Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN3870
2003-06-29 10:13:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION ON MIDDLE EAST

Tags:  KMDR JO 
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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