Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05AMMAN7525
2005-09-20 08:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS AMMAN 007525
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
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR JO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON MIDDLE EAST
Summary
-- Papers published today, September 20, are dominated
by various reports related to the dialogue and
reaction to the Jordanian government's decision to
raise fuel price in the Kingdom in order to deal with
its extreme budget deficit. Other lead stories
continue to highlight continuing violence in Iraq.
Editorial Commentary
-- "Containment through inclusion"
Centrist daily Jordan Times (influential among the
elite English speakers) (09/20) editorializes:
"Israel is giving Hamas the biggest boost ever by
seeking to deny it the opportunity to participate in
the January Palestinian legislative elections.. At a
time when there is determined effort to engage Hamas
and other Palestinian extremist groups in the
political process as an integral part of the new
Palestinian order, any attempts to exclude them from
such participation willingly drives them even further
into extremist and radical positions vis--vis Israel
and peace efforts. While it is true that Hamas made a
strong showing in recent municipal elections, it is up
to the Palestinian people, and to them alone, to
decide whether Hamas can be a partner in the political
establishment.. As long as the Israeli withdrawal
from Gaza works and the Palestinians can begin to feel
the difference in their lives and reap the fruits of
peace in Gaza, there is a high probability that they
will opt to build on what has been painstakingly
constructed by giving peace a chance in the rest of
the Palestinian territories."
-- "Condoleezza Rice: from 9/11 to 9/16"
Columnist Yaser Abu Hilaleh writes on the op-ed page
of independent Arabic daily Al-Ghad (09/20):
"Condoleezza Rice cannot imagine Hamas' participation
in the next elections and, at the same time, she
receives Sharon with warm hospitality. The problem
with Condoleezza Rice is not her ignorance of the
importance of the Hamas movement on the Palestinian
street, but rather her ignorance of Sharon's nature.
Let us assume that Hamas is a terrorist movement that
blows up cars in civilian areas. What about Sharon
then, particularly when the anniversary of the Sabra
and Shatila massacres on September 16 is lost amidst
the world's marking of the 9/11 attacks? By the way,
the September 16 Sabra and Shatila massacres are much
uglier than the 9/11 massacre in New York and
Washington. In Sabra and Shatila, the pro-Israel
Christian militia intentionally killed children right
before the eyes of their mothers . and this does not
compare to a random explosion that kills without
discrimination.. Condoleezza Rice must remember well
that there is September 16 memory that the world has
forgotten but the victims have not." RUBINSTEIN
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
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR JO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON MIDDLE EAST
Summary
-- Papers published today, September 20, are dominated
by various reports related to the dialogue and
reaction to the Jordanian government's decision to
raise fuel price in the Kingdom in order to deal with
its extreme budget deficit. Other lead stories
continue to highlight continuing violence in Iraq.
Editorial Commentary
-- "Containment through inclusion"
Centrist daily Jordan Times (influential among the
elite English speakers) (09/20) editorializes:
"Israel is giving Hamas the biggest boost ever by
seeking to deny it the opportunity to participate in
the January Palestinian legislative elections.. At a
time when there is determined effort to engage Hamas
and other Palestinian extremist groups in the
political process as an integral part of the new
Palestinian order, any attempts to exclude them from
such participation willingly drives them even further
into extremist and radical positions vis--vis Israel
and peace efforts. While it is true that Hamas made a
strong showing in recent municipal elections, it is up
to the Palestinian people, and to them alone, to
decide whether Hamas can be a partner in the political
establishment.. As long as the Israeli withdrawal
from Gaza works and the Palestinians can begin to feel
the difference in their lives and reap the fruits of
peace in Gaza, there is a high probability that they
will opt to build on what has been painstakingly
constructed by giving peace a chance in the rest of
the Palestinian territories."
-- "Condoleezza Rice: from 9/11 to 9/16"
Columnist Yaser Abu Hilaleh writes on the op-ed page
of independent Arabic daily Al-Ghad (09/20):
"Condoleezza Rice cannot imagine Hamas' participation
in the next elections and, at the same time, she
receives Sharon with warm hospitality. The problem
with Condoleezza Rice is not her ignorance of the
importance of the Hamas movement on the Palestinian
street, but rather her ignorance of Sharon's nature.
Let us assume that Hamas is a terrorist movement that
blows up cars in civilian areas. What about Sharon
then, particularly when the anniversary of the Sabra
and Shatila massacres on September 16 is lost amidst
the world's marking of the 9/11 attacks? By the way,
the September 16 Sabra and Shatila massacres are much
uglier than the 9/11 massacre in New York and
Washington. In Sabra and Shatila, the pro-Israel
Christian militia intentionally killed children right
before the eyes of their mothers . and this does not
compare to a random explosion that kills without
discrimination.. Condoleezza Rice must remember well
that there is September 16 memory that the world has
forgotten but the victims have not." RUBINSTEIN