JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (02/25): THE IMPORTANCE OF

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STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM
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TAGS: PREL KMDR KPAL KWBG KPAO IS
SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (02/25): THE IMPORTANCE OF
PALESTINIAN RECONCILLIATION

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Main Stories:
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Al Quds leads with statements by a State Department spokesman
confirming that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will attend the
Gaza reconstruction conference in Egypt and will visit Israel and
the West Bank on March 3 and 4. Reporting notes that the purpose of
Clinton's visit is to express support for the Palestinian Authority
and President Abbas. Al Ayyam also frontpages the report and adds
that U.S. envoy George Mitchell will start a second Middle East
"tour", visiting Turkey and then the Palestinian Territories and
Israel in an effort, "within the framework of President Obama's
policy," to seek peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The three papers run a front page AFP report on statements by a
White House spokesperson stating that the letter sent by Hamas to
President Obama through Senator Kerry, is still at the U.S.
Consulate in Jerusalem that is reviewing it. The three papers also
run a DPA story quoting a State Department official, speaking on the
condition of anonymity, confirming that U.S. envoy George Mitchell
will open a permanent office in Jerusalem. In other White House
news, Al Ayyam's front page runs a Reuters story quoting anonymous
U.S. officials stating that President Obama intends to withdraw
troops from Iraq over the next 19 months.
Al Ayyam leads with statements by Fatah Central Committee member
Nabil Sha'ath stating in Cairo that a Fatah-Hamas meeting was held
on February 24 and that a second meeting will be held to iron out
remaining obstacles before the official reconciliation conference
opens on February 25. The opening day ceremonial event will be
followed by meetings of specialized committees for 3 to 4 days,
according to reporting. The report appears in all front pages.
Al Hayat Al Jadida leads with a report on Palestinian reactions to a
recent decision by the Israeli Jerusalem municipality to demolish
the Bustan neighborhood in East Jerusalem to make way for a public
park. All front pages report on a joint Islamic-Christian call to
designate February 27 as a day, "to express Arab and Islamic anger"
over the Israeli decision and show support for, "Palestinian
Jerusalemites." Reporting adds that Jordan has warned Israel of
negative consequences of the decision. The three papers also report
that a tour of the Bustan neighborhood was conducted by officials
from Palestinian Authority President Abbas' office for foreign
diplomats. Al Quds notes that the U.S. Consul General did not
participate in the tour. Finally, Al Ayyam's front page cites
Reuters in quoting Israeli Jerusalem municipal sources denying the
demolition plans.
Al Quds quotes Palestinian Authority Premier Fayyad on its front
page deeming Israeli settlement expansion as a serious threat to the
peace process. Meanwhile, Al Ayyam's front page runs an AFP report
quoting Israeli President Peres telling the Knesset that peace with
the Palestinians is the most important challenge before Israel. He
also urged the Knesset to work towards achieving peace with the
Palestinians before the end of their four-year term.
Al Quds runs an inside report revealing that the Israeli Jerusalem
Mayor Nir Barakat requested in a February 24 meeting with U.S.
Consul General Walles that the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv be moved to
Jerusalem. The report adds that the Palestinian Authority Premier
Fayyad's advisor Hatem Abdul Qader commented on the Israeli request
by describing it as provocative and coming at a time when Israel is
committing the extensive ethnic cleansing of Palestinian
Jerusalemites.
An Al Quds' inside report cites the Israeli daily Jerusalem Post in
reporting on concerns by "American" Jews over possible tension in
U.S.-Israeli relations following the election of Netanyahu and his
expected establishment of an "extremist rightwing" government in

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Israel.
An Al Quds' inside report reveals that the Palestinian security
services released dozens of Hamas prisoners in the West Bank on
February 24.
Al Quds' front page reports that Israeli forces stormed the Nablus
old city and arrested a number of Palestinians in different West
Bank areas on February 24. The report adds that Israeli troops
forced Palestinians, in Nablus, to leave their homes at gun point,
carried out searches and took over a local Palestinian TV station,
Asia TV, which was used as a monitoring tower for several
hours. --------------
BLOCK QUOTES:
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1) Al Quds editorial is titled, "Dialogue for reconciliation not
for dialogue's sake"(02/25): "In order for dialogue to
succeed...there is a need to return to a brotherly atmosphere and
united national feeling... everyone should understand that national
unity is the bastion to protect Palestinian independence and that
the continuation of the current fragmented situation is a recipe for
more catastrophes."
WALLES