US embassy cable - 03AMMAN7849

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 007849 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, 
I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN 
USAID/ANE/MEA 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH 
PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: KMDR JO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON THE GENEVA DOCUMENT 
 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead story in all papers today, December 2, focuses 
on King Abdullah's speech from the throne on the 
occasion of the opening of the ordinary Parliamentary 
session and the victory by default of Abdul Hadi 
Majali as speaker of the Lower House.  The launch of 
the Geneva Document was highlighted in all papers 
under banner headlines and photos, but also strongly 
focused on Israel's attacks against Ramallah the same 
day. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "They reject the Geneva Document but." 
 
Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(12/02):  "Like any other international political 
document, the Geneva Document has sources of strength 
and sources of weakness, but at the end of the day, 
the sources of weakness had more of an effect on the 
fate of the Document..  The basic source of strength 
of the Document is that it is unofficial.  It was 
prepared by Palestinian and Israeli figures who tried 
to present an alternative to this prevailing political 
freeze in an attempt to prove that there are 
alternatives out there, that there is on the Israeli 
side a group of people to negotiate with, and that 
there is on the Palestinian side a group of people who 
want to propose ideas about the final-status solution 
for debate without having to wait for the games of the 
roadmap and Israel's imposition of a defacto 
situation.  The Geneva Document is the outcome of a 
free debate away from the prevailing political 
references . and yet the source of weakness of the 
Document does not lie in its content but in what it 
failed to clarify directly and beyond the shadow of 
doubt.  The Document practically cancelled the 
possibility of the right of return for Palestinian 
refugees.  This is difficult to accept, even for the 
most pragmatic of Palestinians, not to mention the 
Arab countries where there are refugees.  What the 
Document failed to clarify includes the ethical and 
historical aspect of the Palestinian cause, in that . 
Israel must accept the principle of historical 
responsibility in the occupation and forced 
immigration, and hence compensation.  Without 
Israeli's acknowledgement of its historical 
responsibility, no peace documents will ever be 
lasting or applicable. 
 
-- "The roadmap and other plans" 
 
Daily columnist Yaqoub Jaber writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(12/02):  "Plans aiming at resolving the Palestinian 
Israeli struggle have increased so much.  It seems 
that everybody is in a ferocious competition, which 
would not stop without effective intervention by the 
international world that places the roadmap on the 
path to implementation.  This is the only way to stop 
all these initiatives and seriously direct attention 
to one initiative that is based on international 
legitimacy and the right of the Palestinian people to 
self-determination..  All these plans and initiatives 
would not have seen the light of day had there been a 
genuine effort to implement the roadmap.  Once again 
we turn to a U.S. administration that stands helpless 
before Sharon and his gang of extremists." 
 
-- "A black day in Palestine" 
 
Columnist Kamal Rashid writes on the op-ed page of 
center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(12/02):  "The Palestinian cause and the Palestinian 
people have witness many a black day, but the 
blackness of that day, the first of December, is more 
so, bringing the worst of outcomes that affect not 
only the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim people, but also 
the present and future of the Palestinian cause.  It 
is a day that resembles a sale at an international 
auction for the land of Palestine, the holy sites of 
Palestine, the history of Palestine, the people of 
Palestine and the future of Palestine.  It is the day 
of the bargain, the day of sale and purchase, signed 
and witnessed.  Three or four or five of the sons of 
Palestine give themselves the right to sign the deed 
for dissolving the Palestinian cause by acknowledging 
Israel's right to what land it currently has and by 
eliminating the right of return for millions of 
Palestinians to their homeland." 
HALE