Cablegate: Jerusalem Media Reaction (09/06): The Hamas Government
O 060945Z SEP 06
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4731
WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
WHITE HOUSE NSC
SECDEF WASHDC
DIA WASHDC
CIA WASHDC
DA WASHINGTON DC//DAS-ZD/DACS-ZK//
CSAF WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
CMC WASHINGTON DC
CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY TUNIS
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY NICOSIA
AMEMBASSY ROME
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
UNCLAS JERUSALEM 003996
STATE PASS BBG
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM
NSC FOR ABRAMS
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 (09/06): THE HAMAS GOVERNMENT
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MAIN STORIES
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For the fourth consecutive day, the main Palestinian press focused
on the "unrelenting" government employees' strike, noting that
thousands of Palestinian security services personnel waged
demonstrations in front of the PLC in Gaza, during which some
assaulted the parliament building and fired their weapons into the
air. In a show of support for those employees, all press reported
that several demonstrations and massive marches took place
yesterday. Other front-page stories maintained that the strike was
expanding, reporting, for example, that commercial stores and other
private companies in many Palestinian cities also joined the strike
for one day yesterday in solidarity with the striking employees.
The press quoted President Abbas as reiterating his support of the
employees' "right to strike in order to ensure their essential
needs."
A day after Prime Minister Olmert was quoted as expressing
willingness to resume peace talks with the Palestinians, Al-Quds
today highlighted remarks by deputy Prime Minister Peres that the
Israeli government would negotiate with President Abbas soon after
Gilad Shalit, the abducted Israeli soldier, is freed.
Al-Ayyam highlighted a report quoting U.S. Ambassador Gregory
Schulte as saying in Vienna that Iran is defiant and that it is time
to impose sanctions.
All dailies ran prominent coverage on the death of four Hamas
militants resulting from Israeli air strikes on two separate cars in
Gaza. Leading with the story, Al-Ayyam headlined that Israel renews
its shelling of Gaza.
Al-Quds front-paged a Ma'an news report citing Israeli sources as
stating that a classified U.S. report suggests that the war in
Lebanon has widened the gap in the strategic relations between the
United States and Israel. The report stated that President Bush has
ordered the U.S. intelligence services to start a comprehensive
assessment of Israel's internal situation, which is considered one
of the main aspects of U.S.-Israeli strategic relations.
Reporting on the unstable and deteriorating conditions at the Rafah
crossing, a front-page story in Al-Quds cited a Reuters piece
assessing that the Rafah crossing agreement is lost somewhere
between being changed or cancelled. The report pointed out that EU
observers have considered leaving their mission due to Israeli
"hindrance" from allowing them to perform their duties.
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BLOCK QUOTES
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1. Ahmad Majdalani commented in independent Al-Ayyam under the
headline, "Is it a Salary Crisis or a Ruling Crisis?" (9/6): "None
of the slogans of change and reform, the basis on which the current
parliament and government were voted, has been implemented.
Although the government would like to blame the [Israeli] occupation
and the world for not giving the current government the chance to
rule, the real reason for such a failure is the absence of clear
mechanisms and sound outlook in the current government's program....
The shallow approach used [by the Hamas-led government] to handle
international relations and other issues, including the rejection of
international and Arab legitimacy resolutions..., has placed the
Palestinian people and their cause in an unprecedented degeneration.
Unlike anytime in the past, the Palestinian issue has lost the
international community's attention, turning it from an issue of
people struggling for freedom and independence to a merely
humanitarian and assistance case."
2. Omar Al-Ghoul opined in official Al-Hayat Al-Jadida under the
headline, "Are Prime Minister Haniya's Accusations True?" (9/6):
"Why don't you [the Hamas government] realize the dangerous
circumstances of your policies and review your positions and
mechanisms and programs...? It is so much better that you quit the
government now in order to safeguard the interests of the people,
who are trying to ensure their sustenance. It is not possible for
people to continue to suffer from hunger resulting from your bad
policies. Employees cannot be made to endure hunger under the
pretext that Israel and the United States are behind the crisis. If
the current government were to stay in power, it would only mean
that the crisis and hunger would also continue."
WALLES