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 fees to watch the matches on television.

Palestinians plan to watch pirated broadcasts or head to coffee shops to circumvent satellite TV charges that can reach $600 to watch the monthlong tournament, while Israelis staged a consumer rebellion that prompted a parliamentary probe and has already brought down prices.

"In football, there is no conflict," said Raed Othman, a Palestinian television executive, discussing the common front against the high prices.

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

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

To buy the package of games, Palestinians are being asked to pay $600 for a one-year subscription to the Saudi-based satellite channel ART, which holds local broadcast rights. Existing subscribers can get World Cup access for $300. Viewers cannot pay for individual games, and under international soccer rules, a handful of matches, including the finals, must be shown for free.

Even in normal times, the fee would be excessive for most Palestinians. 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 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 civil servant Amin Hassan.

He has placed his hopes in one of the dozens of local broadcasters in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. These stations are pledging to broadcast matches ¡ª legally or illegally ¡ª for free. 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." Viewers would then need nothing more than an antenna to watch.

The only other option is heading to local coffee shops, which can recoup the subscription fee by selling refreshments.

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. He cited the high cost and illegal broadcasts.

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

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

There is no greater shame in Israeli society than being a "sucker," and the public decided the $110 asking price by cable and satellite providers was excessive. Just a dozen matches will be shown on free television; the fee covers the remaining games.

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

Israel'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 and facing poor sales, cable carrier HOT on Tuesday lowered the subscription package to $69, offering other incentives that could further lower the price. Satellite provider Yes was expected to follow suit.

Nathan said he would wait to order service in hopes of more discounts.

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