressure, and of the failure of Israeli policy. The American intervention came on the heels of Palestinian sacrifices, their heroism and their steadfastness. We must, therefore, see the facts as they are and not as we want them to be. The truce is not a conspiracy or a trick and accepting it on the part of the Palestinians is not a sign of stupidity, weakness or lack of ability. It is, rather a political tactic to reap the fruits of sacrifices and a breath-catching station from which the battle for independence continues even if it is by other tools. The purpose is to eliminate the occupation and win independence, not to fight. Fighting, struggling and sacrifices are the available means to achieve the objective of independence, and the roadmap is the internationally-provided program to put an end to the occupation and achieve an independent state." -- "A truce to cross this period" Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (06/29): "The Palestinian factions succeeded in achieving a truce. It is now up to the U.S. administration and how much it wants to impose this truce and stop the bloodbath. Hamas' and (Palestinian Islamic) Jihad's agreement on the truce prevents Rice and others to make war on Hamas the top item of the agenda.. It is the right of any Palestinian to wonder what happens next and whether all their sacrifices over the past two years of the Intifada have been for only this truce. Unfortunately, for the time being, the answer is yes. This is because the current international and regional climate does not offer any political reward for military action.. Since September 11, 2001, when Al-Qa'eda operations came in the same form as the Palestinian suicide bombings, all the blame has been put on the Palestinian side, while Israeli operations were viewed as self-defense.. The world, which has never stopped acknowledging the righteousness of the Palestinian cause, is now dealing with only one priority, namely to stop the violence in order to resume the peace process. Therefore, for the Palestinian side to appear as the party that does not want to stop the violence would actually cover up Israel's denial of Palestinian rights and its continuance of the brutal campaign against the Palestinian people. In other words, armed struggle is no longer giving Palestinians any privileges, rather (it is giving them) only more material and political losses." -- "The ball is in the Israeli and American court" Center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour (06/29) editorializes: "The atmosphere of openness that prevails in the Palestinian political arena brings much reassurance to those peace-loving forces in the region and in the world. The Palestinians are proving, for the umpteenth time, that they are more concerned to push the peace process forward and that they are more willing to abide by their commitments.. Washington, which has adopted policies that are blindly biased in favor of the Hebrew state, finds itself now face to face with the international community, and must therefore bring something new to the Arab-Israeli conflict. It is no longer reasonable or acceptable for the U.S. administration to continue its crazy war against the so-called `Palestinian terrorism' when Israel's aggressiveness goes on without any reins, wreaking death and destruction among the Palestinians. It is no longer acceptable for Washington to continue its policy of covering up for the occupation's actions and crimes.. The ball is now in the American court. Washington alone, as it claims sponsorship for the peace process and for the initiative of two states for two peoples, can translate these initiatives and visions and force the forces of occupation and racism to backtrack." GNEHM