VZCZCXRO7941
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHRH #1466/01 3072010
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 032010Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1839
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH PRIORITY 0404

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 001466 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/PPD (DBENZE, PAGNEW); INR/R/MR; INR/NESA, 
RRU-NEA; NEA/ARP; NEA/RA; PA; R; DRL; 
LONDON FOR VAN DE VATE 
DUBAI FOR SHELL-SMITH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM KMDR KPAO PHUM PREL SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI ARABIA: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION ON SECRETARY 
CLINTON'S STATEMENTS ON SETTLEMENTS 
 
REF: RIYADH 1423 
 
RIYADH 00001466  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: Editorial comments have criticized the 
Secretary for what they view as a reversal of the U.S. 
position with her statements in Israel. Editorial comments 
have yet to surface regarding her statements made in 
Marrakech, other than those noting her attempts to "soften" 
her previous statements as she prepared to face Arab Foreign 
Ministers in Morocco. Broadcast coverage on Saudi television 
has been limited. End summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) Key Headlines: 
--Al-Hayat (front page): "Arab and American moves to Save the 
Peace Process. Clinton Has Softened Her Tune Regarding 
Settlements." 
 
--Al-Riyadh (inside page): "Clinton Has Confirmed the 
American Opposition to Expansion of Settlements, No Change. 
Hillary in Marrakech: Netanyahu's Offer to Restrict 
Settlement Is Less Than Our Wish, But Will Have An Important 
Effect on Peace." 
 
--Al-Madina (inside page): "Clinton: Our Position, Which 
Opposes Israeli Settlements, Has Not Changed." 
 
--Asharq Al-Awsat (front page): "Clinton Moves Away in 
Marrakech: What Israel Has Offered Is Less Than Our 
Expectations." 
 
--Arab News (front page): "Clinton Moderates Statement on 
Settlements." 
 
--Saudi Gazette (front page): Clinton Faces Arab Ministers 
after Backing Israel." 
 
¶3.  (U) Editorials (chronological from latest): 
 
--Influential Al-Riyadh asked in their headline (11/03), "Has 
Obama Failed in his First Test?" The paper editorialized, 
"Let's adopt a single position by restoring the issue of 
peace to the principle of 'land for peace' and halting 
settlement activities as a firm position in any peace 
equation. Let's also, just once, test our power, which was 
diminished and has become just a sound without an echo, even 
regarding the basics of our major issues...The battle, 
according to current proposals, is lost with America and 
Israel as well. But, we can make our position firm and 
continue public relations with the superpower without 
breaking off relations or declaring diplomatic wars...no harm 
to put off the negotiations for a year or two if they will 
yield more benefits." 
 
--Makkah-based conservative Al-Nadwa (11/03), in an editorial 
entitled, "In Order not to Reward Netanyahu on his Crimes," 
urged, "Our brothers in the Palestinian Authority look 
forward to a strong Arab position to back their position in 
regard to linking negotiations with Israel with freezing 
settlements policy...In order for the Arab's absence in 
supporting the Palestinians not to persist, our brothers the 
Palestinians look forward to an emergency meeting for Arab 
foreign ministers to carefully deliberate the issue in light 
of the American shift, which Hillary Clinton expressed." 
 
--Conservative Al-Nadwa opined (11/02), "It is regrettable 
that U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, announced that 
Israel had presented unprecedented concessions in order to 
move forward negotiations with the Palestinians...Clinton's 
statement, regrettably, departs from the declared U.S. 
president's policy...In reality, Israel has not presented 
anything, but Clinton's statement indicates a big change in 
the U.S. policy toward the region, a change that almost 
endorses the same policies of the previous administration 
under the leadership of Bush...The Arab nation must send a 
strong message through an emergency meeting, which confirms 
that peace will not be completed with the existence of the 
settlements policy, which was deplored by all, including 
President Obama." 
 
--Al-Watan editorialized (11/02), "Is the acknowledgment by 
U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, that her mission in 
the Middle East has collapsed, indicative of unwillingness by 
the U.S. administration to pursue policies announced by 
President Obama regarding the Middle East?" 
 
 
RIYADH 00001466  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
--An editorial in Al-Madina stated (11/02), "President 
Obama's address from Cairo University to the Muslim world is, 
regrettably, fading away. The ray of hope the speech gave to 
Arabs and Muslims is vanishing as well. The current U.S. 
administration understands that the most dangerous threat the 
world could face comes from hopeless people, desperate from a 
long absence of justice. If there were any advice to Obama's 
administration and to Secretary Clinton it would be 'Do not 
let desperate people write history with their blood and the 
blood of others.'" 
 
--English language daily Arab news editorialized (11/02), "By 
refraining from exercising any level of pressure on Tel Aviv 
to halt settlements, Washington has, in effect, approved this 
policy, leaving Palestinian negotiators with nothing to 
discuss in any future peace talks. This is bound to create 
another wave of tension amongst Palestinians in both the West 
Bank and Gaza...It is Clinton's turn these days. With regard 
to Israeli settlements, her expressed goal is to 'narrow the 
gap to a sufficient degree' so both sides can agree to resume 
negotiations. If she cannot fare any better than Obama and 
Mitchell, then at least she should try to make sure things 
don't slide backward. But her unabashed alliance with 
Netanyahu over the settlements widens the gap further and 
creates a more precipitous slide." 
 
¶4. (U) Comments from the Websites: 
 
Al-Riyadh (11/02) 
 
Saleh Rasheed Ibrahim stated, "Palestine is on the doors of 
victory and Clinton's bias towards Israel is only a tactic in 
a battle to gain her votes for the future - the final word 
will be for the president. Palestine's history will be read 
by future generations as the crusades were." 
 
Dr. Hashem Al Falali said, "Palestine still leads a troubled 
path for peace, not by its own fault - there are people 
conspiring to create an impossible situation for peace and 
stability in a zone that has suffered occupation, war, 
property theft, and many other tragedies." 
 
Al Watan (11/03) 
 
Dr. Hashem Al-Falali stated, "This area has reached such a 
level of stagnation in the peace process and all efforts have 
gone to the wind. The Arab claims have not been listened to 
by either Israel - the other part of the Arab-Israeli 
conflict - nor by major nations that can put pressure on 
Israel to go back to peace negotiations and commit to all 
charters and covenants. 
 
Khaled Al Hafeer encouraged condemnation in response to the 
article, saying, "We will continue condemnation and 
denunciation with all our might in spite of the Americans and 
Israelis. Continue condemnation for there is nothing new." 
ZIADEH