US embassy cable - 02VATICAN2292

S E C R E T VATICAN 002292 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE (MENUTTI) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2012 
TAGS: IS, IT, PGOV, PHUM, PREL, VT 
SUBJECT: ISRAELI EMBASSY READOUT OF MAY 10 
PEREZ/TAURAN/SODANO MEETING 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JIM NICHOLSON FOR REASONS 1.5 (A) AND (D). 
 
1. (S) ZWI TAL(PROTECT), DCM OF THE ISRAELI EMBASSY TO THE 
HOLY SEE, GAVE DCM HIS EMBASSY'S PERSPECTIVE OF THE MAY 10 
MEETING AMONG ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER PERES, VATICAN FOREIGN 
MINISTER-EQUIVALENT TAURAN, AND VATICAN PRIME 
MINISTER-EQUIVALENT SODANO.  TAL'S VIEWS ARE BASED ON A 
READ-OUT OF THE MEETING HE RECEIVED FROM HIS AMBASSADOR, 
YOSEF LAMDAN, WHO ATTENDED THE MEETING. 
                          SECRET 
 
PAGE 02        VATICA  02292  101502Z 
 
2. (S) ACCORDING TO TAL, MEETING WAS MORE OF A BRIEFING ON 
THE PART OF PERES, THAN AN ACTUAL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS.  THE ONE 
ISSUE OF ACTUAL DISCUSSION WAS THE ROLE OF ARAFAT AS A 
PARTNER IN THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.  PERES SAID THAT ARAFAT 
STILL HAD TO PROVE HE IS A SERIOUS PARTNER AND COULD CONTROL 
THE VIOLENCE; PERES SAID THAT THE GOI WAS WILLING TO GIVE HIM 
A CHANCE.  SODANO INSISTED, HOWEVER, THAT ARAFAT IS THE 
LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, AND AS 
SUCH MUST BE THE INDIVIDUAL WITH WHOM THE ISRAELIS ENGAGE. 
 
3.(S) THE ISRAELI SIDE WAS MOST SURPRISED THAT THE VATICAN 
RAISED THE SITUATION IN BETHLEHEM ONLY IN PASSING.  TAL 
REPORTED THAT SODANO "EXPRESSED SATISFACTION" THAT THE 
SITUATION HAS BEEN RESOLVED, BUT "TRUE TO FORM" OFFERED NO 
WORDS OF THANKS TO THE ISRAELIS.  SODANO "REHASHED" THE 
VATICAN POSITION ON "TWO PEOPLES/TWO STATES", AS WELL AS THE 
NEED FOR DISCUSSIONS ON JERUSALEM.  TAL SAID, "TO BE FAIR" 
NEITHER SODANO NOR TAURAN EXPRESSED SERIOUS ANNOYANCE WITH 
THE ISRAELI MILITARY ACTION, AND ALLOWED PERES TO EXPLAIN HOW 
THE ACTION HAS SUCCEEDED IN DISMANTLING MUCH OF THE TERRORIST 
INFRASTRUCTURE. 
 
4.(S) TAL SAID THAT IN THE RIDE BACK FROM THE MEETING, PERES 
TOLD LAMDAN THAT ISRAELI/VATICAN RELATIONS ARE "NOT AS BAD" 
AS EVERYONE BELIEVES. 
 
5.(S) POST WILL REPORT ON VATICAN'S PERCEPTION OF MEETING 
SEPTEL.  NICHOLSON 
 
                          SECRET 
 
PAGE 03        VATICA  02292  101502Z 
 
                          SECRET 
 
> 
 

 2002VATICA02292 - Classification: SECRET