JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (5/05):

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 000751 SIPDIS 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 (5/05): -------------- Main Stories: -------------- Factual coverage of the visit by Secretary Rice to Ramallah and her meetings with Palestinian Authority officials appears on all front pages. The three dailies open with photos of Secretary Rice and President Abbas at the Ramallah press availability. Al-Quds leads with the headline, "Abbas: Negotiations with Israel are racing against time and we hope to establish a Palestinian state before the end of this year." Al-Quds quotes Secretary Rice saying, "we support secret negotiations and we are pushing for the issuance of a joint document." Palestinian presidency spokesperson Abu Rudaynah stated that, "the gap in the negotiations with Israel is wide." The dailies also report that an unnamed Palestinians official commented that, "the American Administration is working on a definition for the state of Palestine." The dailies also highlight that Secretary Rice pushed for a statement regarding progress in negotiations, but that Palestinian and Israeli sources excluded the possibility of issuing such a "progress document" or framework agreement." Positive coverage of the visit of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to the West Bank city of Jenin for meetings with the Palestinian security forces, one a day after Israel allowed 600 Palestinian security officers to enter the West Bank city, expresses optimism over the forces upcoming mission. The dailies report that Fayyad described the May 3 deployment to Jenin as a, "significant step towards imposing law and order, and a major pillar of the security plan." He added that, "priority should be given to restoring a sense of security among Palestinian citizens." Ma'an News Agency reports that the Palestinian Premier felt encouraged by the warm welcome that residents of Jenin had given the newly-deployed forces. Photos show a smiling Fayyad during his visit. On the ground, the front pages of the three dailies report that in Gaza, one Palestinian was killed and six were injured after Israeli military shelled their house on May 4. Related reports on the front page of Al-Ayyam highlight a second halt to UNRWA food assistance to Gaza refugees because of the fuel shortage. Other reports in the dailies highlight the closing of the Nahal Oz and Karni Gaza border crossings by Israeli authorities. The expected visit to Israel by the chief of Egyptian intelligence Suleiman receives front page billing in all dailies. The dailies report that Egyptian President Mubarak stated on May 4 that Suleiman will be in Israel soon to discuss the truce between Palestinian parties and Israel. Investigations into possible corruption charges of Israeli Premier Olmert continue to capture front page headlines in the dailies. For a second day, the dailies raise the possibility of Olmert's resignation. -------------- Weekend Review -------------- Sunday, May 04, 2008 The lead story in all dailies focuses on comments made by Secretary Rice on the eve of her visit to Ramallah. Rice is quoted saying, "We want to make sure that checkpoints have been removed." According to the lead story in Al-Quds, Rice urged Israel not to "weaken" the Palestinian Authority. All dailies highlight that Rice as concerned that life for Palestinians be made easier. Related JERUSALEM 00000751 002 OF 003 Main Stories: -------------- coverage on the front page of Al-Quds, states that, "Israel welcomes Rice with new settlement expansion near Nablus." On the other hand, the front pages of the dailies quote Palestinian President Abbas' advisor Nimr Hammad stating that, "There are no indicators to suggest a possibility of reaching an agreement with the Israelis this year." The front pages of the three dailies report positively on the deployment of 600 Palestinian security forces to the West Bank town of Jenin on May 3. The dailies report that city residents welcomed them, "with roses and sweets." According to Al-Ayyam, the mission of the security forces is, "to bring back happiness and hope to the citizens of the city." All dailies state that the forces will be under the authority of Palestinian President Abbas and aim to strengthen law and order in the city. Al Quds shows a photo of a long line of military vehicles with Palestinian flags entering the city, while Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida run a picture of smiling residents greeting the forces. US General Fraser examines the situation on the ground in the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya where he met with the mayor on May 3, according to Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's front page. The story reports in a neutral tone that the mayor explained to Fraser the effects of the separation barrier on agricultural lands and the effects of frequent Israeli military incursions into the city. Saturday, May 04, 2008 Pessimism accompanies coverage of the ongoing peace process and related negotiations. Al-Quds daily opened with "[PA Prime Minister] Fayyad warns of a collapse in negotiations if Israel does not change its path and show commitment to Annapolis." Citing various news agencies, Al-Ayyam reported that Secretary Rice "warned" Israel against settlement expansion and quoted her saying, "The two-state solution will not remain a possible solution forever." Al-Hayat Al-Jadida quoted Secretary Rice saying, "The window for the two-state solution is getting narrower day by day." The dailies focused on calls by the Quartet urging Israel to stop West Bank settlements. An "attack" by settlers on a motorcade carrying General Fraser received front page coverage in the three dailies. The dailies reported that settlers prevented the American envoy from entering the old city. A letter from the American Public Affairs Officer at the Consulate General in Jerusalem to Palestinian journalists in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day on May 2 appeared in Al-Quds along with a photo of PAO Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm. -------------- BLOCK QUOTES: -------------- ¶1. Independent Al-Quds runs its daily editorial entitled "What is wanted is core Israeli changes on the ground" (5/05): "Once again, Secretary Rice returned to the region and we heard her say... [the] SIPDIS exact same comments that we heard her say during her many previous visits. She talked about the necessity of creating an appropriate atmosphere for the peace process, not prejudicing final status issues, [the fact] that settlements destroy trust between the two parties and American efforts to implement Bush's vision of a JERUSALEM 00000751 003 OF 003 Main Stories: -------------- Palestinian state. Rice also reconfirmed her commitment to working towards improving the life of the Palestinian people and working with the two sides to discuss implementation of the first stage of the Road Map... we do not know how Rice's comments and her desire to push forward the peace process and Road Map implementations can go hand by hand with Israeli [actions that ignore commitments made in] Annapolis and Paris... the [U.S.] overlooks ongoing Israeli violations on the ground that serve only to raise tensions and deepen mistrust between the two sides as will as close the door on any possible progress in negotiations..." ¶2. Independent Al-Ayyam runs an op-ed by veteran columnist Talal Okal, entitled "End of the line and the start of a new one..." (5/05): "...the fourth visit of Secretary Rice since the launching of negotiations last January might have been the last chance to convince the Israeli Government that it must initiate significant movement in the troubled negotiations with the Palestinians. Rice has not stopped working towards an achievement that will save President Bush and the dignity of the United States... Rice has only one week to succeed in achieving something, before the arrival of President Bush to the region, therefore, her options are very limited. The United States and the Quartet did not succeed in ensuring an appropriate atmosphere for negotiations... and they should have expected the need to force both sides [to meet their obligations]. They should have pushed Israel to stop settlements, remove checkpoints which have increased to almost 620, stop the daily Israeli aggression on Palestinians and halt [Israeli] efforts to undermine the Palestinian Authority's [security and economic programs]..." WALLES