US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI298

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000298 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; 
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, PASS TO MOC; PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION:  THE ISRAELI WALL 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE ISRAELI WALL COURT CASE IN THE INTERNATIONAL 
COURT OF JUSTICE DOMINATED COVERAGE IN ELECTRONIC AND PRINT 
MEDIA.  AN EDITORIAL IN "AL BAYAN" COMMENTED THAT ARABS SHOULD 
PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR THE WALL COURT CASE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "DON'T BELIEVE SHARON," SHARJAH-BASED PAN- 
ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 02/03: 
 
"THE WAR CRIMINAL SHARON CAN'T STEP ONE STEP TOWARDS A SETTLEMENT 
BECAUSE A PERSON WHO IS ADDICTED TO COMMITTING MASSACRES AGAINST 
PALESTINIANS, IN PARTICULAR AND ARABS IN GENERAL, CAN'T DO 
SOMETHING THAT IS AGAINST HIS HISTORY! AND FOR WHAT REASON?. BUT 
SHARON'S TALK ABOUT A PLAN TO EVACUATE ALL SETTLEMENTS IN GAZA, 
AND THEY ARE SEVENTEEN, IS ONLY A NEW LIE OR A NEW TRICK. WHAT 
SHARON IS DOING IS FOR THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE IN THE WHITE HOUSE 
AND IS AIMED TO TAKE THE LAND FROM THE PALESTINIANS, ESPECIALLY 
IN A TIME OF AMERICAN OCCUPATION IN THE REGION AND ARAB SILENCE 
TOWARDS ANYTHING HAPPENING, NOT ONLY IN PALESTINE, BUT ALSO IN 
THE WHOLE ARAB REGION." 
 
3.  COMMENTING ON THE ISRAELI WALL CASE IN THE INTERNATIONAL 
COURT OF JUSTICE THE END OF FEBRUARY AND NOTING THAT THE ARABS 
SHOULD PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR THIS, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED 
"AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 02/03: 
 
"WILL THE ZIONIST ENTITY ESCAPE 'INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE' AND 
CONTINUE BUILDING THE DISCRIMINATING WALL?  ARE THE ARABS READY 
FOR THE LAWSUIT BATTLE THAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE INTERNATIONAL 
COURT OF JUSTICE IN THE HAGUE ON THE TWENTY-THIRD OF THIS MONTH?. 
THE 'WALL' BATTLE REQUESTS ARABS TO START POLITICAL AND MEDIA 
ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAEL DURING THE COMING DAYS AND BEFORE THE 
TWENTY-THIRD OF FEBRUARY. WHAT IS REQUESTED IS A QUICK ARAB MOVE 
BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.  WE COULD BE SURPRISED BY THE DECISION OF 
THE INTERNATIONAL COURT JUDGES THAT THE WALL CASE IS NOT ONE OF 
THEIR AFFAIRS.  AND THIS JUDICIAL DECISION WILL LEAD TO ISRAEL 
DOING WHATEVER THEY WANT IN THE OCCUPIED ARAB LANDS IN PALESTINE, 
LEBANON, AND SYRIA." 
 
4.  NOTING THAT THE U.S., UK, AND THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES SUPPORT 
THE ISRAELI WALL CASE, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 02/01: 
 
". THE WALL CASE HAS BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL BATTLE 
AFTER THE U.S., UK, AND THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TOOK ISRAEL'S SIDE 
IN ANNOUNCING THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE HAS NO 
RIGHT IN LOOKING INTO THE LEGITIMACY OF THE BUILDING OF THE WALL. 
THE BATTLE OF THE WALL HAS REALLY STARTED, AND THE ARAB 
COUNTRIES, THE ARAB LEAGUE, AND THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY SHOULD 
PROVIDE SUPPORT AND ALL DOCUMENTATION." 
 
WAHBA