JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (5/16): IGNORING THE NAKBA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000840 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 (5/16): IGNORING THE NAKBA -------------- Main Stories: -------------- Negative coverage surrounds front page reporting on President Bush's May 15 speech before the Israeli Knesset. The dailies accuse Bush of, "ignoring the catastrophe of the Palestinians and the peace process." Al-Quds reports that Bush, "ignored the right of Palestinians to establish an independent state," adding that Bush said, "greater Israel is a promise from God to the Jews." Citing the German wire DPA, the dailies report that PLO executive committee member Tayseer Khaled commented that, "the speech by Bush exceeded the extremes of [Israeli Premier] Olmert and [Israeli Likud opposition leader] Netanyahu." Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reports that "Israeli officials consider Bush more Zionist than many Israeli ministers." Al-Ayyam reports under a red banner, "Bush pledged to support the 'chosen people' and suggested that the prophecy of regional peace will only be fulfilled sixty years from now!" The dailies also highlight coverage on the visit of Bush to Saudi Arabia. The papers report that the Saudis will urge Bush to find a solution to the "Palestinian cause" in order to limit Iranian influence in the region. Extensive coverage with photos of Nakba commemoration events throughout the West Bank and Gaza dominate front pages. Palestinians in Jerusalem and Israel also marked the 60th anniversary, the dailies report. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's lead story quotes Palestinian President Abbas stating that, "it is time for this blight on humanity to end, called the Nakba, should end." Al-Quds leads with "Abbas: The security of Israel is connected to our independence, continuing this catastrophe will not bring security to anyone." Al-Ayyam quotes Abbas saying, "60 years of struggle have not weakened us." All front pages quote Palestinian Premier Fayyad's comments that, "this collective pain can be healed through a just peace." Al-Ayyam reports that Fayyad added that, "Israel is celebrating and we are in pain because of the continuing occupation and settlement activity and the brutality of the settlers." In Gaza, the dailies reported that Hamas used force to prevent Nakba commemoration events in the area of Jabalya. The Israeli Foreign Minister was quoted in the dailies saying, "Palestinians cannot celebrate independence unless they drop the word catastrophe." The dailies report that Israeli authorities are planning to close the Ibrahim mosque in Hebron in order to "evaluate the security situation there." The front page of Al-Hayat Al-Jadida quotes Hebron Waqf Director Zaid Al-Jabari asserting that, "We consider this decision a violation of the mosque, and the right to religious freedom." The dailies report that the situation on the ground in Gaza will likely see an escalation in military activity as Israeli authorities consider a wide-scale military operation in Gaza. The dailies highlight coverage of the attempt by 100 Israeli settlers to take over land in the West Bank town of Beit Sahour. -------------- BLOCK QUOTES: -------------- ¶1. Independent Al-Quds runs its daily editorial entitled, "Bias even towards the significance of the catastrophe" (5/16): "... while Israeli and international media are full of news about the JERUSALEM 00000840 002 OF 002 Israeli celebration of its 60th independence anniversary, the Palestinian catastrophe has been totally ignored internationally. The American position would have seemed more balanced if President Bush had shown symbolic feelings [sympathy]for the Palestinians who are commemorating their catastrophe... ordinary Arabs, Muslims and Palestinians know there is a strategic and strong bond between the United States and Israel. But the significance of the catastrophe and its consequences are humanitarian in nature. Western civilizations are proud of ... revolutions like the French revolution and the American Revolution... We can understand the American and western bias towards Israel, but we cannot at all understand the phenomenon of anti-Nakba feelings that [ignore that] our people have been suffering from its continuing consequences since the last sixty years." ¶2. Independent Al-Ayyam runs an editorial by veteran columnist Muhammed Yaghi entitled, "America does not hold the papers for a solution" (5/16): "Do not believe that the United States holds the papers for solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict ... on the eve of the American elections we see that all American candidates are racing to claim a close relationship with Israel. John McCain said that Hamas is a nightmare and that Hamas supports Obama. McCain visited [the southern Israeli city of] Sderot and refused to visit [Palestinian President] Abbas in Ramallah. And when he was asked if Palestinians will consider his actions to be biased towards Israel, he replied by saying, "let them think whatever they want." Obama defended himself by accusing McCain of, "losing his mind" and how could McCain say that when my [Obama] policy is similar to his regarding Hamas? Obama added that he, "would like to see Israel standing side by side with America for the next 600 years." Hillary Clinton said that she will wipe Iran off of the map if it uses nuclear power against Israel." Can we, after all of the above, believe the Americans hold the papers for a solution? WALLES