Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09JERUSALEM172
2009-01-23 13:45:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Jerusalem
Cable title:
JERUSALEM SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION (01/23): MITCHELL AS
how-toVZCZCXRO3635 OO RUEHROV DE RUEHJM #0172 0231345 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 231345Z JAN 09 FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3915 RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUEADWD/DA WASHINGTON DC//DAS-ZD/DACS-ZK// RUEAHQA/CSAF WASHINGTON DC//POLAD// RHMFIUU/CMC WASHINGTON DC RUENAAA/CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD// INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7505 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4490 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4338 RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5832 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4254 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2826
UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000172
SIPDIS
STATE PASS BBG
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD
NSC FOR SHAPIRO/PASCUAL
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM
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 SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION (01/23): MITCHELL AS
SPECIAL ENVOY DRAWS POSITIVE COVERAGE
--------------
Main Stories:
--------------
The appointment of George Mitchell as Special Envoy For Middle East
Peace received highlighted coverage in the Palestinian press. The
lead stories in both Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida speculated on
the meaning of the appointment to the future of the peace process.
Al-Ayyam's main headline reads, "Obama to deploy Mitchell to the
region soon, emphasizes commitment to the two-state solution." The
paper introduces the story with a close-up photo of President Obama
standing next to Mitchell. Similarly, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida combines
coverage on Mitchell's appointment with the "pressing situation in
Gaza," declaring, "Obama calls for opening the Gaza crossings, and
will send Mitchell to the region soon as Middle East envoy."
The largest circulating daily, Al-Quds, carried a front-page feature
by its Washington-based correspondent under the headline, "Will the
new Middle East Envoy Mitchell pick up from where the 'Mitchell
Report' ended?" The article leads with an upbeat paragraph stating
that the appointment of Mitchell indicates the American
administration's strong intent to, "get involved [regionally] in an
effective manner," to rQolve the Israeli-Arab conflict. The
article takes note of the former Senator's success in brokering a
peace agreement in Northern Ireland and his draft of the "Mitchell
Report" on the Middle East in April 2001, which included
recommendations that Israel stop its settlement activities and
remove its checkpoints in the West Bank.
In separate front-page coverage, the dailies quoted remarks made by
a Hamas' member in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan, regarding Mitchell's
appointment. According to Hamdan, "some" Palestinians were
optimistic over Mitchell's appointment as Middle East envoy.
However, given Obama's unwillingness to deal directly with Hamas,
"it seems that, even before appointing [Mitchell] officially,
[Obama] has tried to put a stick in the spokes of the wheel, perhaps
to ensure that (Mitchell) does not succeed."
Palestinian online news agencies highlighted coverage of Mitchell's
appointment. The lead story on the largest Palestinian news
website, Ma'an News Agency, featured an article entitled, "Obama
appoints former Ireland negotiator as America's top envoy." The
article, referring to remarks by Mitchell, states that the envoy,
"does not underestimate the difficulty of this assignment,"
acknowledging the "danger" of getting involved in the Palestinian
struggle for self-determination. Another Palestinian online
service, the Palestine News Network (PNN),carried a Reuters report
featuring a biography of Mitchell on its homepage.
WALLES
SIPDIS
STATE PASS BBG
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD
NSC FOR SHAPIRO/PASCUAL
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM
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 SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION (01/23): MITCHELL AS
SPECIAL ENVOY DRAWS POSITIVE COVERAGE
--------------
Main Stories:
--------------
The appointment of George Mitchell as Special Envoy For Middle East
Peace received highlighted coverage in the Palestinian press. The
lead stories in both Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida speculated on
the meaning of the appointment to the future of the peace process.
Al-Ayyam's main headline reads, "Obama to deploy Mitchell to the
region soon, emphasizes commitment to the two-state solution." The
paper introduces the story with a close-up photo of President Obama
standing next to Mitchell. Similarly, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida combines
coverage on Mitchell's appointment with the "pressing situation in
Gaza," declaring, "Obama calls for opening the Gaza crossings, and
will send Mitchell to the region soon as Middle East envoy."
The largest circulating daily, Al-Quds, carried a front-page feature
by its Washington-based correspondent under the headline, "Will the
new Middle East Envoy Mitchell pick up from where the 'Mitchell
Report' ended?" The article leads with an upbeat paragraph stating
that the appointment of Mitchell indicates the American
administration's strong intent to, "get involved [regionally] in an
effective manner," to rQolve the Israeli-Arab conflict. The
article takes note of the former Senator's success in brokering a
peace agreement in Northern Ireland and his draft of the "Mitchell
Report" on the Middle East in April 2001, which included
recommendations that Israel stop its settlement activities and
remove its checkpoints in the West Bank.
In separate front-page coverage, the dailies quoted remarks made by
a Hamas' member in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan, regarding Mitchell's
appointment. According to Hamdan, "some" Palestinians were
optimistic over Mitchell's appointment as Middle East envoy.
However, given Obama's unwillingness to deal directly with Hamas,
"it seems that, even before appointing [Mitchell] officially,
[Obama] has tried to put a stick in the spokes of the wheel, perhaps
to ensure that (Mitchell) does not succeed."
Palestinian online news agencies highlighted coverage of Mitchell's
appointment. The lead story on the largest Palestinian news
website, Ma'an News Agency, featured an article entitled, "Obama
appoints former Ireland negotiator as America's top envoy." The
article, referring to remarks by Mitchell, states that the envoy,
"does not underestimate the difficulty of this assignment,"
acknowledging the "danger" of getting involved in the Palestinian
struggle for self-determination. Another Palestinian online
service, the Palestine News Network (PNN),carried a Reuters report
featuring a biography of Mitchell on its homepage.
WALLES