JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (02/02): PALESTINIAN ALARM OVER

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SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (02/02): PALESTINIAN ALARM OVER
JERUSALEM AREA SETTLEMENTS

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Main Stories:
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Al Quds leads with Israeli plans to build 3,500 new housing units on
the "E1 block" between Jerusalem and the Ma'ale Adumim Jerusalem
area settlement, "despite Israeli promises to the U.S." The story
receives front page coverage in all papers, which highlight that the
new settlement would seal off Jerusalem from the West Bank. The
papers also report that Israel has declared the conclusion of
infrastructure projects to allow for the E1 settlement plan to move
forward. The papers also front page statements by the PLO calling
on President Obama to take immediate action to stop the planned
settlement activities.
Al Ayyam leads with February 1 Israeli strikes on Gaza and
statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, threatening a,
"disproportionate Israeli response," to Palestinian rocket attacks,
after rocket fire from Gaza injured three Israelis on February 1.
The story receives front page coverage in all papers, which also run
a statement issued by Fatah, denying responsibility for the rocket
fire and stating that Fatah is focused on reestablishing Palestinian
national unity. Al Quds adds that one Palestinian died of injuries
sustained in a previous Israeli strike on Gaza.
Al Hayat Al Jadida leads with a story which appears on the front
pages of all dailies, quoting Palestinian Authority President Abbas
rejecting talks with those [Hamas] who reject the authority of the
PLO. The papers further note that the PLO's legislative body, the
Palestinian National Council (PNC),will meet on February 3 in
Ramallah to discuss Hamas' calls for establishing a substitute body
for the PLO. The news follows weekend coverage of a January 31
emergency PNC meeting in Amman, at which the body condemned Hamas
leader Misha'al's call for a substitute body. Coverage also noted
Hamas leaders' Hamad and Al Shair rejecting Misha'al's call.

In U.S. policy news, Al Quds' front page cites AFP in reporting that
advisors to President Obama have begun dialogue "behind the scenes"
with officials in both Iran and Syria. Another AFP story runs
inside Al Hayat Al Jadida and Al Ayyam about Obama replying to a
letter he received from the Secretary General of the Organization of
the Islamic Conference, congratulating Obama on his inauguration.
In his written reply, Obama expressed interest in working with the
Islamic organization for a "safer world," according to reporting.
In a third inside story, Al Hayat Al Jadida cites AFP, in reporting
on differences between President Obama and Secretary of Defense
Gates in regards to nuclear weapons. Obama seeks a world free of
nuclear arms, while Gates seeks to modernize the U.S nuclear
arsenal, according to AFP. Finally, Al Quds runs an inside story
citing Aviation Week Magazine about the U.S. preventing Israel from
boarding an Iranian ship destined for Gaza with arms for Hamas.

Al Quds and Al Ayyam front page an AFP story on statements made by
Turkish President Gul in Saudi Arabia on February 1, calling on
Hamas to engage in the peace process. Gul is also quoted
"understanding" the need for Palestinian unity and the need for
Hamas to be part of the regional peace process. In related news, Al
Quds carries on an inside page, a Washington Post interview with
Turkish Premier Erdogan, following an incident at the World Economic
Forum in Davos, where he left the stage in protest of Israeli
policies toward the Palestinians. Erdogan is quoted describing
Palestine as a "big prison" and claiming that the current Israeli
government does not deal with Turkey in a rational way.
The three papers run front page coverage of the collapse of an UNRWA
school classroom floor located near the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem,
suggesting it was caused by the controversial Israeli excavations
near the mosque. 17 girls were injured when the floor collapsed,

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reporting notes.
Al Quds' front page cites AFP in quoting Iranian Foreign Minister
Mottaki calling for the lifting of the Gaza "siege" and
reconstruction of Gaza under the, "legitimate Hamas government."
His statements were made on February 1 while receiving Hamas
Political Chief Khalid Misha'al in Tehran. Al Quds' front page runs
a second AFP story on differences between the Israeli Defense
Minister Barak and Foreign Minister Livni on Egypt's role in any
truce agreement with Hamas. The paper further reports that a Hamas
delegation will arrive in Cairo on February 2 to convey Hamas'
response to the Egyptian truce proposal. --------------
WEEKEND NEWS:
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Sunday, February 1
Front page coverage of Special Envoy's Mitchell's visit to the
region continued: All papers reported that Jordan's King Abdullah
warned Mitchell against initiating a "new peace process" and called
instead for the re-launch of "effective" Israeli-Palestinian
negotiations based on the two-state solution. Papers noted that
during the King's January 31 meeting with Mitchell, Abdullah
commended the positive tone set by the new American administration
towards achieving regional peace and building relations with the
Arab and Muslim worlds based on mutual interest and respect. For
his part, Mitchell stated that the American administration is
prioritizing Middle East issues and is serious about resuming
Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations to reach a two-state
solution, according to reporting. Finally, Al Quds' coverage made
mention of the January 30 Washington Post editorial noting that the
Obama administration seems "to tend towards" following Mitchell's
recommendations from his 2001 report.
Al Quds' and Al Ayyam's front pages covered Middle East Envoy Tony
Blair's January 31 remarks that Hamas should participate, in some
form, under certain conditions, in the Middle East peace process.
Blair noted that the policy of isolating Hamas has not yielded
results. Papers also highlight Blair's comment that the designation
of George Mitchell as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace is
evidence of strong U.S. commitment to the process. Meanwhile,
reporting also noted that Hamas has responded to the Quartet
requirement that Hamas renounce violence and recognize Israel as,
"ridiculous."
All front pages highlighted that Palestinian Authority President
Abbas postponed his visit to the Czech Republic,upon "surprise
developments" and traveled to Cairo for follow-up talks on the Gaza
truce and reconciliation efforts with Palestinian factions. The
papers also reported that Egypt expects Palestinian factions to
deliver their responses to the proposed Gaza truce and Palestnian
reconciliation this week. Coverage continued that Abbas will meet
with French President Sarkozy on February 2 in Paris to discuss
conditions in the Palestinian Territories, means of consolidating
the Gaza ceasefire, and Gaza reconstruction efforts.

