Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ABUDHABI4755
2004-12-27 11:11:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:
MEDIA REACTION: PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, LONDON
how-tonull Diana T Fritz 12/19/2006 04:36:19 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results Cable Text: UNCLAS ABU DHABI 04755 SIPDIS CXABU: ACTION: PAO INFO: ECON POL AMB DCM DISSEMINATION: PAO CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: APAO:DEDGINTON DRAFTED: PAO:AHOSHAN CLEARED: POL:JMAYBURY VZCZCADI947 OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC DE RUEHAD #4755 3621111 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 271111Z DEC 04 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7434 INFO RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0866 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0905 RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA// RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004755
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA;
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD
LONDON PASS TO MOC, ALSO FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR ZEYA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, LONDON
CONFERENCE, PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004755
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA;
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD
LONDON PASS TO MOC, ALSO FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR ZEYA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, LONDON
CONFERENCE, PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS
1. SUMMARY: THE FOCUS OF EDITORIALS IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH
DAILIES COVERED A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES. "AL-ITTIHAD" CRITICIZED
ISRAEL'S EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE AGAINST THE PALESTINIANS AND
CALLED ON THE WORLD COMMUNITY AND COUNTRIES SPONSORING THE PEACE
PROCESS TO FORCE ISRAEL TO ABIDE BY UN RESOLUTIONS. "AL-KHALEEJ"
DESCRIBED SHARON AND BUSH'S AVOIDANCE OF AN INTERNATIONALLY
ACCEPTED FRAMEWORK FOR A SETTLEMENT IN THE REGION AS AN EFFORT TO
BLOCK THE PEACE EFFORT. "GULF NEWS" SUPPORTED THE RESULTS OF THE
PALESTINIAN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS AND INDIRECTLY COMMENDED ISRAEL'S
NEUTRAL POSITION ON THE ELECTIONS. END SUMMARY.
2. COMMENTING ON SHARON'S USE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE IN DEALING WITH
THE PALESTINIANS, SEMI-OFFICIAL ABU DHABI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-
ITTIHAD" 12/26 EDITORIALIZED:
"IT HAS BEEN PROVEN TO SHARON, THE ISRAELI RIGHT AND THE WORLD
COMMUNITY THAT THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE SOLVED WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE
OR VIOLENCE. SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN ACHIEVED FOR THE ISRAELIS,
NOR HAS PEACE BEEN REALIZED IN THE REGION. HOWEVER, SHARON AND
THE ISRAELI RIGHT INSIST ON A MILITARY SOLUTION. THIS PAINFUL
SITUATION COMPELS THE WORLD COMMUNITY AND NATIONS THAT ARE
SPONSORING THE PEACE PROCESS TO MOVE QUICKLY AND FORCE THE
ISRAELIS TO COMPLY WITH INTERNATIONAL LAWS AND ACCORDS THAT WERE
REACHED WITH THE PALESTINIANS, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."
3. COMMENTING ON THE CONFERENCE INITIATED BY BRITISH PRIME
MINISTER TONY BLAIR, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED 12/26:
".BECAUSE SHARON AND BUSH WERE NOT CONVINCED ABOUT THE
CONFERENCE, BLAIR RESORTED TO REDUCING ITS SCOPE. THIS LEADS US
TO BELIEVE THAT THE U.S. AND ISRAEL DO NOT DESIRE A BREAKTHROUGH
ON THE PALESTINIAN ISSUE WITHIN AN INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK. IN
FACT, THEY DO NOT GIVE THIS ISSUE ANY PRIORITY. THEREFORE, A
CALL FOR ANOTHER CONFERENCE IS A STEP IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, AND
AN ATTEMPT TO SIGNAL THAT THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE PALESTINIAN
SIDE, AND NOT WITH THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION.. IT IS THE DUTY OF THE
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY NOT TO CONSIDER BLAIR'S CONFERENCE AS A
SUBSTITUTE FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, AND NOT ATTACH TO IT
UNWARRANTED IMPORTANCE IN THE FACE OF AN ISRAELI PARTNER THAT
VIOLATES INTERNATIONAL LAWS, PEACE INITIATIVES AND BILATERAL
ACCORDS, THE LAST OF WHICH WAS THE ROADMAP."
4. COMMENTING ON PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS, THE DUBAI-BASED ENGLISH-
LANGUAGE DAILY "GULF NEWS" EDITORIALIZED 12/27:
THE PALESTINIAN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS HAVE DRAWN TO A CLOSE SO
SILENTLY THAT SOME MAY HAVE BEEN WONDERING IF THEY EVER TOOK
PLACE. BUT THEY DID, AND HAMAS HAS SHOWN ITSELF TO BE REMARKABLY
WELL PLACED, HAVING SECURED AROUND 50 PER CENT OF THE 26 LOCAL
COUNCILS WHERE RACES WERE HELD.PALESTINIANS CAME THROUGH THIS
TEST SUCCESSFULLY. AND WITH ISRAEL STANDING BACK AND ALLOWING
THE ELECTIONS TO TAKE PLACE, IT IS HOPED THE SUCCESS WILL BE
REPEATED ON JANUARY 9, WHEN THE PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IS DUE TO TAKE
PLACE."
