VZCZCXRO8158
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0874/01 1530940
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 020940Z JUN 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4953
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEADWD/DA WASHINGTON DC//DAS-ZD/DACS-ZK//
RUEAHQA/CSAF WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
RHMFIUU/CMC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7703
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4681
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4528
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6022
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4443
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3020

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000874 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS BBG 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
NSC 
CMC WASHINGTON DC FOR POLAD 
 
JERUSALEM ALSO FOR ICD 
LONDON FOR HKANONA AND POL - TSOU 
PARIS ALSO FOR POL 
ROME FOR MFO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KMDR KPAL KWBG KPAO IS
SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (06/02):  PALESTINIANS:  GIVE 
OBAMA A CHANCE 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All dailies lead with wires reports about President Obama's 
intention to study steps the U.S. may take in response to Israel's 
refusal to halt settlement activities.  Among possible measures is a 
change to the "guarantee" of a U.S. veto on U.N. resolutions opposed 
by Israel and more official U.S. statements criticizing Israel's 
expansion of settlements.  Al-Quds leads with a headline quoting 
Israeli Premier Netanyahu calling a halt to settlement activities 
"an unreasonable American request."  Netanyahu is also quoted in 
Al-Ayyam telling the Israeli Knesset that, "Israel will not freeze 
life in the West Bank settlements," and stressing that, "Israel will 
not build new settlements but at the same time, will not prohibit 
natural growth inside existing settlements either." 
 
All dailies front page news about June 1 attacks by Israeli settlers 
on Palestinian villages in the Nablus area, which resulted in the 
injury of more than 6 Palestinians and burning of hundreds of acres 
of olive farms.  The attack was committed by 200 settlers, according 
to reporting.  Another "attack" also makes the front pages - six 
Palestinians in the northern Qalqilyah area were injured by stones 
thrown by Israeli settlers.  All dailies run lead photos of settlers 
burning Palestinian farms with inside page photos showing injured 
Palestinians. 
 
All front pages report on Palestinian Authority(PA) Premier Fayyad 
speaking at the PA cabinet meeting on June 1.  Fayyad again 
commented publically on the May 31 "bloody confrontations" between 
the PA and Hamas militants in Qalqilyah, according to reporting. 
Fayyad also again praised PA security forces for maintaining law and 
order in the Palestinian Territories and stressed that the PA won't 
allow chaos.  Fayyad reiterated Palestinian demands that the U.S. 
pressure Israel into respecting international law and road map 
obligations, including a halt to settlement activities and 
acceptance of the two-state solution, according to coverage. 
 
The front pages of Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Ayyam and an inside 
page of Al-Quds report on a press interview with U.S. Ambassador to 
Egypt Scobey.  Scobey stresses that President Obama considers 
reaching a regional peace settlement as a priority. 
 
President Obama and his policies are very popular in the Arab and 
Muslim world according to Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's front page that runs 
the results of a poll conducted recently in 9 Arab countries, 
including the Palestinian Territories.  The poll was conducted by 
the Ghalob Foundation that believes that Obama's popularity is based 
on his "promotion of dialogue and mutual respect with the Muslim 
World." 
 
All front pages report that Palestinian Authority (PA) Premier 
Fayyad noted on June 1 that salaries for PA civil servants will be 
paid on June 7, despite the serious financial crisis facing the PA. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
1) Mamun Fandi opines in Al-Quds independent daily under the title, 
"Will the Arabs lose Obama" (06/02):  "The U.S. has never had a 
president as sensitive to the need to promote human rights, fairness 
and justice, as Obama... the Arabs must try to see him as a friend, 
instead of making him an enemy,... The Arabs must think carefully 
before reacting to President Obama's anticipated speech from Cairo. 
The Arabs should accept and acknowledge the role of Saudi Arabia and 
Egypt in managing Arab-U.S. relations on behalf of the Arab world, 
 
JERUSALEM 00000874  002 OF 002 
 
 
and stop... the criticism of this role... We should stop using a 
disparaging tone every time we hear an encouraging remark [from the 
U.S.], claiming falsely that we are being patriotic.  We should give 
this President a chance." 
 
2) Muhannad Abdil Hamid opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily under 
the title "The power struggle flu" (06/02):  "Hamas wants to impose 
its power as a resistance force [in reference to May 31 clashes with 
the Palestinian Authority in Qalqilyah]... Hamas is not willing to 
compromise on anything that would alleviate the suffering of the 
people of Gaza.  Hamas doesn't even approve of pursuing Gaza 
reconstruction or opening the border crossings or even ending the 
siege if these actions are not conducted under Hamas' authority... 
Hamas' compromises wouldn't necessarily mean that Hamas would have 
to abandon its national principles... but it could mean forming a 
national consensus government to end the chaos." 
 
MARCHESE