JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (07/01): PALESTINIANS: HAMAS HAS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001120 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: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (07/01): PALESTINIANS: HAMAS HAS A NARROW, SELFISH PERSPECTIVE -------------- Main Stories: -------------- Al-Quds leads with, and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Ayyam run front page news coverage of the Palestinian unity talks in Cairo. The sixth session of the talks concluded on June 30 with no tangible results, according to coverage. Egypt will host a seventh (final) round of talks on July 25 to ensure that the factions reach an agreement on all pending issues and noted that the signing of the reconciliation agreement originally scheduled for July 7 will be postponed to July 28 after the final round. Fatah senior official Qurai' noted to Al-Quds that the factions have conducted extensive discussions of a number of issues concerning the political prisoners from Fatah and Hamas, elections arrangements, security forces and the formation of the government, without reaching a final agreement on any of these issues. According to Egyptian officials, there was an interim agreement that included three elements, including forming a joint security force in Gaza which would start operations after the signing of the reconciliation agreement, forming a joint committee with representatives from all factions to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the reconciliation agreement, and identifying the general guidelines for solving the political prisoners issue. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads with news citing Wafa on Palestinian Authority President Abbas having received Hamas leader Dweik in the Presidency office in Ramallah on June 30. Abbas congratulated Dweik for his release from Israeli prison after a three-year term. They also discussed the recent developments of the national unity talks in Cairo. Al-Ayyam leads with, and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Quds run front page coverage on, Iraqi celebrations of the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq on June 30. The dailies run front page photos of the celebrations. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Ayyam front page and Al-Quds runs inside page coverage citing wire service reports on Israeli Defense Minister Barak's meeting with U.S. Envoy Mitchell on June 30 in New York. Barak noted to the press that "it is too early to indicate whether Israel will temporarily freeze settlement activities in the West Bank" and noted that the talks with Mitchell were "positive," but that there still remain some "disagreements," according to coverage. All dailies run front page coverage of Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Fayyad's visit to Austria on June 30 and his speech on the 60th anniversary of UNRWA. Fayyad stressed the need to help Palestinian refugees retain hope by ending their sufferings and noted that the "time has come to force Israel to respect international resolutions and to stop violating international law." Fayyad urged the international community to stop the double standards in dealing with Israel, according to coverage. Al-Quds runs a front page photo of two demolished houses in the Al-Tour neighborhood of East Jerusalem, which according to coverage, were demolished by the Jerusalem municipality on June 30 due to the lack of appropriate building permits. In related news, all dailies run front page news of the resignation of the Palestinian Authority Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Abdul Qader on June 30. The resignation was in protest to the Palestinian Authority's failure to pay the fees for the lawyers assigned by the PA to pursue the issue of Israeli attacks against the homes of Palestinians in East JERUSALEM 00001120 002 OF 002 Jerusalem. -------------- BLOCK QUOTES: -------------- 1) Hafeth Barghouti opines in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida official daily under the title, "Hamas and Fatah" (07/01): "It is obvious that Hamas doesn't want to be part of any unity government, Hamas doesn't look at the conflict and the internal division from a national point of view but rather from a very narrow and selfish perspective, it is not willing to take any sacrifice and lose its control over Gaza. It prefers to expand its control over to the West Bank, but it will realize very soon that this approach is not helpful and it will be the first loser." 2) Hamada Fara'na opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily under the e title "the story of Palestine" (07/01): "In his speech, Fayyad clearly presented the history of the Palestinians' sufferings in a way that neither Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu can deny nor President Obama can refuse. It was clear, comprehensive and factual. It presented the lengthy sufferings and crises that should be ended soon." WALLES