PALESTINIANS WELCOME PRESIDENT OBAMA'S JUNE 4

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000897 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, IPA, AND PPD; NSC FOR SHAPIRO/KUMAR E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG KPAL IS PTER KISL SUBJECT: PALESTINIANS WELCOME PRESIDENT OBAMA'S JUNE 4 SPEECH; CALL FOR DEEDS TO MATCH WORDS Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) Summary. Palestinians welcomed President Obama's June 4 Cairo speech. Palestinian Authority (PA) officials praised the speech, highlighting the President's commitment to an independent Palestinian state. Several Fatah leaders told Post officers privately that President Obama's speech had given them hope for the first time in many years. ConGen contacts uniformly reacted positively to the speech, though many expressed some disappointment that the President did not outline specific steps he will take to advance the peace process. The call for "deeds as well as words" was a common refrain. Hamas' public reaction called the speech a change in rhetoric, but "full of contradictions." End Summary. PA Official: "The most successful invasion of hearts and minds" -------------- ¶2. (C) Palestinian Authority officials praised President Obama's speech, publicly and privately, highlighting his commitment to an independent Palestinian state. PM Fayyad praised the speech in a private meeting with the Consul General and urged the U.S. to capitalize on the momentum by demonstrating tangible results to Palestinians. PA Minister of Interior Said Abu Ali told PolSpec that President Obama's speech was "the most successful invasion of millions of hearts and minds in the history of the Middle East," and a turning point for the U.S. in the region. Abu Ali added that the speech bolstered the perception that the Obama administration is serious about freezing settlements. PA Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu-Rudaynah released a statement calling President Obama's speech "an encouraging beginning that we should build upon" and lauding President Obama's "readiness for partnership, listening, building confidence and confronting tension." PLO Chief Negotiator Sa'eb Erekat's public statement applauded President Obama's speech, saying the President had reinforced the message that ending the occupation and establishing a viable and independent Palestinian state is in the mutual interest of Palestinians, Israelis, and the world. Many ConGen contacts privately noted that they now counted on the USG to demonstrate resolve in advancing the peace process and, in particular, putting an end to Israeli settlement growth. Reactions among Palestinian factions positive, but some seek more specifics -------------- - ¶3. (U) Representatives of different Palestinian factions voiced varying reactions to President Obama's speech. Fatah leaders Qaddura Faris and Thafer Al Nobani both noted that President Obama's speech has given them renewed hope. Fatah leader Ahmad Omar cautioned that President Obama's speech was reassuring but Palestinians face serious problems with the GOI. Smaller factions, including the PFLP, expressed disappointment that President Obama's speech did not outline a new peace initiative or articulate a specific plan to create a Palestinian state. Political independent Mustafa al-Barghouti welcomed the speech as a historic turning point in the history of relations between the U.S. and the Palestinians. Hamas: Obama's speech reflects "tangible change," but is "full of contradictions" -------------- ¶4. (U) Hamas public statements called President Obama's speech a "tangible change" in rhetoric, statements, and policies compared to previous U.S. administrations. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said President Obama's speech sought to evoke emotions and improve the image of the United States. However, Barhum described the speech as "full of contradictions," and "lacking policies and practical steps on the ground to curb Israeli assaults and to support the Palestinian right of sovereignty on their land." Barhum noted that President Obama referred to "popular support for Hamas," but did not discuss ending the isolation of Hamas or respecting its legitimacy. He complained that President Obama called Hamas' defense of Palestinians "violence" yet "did not utter one word about war crimes recently committed against our people" in Gaza. The street applauds: "America is back to leading the world" -------------- -------------- ¶5. (U) A wide range of ConGen contacts applauded President Obama's outreach to Muslims and his commitment to resolving JERUSALEM 00000897 002 OF 002 the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many contacts highlighted President Obama's repeated use of "Palestine." Following the speech, a guest at a ConGen event in Ramallah remarked: "America is back to leading the world." WALLES