VZCZCXRO7328
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHAM #0954/01 1131206
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231206Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4938
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 000954 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/PPD, IIP/GNEA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KPAO KMDR JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: MEDIA FURTHER REACT TO KING'S U.S. VISIT 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  All major print outlets in Jordan Thursday led with 
coverage of King Abdullah's activities in Washington on Wednesday. 
Front-page coverage focused on the King's meetings with House 
Speaker Pelosi and the Friends of Jordan Caucus.  Inside-page 
analyses cited local experts who perceive new and clear differences 
between the U.S. and Israel on the peace process.  Op-ed 
commentaries stress the need to build a unified Arab position based 
on the Jordanian one.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. All major Jordanian print outlets on Thursday led with extensive 
coverage of King Abdullah's activities in Washington on Wednesday. 
Along with large point headlines and photographs, front-page 
coverage focused on the King's meetings with the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and members of the 
Congressional Friends of Jordan Caucus.  Reports relied heavily on 
the official account by the Jordan News Agency. 
 
¶3. In the meeting with caucus members, the King reportedly 
emphasized that "Israel's security will only be achieved through 
peace, adding [that] Israel has to choose between the fortress 
mentality and integration in the region."  Caucus co-chairman Adam 
Schiff "hailed Jordan's role in Middle East peace-making efforts." 
Mr. Schiff told the Jordan News Agency that "Jordan - U.S. ties are 
strong and the caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives has 
worked to strengthen these ties."  Co-chairman Charles Boustany 
said, "The caucus was interested in assisting Jordan to address 
challenges facing the region." 
 
¶4. Representative of several lengthy analyses in today's inside 
pages, Jordan Times reporter Mohammed Ghazal highlighted the 
President's remarks on the two-state solution and the Arab Peace 
Initiative.  He quoted analyst Nasouh Majali as saying, "The U.S. 
policy is in the process of being formulated and Arabs should 
highlight their peace-loving stance to the international community 
and the U.S. administration in particular....  For the first time 
there are clear differences between the U.S. and Israel."  Pollster 
Fares Breizat is also quoted, saying, "More work must be done on 
American public opinion to create some sort of balance between the 
Israeli and the Arab narratives."  Sounding a rare discordant note, 
former Lower House speaker Abdul Latif Arabiyat expressed pessimism, 
saying, "Statements by Obama are meant to waste time and delay a 
solution to the conflict....  I do not expect anything to happen in 
the near future unless the U.S. stops protecting Israel and being 
its absolute supporter." 
 
¶5. Editorial commentary for April 23: 
 
-- "Signals From the King-Obama Meeting" 
 
In today's edition of the independent Arabic daily Al-Ghad, 
political scientist Mohammad Al-Momani cautions, "The press 
statements... and the worldwide media coverage that resulted from 
this meeting signal the success of the summit meeting and its 
fulfillment of its basic goal, which is to convince the U.S. 
administration to continue to consider the Palestinian issue a 
priority and that handling it would greatly defuse the inherent 
crises in the Middle East....  Prior to the meeting, it appeared 
that President Barack Obama was taking steps that were acceptable to 
and appreciated by the Arabs vis-`-vis handling the Arab-Israeli 
conflict....  Yet, after the meeting, this appeared not to be true 
and that the American President... is a 'political creature' seeking 
to maximize the interests of his own country and decrease the 
political costs that could ensue.  He realizes the importance and 
vitality of the Palestinian issue for the Arab countries, and as 
such he will not give any moves on this issue without prices and 
political positions we believe his team is currently formulating. 
Here lies the difficulty of discussions with Obama to convince him 
that it is in 'self-interest' of the United States to handle this 
conflict, that by doing so, it is not being biased in favor of Arab 
wishes as much as it is for its own interests, and that the United 
States has much to gain and little to lose if it resolves this 
conflict." 
 
-- "So That The Arab Message in Washington Does Not Get Lost" 
 
Editor Nabil Ghishan in today's edition of the independent, 
opposition Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm demurs, "The American stand 
did not present anything new since George Mitchell's appointment as 
a presidential envoy to the region and his announcement that the 
two-state solution is an American national interest.  This is a 
development in itself, but it needs action on the ground to support 
it.  We as Arabs did not like the tone of statements made by the 
American President the day before yesterday.  Yet, he could not move 
any further towards the Arab position, because he knows that there 
is a potential confrontation looming in the horizon with the Israeli 
Prime Minister who visits Washington early next month.  That is why 
President Obama avoided a media speech that would anger Israel and 
the Zionist Lobby....  The stage is now completely set in the United 
States, and the stances of the White House have moved closer to Arab 
interests.  What remains is a dire need to build a serious and 
effective Arab stand that supports the Jordanian move." 
 
AMMAN 00000954  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
-- "Wagers on Change" 
 
Chief editor Taher Odwan in today's Al-Arab Al-Yawm asserts, "The 
reality of the matter is that the Palestinian issue has reached a 
serious stage where the game of dividing up people into optimists 
and pessimists is no longer useful and where there is no more 
waiting time as Judaization and settlement activities in Jerusalem 
and the West Bank blows away all hope of a solution.  The Arab 
leaders need to have meetings amongst themselves after their own 
meetings with Obama in order to support their initiative in a manner 
that creates new climate of change in the balance of power between 
the Arabs and Israel.  This is because at the end of the day, if 
there is no change on the Arab side, wagering on an effective and 
influential change on Obama's side become a mere game of luck." 
 
-- "When the King Gets An American Commitment to Resolve the 
Conflict" 
 
The main editorial in today's edition of the government-aligned 
Arabic daily Ad-Dustour opines, "The King's visit to Washington 
resulted in the launch of a new stage and put the negotiations back 
on the right track.  This was confirmed when the Egyptian and 
Palestinian Presidents and the Israeli Prime Minister were invited 
to meet the American President to discuss the best ways to resolve 
the conflict and to save the region and the world from the threats 
of wars....  We can confirm with complete confidence that the King's 
meeting with President Obama is a historic meeting and a watershed 
in American politics and in the peace process, especially since the 
King got a commitment from the U.S. administration to pull its 
weight on resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of 
the two-state solution.  It is confirmed that the King is the best 
to represent the nation." 
 
-- "Exerting Leverage" 
 
The main editorial in the elite, small-circulation English daily 
Jordan Times cogitates, "King Abdullah is the first foreign head of 
state to visit Washington during the Obama era.  That alone shows 
the close and trusted ties between Jordan and the U.S. It is a 
strategic partnership that is important to continue, to nurture and 
sustain.  Indeed, the remark by President Barack Obama at the two 
leaders' joint press conference was indicative of the kind of 
influence Jordan can and should cultivate in Washington.  Asked a 
question about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Obama said the 
parties couldn't continue talking indefinitely.  The just and swift 
resolution of the conflict to our west is Jordan's highest foreign 
policy objective. For too long now has Israeli intransigence been 
allowed to slow down the bumpy journey to regional stability.... 
The U.S. is in the unique position that it alone holds sway over 
decision-making in Israel, whatever the illusions of Israel's new 
foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, who was quoted by a Russian 
newspaper as saying that Americans would agree to anything Israel 
suggested.  On the contrary, Israel will agree to whatever 
Washington wants it to, if Washington has the political will to 
follow through on its demands...." 
 
BROWN