JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (06/03): PALESTINIAN ANTICIPATION

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

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Main Stories:
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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.
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BLOCK QUOTES:
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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

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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."

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