ALBRIGHT
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA;
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD
LONDON PASS TO MOC, ALSO FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR ZEYA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, LONDON
CONFERENCE, PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS
1. SUMMARY: THE FOCUS OF EDITORIALS IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH
DAILIES COVERED A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES. "AL-ITTIHAD" CRITICIZED
ISRAEL'S EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE AGAINST THE PALESTINIANS AND
CALLED ON THE WORLD COMMUNITY AND COUNTRIES SPONSORING THE PEACE
PROCESS TO FORCE ISRAEL TO ABIDE BY UN RESOLUTIONS. "AL-KHALEEJ"
DESCRIBED SHARON AND BUSH'S AVOIDANCE OF AN INTERNATIONALLY
ACCEPTED FRAMEWORK FOR A SETTLEMENT IN THE REGION AS AN EFFORT TO
BLOCK THE PEACE EFFORT. "GULF NEWS" SUPPORTED THE RESULTS OF THE
PALESTINIAN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS AND INDIRECTLY COMMENDED ISRAEL'S
NEUTRAL POSITION ON THE ELECTIONS. END SUMMARY.
2. COMMENTING ON SHARON'S USE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE IN DEALING WITH
THE PALESTINIANS, SEMI-OFFICIAL ABU DHABI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-
ITTIHAD" 12/26 EDITORIALIZED:
"IT HAS BEEN PROVEN TO SHARON, THE ISRAELI RIGHT AND THE WORLD
COMMUNITY THAT THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE SOLVED WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE
OR VIOLENCE. SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN ACHIEVED FOR THE ISRAELIS,
NOR HAS PEACE BEEN REALIZED IN THE REGION. HOWEVER, SHARON AND
THE ISRAELI RIGHT INSIST ON A MILITARY SOLUTION. THIS PAINFUL
SITUATION COMPELS THE WORLD COMMUNITY AND NATIONS THAT ARE
SPONSORING THE PEACE PROCESS TO MOVE QUICKLY AND FORCE THE
ISRAELIS TO COMPLY WITH INTERNATIONAL LAWS AND ACCORDS THAT WERE
REACHED WITH THE PALESTINIANS, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."
3. COMMENTING ON THE CONFERENCE INITIATED BY BRITISH PRIME
MINISTER TONY BLAIR, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED 12/26:
".BECAUSE SHARON AND BUSH WERE NOT CONVINCED ABOUT THE
CONFERENCE, BLAIR RESORTED TO REDUCING ITS SCOPE. THIS LEADS US
TO BELIEVE THAT THE U.S. AND ISRAEL DO NOT DESIRE A BREAKTHROUGH
ON THE PALESTINIAN ISSUE WITHIN AN INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK. IN
FACT, THEY DO NOT GIVE THIS ISSUE ANY PRIORITY. THEREFORE, A
CALL FOR ANOTHER CONFERENCE IS A STEP IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, AND
AN ATTEMPT TO SIGNAL THAT THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE PALESTINIAN
SIDE, AND NOT WITH THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION.. IT IS THE DUTY OF THE
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY NOT TO CONSIDER BLAIR'S CONFERENCE AS A
SUBSTITUTE FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, AND NOT ATTACH TO IT
UNWARRANTED IMPORTANCE IN THE FACE OF AN ISRAELI PARTNER THAT
VIOLATES INTERNATIONAL LAWS, PEACE INITIATIVES AND BILATERAL
ACCORDS, THE LAST OF WHICH WAS THE ROADMAP."
4. COMMENTING ON PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS, THE DUBAI-BASED ENGLISH-
LANGUAGE DAILY "GULF NEWS" EDITORIALIZED 12/27:
THE PALESTINIAN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS HAVE DRAWN TO A CLOSE SO
SILENTLY THAT SOME MAY HAVE BEEN WONDERING IF THEY EVER TOOK
PLACE. BUT THEY DID, AND HAMAS HAS SHOWN ITSELF TO BE REMARKABLY
WELL PLACED, HAVING SECURED AROUND 50 PER CENT OF THE 26 LOCAL
COUNCILS WHERE RACES WERE HELD.PALESTINIANS CAME THROUGH THIS
TEST SUCCESSFULLY. AND WITH ISRAEL STANDING BACK AND ALLOWING
THE ELECTIONS TO TAKE PLACE, IT IS HOPED THE SUCCESS WILL BE
REPEATED ON JANUARY 9, WHEN THE PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IS DUE TO TAKE
PLACE."
ALBRIGHT