US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI1648

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001648 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/IAI AND NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/14 
TAGS:  PREL, KPAL, TC 
SUBJECT:  UAE CONDEMNS ISRAELI ATTACKS ON PALESTINIANS, 
CONVOKES ENVOYS TO URGE PROGRESS ON MEPP 
 
(U) CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR MARCELLE WAHBA FOR REASONS 
1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
REF: USUN 1198 
 
1. (C) UAE FOREIGN MINISTER RASHID ABDULLAH CONVOKED 
RESIDENT AMBASSADORS AND CHARGES FROM UN SECURITY COUNCIL 
MEMBER STATES THE EVENING OF MAY 20 TO EXPRESS UAEG 
CONCERNS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENTS IN GAZA AND TO EXPRESS 
APPRECIATION FOR PASSAGE OF UNSCR 1544, CONDEMNING 
ISRAEL'S ACTIONS.  DESCRIBING UNSCR 1544 AS A GOOD START, 
THE UAE FM CALLED ON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO 
SUPPORT THE ROAD MAP AND URGED THE QUARTET TO REDOUBLE 
EFFORTS TO GET THE PEACE PROCESS BACK ON TRACK. HE CALLED 
THE SITUATION IN RAFAH "OUT OF CONTROL" AND SAID ALL 
PARTIES NEEDED TO URGE BOTH THE ISRAELIS AND THE 
PALESTINIANS TO DO MORE TO ADVANCE THE PEACE PROCESS. 
ABDULLAH RASHED SAID THAT ARAB COUNTRIES WERE COMMITTED 
TO THE PEACE PROCESS AND WOULD DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO 
ACHIEVE PEACE IF ISRAEL WERE WILLING TO COOPERATE.  HE 
REGRETTED THAT THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SEEMED TO FOCUS ON 
SECURITY MORE THAN ON PEACE, SAYING THAT PEACE WOULD 
BRING SECURITY.  THE FM SAID THE UAE WOULD SUPPORT 
EFFORTS TO ADVANCE THE PEACE PROCESS AT THE ARAB LEAGUE 
SUMMIT. 
 
2. (U) IN REMARKS TO THE PRESS FOLLOWING THE MEETING, THE 
FOREIGN MINISTER SAID THAT HE ASKED THE PERMANENT MEMBERS 
OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL TO STOP ISRAEL'S ACTIONS AGAINST 
PALESTINIANS, PROTECT PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS, AND REVIVE 
THE PEACE PROCESS. 
 
3. (U) ON MAY 19, THE UAE GOVERNMENT 19 ISSUED A PUBLIC 
STATEMENT STRONGLY DENOUNCING ISRAEL'S "CRIMINAL ACTS" 
AGAINST PALESTINIANS, INCLUDING THE KILLING AND 
DEMOLITION OF HOUSES IN RAFAH REFUGEE CAMP.  THE OFFICIAL 
UAE NEWS AGENCY QUOTED A MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
SOURCE AS SAYING THAT THE UAE "REGARDS SUCH A CRIME BY 
ISRAELI OCCUPATION FORCES AS A FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF 
INTERNATIONAL LAWS AND NORMS" THAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO AN 
ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE AND TENSION IN THE REGION. 
ISRAEL, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF PRIME MINISTER SHARON, IS 
HAMPERING INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO RESTORE PEACE IN THE 
REGION, THE SOURCE ADDED.  THE UAE "APPEALS TO THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY MEMBERS OF THE 
QUARTET, TO MAKE A FIRM AND EFFECTIVE MOVE TO ENSURE 
INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE 
AGAINST ISRAELI PRACTICES, HELP THEM SECURE THEIR 
LEGITIMATE RIGHTS, AND FIND A POLITICAL SOLUTION TO THE 
CURRENT SITUATION." 
 
4. (U) ALSO ON MAY 19, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER 
OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS SHAYKH HAMDAN BIN ZAYED MET 
WITH FORMER PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER MAHMOUD ABBAS (ABU 
MAZEN) IN ABU DHABI.  THE OFFICIAL NEWS AGENCY REPORTED 
THAT ABBAS THANKED THE UAE FOR ITS SUPPORT FOR THE 
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, AND BRIEFED HBZ ON STEPS THE 
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY COULD TAKE AT THE ARAB AND 
INTERNATIONAL LEVELS TO STOP THE AGGRESSION AGAINST 
PALESTINIANS. 
WAHBA