US embassy cable - 05AMMAN1099

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 001099 
 
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 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: KMDR JO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON MIDDLE EAST 
 
 
Summary 
 
-- Lead story in all papers today, February 9, is 
dedicated to coverage of the quadrilateral summit 
meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh and the outcomes of that 
meeting.  Majority of editorial commentary noted today 
were cautiously optimistic about the outcome of the 
summit meeting. 
 
Editorial Commentary 
 
 
-- "After Sharm El-Sheikh" 
 
Former Minister of Information and daily columnist 
Saleh Qallab writes on the back-page of semi-official, 
influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (02/09):  "All 
indications point to the fact that the launch of the 
peace process is serious, that all these contacts and 
meetings are not mere public relations, and that the 
Americans are determined to reduce the tension so that 
they might focus on other important issues such as 
Iraq and the war on terrorism..  What happened at 
Sharm El-Sheikh constitutes the first stop on the path 
to re-launching the peace process, which came after 
four years and as a result - on the one hand -- of the 
realization of Sharon and his right wing coalition of 
the difficulty if not impossibility of imposing 
Israel's will over the Palestinian people and of 
striking them out of the Middle East formula, and - on 
the other hand -- the realization of the Palestinian 
factions that time is no longer in their favor with 
the current imbalance of power in this region..  The 
Sharm El-Sheikh summit - which was not convened to 
liquidate the Intifada as some people like to believe, 
but rather to salvage the meaning of all the 
Palestinian blood that was shed during this Intifada - 
will be followed by further meetings and contacts, 
which might maintain the push that led to convening 
the summit in the first place." 
 
 
-- "The summit of hard beginnings leading onto the 
difficult path" 
 
Daily columnist Urayb Rintawi writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(02/09):  "One conclusive result came out of the Sharm 
El-Sheikh summit, namely a Palestinian Israeli 
agreement on a mutual and comprehensive ceasefire and 
halt of all military and violent operations against 
Israelis and Palestinians everywhere..  Observers note 
that there is a new spirit rising through the veins of 
the stiffened peace process..  While we are under the 
influence of the positive atmosphere of the first 
summit to be held in four years, we believe it is 
premature to launch optimistic predictions.  Even the 
return of the Jordanian and Egyptian ambassadors to 
Tel Aviv cannot be considered sufficient indication of 
a breakthrough..  Sharm El-Sheikh summit meeting could 
be a serious beginning for the long, difficult and 
complicated path towards just, lasting and 
comprehensive peace.  Yet, this possibility will 
continue to be subject to threats and loss and 
breakdown if extremism succeeds in dictating its 
agenda to the region, and this extremism is not 
limited to the Palestinians alone, but also includes 
the Israelis." 
 
-- "Sharm El-Sheikh summit broke the psychological 
barrier" 
 
Columnist Sa'd Hattar writes on the op-ed page of 
independent Arabic daily Al-Ghad (02/09):  "The 
Israelis described it as the summit meeting of hope 
and the Palestinians saw in it the setting out on the 
difficult road towards to rebuilding trust and 
resolving pending political issues.  This is the 
"psychological barrier breaking" summit, held after 
the Intifada, expressing the hope that the bloodshed 
will stop.  However, it failed to  provide answers to 
urgent political questions and did not resolve the 
complex issues that have been shelved since the 
beginning of the Intifada..  Disputes still run deep 
when it comes to final-status issues.  That is why the 
Sharm El-Sheikh summit must serve as the  bridge for 
the resubmission of these issues to the negotiating 
table.  Otherwise it would be as if the parties have 
gone back to square one..  Washington.worked hard 
behind the scenes to make this quadrilateral meeting 
successful, having appointed a security envoy to the 
Palestinians and the Israelis for the first time in 
decades, during which dozens of peace envoys were 
dispatched to no avail.  A new hope is born with the 
Sharm El-Sheikh summit, accompanied by a test of 
intentions under intensive Jordanian and Egyptian 
auspices.  This optimism will face a test over the 
coming days, which will determine the seriousness of 
the Israeli and Palestinian proposals." 
 
-- "Does Israel really want an American role?" 
 
