JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (11/25): Contradicting Reports on

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 002128 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 (11/25): Contradicting Reports on Prisoner Exchange Deal -------------- Main Stories: -------------- Dailies continue to lead with the prisoner exchange deal and contradicting reports from Hamas and Israeli officials about its status. Some Israeli officials report that the "deal is soon to happen" while Prime Minister Netanyahu denied the news and pointed out that such an agreement may not happen. Other sources predict that a deal will be concluded in the coming hours. Dailies continue to report on President Abu Mazen's visit to Argentina and his speech yesterday before the Argentine parliament in which he said that President Obama is not doing anything at this stage to revive peace negotiations. He stated that world peace cannot be achieved if double standards persist in the implementation of international law and that under the Land for Peace plan, settlement activity is "illegitimate." Dailies report that during yesterday's meeting between Prime Minister Fayyad and German Foreign Minister, Fayyad emphasized the important role international support plays in ending settlement expansion and protecting the two state solution. Dailies report on Prime Minister Fayyad's remarks yesterday at the opening session of the "International conference on the Palestinian prisoners" in Jericho, in which he stated that the treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails must adhere to prisoner of war standards set forth in the Fourth Geneva Convention. Al-Quds, Ma'an and WAFA report on the IDF position that Berlanty Azzam, the Palestinian Student deported to Gaza last month, not be allowed to continue her studies at Bethlehem University. The news comes following yesterday's decision by the Israeli High Court recommending that the IDF and Berlanty's representatives reach an agreement to allow Berlanty to pursue her studies and scheduling a follow up hearing on the issue in the next seven days. Dailies front page reports on an Israeli delegation conducting a secret visit to Oman last week. Due to the secrecy surrounding the visit, some reports speculated that the delegation discussed issues pertaining to sea water desalination while other reports suggested that the visit aimed at discussing means of re-launching Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. Citing the German Press Agency (DPA),Al-Ayyam front pages news that, in preparation for general elections, Fatah has established a new commission for elections and that Fatah has called on Palestinian factions to support the commission and hold elections to end the current state of internal division between Hamas and Fatah. -------------- BLOCK QUOTES: -------------- The dailies ran several op-eds on the prisoner exchange deal and Israeli settlement activity. 1) Adli Sadeq writing in the PA official daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida under the title "A Deal For A Qfe" expressed hope that the prisoner exchange would succeed even if it results in empowering Hamas. 2) Ashraf Ajrami, in a commentary, in independent daily Al-Ayyam, entitled "The Prisoner Release: A Deal For The Hamas' Empire" expresses supports for the release of as many Palestinian prisoners as possible, but criticizes Hamas for its blunt announcements of a ceasefire with Israel. Ajrami accuses Hamas of supporting Israeli JERUSALEM 00002128 002 OF 002 interests and of accepting things that it never would have agreed to previously. 3) Al-Quds runs an editorial under the title: "Israeli Manipulative Attempts To Bypass A Settlement Freeze." The writer opines that Israeli attempts to get around a complete freeze of settlement construction will never be accepted by the Palestinians nor will such attempts create the conditions necessary for the establishment of a Palestinian state. According to the writer, it would be better for the Government of Israel to "stop wasting time and effort expanding settlements and instead negotiate with the Palestinians...to not only freeze the settlements but also evacuate them." RUBINSTEIN