VZCZCXRO9141
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0878/01 1540847
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 030847Z JUN 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4960
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 7705
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4683
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4530
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6024
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4445
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3022

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000878 
 
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 (06/03):  PALESTINIAN ANTICIPATION 
OF THE JUNE 4 SPEECH 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
All dailies lead with lengthy excerpts from President Obama's 
interview with BBC on June 2, highlighting his support for a Middle 
East peace settlement and the relaunch of negotiations between 
Palestinians and Israel.  Regarding his June 4 speech, papers 
highlight that Obama notes that one speech is not enough to solve 
all problems, but will at least offer a chance for parties to listen 
to each other. 
 
All dailies run front page coverage citing Israeli daily "Haaretz" 
about U.S dissatisfaction with Israeli plans to build a hotel and 
shopping center in East Jerusalem, near the Old City, despite U.S. 
calls on Israel not to pursue similar activities in East Jerusalem. 
 
 
Al-Quds runs front page coverage citing DPA of remarks by Russian 
Foreign Minister Lavrov and Israeli Foreign Minister Lieberman 
speaking at a joint press conference on June 2 in Moscow.  According 
to coverage, Lavrov called on Hamas and Palestinian Authority 
President Abbas to support Egyptian efforts to end the crisis in 
Gaza and accelerate Gaza reconstruction.  Lieberman noted that 
halting settlement activities should not be a precondition for 
relaunching negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, the 
paper reports. 
 
All dailies report on a June 2 shooting in the Old City of Jerusalem 
in which an "Israeli settler" killed a young Palestinian, "upon 
realizing that the young man was Arab."  Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's story 
adds news of another settler attack:  12.5 acres of Palestinian 
olive orchards were burned by Israeli settlers on June 2 in the 
Nablus area of the West Bank. 
 
Al-Ayyam runs front page coverage of a request by Israeli Premier 
Netanyahu to President Obama regarding Israel needing until July to 
review its policy towards the Palestinians, including the issues of 
the two-state solution, settlement activities and an end to the Gaza 
"siege." 
 
Al-Ayyam runs inside coverage of a June 2 meeting between USAID 
officials and the Hebron Mayor during which possibilities for U.S. 
support to the Hebron Municipality were discussed. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
-------------- 
1) Omar Hilmi Al-Ghul opines in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida official daily 
under the title, "Why Obama's speech is for the Arab World?"(06/03): 
 "What the Arabs and Muslims don't know is that Obama's anticipated 
speech, addressing the Arab Muslim world, is motivated by his 
understanding as President of the U.S. of how severe the financial 
global crisis is, and how much it is affecting the U.S. economy and 
global standing... The era of globalization has finished and there 
is a new era in which the U.S. is no longer a key player in defining 
international policy, but rather, must play a role of partnership 
with other international powers." 
 
2) Rimonda Tawil opines in Al-Quds independent daily under the 
title, "The U.S. Administration must prove itself" (06/03):  "We 
would like to ask Obama to be clear and firm in his speech and to 
address all the problematic issues of the region including the 
Palestinian issue... He must be willing to back a comprehensive and 
fair solution [to the Palestinian-Israeli crisis] despite Israeli 
lies and conspiracies.  He must also address the Syrian, Lebanese 
 
JERUSALEM 00000878  002 OF 002 
 
 
and Iranian issues firmly... We call on Obama to be a man of 
history...  Obama and the U.S. should not miss the current 
opportunities especially given that moderate Arab countries are now 
willing to contribute to this change." 
 
MARCHESE