US embassy cable - 04TELAVIV2034

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 002034 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KWBG, GOI INTERNAL, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS 
SUBJECT: PERES: LABOR READY TO JOIN LIKUD COALITION 
 
REF: TEL AVIV 1941 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer for reason 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C)  Labor Party Chairman Shimon Peres told Ambassador 
Kurtzer unequivocally April 2 that Labor "could not stay out" 
of the coalition if and when PM Sharon invites Labor to join. 
 Responding to a scenario where Sharon loses the two 
right-wing coalition partners over a cabinet vote on 
unilateral withdrawal and needs to form a new coalition that 
supports withdrawal, Peres answered rhetorically: "Are we so 
crazy as to stop withdrawal and settlement dismantlement? 
This (withdrawal) is what we wanted." 
 
2.  (C) As to losing Labor MKs over a decision to join with 
Sharon, Peres scoffed at any notion that Amram Mitzna would 
leave, concluding that the only sure defector would be 
Labor's Avraham Burg, who, Peres quipped, was "beyond 
recognition."  "What happened to him?" Peres asked 
quizzically. 
 
3.  (C) Peres voiced dissatisfaction with the evolving 
substance of Sharon's disengagement plan, noting that he was 
disappointed with the "diet" the plan had gone through since 
it was initially proposed.  He asserted that Sharon would not 
settle for Israeli control over just the three major West 
Bank settlement clusters, but would seek control over other 
portions of the West Bank as well. 
 
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KURTZER