Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09AMMAN79
2009-01-11 13:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

JORDAN: JANUARY 11 MEDIA REACTION TO GAZA

Tags:  OPRC KPAO KMDR JO 
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VZCZCXRO4141
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHAM #0079/01 0111342
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 111342Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4141
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 000079 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/PPD, IIP/GNEA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KPAO KMDR JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: JANUARY 11 MEDIA REACTION TO GAZA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 000079

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/PPD, IIP/GNEA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KPAO KMDR JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: JANUARY 11 MEDIA REACTION TO GAZA


1. SUMMARY: Major media in Jordan went into overdrive during the
local weekend and Sunday with news coverage of developments in
connection with the conflict in Gaza. The major themes of the
coverage were Israel's determination to continue its offensive
despite the passage of UNSCR 1860 and mounting civilian casualties,
and large-scale demonstrations and other public protests around
Jordan. Secondary themes included public statements by HAMAS
officials. Editorials and op-ed commentary demanded additional
punitive measures on Israel and its allies. END SUMMARY.


2. Major newspapers published in Jordan today and over the local
weekend covered developments related to the conflict in Gaza with
banner headlines, vivid photos, and countless details in their
inside pages. Front-page reports in all papers highlighted Israel's
determination to continue its offensive, detailed the casualties
among Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and reported on the "heroism"
of militants in response. Papers also covered ongoing international
efforts to end the conflict, including the new UN Security Council
resolution and its rejection by Israel and Hamas. Public
demonstrations Friday and Saturday within Jordan also received
expansive treatment.


3. Sunday's newspapers featured extensive coverage of Saturday's
demonstrations throughout Jordan to express public anger over Gaza.
Lengthy coverage with photos was given to the sit-in organized by
the Jordan Press Association, during which participants called for
the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador. JPA President Abdulwahab
Zgheilat stated that "this silence will not last and we will
continue to struggle in favor of the people of Gaza." There was
also specific coverage of a candlelight vigil organized by the
Council of Churches in Jordan, as well as the sit-in held by the
doctors and nurses of Al-Hussein Cancer Center. Some newspapers
reported on a statement issued Thursday by the Shura Council of
Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood which called for closing the Israeli
embassy and expelling its ambassador on the grounds that it was "the
least we can do."


4. Sunday's editions of Jordan's two independent dailies, Al-Ghad
and Al-Arab Al-Yawm, featured wire service accounts of HAMAS
political supremo Misha'al's televised speech from Damascus on
Saturday in which he stressed his rejection of a truce with Israel

and the deployment of international forces because "they would
protect Israel's security." Commenting on UNSCR 1860, Misha'al said
that "the one required to implement the resolution is the one that
committed the aggression."


5. All major newspapers on Saturday covered the passage of UN
Security Council Resolution 1860 calling for an immediate ceasefire
in Gaza. The focus of the coverage, however, was almost entirely on
Israel's rejection of the resolution in favor of continuing its
offensive. Coverage of the ceasefire resolution was secondary to
reports on the massive demonstration organized in Amman's Rabiah
district on Friday which drew "tens of thousands" of participants.
The demonstration ended with violent confrontations between riot
police and individual demonstrators seeking to approach the Israeli
embassy. Large-scale demonstrations were reportedly conducted
throughout Jordan on Friday following prayers.


6. Saturday's newspapers reported that Al-Jazeera Amman bureau chief
and Al-Ghad columnist Yaser Abu Hilala was hospitalized for injuries
to his head and face from blows he received from security personnel
while covering the Rabiah demonstration. King Abdullah reportedly
telephoned Abu Hilala to inquire about his health. Abu Hilala's
crew members also received medical treatment for similar injuries.
Prime Minister Dahabi, Royal Court adviser Safadi, Interior Minister
Fayez, and Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications
Joudeh paid visits to the television journalist and his crew at the
hospital. Al-Jazeera Television covered the demonstrations in Amman
and in Ma'an, reporting that Ma'an protestors waved photos of Osama
bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and former Jordanian Prime Minister Wasfi
al-Tal. Video footage also showed some masked demonstrators
carrying guns.


