Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN7849
2003-12-03 11:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. 031102Z Dec 03
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 007849
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 THE GENEVA DOCUMENT
Summary
-- Lead story in all papers today, December 2, focuses
on King Abdullah's speech from the throne on the
occasion of the opening of the ordinary Parliamentary
session and the victory by default of Abdul Hadi
Majali as speaker of the Lower House. The launch of
the Geneva Document was highlighted in all papers
under banner headlines and photos, but also strongly
focused on Israel's attacks against Ramallah the same
day.
Editorial Commentary
-- "They reject the Geneva Document but."
Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(12/02): "Like any other international political
document, the Geneva Document has sources of strength
and sources of weakness, but at the end of the day,
the sources of weakness had more of an effect on the
fate of the Document.. The basic source of strength
of the Document is that it is unofficial. It was
prepared by Palestinian and Israeli figures who tried
to present an alternative to this prevailing political
freeze in an attempt to prove that there are
alternatives out there, that there is on the Israeli
side a group of people to negotiate with, and that
there is on the Palestinian side a group of people who
want to propose ideas about the final-status solution
for debate without having to wait for the games of the
roadmap and Israel's imposition of a defacto
situation. The Geneva Document is the outcome of a
free debate away from the prevailing political
references . and yet the source of weakness of the
Document does not lie in its content but in what it
failed to clarify directly and beyond the shadow of
doubt. The Document practically cancelled the
possibility of the right of return for Palestinian
refugees. This is difficult to accept, even for the
most pragmatic of Palestinians, not to mention the
Arab countries where there are refugees. What the
Document failed to clarify includes the ethical and
historical aspect of the Palestinian cause, in that .
Israel must accept the principle of historical
responsibility in the occupation and forced
immigration, and hence compensation. Without
Israeli's acknowledgement of its historical
responsibility, no peace documents will ever be
lasting or applicable.
-- "The roadmap and other plans"
Daily columnist Yaqoub Jaber writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(12/02): "Plans aiming at resolving the Palestinian
Israeli struggle have increased so much. It seems
that everybody is in a ferocious competition, which
would not stop without effective intervention by the
international world that places the roadmap on the
path to implementation. This is the only way to stop
all these initiatives and seriously direct attention
to one initiative that is based on international
legitimacy and the right of the Palestinian people to
self-determination.. All these plans and initiatives
would not have seen the light of day had there been a
genuine effort to implement the roadmap. Once again
we turn to a U.S. administration that stands helpless
before Sharon and his gang of extremists."
-- "A black day in Palestine"
Columnist Kamal Rashid writes on the op-ed page of
center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(12/02): "The Palestinian cause and the Palestinian
people have witness many a black day, but the
blackness of that day, the first of December, is more
so, bringing the worst of outcomes that affect not
only the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim people, but also
the present and future of the Palestinian cause. It
is a day that resembles a sale at an international
auction for the land of Palestine, the holy sites of
Palestine, the history of Palestine, the people of
Palestine and the future of Palestine. It is the day
of the bargain, the day of sale and purchase, signed
and witnessed. Three or four or five of the sons of
Palestine give themselves the right to sign the deed
for dissolving the Palestinian cause by acknowledging
Israel's right to what land it currently has and by
eliminating the right of return for millions of
Palestinians to their homeland."
HALE
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 THE GENEVA DOCUMENT
Summary
-- Lead story in all papers today, December 2, focuses
on King Abdullah's speech from the throne on the
occasion of the opening of the ordinary Parliamentary
session and the victory by default of Abdul Hadi
Majali as speaker of the Lower House. The launch of
the Geneva Document was highlighted in all papers
under banner headlines and photos, but also strongly
focused on Israel's attacks against Ramallah the same
day.
Editorial Commentary
-- "They reject the Geneva Document but."
Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(12/02): "Like any other international political
document, the Geneva Document has sources of strength
and sources of weakness, but at the end of the day,
the sources of weakness had more of an effect on the
fate of the Document.. The basic source of strength
of the Document is that it is unofficial. It was
prepared by Palestinian and Israeli figures who tried
to present an alternative to this prevailing political
freeze in an attempt to prove that there are
alternatives out there, that there is on the Israeli
side a group of people to negotiate with, and that
there is on the Palestinian side a group of people who
want to propose ideas about the final-status solution
for debate without having to wait for the games of the
roadmap and Israel's imposition of a defacto
situation. The Geneva Document is the outcome of a
free debate away from the prevailing political
references . and yet the source of weakness of the
Document does not lie in its content but in what it
failed to clarify directly and beyond the shadow of
doubt. The Document practically cancelled the
possibility of the right of return for Palestinian
refugees. This is difficult to accept, even for the
most pragmatic of Palestinians, not to mention the
Arab countries where there are refugees. What the
Document failed to clarify includes the ethical and
historical aspect of the Palestinian cause, in that .
Israel must accept the principle of historical
responsibility in the occupation and forced
immigration, and hence compensation. Without
Israeli's acknowledgement of its historical
responsibility, no peace documents will ever be
lasting or applicable.
-- "The roadmap and other plans"
Daily columnist Yaqoub Jaber writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(12/02): "Plans aiming at resolving the Palestinian
Israeli struggle have increased so much. It seems
that everybody is in a ferocious competition, which
would not stop without effective intervention by the
international world that places the roadmap on the
path to implementation. This is the only way to stop
all these initiatives and seriously direct attention
to one initiative that is based on international
legitimacy and the right of the Palestinian people to
self-determination.. All these plans and initiatives
would not have seen the light of day had there been a
genuine effort to implement the roadmap. Once again
we turn to a U.S. administration that stands helpless
before Sharon and his gang of extremists."
-- "A black day in Palestine"
Columnist Kamal Rashid writes on the op-ed page of
center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(12/02): "The Palestinian cause and the Palestinian
people have witness many a black day, but the
blackness of that day, the first of December, is more
so, bringing the worst of outcomes that affect not
only the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim people, but also
the present and future of the Palestinian cause. It
is a day that resembles a sale at an international
auction for the land of Palestine, the holy sites of
Palestine, the history of Palestine, the people of
Palestine and the future of Palestine. It is the day
of the bargain, the day of sale and purchase, signed
and witnessed. Three or four or five of the sons of
Palestine give themselves the right to sign the deed
for dissolving the Palestinian cause by acknowledging
Israel's right to what land it currently has and by
eliminating the right of return for millions of
Palestinians to their homeland."
HALE