JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (01/29): Clashes continue between

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000180 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 (01/29): Clashes continue between settlers, Israeli soldiers, and Palestinians in the West Bank -------------- Main Stories: -------------- The three dailies lead with confrontations between settlers, Israeli soldiers and Palestinian journalists in Burin village near Nablus. The journalists, who were covering a tree-planting event sponsored by the Palestinian Authority (PA) Ministry of Agriculture, said they were accosted by Israeli forces who declared the area a closed military zone. The dailies run headlines quoting President Obama saying yesterday that the US would always ensure Israel's security, but that Washington must also pay attention to the plight of the Palestinian people. Obama reiterated the US commitment to resume meaningful negotiations between the two parties as soon as possible. Al-Quds reports that PLO Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat denied news that PA President Mahmoud Abbas submitted new ideas and proposals to the US to revive the peace process. Independent daily Al-Quds reports on PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad noting from Davos that the US and the international community must exert more pressure on Israel to stop settlement activities in the West Bank to push the peace process forward. Fayyad expressed disappointment that neither the US nor the international community were able to force Israel to stop expanding settlement activities. Reports note that Hamas expects the German mediator in the prisoner exchange deal to relinquish his role because of Israeli stubbornness. -------------- Palestinian Cyberspace: -------------- This week, Palestinian cyberspace focused on the request by 54 US Congressmen to lift the siege on Gaza, and the arrests of Palestinian peace activists. Palestinian social media carried the vlog (Video Blog) posted on palestinevideo.blogspot.com about the congressional legislation to label Arab satellite channels that promote incitement as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. To view the vlog, click here: Freedom of Speech and US Congress Bill to Gag it Palestine cyberspace circulated a song composed by Gazans to Obama titled "Gaza Voices: Gaza Kids are calling for Obama." -------------- BLOCK QUOTE: -------------- Saleh Qallab writing in Al-Quds under the title "Mitchell's Latest Visit, Was It a New Beginning or a Big Failure?" opines that Special Envoy Mitchell's latest visit did not fail completely because he was able to achieve some progress. The writer notes, however, that no breakthrough was achieved because the Palestinians and Arab states insist that Israel must stop settlement activities. RUBINSTEIN