JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (04/08): PALESTINIANS LAMENT LACK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000632

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 (04/08): PALESTINIANS LAMENT LACK
OF RESPONSE TO HOME DEMOLITIONS

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Main Stories:
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PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL NOT BE A JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION ON
APRIL 9 AS THE CONSULATE WILL BE CLOSED FOR A LOCAL HOLIDAY.

Al-Quds' runs a front- page highlight of President Obama's visit to
Iraq, highlighting that Obama said it was time for the Iraqi people
to rule themselves and that U.S. operations in Iraq should end. Al
Hayat Al Jadida runs similar inside coverage. Al Quds and Al-Ayyam
continue front page coverage of Obama's visit to Turkey, running
wire reports on Obama's remarks to students that peace in the Middle
East is possible and that Israel is not responsible for all of the
Middle East's problems. Al-Quds also runs an inside photo of Obama
visiting one of the largest and most popular mosques in Turkey. In
other presidential news, Al-Quds' front page announces that
President Obama is expected to visit Israel and the Palestinian
Territories in June.

Al-Quds' front pages a DPA report on a delegation led by Congressman
Lynch making a "discreet" two-hour visit to Gaza on April 7.
According to coverage, the goal of the visit was to "get an overview
of the Gaza situation after the recent conflict." The Congressmen
met with the head of UNRWA and were briefed on "the suffering of
Gazans." Reporting notes that the U.S. visitors did not meet with
any Hamas or other Palestinian leaders.

Al-Quds and Al-Ayyam lead with the killing by Israeli police of a
man from East Jerusalem who tried to run the police over with his
car. The two front pages also highlight the demolishing of the
family home of a Palestinian from East Jerusalem who was shot in
Jerusalem while attacking pedestrians and cars with a bulldozer last
year. All dailies run lead photos of Israeli soldiers guarding the
bulldozers demolishing the attacker's home. In related news,
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front pages an AFP report about the U.S.
objecting to Israeli house demolitions, calling it "uncontructive
punishment."

All front pages cover Palestinian Authority President Abbas' visit
to Daghestan on April 7 to meet with its leader. Reporting also
notes that Abbas met with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to
discuss the political situation in the Palestinian territories, the
upcoming Moscow Middle East peace conference, Palestinian national
unity talks, Palestinian reconciliation, and Gaza reconstruction.

Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads with statements by Israeli Foreign Minister
Lieberman stating that negotiations between Palestinians and Israel
have reached a dead end and that Israel will be proposing new ideas.
According to coverage that also appears on Al-Ayyam's front page,
Israel does not not intend to compromise on blocking the
establishment of a Palestinian state.

Al Quds' front page cites a wire report about Palestinian Authority
President Abbas' intention to form a transitional government before
unity talks continue in Cairo on April 26. Abbas stressed that the
people of Gaza could no longer wait for reconstruction to start.
According to London-based Al-Hayat daily, Abbas feels that
intra-Palestinian dialogue will take much longer than expected,
though he remains committed to their success. Coverage also reports
that Abbas will task Salaam Fayyad to form the transitional

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government.

Al-Quds runs a wire report on April 7 meetings between senior Fatah
official Ahmad Quray and U.S. Consul General Walles and Middle East
Quartet Envoy Tony Blair in the West Bank town of Abu Dis. Quray
briefed his visitors on Palestinian unity talks and Fatah's sixth
party conference. According to coverage that also appears on
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's front page, Quray urged the U.S., Middle East
Quartet, and the international community to pressure Israel to halt
"provocative measures" against Palestinians. Quray also noted that
any negotiations that are not based on the Arab Peace initiative are
"a waste of time." In a joint press conference for Blair and Quray,
Blair announced an Israeli decision to transfer more than $10
million in cash to Gaza.

All dailies front page coverage of Palestinian Authority (PA)
Premier Fayyad and PA Minister of National Economy Hassunah
attending an opening ceremony for a number of development projects
in Tubas district in the northern West Bank on April 7. Premier
Fayyad noted that the PA is keen to support the Palestinian economy
and provide all needed support to ensure that Palestinians can
remain on their land.

All dailies front page news that an "extremist Jewish organization"
called on Jews and settlers to go to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on
April 8 and perform Passover rituals. --------------
BLOCK QUOTES:
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1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title,
"Demolishing Jerusalemite houses and the international community's
silence"(04/08): "Demolishing the houses of Jerusalemites is
becoming a measure of collective punishment that Israel perpetrates
on Palestinians residing in Jerusalem in order to evacuate the city
y
from its Arab citizens... these actions should be stopped by
effective and continuous efforts on the part of the international
community so that Palestinians are not left to face this attack
alone, especially since the Israeli Government is supported by both
its military power and judicial system that... rejects
[legal]petitions submitted by Palestinians... where is the
international community, where is the Arab Islamic world and what
have they done to stop the attacks?"

2) Regular columnist Hani Habib opines in Al-Ayyam daily independent
under the title,"Mitchell pitches the Arab Peace Initiative to
Israel" (04/08): "The U.S. Administration represented by President
Obama, Secretary Clinton and Special Envoy Mitchell sent [the new
Israeli Government] a message that the Arab Peace Initiative is an
part important part of U.S. Middle East policy formulation...
Netanyahu's Government will try to avoid conflict with the Obama
Administration on that point and may take some steps toward
satisfying the U.S. Administration by minimizing Palestinian
suffering through Netanyahu's vision of the so-called economic
peace. Netanyahu's Government might also, however, try to embarrass
the U.S. Administration by using Arab and Palestinian division as a
pretext for not achieving any progress on the Arab Peace
Initiative."

WALLES