US embassy cable - 02AMMAN3760

UNCLAS AMMAN 003760 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, 
I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD 
USAID/ANE/MEA 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH 
PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
USCINCCENT/CCPA, USCENTCOM REAR MACDILL AFB FL 
NICOSIA FOR ILMG 
STATE PASS TO AID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: KMDR JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN: MEDIA REACTION ON OCCUPIED TERRITORIES 
 
SUMMARY 
NEWS REPORTS IN JORDAN'S DAILIES COVERED THE NEW 
ISRAELI LAW BANNING THE SALE OF LAND TO NON-JEWS AND 
THE ISRAELI ARMY'S ATTACK ON JORDAN RADIO AND 
TELEVISION'S OFFICE IN RAMALLAH. 
 
EDITORIAL WRITERS COMMENTED ON THE MUTINY BY THE 
PALESTINIAN PREVENTIVE SECURITY AGENCY AGAINST THE 
DISMISSAL OF ITS LEADER JIBRIL RJOUB. 
 
NEWS REPORTS 
ALL JORDANIAN DAILIES LED WITH REPORTS ON THE NEW 
ISRAELI LAW THAT BANS THE SALE OF LAND TO NON-JEWS AND 
FORBIDS ARABS FROM LIVING IN JEWISH QUARTERS, WHICH THE 
DAILIES DESCRIBED AS RACIST. 
 
REPORTS ALSO COVERED THE ISRAELI ARMY'S ATTACK ON 
JORDAN RADIO AND TELEVISION'S OFFICES IN RAMALLAH. 
 
 
EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES 
-- TERRORISM OR WAR OF INDEPENDENCE? 
PROMINENT DAILY COLUMNIST DR. FAHED AL-FANEK WROTE IN 
SEMI-OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI ON JULY 
9: "IF KILLING CIVILIANS CONSTITUTES TERRORISM, WHICH 
IT DOES, THE KILLING COMMITTED BY THE FORCES OF 
[ISRAELI] OCCUPATION IS FAR WORSE AND MUCH MORE WORTHY 
OF CONDEMNATION THAN THE ACTS OF COMMANDOES WHO TRY TO 
RAISE THE COST OF OCCUPATION TO A POINT THAT PERSUADES 
ISRAEL OF THE NECESSITY OF WITHDRAWAL AND ACCEPTING 
PEACE. BUT PRESIDENT BUSH, IN HIS MOST RECENT SPEECH 
DID NOT ASK ISRAEL TO CEASE ITS TERRORIST ACTS. THE 
PROBLEM IS NOT ONE OF TERRORISM BUT OF OCCUPATION, THE 
CONTINUATION OF WHICH IS THE FATHER OF ALL VIOLENCE." 
 
-- FIGHTING OVER NOTHING 
PROMINENT DAILY COLUMNIST TARIQ MASARWAH WROTE IN SEMI- 
OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI ON JULY 9: "IT 
APPEARS THAT THOSE WHO FIGHT AND MUTINY AND NEGOTIATE 
OVER POSITIONS IN THE PNA ARE NOT AWARE OF WHAT IS 
HAPPENING IN PALESTINE.  THERE IS NO MORE AUTHORITY 
EXCEPT THOSE OF THE OCCUPATION, AND THE RESISTANCE TO 
IT.  THE PROMISED PALESTINIAN STATE WILL NOT BE THAT 
HOPED FOR BY ARAFAT AND [JIBRIL] RJOUB, BUT ONE MADE TO 
AMERICAN-ISRAELI MEASURES. THE PALESTINIAN STATE IS 
THERE TO BE MADE BY THOSE WHO LOVE PALESTINE, THOSE WHO 
FIGHT FOR IT, THOSE WHO ARE MARTYRED FOR ITS CAUSE. 
THE LIBERATION OF THE HOMELAND AND ITS CITIZENS, 
ESPECIALLY IN PALESTINE WILL NOT BE ACHIEVED THROUGH 
FIGHTING OVER NOTHING." 
 
-- AT THE CROSSROADS WITH OBSCURE CHOICES 
TAHER AL-ADWAN, CHIEF EDITOR OF INDEPENDENT, MASS- 
APPEAL ARABIC DAILY AL-ARAB AL-YAWM WROTE ON JULY 9: 
"THE STATE OF THE PNA WOULD BE LAUGHABLE WERE IT NOT SO 
TRAGIC. THE MEN OF THE PREVENTIVE SECURITY AGENCY NOW 
DEMONSTRATE AGAINST THE DISMISSAL OF THEIR LEADER IN 
THE SHADOW OF THE TANKS AND ARTILLERY OF THE OCCUPATION 
FORCES.  ONCE AGAIN THE PALESTINIANS ARE AT A 
CROSSROADS AND THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THE DILEMMA FOR THEM 
IS TO STAND UNITED BEHIND THEIR GOAL OF LIBERATION. 
THEY SHOULD ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THEY STAND ALONE IN A 
MILITARY AND POLITICAL BATTLE AGAINST ISRAEL/U.S. AND 
THAT THEY CANNOT AFFORD THE LEISURE OF SLOGANEERING, 
HIDING BEHIND OBSCURITY." 
GNEHM