JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (09/06): THE HAMAS GOVERNMENT

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 003996 STATE PASS BBG STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM NSC FOR ABRAMS CMC WASHINGTON DC FOR POLAD JERUSALEM ALSO FOR ICD LONDON FOR HKANONA AND POL - TSOU PARIS ALSO FOR POL ROME FOR MFO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KMDR KPAL KWBG KPAO IS SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (09/06): THE HAMAS GOVERNMENT -------------- MAIN STORIES -------------- For the fourth consecutive day, the main Palestinian press focused on the "unrelenting" government employees' strike, noting that thousands of Palestinian security services personnel waged demonstrations in front of the PLC in Gaza, during which some assaulted the parliament building and fired their weapons into the air. In a show of support for those employees, all press reported that several demonstrations and massive marches took place yesterday. Other front-page stories maintained that the strike was expanding, reporting, for example, that commercial stores and other private companies in many Palestinian cities also joined the strike for one day yesterday in solidarity with the striking employees. The press quoted President Abbas as reiterating his support of the employees' "right to strike in order to ensure their essential needs." A day after Prime Minister Olmert was quoted as expressing willingness to resume peace talks with the Palestinians, Al-Quds today highlighted remarks by deputy Prime Minister Peres that the Israeli government would negotiate with President Abbas soon after Gilad Shalit, the abducted Israeli soldier, is freed. Al-Ayyam highlighted a report quoting U.S. Ambassador Gregory Schulte as saying in Vienna that Iran is defiant and that it is time to impose sanctions. All dailies ran prominent coverage on the death of four Hamas militants resulting from Israeli air strikes on two separate cars in Gaza. Leading with the story, Al-Ayyam headlined that Israel renews its shelling of Gaza. Al-Quds front-paged a Ma'an news report citing Israeli sources as stating that a classified U.S. report suggests that the war in Lebanon has widened the gap in the strategic relations between the United States and Israel. The report stated that President Bush has ordered the U.S. intelligence services to start a comprehensive assessment of Israel's internal situation, which is considered one of the main aspects of U.S.-Israeli strategic relations. Reporting on the unstable and deteriorating conditions at the Rafah crossing, a front-page story in Al-Quds cited a Reuters piece assessing that the Rafah crossing agreement is lost somewhere between being changed or cancelled. The report pointed out that EU observers have considered leaving their mission due to Israeli "hindrance" from allowing them to perform their duties. -------------- BLOCK QUOTES -------------- ¶1. Ahmad Majdalani commented in independent Al-Ayyam under the headline, "Is it a Salary Crisis or a Ruling Crisis?" (9/6): "None of the slogans of change and reform, the basis on which the current parliament and government were voted, has been implemented. Although the government would like to blame the [Israeli] occupation and the world for not giving the current government the chance to rule, the real reason for such a failure is the absence of clear mechanisms and sound outlook in the current government's program.... The shallow approach used [by the Hamas-led government] to handle international relations and other issues, including the rejection of international and Arab legitimacy resolutions..., has placed the Palestinian people and their cause in an unprecedented degeneration. Unlike anytime in the past, the Palestinian issue has lost the international community's attention, turning it from an issue of people struggling for freedom and independence to a merely humanitarian and assistance case." ¶2. Omar Al-Ghoul opined in official Al-Hayat Al-Jadida under the headline, "Are Prime Minister Haniya's Accusations True?" (9/6): "Why don't you [the Hamas government] realize the dangerous circumstances of your policies and review your positions and mechanisms and programs...? It is so much better that you quit the government now in order to safeguard the interests of the people, who are trying to ensure their sustenance. It is not possible for people to continue to suffer from hunger resulting from your bad policies. Employees cannot be made to endure hunger under the pretext that Israel and the United States are behind the crisis. If the current government were to stay in power, it would only mean that the crisis and hunger would also continue." WALLES