US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI4755

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004755 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI; 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 PASS TO MOC, ALSO FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION:   PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, LONDON 
CONFERENCE, PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS 
 
 
1. SUMMARY:  THE FOCUS OF EDITORIALS IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH 
DAILIES COVERED A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES.  "AL-ITTIHAD" CRITICIZED 
ISRAEL'S EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE AGAINST THE PALESTINIANS AND 
CALLED ON THE WORLD COMMUNITY AND COUNTRIES SPONSORING THE PEACE 
PROCESS TO FORCE ISRAEL TO ABIDE BY UN RESOLUTIONS.  "AL-KHALEEJ" 
DESCRIBED SHARON AND BUSH'S AVOIDANCE OF AN INTERNATIONALLY 
ACCEPTED FRAMEWORK FOR A SETTLEMENT IN THE REGION AS AN EFFORT TO 
BLOCK THE PEACE EFFORT.  "GULF NEWS" SUPPORTED THE RESULTS OF THE 
PALESTINIAN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS AND INDIRECTLY COMMENDED ISRAEL'S 
NEUTRAL POSITION ON THE ELECTIONS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. COMMENTING ON SHARON'S USE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE IN DEALING WITH 
THE PALESTINIANS, SEMI-OFFICIAL ABU DHABI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL- 
ITTIHAD" 12/26 EDITORIALIZED: 
 
 "IT HAS BEEN PROVEN TO SHARON, THE ISRAELI RIGHT AND THE WORLD 
COMMUNITY THAT THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE SOLVED WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE 
OR VIOLENCE.  SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN ACHIEVED FOR THE ISRAELIS, 
NOR HAS PEACE BEEN REALIZED IN THE REGION.  HOWEVER, SHARON AND 
THE ISRAELI RIGHT INSIST ON A MILITARY SOLUTION.  THIS PAINFUL 
SITUATION COMPELS THE WORLD COMMUNITY AND NATIONS THAT ARE 
SPONSORING THE PEACE PROCESS TO MOVE QUICKLY AND FORCE THE 
ISRAELIS TO COMPLY WITH INTERNATIONAL LAWS AND ACCORDS THAT WERE 
REACHED WITH THE PALESTINIANS, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE." 
 
3. COMMENTING ON THE CONFERENCE INITIATED BY BRITISH PRIME 
MINISTER TONY BLAIR, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 12/26: 
 
".BECAUSE SHARON AND BUSH WERE NOT CONVINCED ABOUT THE 
CONFERENCE, BLAIR RESORTED TO REDUCING ITS SCOPE.  THIS LEADS US 
TO BELIEVE THAT THE U.S. AND ISRAEL DO NOT DESIRE A BREAKTHROUGH 
ON THE PALESTINIAN ISSUE WITHIN AN INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK.  IN 
FACT, THEY DO NOT GIVE THIS ISSUE ANY PRIORITY.  THEREFORE, A 
CALL FOR ANOTHER CONFERENCE IS A STEP IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, AND 
AN ATTEMPT TO SIGNAL THAT THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE PALESTINIAN 
SIDE, AND NOT WITH THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION.. IT IS THE DUTY OF THE 
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY NOT TO CONSIDER BLAIR'S CONFERENCE AS A 
SUBSTITUTE FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, AND NOT ATTACH TO IT 
UNWARRANTED IMPORTANCE IN THE FACE OF AN ISRAELI PARTNER THAT 
VIOLATES INTERNATIONAL LAWS, PEACE INITIATIVES AND BILATERAL 
ACCORDS, THE LAST OF WHICH WAS THE ROADMAP." 
 
4. COMMENTING ON PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS, THE DUBAI-BASED ENGLISH- 
LANGUAGE DAILY "GULF NEWS" EDITORIALIZED 12/27: 
 
THE PALESTINIAN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS HAVE DRAWN TO A CLOSE SO 
SILENTLY THAT SOME MAY HAVE BEEN WONDERING IF THEY EVER TOOK 
PLACE.  BUT THEY DID, AND HAMAS HAS SHOWN ITSELF TO BE REMARKABLY 
WELL PLACED, HAVING SECURED AROUND 50 PER CENT OF THE 26 LOCAL 
COUNCILS WHERE RACES WERE HELD.PALESTINIANS CAME THROUGH THIS 
TEST SUCCESSFULLY.  AND WITH ISRAEL STANDING BACK AND ALLOWING 
THE ELECTIONS TO TAKE PLACE, IT IS HOPED THE SUCCESS WILL BE 
REPEATED ON JANUARY 9, WHEN THE PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IS DUE TO TAKE 
PLACE." 
 
ALBRIGHT