JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (03/25): PONDERING THE IMPACT OF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000546

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 (03/25): PONDERING THE IMPACT OF
THE DOHA SUMMIT ON PALESTINIAN TALKS

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Main Stories:
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Al Quds and Al Hayat Al Jadida lead with confrontations between
Arab-Israelis and Israeli police in Um Al Fahm town in Israel on
March 24. The confrontations erupted when Israeli "rightwing
settlers" attempted to hold a rally, "waving Israeli flags, under
police protection." The rally "provoked" residents to ask the
"settlers" to leave and clashes ensued, according to coverage.
Several people were injured, including activists and policemen, who
arrested Arab citizens, papers note.

Al Ayyam leads with Egyptian invitations to Palestinian factions to
resume reconciliation talks in Cairo on April 1, following the Arab
summit in Doha. The report, which features on all front pages, adds
that contacts have intensified among factions, "to iron out
differences" in preparation of declaring a, "Cairo Document on Unity
and Agreement." Al Quds runs an inside page caricature with two
women wondering if April 1 was picked as the date for new talks in
honor of April Fools Day.

Al Quds and Al Ayyam front page a UK-based daily Guardian report
about Israeli forces using Palestinian boys as human shields during
the recent Gaza conflicts, and the use of drones to bomb medical
teams and hospitals. The report quotes Israeli Army sources denying
these accusations and adding that the Army acted in accordance with
international law. Al Quds cites Reuters in quoting a retired
Israeli Army commander, asserting that Israeli attempts to protect
their own military personnel during the conflict led to higher
Palestinian civilian casualties. Al Ayyam's front page reports that
Israel condemned the recent report by UN Human Rights Rapporteur
Richard Falk that calls for the investigation of Israel for possible
war crimes committed during the Gaza Cast Lead operation. Reporting
also notes statements by State Department spokesman Robert Wood
describing the Falk report as, "not objective" and stating that
though the U.S. would not seek to block an investigation into war
crimes, such an investigation should be objective.

All front pages run an AFP report about the Israeli Labor party
joining a coalition government with Likud under the premiership of
Netanyahu. Papers note that Labor head Ehud Barak would retain the
defense portfolio.

Al Quds highlights a front page report citing DPA about an Israeli
decision to deploy a "Steel Dome" system around the Gaza Strip to
intercept rockets and projectiles fired into Israel.

Al Quds' inside page runs an AFP report revealing that two human
rights groups; the Legal Center on Freedom to Travel and Doctors for
Human Rights, have accused Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas,
and Egypt of keeping the Gaza Rafah crossing closed. The paper also
runs an inside report by Israeli human rights group, B'Tselem,
noting increased Israeli violence against Palestinians in the West
Bank, following the Israeli operation in Gaza.

Al Quds and Al Hayat Al Jadida run an inside report on a meeting
between U.S. Consulate General staff and Palestinian Authority Chief
Islamic Judge Taysir Tamimi in Ramallah on March 24. Tamimi briefed
the delegation on Israeli negative practices targeting Palestinian
Jerusalemites and Palestinian institutions and cultural activities
in Jerusalem. Tamimi also demanded the U.S. administration pressure
Israel to stop settlement activities and "violations" against
Islamic and Christian shrines in Jerusalem.


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Al Quds runs an inside DPA report revealing that U.S. Embassy staff
in Beirut met with their counterparts at the Iranian Embassy in
Lebanon. The report notes that both Embassies denied holding such
meetings. --------------
BLOCK QUOTES:
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1) Hani Habib opines in Al Ayyam under the title, "The
Palestinian... Doha summit"(03/25): "What happens at the Doha
meeting will set the course for and determine the nature of
Palestinian-Palestinian dialogue in Cairo. We expect a halt to
dialogue, if we carefully read the agenda for the summit."

2) Hamada Farana writes in Al Ayyam, "No alternative but to sign
and agree"(03/25): "The resistance factions, especially Fatah and
Hamas have entered the reconciliation tunnel, and they will emerge
united by consent or after being forced by the stick... The
agreement is on the way, it simply requires time and patience until
it is signed."

WALLES