US embassy cable - 04TELAVIV1353

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 001353 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2009 
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, RS, XF, IS, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, GOI EXTERNAL, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS 
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN ENVOY LOOKS TO UPCOMING QUARTET MEETING TO 
COORDINATE VIEWS ON DISENGAGEMENT 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
. 
 
1. (C) Russian Special Middle East Envoy Kalugin, just back 
from a trip to Saudi Arabia, told the Ambassador March 3 that 
the Saudis "made some nice noises" about working with Arab 
League partners in an effort to recommit to the Beirut Arab 
League declaration, the roadmap, UNSCR 1515 endorsing the 
roadmap, and possibly even making reference to the Geneva 
Initiative.  As far as Kalugin knew, the Saudis were not yet 
circulating a specific draft.  Kalugin noted that his trip to 
Saudi Arabia coincided with that of U/S Larson; Kalugin's 
interlocutors told him that, while they were not opposed in 
principle to the Greater Middle East Initiative, as briefed 
to them by Larson, they sought greater clarity about how it 
would be linked to the Israeli-Palestinian issue.  Kalugin, 
who will be in Washington for the March 10 meeting of Quartet 
envoys, indicated that he had been asked to stay on in the 
U.S. to participate in the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister's 
March 11-12 talks in preparation for the G-8 summit. 
 
2. (C) Turning to Israeli plans for disengagement, Kalugin, 
who was joined by Russian Ambassador Tarasov, catalogued a 
number of questions that the GOR has about the mechanics of 
and implications arising from Israeli evacuation of the Gaza 
Strip.  For example, would it be carried out in such a way 
that it would not undermine final status negotiations and the 
vision of two states, living side-by-side in peace and 
security?  Would there be any coordination with the 
Palestinians?  What would be the role of the Quartet?  Adding 
to these questions, Kalugin enumerated several that had been 
posed to him by Palestinian Foreign Minister Sha'ath and 
Negotiations Affairs Minister.  Would it be a full or partial 
withdrawal from the Gaza Strip?  Would there be any linkage 
to the West Bank?  How would the border with Egypt be 
secured?  What would be the nature/scale of Israeli responses 
to Hamas-perpetrated terror attacks?  Would Israel be open to 
consulting with the Palestinians on a schedule of 
implementation?  In addition, Sha'ath reportedly made clear 
that he hoped the PA would be able to assume control of the 
evacuated settlements "to use them for their purposes." 
Erakat was said to claim that the PA was ready to assume 
control of the Strip with "no problem." 
 
3. (C) Ambassador Kurtzer pointed out that the United States 
has posed to the GOI a number of questions -- many of them 
quite similar to those that Kalugin articulated -- but that 
they have not yet been fully answered.  He took issue with 
the underlying assumptions of some of the Palestinian 
questions, however, commenting that the Israelis have made 
clear their strong opposition to engaging in negotiations 
with the Palestinians over Israel's unilateral moves, since 
the impetus of unilateral disengagement was the absence of 
progress on the negotiations track.  In addition, the 
Ambassador said, the Israelis are adamant that settlements 
would not be handed over to the PA.  Ambassador Tarasov 
cautioned that the Israelis, too, needed to avoid unrealistic 
expectations.  The GOI should be interested in what happens 
the day after they evacuate, and the process is going to 
require some level of coordination with the Palestinians. 
Otherwise, he warned, Israel risks creating chaos.  Tarasov 
and Kalugin made the case that these issues -- and the 
possible Quartet role in dealing with them -- should be taken 
up at the March 10 meeting of Quartet envoys.  Noting that 
various Quartet representatives, including UN envoy Terje 
Larsen, have gone on record independently with reactions to 
the Israeli plan, Tarasov argued that these positions should 
be formally coordinated. 
 
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KURTZER