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Viewing cable 06JERUSALEM723, JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (2/17): HAMAS IN A NEW

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06JERUSALEM723 2006-02-17 11:22 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Jerusalem
O 171122Z FEB 06
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0446
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 000723 
 
 
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 (2/17): HAMAS IN A NEW 
PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT 
 
------------ 
MAIN STORIES 
------------ 
 
The top story in the main three Palestinian dailies 
concerned Israel's threat to impose strict economic 
sanctions on Palestinians and their Hamas-led government. 
Reports noted that Acting Israeli Prime Minister Olmert is 
expected to decide Friday exactly which steps Israel will 
take in response to Hamas's rise to power within the 
Palestinian Authority (PA).  One such measure would involve 
freezing the transfer of tax revenues which Israel collects 
for the PA. 
 
Al-Quds also reported on its front page that the U.S. Senate 
issued a decision to halt direct U.S. aid to the PA if it is 
controlled by a Hamas-led government that continues to call 
for the destruction of Israel.  The report added the Bush 
administration is currently re-assessing its aid programs to 
Palestinians in light of Hamas's electoral victory. 
 
All dailies reported that Hamas is in the process of 
choosing its representatives to the new government, and has 
not yet made any final decisions.  Hamas leader Isma'il 
Haniyeh denied rumors that he had been nominated as prime 
minister, and said that "such an important position requires 
consultations between leaders in the Palestinian 
Territories, in prisons, and in exile."  Haniyeh added that 
an official decision will be made public once it is reached. 
The papers also reported that a Hamas delegation is 
currently visiting Ankara, but noted that according to a 
Turkish press official, Turkish Prime Minister Ordogan is 
not expected to meet with the delegation. 
 
Pro-Hamas weekly Al-Risala gave top billing to news that 
Hamas will refuse to recognize the Roadmap and insist on a 
fully sovereign Palestinian state.  The weekly quoted 
Hamas's media spokesperson Salah Bardawil as saying that 
Hamas has nominated Dr. Aziz Dweik from the West Bank to be 
the next PLC speaker.  According to Al-Risala, dozens of 
Fatah-affiliated armed groups were enlisted to join the 
Palestinian security forces. 
 
Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front-paged photos of PA 
President Abbas in Ramallah during his meeting with EU 
Foreign Policy Coordinator Solana.  Solana was quoted as 
saying that Europe will continue to support the Palestinian 
economy but will not make any contact with Hamas. 
 
Al-Ayyam reported that two U.S. officials -- Assistant 
Secretary of State David Welch and Deputy National Security 
Advisor Elliott Abrams -- will visit the area next week for 
discussions with Palestinian and Israeli officials on the 
next steps involved in dealing with the "new reality" of a 
Hamas-led government. 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES 
------------ 
 
1.  Columnist Samih Shbeib commented in independent Al-Ayyam 
under the headline, "Following the Formation of the 
[Palestinian] Legislative [Council]" (2/17): "Israel and the 
United States do not view Hamas as a political party capable 
of standing up to recent Middle East developments, and 
according to the American vision, which is more serious, the 
threat posed by Hamas's ascendance lies in its ability to 
form part of an extremely dangerous axis [consisting] of 
Iran, Iraqi Shi'ites, Syria, Hizbullah in Lebanon, and Hamas 
in Palestine.  This axis in particular, according to Israeli 
and American views, quickly formed following Hamas's 
electoral victory.  Perhaps the most obvious sign of this 
recent development, is Moscow's invitation to Hamas, the 
Iranian position on uranium enrichment, Damascus's 
invitation to [Shi'ite leader] Imam Sadr, and the 
unprecedented events in Lebanon, which might all lead to 
bloody clashes.  The U.S.-supported Israeli position toward 
Hamas...demonstrates Israel's exceptional obstinacy with 
regard to the Palestinian situation in general." 
 
2.  Lawyer Ibrahim Sha'ban opined in independent Al-Quds 
under the headline, "No Peace Partner on the Israeli Side" 
(2/17): "Israeli greed has expanded to include even more 
Palestinian land on the pretense that there is no 
Palestinian partner.  Now, it [Israel] will begin a new 
phase of coercion, especially since it is not required to do 
anything, whereas Hamas is.  [As a matter of fact,] Israel 
is obliged to do many things, including the recognition of 
the Palestinian right to self determination, the release of 
Palestinian prisoners, and the implementation of the Fourth 
Geneva Convention." 
 
3.  Palestinian writer and researcher Ibrahim Abul Heija 
wrote in the pro-Hamas weekly Al-Risala under the headline, 
"Abu Mazen [PA President Abbas] and the Harvest of a One 
Year Term" (2/16): "To understand the American relationship 
with Abbas during his term, we recall the warm [American] 
bond with the honest peace care-taker Abbas following the 
discharging of the `maneuvering and deceptive Arafat,' as 
the United States described him.  According to Bush, Abbas 
is the man who owns his people's will and is the source of 
inspiration for its leaders.  From another more formal 
perspective, we noticed during Abbas's term that financial 
support was mostly directed to the development of the 
Palestinian security structure, which pours into Israel's 
goal to strike the Palestinian resistance, and partly to fix 
the infrastructure that the Israeli occupation has 
destroyed.  From a political standpoint, however, we sense a 
contradiction...when the United States adopts the Roadmap 
and eventually surrenders to the Bush-Sharon deal -- which 
basically buried the Roadmap, except for some parts whereby 
Palestinians have to provide protection for Israeli 
security.... For his part, Bush has obviously disregarded 
the right of return of Palestinian refugees, supports the 
wall and the existence of major Israeli settlement blocs, 
and does not advocate for a return to 1947 borders.  In 
return, Abbas did not get more than a few million dollars 
from the United States, and his visits to Washington 
remained formal.  Moreover, he was denied verbal or official 
promises by the U.S. administration as clarification to 
those given to Sharon." 
 
 
WALLES