JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (7/09): NATIONAL DIALOGUE - TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001200 SIPDIS 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 (7/09): NATIONAL DIALOGUE - TO WHERE? -------------- Main Stories: -------------- Lead stories differ in all dailies: Al- Quds' front page reports on the "invasion" by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) of a shopping mall in Nablus city in the West Bank on July 8, a day after the closing of four Nablus charitable societies suspected by the IDF of links to Hamas. Nablus Governor Jamal Muhaysin, considered, "the Israeli procedures [to be] an attack on the [Palestinian] Authority," and he promised to resist the measures, "with all available means." Muhaysin's condemnation came during a July 8 press conference organized by the Palestinian Ministry of Information. Al Quds' lead photo shows two men looking at a flyer posted by Israeli soldiers on the entrance to the Nablus shopping mall, instructing merchants to vacate their stores. Cairo's denial of an "American veto" on its efforts to achieve reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas is the lead story in Al- Ayyam. The Egyptians added that internal Palestinian talks will be held at a suitable time and that priority now will be given to bolstering the weak truce between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip. In related news, all front pages report that Israel reopened Gaza Strip crossing points on July 8 at Egypt's request. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads for a third day with news about the visit of Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas to Damascus on July ¶8. In his statements to the press before leaving Damascus, Abbas said, "Palestinian unity is important and laying a proper foundation to regain unity through dialogue is also important... we are working hard to overcome this dangerous crisis." Nabil Amro, Palestinian Authority Ambassador to Egypt, commented that Egypt is, "strongly insisting on establishing the necessary conditions to make [internal Palestinian dialogue] successful." In an exclusive interview with Al- Quds, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said on July 8 that Italy is ready to work towards a just settlement of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict without, "unilateral actions or pre-set conditions." He also called on the international community to support Palestinian Authority President Abbas in restoring the Palestinian people's unity and reinstating a "constitutional situation" in the Gaza Strip. Al Quds highlights 15 million Euros in assistance from the European Commision to cover salaries of Palestinian Authority employees. In related coverage, all dailies note that France, the European Commission and Tony Blair accused Israel of hindering their efforts to help the Palestinians, in a statement released on July 8 after a Paris "follow-up meeting" to the December international donors conference also held in Paris. -------------- BLOCK QUOTES: -------------- ¶1. Independent Al-Quds prints its daily editorial entitled, "National dialogue should be comprehensive" (7/09): "...Certainly Abu Mazen's visit to Damascus does not mean the end of... Palestinian national dialogue. [The dialogue] will not be successful unless it includes all of the factions and... the sole loser of the current dramatic situation [internal division] is all of the Palestinian people and their national cause. The sole and final winner is the [Israeli] occupation and its settlement activities and plans to 'swallow up' Palestinian land and change its JERUSALEM 00001200 002 OF 002 [cultural] features, Jerusalem, in particular, and the West Bank, in general..." ¶2. Independent Al-Ayyam runs its daily editorial by Dr. Maher Taha entitled, "Abbas, Hamas and the truce speech" (7/09): "...Today, Hamas officials are calling for all factions to unite around their government and commit to the truce [with Israel]...these calls resemble those of [Palestinian] National Authority leaders, when they were in control of the Gaza Strip. We all know that whenever Abu Mazin has succeeded in reaching an agreement with Israel on anything in the past, Hamas has claimed that such an agreement violates the Palestinian people's supreme interests and [Hamas] makes every effort to undermine Abbas' achievement. Today, however, much to our surprise, [Hamas] calls upon everybody to honor the truce and claims that it serves the resistance and Palestinian interests. Shouldn't we ask: How does Hamas define the people's interest? Is there any relation between those 'interests'... and the private interests of Hamas and its leaders?" Walles