JORDAN: MEDIA FURTHER REACT TO KING'S U.S. VISIT

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."

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-- "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