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"
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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
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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"
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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"
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5. (U) A wide range of ConGen contacts applauded President
Obama's outreach to Muslims and his commitment to resolving

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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