US embassy cable - 05AMMAN6535

UNCLAS AMMAN 006535 
 
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 GAZA WITHDRAWAL 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead story in all papers today, August 16, reports 
on preparations for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and 
on efforts to dismantle the Israeli settlements there. 
Another major story is the postponement of the Iraqi 
constitution. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Ending the settlements is the end of the legend of 
Greater Israel" 
 
Daily columnist Tarek Masarweh writes on the back-page 
of semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(08/16):  The [Israeli] military withdrawal in itself 
means nothing, because an occupying army can always 
return after having withdrawn.  The important thing is 
the dismantling of the settlements and moving the 
settlers to outside of the green line, because this 
event has to do with putting an end to the aspirations 
of `the land of Israel' and `Greater Israel from Egypt 
to the Euphrates'.  The occupation authority must 
admit that the military withdrawal and the retreat of 
settlements marks the end of the story of `the 
homeland without borders' and the lie of `a people 
without a land for a land without a people'..  We must 
follow the withdrawal from Gaza and the north of the 
West Bank with all the courage and determination we 
can muster, because we are establishing the state of 
Palestine.  Celebrations and shows of force over our 
people are good for no one.  What the world wants us 
to do now is to build the airport, the port, 
factories, to establish universities and new cities on 
the location of the settlements, not the chaos that 
would only magnify the ugly image that hostile forces 
portrayed as `terrorism'." 
 
-- "August 15: a day with events before it and after 
it" 
 
Daily columnist Urayb Rintawi writes in the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(08/16):  "It is another day for the Palestinian 
people, a day that is preceded by rounds of struggle 
and fighting and that will be followed by chapters of 
resistance and steadfastness leading to the liberation 
of the lands and the establishment of the independent 
state with Jerusalem as the capital.  It is a day that 
will go down in the Palestinian history as being a 
crossroads.  On one hand, Gaza could be the gate to 
liberation and independence.  On the other, Gaza could 
be the graveyard for the Palestinian dream.  The keys 
to one or the other lie in the hands of the 
Palestinians themselves.  It is up to them to make the 
experience of the liberation of Gaza an attractive 
model for the upcoming state of Palestine..  Israel 
after Gaza will not be the same.  Israel is going to 
become fiercer in its attempts to hold to as much of 
the West Bank as possible..  The battle in the post- 
Gaza withdrawal period is going to move to the West 
Bank." 
 
-- "The withdrawal and its repercussions" 
 
Columnist Hussein Rawashdeh writes in the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(08/16):  "All Palestinians have the right to be 
joyful at the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, but the 
people of the resistance also have the right to 
express this joy in their way.  The Israeli 
withdrawal, after all, must be understood within its 
real context and must be presented to the world as 
being the result of resistance and steadfastness, and 
as being a mere step, nothing more and nothing less. 
As such, the Palestinians do not have to give thanks 
to Sharon, be it by putting an end to the resistance 
or by throwing down their weapons.  The path to 
liberation is still a long way away." 
HALE