US embassy cable - 05AMMAN9582

UNCLAS AMMAN 009582 
 
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 TSOU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: KMDR JO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON IRAN 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead story in all papers today, December 12, 
focuses on domestic issues, including parliamentary 
deliberations on a variety of draft laws and King 
Abdullah's visit to and activities in China.  Another 
lead story carries reports about preparations leading 
to the December 15 Iraqi elections. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Moving Israel to Europe" 
 
Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back-page of 
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(12/12):  "It seems that the previous remarks by 
Iranian President Ahmadi Najad about wiping Israel off 
the map were not a slip of the tongue to be taken back 
in face of the international cry in favor Israel.  The 
proof of this is the fact that the Iranian President 
raised the issue once again during the meetings of the 
Organization of Islamic Conference in Mecca, where he 
proposed that Europeans, particularly Germany and 
Austria, would allocate a part of their own countries 
to establish a state for the Jews to ease their 
consciences.  After all, compensation and therapy are 
required from those who committed the alleged 
massacres and not from the Palestinian people who have 
nothing to do with what happened to the Jews at the 
hands of Hitler and his goons..  Najad's remarks, in 
themselves, are not going to wipe Israel off the map 
and are not going to move it to Europe.  The 
significance of these remarks lies in the fact that 
they stress the concept that the existence of Israel, 
as a foreign body in the Middle East, is still 
questionable and not inevitable and final." 
 
-- "With Najad but." 
 
Daily columnist Rakan Majali writes on the back-page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(12/11):  "Even if we accept it as reality, the truth 
remains that the liberation of Palestine is the 
highest principle for all the Arabs and Muslims.  This 
emotional talk, however, is one thing and politics is 
another.  While all the forces in the world cannot rip 
out from the hearts of Muslims their attachment to 
Palestine, voicing these feelings as a political stand 
is considered taboo, not just by Israel, but also by 
America, the west and all the world.  Indeed, the 
majority of us have come to accept, explicitly and 
implicitly, Israel's presence and role.  The occasion 
for this is Iranian President Najad's remarks.  His 
words tickle our feelings and his slogans speak to us, 
but, unfortunately, they are slogans without content, 
wishes without horizons and a speech with no credit 
and no ability to turn it into action." 
HALE