UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JERUSALEM 001654

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 (09/14): Palestinian factions
insist presidential and legislative elections be held in January
2010

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Main Stories:
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Al-Quds leads with news citing Israeli daily Haaretz that an
agreement has been reached between the Palestinians and Israelis to
re-launch negotiations next month based on an agreement to create an
independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders in two
years. The report notes that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud
Abbas has designated Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat to lead the
Palestinian negotiations team, while President Abbas will conduct
talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Al-Ayyam,
however, quotes Erekat denying an agreement of this type.

The local press highlights the September 13 meeting between Prime
Minister Netanyahu and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo.
According to coverage, Mubarak urged Netanyahu to halt all
settlement activities (including natural growth), and stressed that
Jerusalem has very special status for the Arabs and Muslims, which
should be respected. Mubarak also urged Israel to pursue
negotiations with the Palestinians.

Al-Quds front pages news on Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterating
Sunday that there are still gaps between the US and Israeli
positions regarding re-starting negotiations, which have to be
bridged during his talks with the US Special Envoy George Mitchell.


The local press highlights news on Jibreel Al-Roujoub, member of the
Fatah Central Committee noting to the press after his meeting with
Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Sulaiman and Arab League Secretary
General Amr Mousa in Egypt on September 13 that Fatah is committed
to holding presidential and legislative elections in January 2010.
Al-Roujoub reiterated that Fatah is working hard to achieve national
reconciliation based on a unified clear vision. In related news,
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front pages coverage citing AFP on Palestinian
politicians and analysts expecting that October should be a turning
point for national reconciliation efforts, eithe

r producing an
agreement or deepening the state of division between Hamas and
Fatah.

All three dailies report on the launching of the partnership program
between Bard College and Al-Quds University on September 13. The
papers quote US Consul General Daniel Rubinstein noting that this
project represents the partnership that President Obama called for
with the Arab World and focused on fostering greater educational
partnerships and exchanges between the US and the Arab world.

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Weekend Stories:
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Sunday, September 13:

All three dailies run front page stories citing sources within the
Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee
confirming that the Palestinian response to the Egyptian plan to end
the internal division will include four main issues: the importance
of building upon what was agreed during the previous rounds of
national dialogue; rejection of any attempts to undermine the status
and role of the PLO; the need to ensure that none of the proposed
measures contradict with the Basic Law of the Palestinian Authority
(thereby rejecting the idea of postponing the legislative and

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presidential elections); and, accepting any agreement that helps end
the occupation. Al Ayyam reported that President Abbas' response to
the plan consisted of a number of comments and observations, the
most important of which was the lack of a specific date for
conducting the presidential and legislative elections. Hamas said
that they will respond to the plan after the Eid holiday.

Al Quds runs a front page story on a report issued by the Jerusalem
Center for Social and Economic Rights that stated American
organizations are financing illegal and illegitimate settlements
through tax exempt donations. The report calls upon the US to stop
these organizations that finance the construction of settlements on
Palestinian lands, particularly in Jerusalem, including those that
finance the seizing of real estate and properties owned by
Palestinians in Jerusalem. (Al Quds publishes an extensive review of
the report in the inside pages.)

Saturday September 12:

Al Hayat Al Jadida and Al Quds run front page stories quoting
Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat stating that Special Envoy
George Mitchell will meet Tuesday with Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas. During the meeting, Abbas will emphasize
the need to exert pressure on Israel to stop all settlement
activities. Erekat also stressed that there are no plans for a
meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and noted the importance of
Mitchell's upcoming visit that comes prior to the Quartet's meeting
later this month in New York.

Al Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida run front page stories on Prime
Minister Netanyahu's Sunday meeting with President Mubarak to
discuss reviving the peace process. Israeli media sources reported
that Prime Minister Netanyahu hopes that Egypt will convince
President Abbas to participate in a tri-lateral meeting with
Netanyahu and President Obama on the margins of the UN General
Assembly meetings in New York.

Al Quds runs a front page story citing Israeli sources that the
Jerusalem Municipality, in cooperation with the Israeli government,
is preparing to build 3,000 new settlement units in Gilo, Abu Ghneim
(Har Homa), Pisgat Ze'ev, and Ramot. The Israeli weekly newspaper
Kol Hazman reported Friday that construction will start soon. In
related news, representatives of Israeli settlers in the West Bank
announced Friday the launch of a campaign against a settlement
freeze. The campaign will start on/around September 20 with a sit-in
across the street from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's
headquarters in Jerusalem.
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BLOCK QUOTES:
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1) Rajeh Abu Asab opines in Al-Quds independent daily under the
title "Isn't it time to end the Palestinian division?" (09/14): "In
order to bridge the gaps between the Palestinian factions,
presidential and legislative elections must be held next January as
scheduled ... and then form a national unity government for an
independent Palestinian state with clear borders."

2) Samih Shbeib opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily under the title
"Presidential and legislative elections" (09/14):"Holding the
Palestinian elections is a political battle by all means. It is a
battle against the internal division, against those who dismiss the

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law and order. It is a battle to preserve legitimacy and protect
it."

RUBINSTEIN