JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (10/29): President Abbas speaks at

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001957 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 (10/29): President Abbas speaks at International Forum for Jerusalem -------------- Main Stories: -------------- The lead stories in all three dailies highlight President Abbas's speech at the International Forum for Jerusalem in Morocco yesterday. The headlines quote Abbas reiterating that the "Palestinian Authority (PA) is still willing to end the internal Palestinian division and achieve reconciliation with Hamas." Abbas also said that the increased "Israeli escalations in Jerusalem may lead to a religious war." In his speech, Abbas noted that the PA will consider options other than the two-state solution if Israel continues its refusal to compromise. Al-Quds front pages an interview with PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad conducted by the Palestinian Studies Magazine. Fayyad is quoted as saying that General Dayton has nothing to do with the PA's security arrangements, noting that "Dayton works for us, we don't work for him." Fayyad noted that Dayton's job is to oversee the training process for the new members of the PA security forces. He noted that approximately 2000 security forces have been trained and selected by the PA itself, not by Dayton. All dailies front page news on a Hamas press release announcing that it won't allow any elections to take place in Gaza, noting that President Abbas's calls for elections are "illegal and illegitimate." All front pages run stories on a report released by the Israeli research institute Macro Center for Political Economics that shows there will be a Palestinian majority in Jerusalem in 20 years despite Israeli measures to diminish the Palestinian presence in the city. Al-Ayyam front pages news that negotiations between Hamas and Israel over a prisoners exchange deal are underway. 450 Palestinian prisoners would be released from Israeli jails in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. The report notes that Israel has reservations over the names of 125 prisoners on the list. Hamas newspaper Al-Resalah runs a report on US pressure on President Abbas to make more compromises regarding the resumption of negotiations with Israel. The report also notes that the US told Abbas that they don't want the PA to sign a reconciliation agreement with Hamas unless the latter recognizes Israel. -------------- BLOCK QUOTES: -------------- 1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title " Jerusalem ... the Scale for Peace and War!": (29/10): "The Israeli measures in Jerusalem, including home demolitions and attempts to diminish the Palestinian identity, must be an incentive to all Palestinian leaders to put an end to the people's misery and prioritize national unity." 2) Omar Al-Ghoul opines in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida official daily under the title "Hamas, Where is the Truth?" "Hamas and its officials are lying about its reservations on the national reconciliation agreement because the truth contradicts its beliefs and policies. Hamas should stop the lies and explain its real position to the people regarding its refusal to sign the reconciliation agreement." JERUSALEM 00001957 002 OF 002 RUBINSTEIN