JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (02/25): More demolition orders

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000344 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 (02/25): More demolition orders for homes in East Jerusalem -------------- Main Stories: -------------- The dailies front page news that the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem distributed 12 demolition orders against Palestinian houses in Silwan (East Jerusalem),including houses that were built before 1967, claiming that they lack the appropriate building permits. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reports that the Israeli Minister of Interior said that Israel intends to confiscate land in East Jerusalem which belongs to a Palestinian citizen to build a parking lot for settlers on it. In related news, Al-Quds and Al-Ayyam report on settlers attacking the Ghawi and Hanoun families in Sheikh Jarrah yesterday, leading to confrontations between Palestinian citizens and the settlers. Six Palestinians were injured by tear gas. Al-Ayyam continues to lead with news on the protests in the West Bank (mainly in Hebron) for the third consecutive day against the Israeli announcement to add two holy sites in the West Bank to its list of heritage sites. Reports note that there will be more demonstrations tomorrow throughout the West Bank. Al-Quds reports that Yasser Abed Rabbo condemned the Israeli decision and accused Israel of confiscating the Palestinian heritage. Abed Rabbo noted that the Palestinian Authority (PA) will follow up on this issue with all Arab and international bodies. Al-Ayyam, citing Yedioth Ahronot, reports that settlers in the West Bank sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urging him to add two more tombs in Hebron to the list. The three dailies continue to run front page coverage on developments in the investigation of the murder of Hamas leader Al-Mabhouh in Dubai last month. Reports note that the Dubai police accused 15 more individuals carrying foreign passports of involvement in the murder. The total number of suspects is now 26. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, citing Haaretz, reports that the son of Hamas leader Hasan Yousef has been a "spy" for Israel for more than 10 years and that he was behind the murder of Al-Mabhouh. Hasan Yousef and Hamas denied this news. The dailies quote Secretary Clinton testifying before Congress yesterday saying that she hopes the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations will resume soon. Al-Quds runs a separate front page story citing the London based Al-Hayat reporting that the Palestinian-Israeli indirect negotiations will begin in two weeks, according to Palestinian sources. The report notes that PA President Mahmoud Abbas initially agreed to indirect talks but needs to get the green light from the Arab states after the Arab Follow-Up Committee meeting scheduled for next Tuesday. -------------- BLOCK QUOTE: -------------- Under the title "Too Many Initiatives.... Too Little Action," an editorial in Al-Quds argues that there is no need to look for or create any initiatives other than that Arab peace initiative, which was approved by 57 Arab and Muslim states. The Arab initiative should be the framework for any peace prospects in the region. The author criticizes the "endless" European and American efforts to continue drafting initiatives while no concrete actions are taken on the ground. RUBINSTEIN