Saturday, January 31

All front pages reported that Special Envoy Mitchell announced that
the United States is committed to working towards a permanent peace
between Israel, the Palestinians and all Arab countries. Al Quds
led coverage with a photo of Mitchell and U.N. officials at the
UNRWA warehouse. The papers ran extensive excerpts from Mitchell's
January 30 statement, delivered at the UNRWA warehouse in Jerusalem.
Papers noted that the "pessimistic assessment" by Mitchell came
after two days of discussions with Israeli and Palestinian officials
regarding the consolidation of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
Mitchell's announcement that, "President Obama has ordered this week
the allocation of a total amount of $20.3 million," in assistance to

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Gaza, was also highlighted in all dailies.

Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida ran front page headlines quoting
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Rice calling on Israel to launch its own
investigation into possible violations of international law
committed by its military during recent operations in the Gaza
Strip. Rice added in her first address to the Security Council that
Hamas, too, has violated international law with rocket attacks on
Israeli civilians and the use of civilian structures as shields for
its terrorist attacks. Rice also told the Security Council that
several accusations against Israel were simply inflammatory.

Al Quds' front page cited a report published by Israeli daily
Haaretz regarding settlement activities. Haaretz covered a detailed
report prepared by the Israeli security agency on, "illegal
construction inside settlements," which reveals that construction in
most settlements is conducted without the required permits or in a
manner that violates permit stipulations. The report also revealed
that buildings and infrastructure such as roads, synagogues,
schools, religious schools, and police stations- in more than 30
settlements- were established on privately-owned Palestinian land.
The report was prepared by the Israeli authorities to provide
documented and reliable information in preparation for lawsuits that
are expected to be filed by Palestinians, human rights
organizations, and Israeli left-wing groups against settlement
activities, according to reporting.

All front pages ran headlines of Palestinian Abbas January 30
statements noting, "Our terms of reference for peace are the Arab
peace initiative, UN resolutions, and President Bush's vision. The
coup in Gaza will not be repeated in the West Bank and efforts to
destroy the PLO will not succeed." Abbas added that, "if Israel
wants peace, it could be reached and implemented in a short period
of time by allowing our people to regain their lands, ending the
occupation, solving the question of refugees, and establishing East
Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Palestine." Abbas also
noted that the Hamas coup in Gaza only succeeded, "because we did
not want armed confrontations." Abbas dismissed recent comments by
Hamas leader in Damascus Khalid Misha'al about replacing the PLO,
stating, "Misha'al will not be able to destroy this entity because
no one will support him, neither the Palestinians nor others."
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BLOCK QUOTES:
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1) Al Quds editorial is titled, "Al Aqsa [mosque]... and
settlements!!"(02/02): "The collapse of a classroom floor at an
UNRWA school near the Al Aqsa mosque and the injury of 17 female
students due to ongoing Israeli excavations under and around the
Jerusalem sanctuary, highlights once again the dangers of these
excavations that threaten the Al Aqsa mosque on the one hand, and
nearby Palestinian houses and organizations on the other... [These
excavations] threaten... [to cause] a catastrophe if Israel does not
immediately stop these excavations, and if the international
community does not intervene to stop these illegitimate practices
carried out by an occupying power in territories considered by the
international community as occupied..."

2) Khalid Hroub writes in Al Ayyam under the title, "Yes to ending
division and occupation"(02/02): "Fatah should provide a new
strategic vision and a political platform based on evaluating
negotiations from the past 15 years, its loss in elections and
Hamas' rise and electoral victory, control over Gaza and results of
the recent war... Hamas,too, should put forward a new strategic

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vision and political program based on evaluating the resistance of
the last 20 years... Hamas could adopt a political program... that
is based on the goal of, "ending occupation with all means," which
could provide a common meeting point for policy with Fatah.
WALLES