Analyst and researcher Hasan Al-Barari writes on the 
op-ed page of independent Arabic daily Al-Ghad 
(02/09):  "The desire expressed by the new Secretary 
of State Condoleezza Rice for U.S. participation in 
security arrangements stirred numerous Israeli fears, 
and Sharon clarified his lack of enthusiasm for this 
move by saying that it affects Israel's degree of 
freedom in retaliating against Palestinian attacks 
when they occur..  Although the American-Israeli 
relationship is noted for its warmth, the Israeli 
government prefers the Egyptian involvement over the 
American involvement in Palestinian Israeli talks, 
despite the fact that Egypt would support Palestinian 
demands and the United States would support Israeli 
demands..  Throughout history, Israel preferred that 
there be a U.S. presence in any peace agreement with 
Arab countries, but it never wanted the United States 
to play the role of the mediator for fear of pressures 
that the United States might exercise over Israel. 
Israel understands that the balance of power strongly 
leans in its favor and so Israel tends to have the 
long arm in bilateral talks, while an American 
involvement would put right, even slightly, this 
imbalance of power..  Despite the importance of the 
United States in the regional game, its role in 
Israel's foreign policy towards the Arabs remains 
limited and confined to acting in a manner that would 
maximize Israel's gains..  The other issue is that a 
deterioration in the Israeli-American relationship 
that might occur as a result of an unsuccessful 
American involvement would have repercussions on the 
domestic policy in Israel.  Sharon, who managed to 
bring the relationship with the United States to 
unprecedented levels, would not want a setback to 
affect these bilateral relations, something that is 
likely to happen with expected intransigence on 
Israel's part, and would then be used by his opponents 
in the Israeli elections.  Furthermore, American 
involvement might strengthen Mr. Abbas' position, 
something that Israel is afraid of.  We therefore 
understand Israel's preference for Egyptian 
involvement." 
 
-- "After the summit" 
 
Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back-page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(02/09):  "It is clear that the Sharm El-Sheikh summit 
focused on the security issue.  Its concrete 
achievement is the declaration of the truce between 
the two parties, but its genuine accomplishment is 
Sharon's approval to be part of this truce..  This is 
a development that gives hope to the possibility of 
achieving a real breakthrough in favor of the peace 
process.  The period extending to the time of the 
Washington meetings is a testing time for the 
endurance of this truce.  If it succeeds, the roadmap 
will have the first real opportunity to be 
implemented, and only then would Bush's promises for 
establishing a Palestinian state be tested..  Much of 
the responsibility of showing that the Palestinians 
and the Arabs really want and do work for peace falls 
now on the Arab party involved in the Sharm El-Sheikh 
summit.  This provides a rare opportunity to expose 
the Israeli stand after years of claiming that the 
Palestinians are the ones rejecting peace..  It is 
important that coordination occur among Amman, Cairo 
and Ramallah in the next stage.  It is time to 
acknowledge the fact that the Arabs' absence from the 
negotiating process has isolated the Palestinians and 
left them alone, while the Americans never abandoned 
Israel at any stage.  The Palestinian cause lost a 
great deal as a result of that.  Moreover, the 
Palestinians are not the only ones who need the 
Jordanians and the Egyptians.  The Israelis too need 
the Arab side, and that is because Sharon's plan for 
withdrawal from Gaza cannot be successful with Egypt's 
cooperation, while the roadmap cannot advance in the 
West Bank without Jordan's cooperation." 
 
-- "After Sharm El-Sheikh" 
 
Daily columnist Mohammad Kawash writes on the back- 
page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab 
Al-Yawm (02/09):  "Optimists view the ceasefire 
decision that was announced at Sharm El-Sheikh as a 
beginning and that returning to negotiations and 
revitalizing the peace process is the next step. 
Pessimists see the results of the summit meeting as 
insufficient and that Israel is not genuine about its 
intentions..  Having said that, it is necessary to say 
that between the views of the optimists and the 
beliefs of the pessimists, there exists the right of 
the Palestinian people to live a normal life.  We too 
see the ceasefire, although a beginning, as 
insufficient for creating a climate sufficient to 
ensure full abidance of the truce.  This is because 
the Palestinian factions that promised to give the 
Palestinian Authority ample time to address political 
issues, believe that there are immediate steps that 
Israel needs to implement to show its seriousness and 
commitment to the truce.  The first of these is the 
release of all prisoners, lifting the siege from the 
cities and giving the Palestinian people the freedom 
to move between their cities and villages.  Without 
that, the trust will be lost and tension will continue 
to prevail, forewarning of the explosion of the 
situation once more." 
HALE