JERUSALEM -- When it comes to the World Cup, Israelis and Palestinians are in full agreement: The price to watch the games on TV is too high.

In a violence-wracked region where soccer is sacred, fans on both sides are going to great lengths to avoid hefty subscription fees. Palestinians plan to watch pirate broadcasts or head to coffee shops to circumvent satellite charges of $600, while Israelis have staged a consumer rebellion that has prompted a parliamentary probe and already brought down prices.

"In football, there is no conflict," said Raed Othman, a Palestinian television executive, discussing the universally angry reactions to subscription fees on both sides of the divide.

Neither Israel nor the Palestinians qualified for this year's World Cup, but soccer fever is clearly in the air. Israeli stores are full of World Cup memorabilia and giveaways, like the $5 soccer ball on sale at local McDonald's restaurants. In the West Bank, flags of soccer powerhouses like Germany and Brazil flutter from cars and storefronts.

During the last World Cup in 2002, at the time of a major Israeli military offensive in the West Bank, fighting hit a noticeable lull, as Israeli soldiers halted operations to allow Palestinians to watch games on television.

Making light of this rare bit of common ground, the Haaretz daily published a cartoon this week showing Israelis scaling the West Bank separation barrier to watch free soccer games with a Palestinian peasant. "We're all one family," says one of the Israelis in the cartoon.

Israelis and Palestinians are far from being the only people forced to pay for World Cup access. Stations in Poland and Italy are charging for some matches. And South Korea announced Tuesday that North Korea had asked the south to relay World Cup broadcasts to its reclusive neighbor. In the U.S., viewers can watch some games on free network TV. The remainder are available on cable, without extra charges.

But no other people on earth seem to have the determination and defiance to break the rules.

Palestinians are being asked to pay $600 to the Saudi-based satellite channel ART, which holds local broadcast rights. Existing subscribers can get World Cup access for $300.

Even in normal times, the fee would be excessive for most Palestinian families. But this year's World Cup comes at an especially difficult time. International economic sanctions have left the Hamas-led government broke and unable to pay the salaries to its tens of thousands of employees, devastating the economy.

"I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't pay for the subscription because I don't have the money," said Amin Hassan, a 40-year-old civil servant and self-described soccer fanatic.

He has placed his hopes in one of the dozens of tiny local broadcasters in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. These stations are pledging to broadcast matches -- legally or illegally -- free of charge. Station owners say if they can't work out a deal with ART, they can simply buy an individual subscription and beam the game.

"We tried to get a license, but they turned down our offer," said Salim Sweidan, director of a Nablus station. "The only way left for us to broadcast is illegally."

Nader Karrish, the main agent for ART for the West Bank, confirmed that business is in the doldrums. He said he sells just eight or nine subscriptions a day.

"It's too expensive, particularly at this time," he said. "In addition, the local channels are broadcasting the matches illegally."

Station owners say they have received assurances that ART will not sue, both due to the small market and out of solidarity with the Palestinian cause. ART officials did not return messages seeking comment.

While Palestinians are pleading poverty, old-fashioned Israeli pride has led to a public uproar.

There is no greater shame in Israeli society than being a "sucker," and the public decided that the $110 asking price by cable and satellite providers was excessive. Just a dozen matches will be shown on free television during the one-month tournament.

The offer struck a raw nerve because Israelis already pay steep monthly cable and satellite fees in addition to an annual tax to the state broadcasting authority.

"This is pure chutzpah," said graphic artist Shaun Nathan, 39. "Give the people what they want."

The nation's top sports Web site, One, launched a petition drive against the soccer package, garnering more than 176,000 signatures, and parliament formed a committee to look into the issue.

Under heavy pressure, cable carrier HOT on Tuesday lowered the subscription package to $69, offering other incentives that could lower the price even further. Satellite provider Yes was expected to follow suit.

The Charlton Co., which holds local broadcasting rights and is selling the service through the cable and satellite companies, ruled out any more price cuts.

But many customers said they would hold out until the last minute in hopes of more discounts. Others say they will head to bars, the Internet or try to find pirated satellite feeds to catch the games.

"I am not ready to buy a subscription at any price," said Constantine Zamanski, 54, who sells lottery tickets in Jerusalem. He plans to watch at friends houses or catch time-delayed games over the Internet.

AP reporters Mohammed Daraghmeh contributed to this story from Ramallah, Ali Daraghmeh from Nablus and Gabe Ross from Jerusalem.