SPECIAL JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION - PALESTINIAN REACTION TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001003 SIPDIS STATE PASS BBG STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM NSC 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: SPECIAL JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION - PALESTINIAN REACTION TO NETANYAHU'S JUNE 14 SPEECH (06/15): -------------- Main Stories: -------------- Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's June 14 speech leads coverage in all dailies and broadcasts, attracting criticism and negative reaction. Coverage focuses on Netanyahu's "vague" statements about settlement activity, his proposal for a demilitarized Palestinian state, "with no control over its own borders," and highlights his failure to reference the Roadmap or Arab peace initiative and insistence that Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Coverage also highlights Netanyahu's support for an economic peace, opposition to the Palestinian refugees' right of return and call on Arab countries to immediately pursue peace talks with Israel, without precondition. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida runs a lead photo of "Codepink American activists" protesting against Israeli policies and Netanyahu's speech near the Bar Ilan University in Tel-Aviv on June 14. All dailies run separate front page coverage of White House reaction to Israeli Premier Netanyahu's June 14 speech. Reporting notes that, "President Obama welcomed the speech as a step forward as this was the first time Netanyahu has talked about a Palestinian state as a viable solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict." Reporting adds that President Obama will continue work with all parties, including Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the Middle East Quartet, to ensure that all obligations and commitments are met in an effort to achieve a comprehensive regional peace. All front pages run official Palestinian reaction to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's June 14 speech. Palestinian Authority Presidential spokesman Abu Rudaynah noted that Netanyahu's statements, "ruined all initiatives and expectations of peace." He considered the speech, "a new challenge to the Arab and U.S. positions." Al-Hayat Al-Jadida runs inside coverage citing Wafa news agency, on PLO chief negotiator Erekat's reaction to Israeli Premier Netanyahu's June 14 speech, calling it a, "unilateral end to political negotiations and peace agreements. Erekat also stated that, "the proposals made in the speech fully ignore President Obama's efforts towards achieving peace in the region," according to reporting. Al-Ayyam front pages a Wafa news agency report on reaction to Israeli Premier Netanyahu's June 14 speech by PLO Secretary Yassir Abed Rabbo. Abed Rabbo states, "reading through Netanyahu's speech, it is obvious that he wants a Palestinian zone and not a Palestinian state... "the state he is proposing is meaningless." Abed Rabbo also stated that Netanyahu, "is not ready to halt settlement activities... he wants to impose a solution that drops Palestinian refugees' right of return ...(and) refuses to consider Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine..." -------------- BLOCK QUOTES: -------------- 1) Al-Quds independent daily runs its editorial under the title, "Nothing new in Netanyahu's speech"(06/15): "What is important about Netanyahu's speech is not what he said but what he did not say. Reading between the lines, we see a more clearly defined Israeli policy. Netanyahu tried to contain [the effects of] President Obama's [June 4] speech, particularly Obama's support for the Arab Peace Initiative, the Roadmap and freeze of settlement activity. The U.S. and President Obama now have to analyze the message in Netanyahu's speech and act accordingly. The Israeli JERUSALEM 00001003 002 OF 002 positions are now clear and the international community must recognize that Israel is ignoring all the fundamentals of any peace settlement." 2) Regular columnist for independent daily Al-Ayyam, Samih Shbayb writes an opinion piece entitled, "What comes after Netanyahu's speech?" (06/15): "The U.S. position is what matters now after Netanyahu's speech. What does the U.S. see in the speech? Does it consider it an encouraging start to cooperation or a threat to the peace process, security and stability in the Middle East? The next few days will tell." 3) Talal Okal titles his op-ed in independent daily Al Ayyam, "The moment of renewed attack" (06/15): "Netanyahu's speech was meant to present his vision of the peace process; however, the speech proved that the Israeli Prime Minister does not seek peace, and does not even seek common ground with the international community in attempting to reach any peace settlement... The speech was no surprise to the Palestinians... it was all that they expected!" WALLES