US embassy cable - 03AMMAN7232

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 007232 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KPAL, IS, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN "PEACE CAMP" FOCUSES ON POSITIVE ASPECTS 
OF "GENEVA ACCORD" 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (B,D) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C)  Members of Jordan's disparate "peace camp" say that 
the unofficial "Geneva Accord" has not gotten the attention 
it deserves from U.S. and Arab leaders and hope that European 
support for continued talks will generate momentum to restart 
substantive negotiations.  MFA officials describe the accord 
as a serious and important effort, but say the negotiators' 
failure to "market" the plan at the outset damaged its 
potential impact and gave the oppositionists, particularly in 
Israel, the upper hand.  The GOJ is trying to convince a 
disillusioned public that Jordan remains engaged in the 
conflict, at a time when many Jordanians believe -- and fear 
-- that the United States is withdrawing from the peace 
process.  The GOJ is struggling to come up with fresh ideas 
to move the process forward.  End Summary. 
 
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JORDANIAN "PEACE CAMP" HIGHLIGHTS MERITS OF GENEVA ACCORD 
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2.  (C)  Members of Jordan's disparate and largely muted 
"peace camp" believe that the unofficial "Geneva Accord" -- 
announced on October 13 after meetings at a Jordanian Dead 
Sea resort -- merits consideration as a viable platform to 
reinvigorate debate about a final settlement to the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Jordan University professor 
Mohammad Khair Mustafa says the accord complements the 
roadmap and should not be considered its replacement, and 
Fatah member Ghazi al-Saadi points to the accord's positive 
reception in Egypt and European capitals as evidence of its 
merit. 
 
3.  (C)  Dr. Ibrahim Badran, chair of the international 
relations Department at Jordan's Philadelphia University, 
says the accord demonstrates that there are people on both 
sides willing to talk.  He said that proper "marketing" of 
its controversial parts, such as the Palestinians' "right of 
return," could win over potential critics, particularly in 
the refugee community.  According to Dr. Maher Waked of the 
Amman Center for Peace and Development, negotiations for a 
future Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip -- 
even unofficial -- helps allay fears among Jordanians that 
the current Israeli government is quietly committed to the 
idea of "transferring" Palestinians to Jordan. 
 
4.  (C)  Highlighting European support for the agreement, Dr. 
Badran said that public and official U.S. and Arab 
expressions of support for the negotiations would go a long 
way to revitalize the stymied peace movements in both Israel 
and the Arab world.  Dr. Mustafa said that Jordanians barely 
noticed the minimal press coverage of the accord, but those 
who did so see Sharon's vehement attacks against the accord 
as evidence that the agreement must be a good thing. 
 
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MFA OFFICIALS CRITICIZE POOR "MARKETING" OF THE ACCORD 
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5.  (C)  The MFA publicly denied any involvement in the Dead 
Sea meetings and officials there told us that their role was 
limited to hosting the meetings and observing the sessions. 
They criticized the negotiators for not securing outside 
support for the plan before it was announced.  Foreign 
Minister Muasher, who attended some of the meetings, told the 
Ambassador that none of the regional states, including 
Jordan, had been consulted about the substance of the 
agreement despite their inherent interest in certain issues, 
particularly borders and refugees.  He criticized the failure 
of the negotiators to brief potential supporters of the 
effort -- including U.S. officials -- before the accord was 
publicized on October 13.  He said the negotiators had lost 
an opportunity to generate positive public feedback, and 
instead gave the opposition, particularly in Israel, an 
opportunity to fill the vacuum. 
 
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MEANWHILE, GOJ TOUTS ITS INVOLVEMENT TO A SKEPTICAL PUBLIC 
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6.  (C)  At the same time, Jordanian officials are trying to 
convince a disillusioned public that it remains productively 
engaged in the peace process.  During his first press 
conference since his reappointment to Fayez's cabinet, 
Foreign Minister Muasher on October 28 announced that the 
King's visit to Washington in December will focus 
specifically on "helping the Palestinians find a way out of 
the crisis."  He termed the roadmap as the "only alternative" 
for peace, and said Jordan will receive a Palestinian 
delegation in Amman in the next few days to discuss the 
moribund peace process in advance of the King's trip.  He 
berated Israel's "insecure wall," saying that it threatens 
the viability of a future Palestinian state.  Following on 
the King's meeting with Palestinian PM Ahmad Qureia in Aqaba 
on October 23, MFA official Ashraf Zeitoon confirmed to 
Poloff that the GOJ will host a lower level Palestinian 
delegation in the next few days, with the aim of projecting 
the appearance of engagement and activity. 
 
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COMMENT 
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7.  (C)  Jordanians -- in and out of the government -- are 
concerned by evidence of U.S. disengagement from the peace 
process, and are grasping at any positive alternatives that 
present themselves.  So, even if the text of the accord is 
largely irrelevant to the diplomatic process, it is likely to 
continue to gain modest attention in Jordan, including from a 
government that feels highly exposed any time the peace 
process is in peril. 
GNEHM