7. On Saturday, the online news outlet Ammoun News posted a story
citing the Israeli online news outlet Ynetnews as reporting that
Jordan had recalled its ambassador to Israel. The Israeli outlet
quoted GOI Foreign Ministry spokesman Yossi Levy as commenting on
Saturday about rumors of Jordan's recall. Levy said, "Ambassador
Ali al-Ayed left for Amman prior to the launching of Operation Cast
Lead, in order to attend a conference held by the Jordanian Foreign
Ministry. We have learned from the media that he has decided to
extend his stay in Jordan and has yet to return to Israel." The
original Ynetnews report states that "an Arab official told Ynet
that Jordan recalled the ambassador as an act of protest, even
though it had initially claimed that he was asked to return to Amman
over an 'internal matter'.... and that "a diplomatic source told
Ynet that Ambassador Ali al-Ayed will return to Tel Aviv only after
Hamas and Israel sign a ceasefire agreement to end the fighting."
No other Jordanian news outlet has published the story.


8. Saturday's Al-Ghad published a full-page article based on its

AMMAN 00000079 002 OF 003


interview in Damascus with HAMAS deputy political chief Abu Marzouq.
He criticized Israel, Palestinian President Abbas, and Egypt in
unequivocal terms for breaking the truce. Abu Marzouq stated that
HAMAS' final position on the French-Egyptian ceasefire initiative
had not yet been determined, but would be communicated directly to
Egypt. He commended King Abdullah for his statements on "a
conspiracy" against the Palestinian people, and warned that
unidentified U.S. officials were proposing to create an alternative
homeland for Palestinians in Jordan. Abu Marzouq also stated that
talks to reconcile the Palestinian factions were not a priority
pending an end to the situation in Gaza.


9. Editorial Commentary

-- ""Resolution 1860 Ignored Elements That Could Impede Its
Implementation"

Columnist Nasouh Al-Majali in the January 11 edition of the
government-aligned, pro-Palestinian Arabic daily Ad-Dustour opines,
"The UN Resolution on the Israeli aggression against Gaza reflects
the power struggle inside the UN Security Council and not the
situation on the ground in Gaza. The resolution also ignored many
important aspects which has led the two parties involved in the
conflict to refrain from implementing the resolution.... The
problem with reaching a solution in Gaza and achieving a political
settlement lies in reforming and solidifying the Arab stance and in
achieving Palestinian political reconciliation on the basis of a
political vision that meets the demands of those who resist peace
and the demands and efforts of those who call for it."

-- "U.S. Support For The War Of Annihilation"

Chief editor Taher Odwan in the January 11 edition of the
independent, opposition Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm comments, "The
Pentagon has announced a process of shipping military equipment to
Israel as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress made a
majority decision that supports the war of annihilation Israel is
waging against the Gaza Strip. Those decisions and stances carry a
big load of provocation of Arab and Palestinian sentiments, not to
mention that they constitute an expression of animosity against the
Arabs and a blind bias towards the Zionist entity.... Now, amidst
questions being raised about the next required Arab step to confront
the continuation of the war of annihilation and Israel's rejection
of the UNSC resolution, the most useful way to confront the
aggression is for Arab officials to completely turn around and face
the United States and exert pressure on its 'incoming and outgoing'
leaderships to stop their disdain of Palestinian blood and their
exaggerated expressions of support for the gang of criminals in Tel
Aviv.... Unless there are official escalatory Arab stances against
the U.S. policy - stances which threaten to withdraw the Arab
initiative, sever all forms of ties with the Zionist entity, and
stop security cooperation with the United States and its armies that
are positioned in bases on Arab territories from the ocean to the
gulf - the status quo will prompt Israel to unleash its hands and
war machinery across the region so as to burn the interests and
legitimacy of the Arab order before it burns the mosques, schools,
and the steadfast and patient people of Gaza."

