VZCZCXRO1439
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0888/01 1561028
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051028Z JUN 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4973
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 7709
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4687
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4534
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6028
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4449
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3026

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000888 
 
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 (06/05):  DEEP PALESTINIAN CONCERN 
OVER CONTINUED DIVISION 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
President Obama's June 4 speech received extensive, overwhelmingly 
positive coverage in all Palestinian media, broadcast, on-line and 
print.  All dailies lead with front page coverage highlighting 
Obama's remarks regarding a new beginning with the Muslim world, 
U.S. opposition to Israeli settlement expansion and support for a 
resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.  All dailies posted 
the full text of the speech on inside pages.  Papers also run 
numerous articles about official Palestinian and Israeli reaction to 
the speech and editorial and analytical pieces.  Please see 
separate, Special Jerusalem Media Reaction for detailed reporting on 
coverage of the Cairo speech. 
 
Al-Ayyam runs an exclusive interview with President Obama by 
prominent Palestinian journalist Wafa Amr, drawn from Amr's 
participation in the special press roundtable after the speech.  The 
above the fold feature, under a dramatic red font headline, 
highlights Obama's statement in response to Israel's request for 
time to review its policy, "60 years of the Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict have passed.  We can wait a few more months before making 
further decisions or taking steps towards resolving the conflict." 
Amr also notes that the President reiterated his commitment to 
ending the conflict, but refused to put a timeframe on relaunching 
the peace process. 
 
All dailies front page news on June 4 confrontations in Qalqilyah 
between Hamas militants and Palestinian Authority police which 
resulted in the killing of one police and two militants. 
Palestinian factions condemned the attacks and stressed that the 
incidents hinder chances of achieving progress in "national 
dialogue" (Palestinian unity talks). 
 
Al-Quds runs front page coverage citing "Tel Aviv" about U.S. 
Special Envoy Mitchell meeting with a Jewish leader in Washington 
last week.  Addressing the question of possible U.S.-Israeli 
tensions over a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the 
paper reports that Mitchell stated, "the Israelis lied to us all the 
time.  That era has ended."  The papers also noted that Mitchell 
earlier met with Israeli Defense Minister Barak. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida runs a front page AFP article under the headline, 
"a new enemy of West Bank settlements:  Obama." The article quotes 
"extremist activist" Nadia Matter noting, "Obama does not scare 
us." 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida runs inside coverage about a U.S. Consulate 
General delegation visit to the Tubas district on June 4.  The 
delegation met with the Tubas Governor who briefed them on the 
impact of Israeli restrictions and obstacles, "imposed on the 
ground."  The delegation also toured areas "destroyed, demolished or 
confiscated" by Israelis in the district. 
 
All inside pages reported on a Foreign Commercial Service seminar 
held on June 4 in Ramallah in cooperation with the 
Palestinian-American Chamber of Commerce for Palestinian 
Businessmen.  The seminar shared information with leading 
Palestinian business leaders about the U.S.-Palestinian Authority 
Duty Free Treatment agreement, designed to provide Palestinian 
importers and exporters with greater access to the U.S. market. 
Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida ran photos of the seminar. 
-------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
JERUSALEM 00000888  002 OF 002 
 
 
-------------- 
1) Dr. Naji Sadiq opines in Al-Quds independent daily under the 
title "The Nakba caused the Palestinian crisis and division has 
deepened it" [referring to recent violent confrontations in 
Qalquilyah between Fatah and Hamas](06/05):  "If division between 
the Palestinian factions continues, it will squander all influence 
available to the Palestinian people and derail any political efforts 
to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict..." 
 
WALLES