JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (03/26): PALESTINIANS ASSERT ARAB

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000561 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 (03/26): PALESTINIANS ASSERT ARAB IDENTITY OF JERUSALEM -------------- Main Stories: -------------- Al Ayyam and Al Hayat Al Jadida lead with March 24 statements by President Obama reaffirming U.S. commitment to the two-state solution. The President is also quoted stating that achieving a two-state solution will not be easier under a Netanyahu government. The report, also on Al Quds' front page, is linked in both papers to reporting on the secret agreement between Likud's Netanyahu and Beytenu's Lieberman to build housing units in the Jerusalem E1 area, a move that critics say threatens to cut Jerusalem off from the Palestinian Territories. All papers run reaction from Palestinian Authority President spokesman Abu Rudaynah noting Obama's statements as another indicator of U.S. commitment to the two-state solution. Rudaynah also highlights the appointment of Special Envoy George Mitchell as further proof of U.S. "seriousness." Al Ayyam adds statements by PLO chief negotiator Erekat welcoming Obama's statements and calling for their "transforming" into concrete timetables and mechanisms for implementation. Al Quds leads with a report on Israeli plans to build new "settlement neighborhoods" in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah and Abu Dis areas. The report cites Israeli daily Maariv in noting that Jerusalem Mayor Barakat will soon visit the U.S. to meet with U.S. administration officials and Jewish leaders. Al Quds and Al Ayyam run front page reports on March 25 statements by Palestinian Authority Premier Fayyad calling on the international community to compel Israel to accept the two-state solution and end control over Area C zones, established by the Oslo Accords. All papers front page a report on a "breakthrough" in prisoners exchange talks between Hamas and Israel. According to Hamas deputy chief Baraka, indirect talks have resumed. Papers note that an Egyptian official, who visited Israel on March 25, has returned to Cairo to inform his government and Hamas about the "development" and communicate that to Hamas. Papers speculate that Israel has agreed to the release of Palestinian leaders Saadat, Hamid and Marwan Barghuti. Al Quds and Al Ayyam's front pages cite a report by Human Rights Watch that accuses Israel of unlawfully using white phosphorus in its offensive in Gaza, a potential war crime, according to the group. Al Hayat Al Jadida's front page cites a Reuters report on statements by senior UN official and former U.S. diplomat, B. Lynn Pascoe calling the situation at Gaza crossings, "intolerable," as Israel continues to block the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, despite earlier agreements. Pascoe reiterated the UN call on Israel to fulfill its responsibilities under international humanitarian law and open crossings for humanitarian assistance and reconstruction materials. -------------- BLOCK QUOTES: -------------- 1) Azzam Abu Al Sud opines in Al Quds under the title, "Launching Jerusalem, the Capital of Arab Culture"(03/26): "Despite all [Israeli] attempts to prevent the Arab spirit and [prevent] Arab culture from expressing [that spirit] in Jerusalem, we [Palestinian Jerusalemites] remain Arabs, a thorn in their side, Christians and Muslims. We must exert more effort, thought, and careful action [to protect our identity]." 2) Talal Okal opines in Al Ayyam under the title, "When will we learn our lesson?"(03/26): "The Israeli occupier, under the leadership of the rightwing national unity government... constitutes JERUSALEM 00000561 002 OF 002 a direct, imminent danger to all Palestinians, negotiators and resistance. Will this [danger] constitute a valid, strong, and good enough reason for ending the [internal Palestinian] division, or, will the dialogue and squabbling continue...?" WALLES