US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI2353

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002353 
 
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; PARIS FOR ZEYA 
LONDON ALSO FOR MOC 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION: THE WALL 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE'S DECISION THAT 
THE WALL BEING BUILT BY ISRAEL IN THE WEST BANK IS ILLEGAL 
DOMINATED COVERAGE IN LOCAL PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA.  AN 
EDITORIAL IN "AL BAYAN" (CIRCULATION 40,000) NOTED THAT THE U.S. 
IS THE ONLY ONE SUPPORTING ISRAEL'S REFUSAL OF THE DECISION. 
ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AKHBAR AL ARAB" (CIRCULATION 20,000) 
QUESTIONED THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S MOVEMENT TOWARDS 
IMPLEMENTING THE DECISION. ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AL ITTIHAD" 
(CIRCULATION 65,000) NOTED THAT THE U.S. SHOULD CONSIDER THIS TO 
BE A CHANCE TO REGAIN ITS CREDIBILITY BY NOT SUPPORTING ISRAEL ON 
THIS ISSUE. END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  NOTING THAT THE U.S. IS THE ONLY COUNTRY SUPPORTING ISRAEL ON 
THE CONSTRUCTION OF ITS WALL, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL 
BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 07/11:(CIRCULATION 40,000) 
 
". WHAT IS IMPORTANT NOW IS TO IMPLEMENT THE INTERNATIONAL COURT 
OF JUSTICE'S DECISION. THE PALESTINIANS HAVE TO MOVE, WITH THE 
SUPPORT OF ARABS, TO UTILIZE THE DECISION BY RESORTING TO THE 
UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL EVEN IF THE AMERICAN VETO IS AN 
OBSTACLE. THE PALESTINIANS HAVE ACHIEVED POLITICAL VICTORY IN THE 
HAGUE, AND THEY STILL HAVE TO ACHIEVE ANOTHER VICTORY IN NEW YORK 
AT THE UNITED NATIONS." 
 
3.  QUESTIONING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S MOVEMENT TOWARDS 
IMPLEMENTING THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE'S DECISION, ABU 
DHABI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AKHBAR AL-ARAB" EDITORIALIZED 07/11: 
(CIRCULATION 20,000) 
 
". WILL THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MOVE TOWARDS ACHIEVING WHAT 
IS RIGHT, IMPLEMENTING JUSTICE, AND ENDING PALESTINIAN 
OPPRESSION. THIS IS A QUESTION THAT IS FILLED WITH DOUBT BECAUSE 
THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS THAT THE U.S., WHICH PROTECTS THE ISRAELI 
POLICY IN THE REGION, WILL NOT ALLOW JUSTICE TO BE IMPLEMENTED. 
WE THINK THAT THE PALESTINIANS, ARABS, AND THEIR FRIENDS ARE 
HOLDING ON TO A HISTORICAL OPPORTUNITY TO PUT THE PALESTINIAN 
CAUSE BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK TO ESTABLISH A FREE PALESTINIAN 
STATE. IF THIS CHANCE IS LOST THEN WE WILL NOT HAVE ANY OTHER 
CHANCES." 
 
4.  COMMENTING ON THE EXPECTED ISRAELI REFUSAL OF THE 
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE'S DECISION REGARDING THE WALL AND 
THE ARAB EXPECTED MOVEMENT, SHARJAH-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL- 
KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 07/11:(CIRCULATION 85,000) 
 
".THE ISRAELI REFUSAL WAS EXPECTED, AS WAS THE AMERICAN SUPPORT 
OF THE ZIONIST ENTITY'S AGGRESSIVE ATTITUDE IN THE SECURITY 
COUNCIL. THE QUESTION IS: WHAT WILL ARABS DO?. NOW THEY HAVE A 
DECISION FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE ON A GOLD 
PLATTER, AND FROM THE HIGHEST INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ORGANIZATION 
SAYING THAT THE WALL IS ILLEGAL AND THE SETTLEMENTS ARE ILLEGAL 
BECAUSE THEY ARE A CONSEQUENCE OF OCCUPATION. THIS DECISION 
SHOULD BE A BASIS OF MOVING FORWARD NOT TO MODIFY THE WALL'S 
ROUTE AS THE ISRAELI COURT SAYS BUT TO DEMOLISH IT AS THE 
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE'S DECISION SAYS. IF THE ARABS 
DON'T DO ANYTHING POSITIVE IN CONFRONTING THE ISRAELI-AMERICAN 
DECISION TO STOP THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE'S DECISION 
THEN THE WALL'S CONSTRUCTION WILL NOT STOP BUT WILL CONTINUE TO 
BE STRETCHED OUT TO ENCIRCLE ALL ARABS. THIS WILL DAMAGE THEIR 
RELATIONSHIPS IF THEY DECIDE TO WITHDRAW FROM THE CONFLICT WITH 
ISRAEL OR ANY OTHER CONFLICT OR THEY COUNT ON THE U.S., WHICH 
CONTINUES TO SUPPORT ZIONIST TERRORISM." 
 
5.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "A CHANCE THAT WON'T BE REPEATED," ABU 
DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 07/11: 
(CIRCULATION 85,000) 
 
". THE U.S. CAN NOW STOP ANY ATTEMPT WITHIN THE UN SECURITY 
COUNCIL TO FORCE ISRAEL TO ABIDE BY THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF 
JUSTICE'S DECISION. THE INTERNATIONAL COURT'S DECISION PROVIDES 
THE U.S. WITH A HISTORICAL OPPORTUNITY TO DISCARD SOME OF THE 
NEGATIVE PUBLICITY IN THE ARAB AND MUSLIM WORLD DUE TO ALL OF THE 
ISRAELI CRIMES THAT DISTORTED ITS IMAGE. IT IS A CHANCE FOR THE 
U.S. TO REGAIN ITS CREDIBILITY." 
 
6.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "BREAKING THE LONG AND WINDING WALL," 
DUBAI-BASED ENGLISH DAILY "GULF NEWS" EDITORIALIZED 07/11: 
(CIRCULATION 95,000) 
 
". NOW ISRAEL IS CALLING ON THE U.S. TO STAND BY ITS SIDE AGAIN 
IN STONEWALLING ANY UN RESOLUTION THAT MAY BE INTRODUCED AGAINST 
THE WALL. AMERICA CAN CONTINUE TO USE ITS VETO POWER AGAINST THE 
PALESTINIANS FOR ISRAEL. BUT, WHAT WASHINGTON NEEDS TO REMEMBER 
THIS TIME IS THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS INVOLVED AND 
MUST BE RESPECTED FOR ITS DECISIONS TO SERVE JUSTICE. THE U.S., 
ESPECIALLY IN ITS CURRENT WEAK MORAL STANDING ON THE 
INTERNATIONAL STAGE, CANNOT CONTINUE TO ALIENATE EUROPE AND 
LEGITIMATE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ON ISSUES IT DEEMS 
IMPORTANT TO DISMISS FOR ITS INTERESTS AND EXPECTS EVERYONE TO 
RALLY IN SUPPORT OF AMERICAN DECISIONS WHEN IT NEEDS THE SUPPORT. 
WASHINGTON'S IRAQ WAR AND ITS EVER-CHANGING DEMANDS AND COSTS 
HAVE PLACED TOO MUCH STRESS ON EVERYONE INVOLVED. IT'S A NEW 
WORLD WHERE IF THERE ARE SOLID ALLIANCES, THERE MUST BE CHECKS 
AND BALANCES FOR JUSTICE. THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO 
SEE THAT IN THE BIG PICTURE." 
ALBRIGHT