-- "Israel Is A Renegade Terrorist Entity"

The main editorial (January 11) in Ad-Dustour fulminates, "Reality
and events have proven that the support provided by Washington,
Paris, and London for the Zionist entity - throughout its black
history until now - are the reason behind the latter's excessive
perpetration of its crimes and war of annihilation against the
Palestinians. The continuation of the holocaust those steadfast
people are being subjected to for fifteen days is attributable to
the stance of those countries, which have equated the victim with
the executioner. Those countries sought to postpone the UN Security
Council's session for the longest time possible and finally
formulated a resolution that uses vague language.... The massacres
being committed by the gangs of the Israeli occupation in Gaza
affirm that Israel is a renegade terrorist entity and that
Washington, Paris, and London have contributed and continue to
contribute to this entity's overstepping international law and its
refusal to abide by the resolutions of international legitimacy.
This makes it incumbent on the Arab order to take a unanimous
decision to sever relations with those gangs and offer support for
the fraternal Palestinian people to save them from the Zionist
holocaust."

-- "Good Arab Performance that Wrenched a UNSC Resolution"

Columnist Jamil Nimri in the January 10 edition of the independent
Arabic daily Al-Ghad opines, "The Arab delegation came out
satisfied. It is one of the few times in which it has succeeded in
wrenching the resolution it wants, maybe not in full; Arab media
correspondents unanimously agreed that the Arab performance this
time was good and strong.... What comes after this resolution? The
criminal war continues until Israel decides to stop it! This is
true, but the resolution remains as a frame of reference for the

AMMAN 00000079 003 OF 003


subsequent negotiations that will determine the shape and details of
the settlement of each portfolio. Meanwhile, the enormous popular
campaign that condemns the Zionist crime must continue. Every
additional day that passes without Israel's adherence to a
cease-fire justifies the escalation of punitive measures against the
aggressors.... The fact is that prosecuting Israel and its leaders
as war criminals should continue to be pursued by international and
social institutions after a cease-fire is realized. Is there any
thing more horrific than what was discovered in Al-Zaytoun district
yesterday!? Children on the verge of death after being terrorized
and left without food and water for four days near their dead
mothers' bodies and many injured people who died because ambulances
were banned from reaching them for four days running!?"

-- "What Comes After The Political Vacuum?"

Columnist Fahed Fanek in the January 10 edition of the leading,
government-owned Arabic daily Al-Rai writes, "The interim period in
Washington has provided Bush's administration with a chance to avoid
doing anything that would be binding on the incoming administration
or that would put it before a fait accompli, hence, leaving the
decision to Obama's administration. By doing so, Bush's
administration has relieved itself from the duty of intervening to
stop the aggression and has given Israel enough time to finish its
aggressive mission.... For his part, Obama did not intervene and he
did not even express an opinion about the issue - other than voicing
concern over the lives of innocent civilians on both sides - under
the pretext that America is always under the administration of one
president with full authority, who in this case is Bush. As for the
president-elect, he has no right to take action before he becomes
the actual president and takes office.... The threads of the
conspiracy, the way for which the Israeli aggression is trying to
pave, are becoming clearer and clearer. The requirement is to wipe
Palestine out of the map by putting Gaza under Egypt's
administration, just as was the case until 1967, and putting
whatever Israel has conceded from the West Bank under Jordan's
administration. Even if the process is so hard to fathom,
sprinkling it with some money would make it acceptable.... If such
a scheme is announced by the new U.S. administration and if Obama
lays his weight in that direction, then Jordan's and Egypt's
rejection of and objection to this scheme will become more difficult
and very costly. Hence, what is required now is an official and
public rejection of the scheme to cut the road on a rejected
solution so that Obama would not get involved in an attempt to
impose a solution on parties that have previously announced their
rejection of it."

-- "From January 9 to 20!"

Columnist Jamil Nimri in the January 11 Al-Ghad observes, "The
ongoing war has passed the January 9th due date [when Abbas'
presidential term ended] and moves us to the January 20th due date
when new American President Obama takes office.... This may mean
the involvement of the new administration from the start and in
direct conflict with final status negotiations and the interests of
the current Israeli leadership - headed by Barak and Livni....
President-elect Obama had stated that the incoming administration
intends to embark on a new peace process, which suggests bypassing
the bogus format via which Bush's administration had tackled the
Annapolis track without making a single step towards the 'vision' of
a two-state solution.... The new administration has offered signs
of a different approach to conflicts in the region based on serious
search for solutions, which presumably includes opening channels of
dialogue with 'the enemies' vis-`-vis Taliban and Iran. Indeed,
based on other statements, there is this idea of opening indirect
channels of dialogue with Hamas."

BEECROFT