US embassy cable - 02ROME3370

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003370 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2012 
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, IS, XF, IT, UN 
SUBJECT: ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN "SECRET" TALKS IN ROME: AN 
EXAMPLE OF TRACK II DIPLOMACY 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING POL MC GARY ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY: THE MAYOR OF ROME FACILITATED SEVERAL 
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MEETINGS BETWEEN THE ISRAELI URI SAVIR AND THE PALESTINIAN 
ABU ALA LAST YEAR IN ROME.  THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT WAS NOT 
AWARE OF THESE MEETINGS BUT IS ALSO NOT UNDULY CONCERNED 
ABOUT THEM.  THESE MEETINGS, UNOFFICIAL IN NATURE, PRODUCED A 
"ROME UNDERSTANDING", WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY REJECTED BY PM 
SHARON.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) POLOFF DISCUSSED WITH OFER BAVLY, THE SPOKESMAN OF THE 
EMBASSY OF ISRAEL IN ROME, THE NEWS THAT BROKE IN THE ITALIAN 
PRESS JULY 8 OF "SECRET" TALKS LAST YEAR BETWEEN SAVIR AND 
ABU ALA IN ROME.  BAVLY SAID THE ITALIAN MEDIA OVERPLAYED THE 
IMPORTANCE OF THE ROME MEETINGS. SAVIR AND ABU ALA WORKED 
TOGETHER ON THE OSLO ACCORD AND ARE "GOOD FRIENDS", HE SAID. 
THEY MEET FREQUENTLY IN DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE WORLD, NOT 
JUST IN ROME.  THEY BOTH ASKED MAYOR VELTRONI TO ARRANGE 
"SECRET" MEETINGS BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE, BASED ON THEIR 
EXPERIENCE IN OSLO, THAT TALKS ARE MOST PRODUCTIVE WHEN MEDIA 
PRESSURE IS ABSENT.  SAVIR IS A LONG-TIME FRIEND AND 
CONSULTANT OF FM PERES. (NOTE: SAVIR BECAME DG OF THE ISRAELI 
MFA AT THE AGE OF 39.  HE LATER BECAME THE PRESIDENT OF THE 
PERES CENTER FOR PEACE.  HE IS NOW IN PRIVATE BUSINESS AND 
DIVIDES HIS TIME BETWEEN ISRAEL AND ITALY.  END NOTE.)  EVEN 
THOUGH PERES WAS AWARE OF THESE CONTACTS, STRESSED BAVLY, 
SAVIR IS NOT AN ISRAELI GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL AND THUS ANY 
MEETINGS HE HAS DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFICIAL CONTACT WITH 
THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL.  IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ROME 
UNDERSTANDING, WHICH WAS TO BEGIN WITH A CEASE-FIRE FOLLOWED 
BY MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN STATES AND 
SUBSEQUENT BORDER NEGOTIATIONS, WAS REJECTED BY SHARON. 
BAVLY ADDED THAT, CONTRARY TO WHAT SOME MAY EXPECT, THE 
EXPOSURE OF THE SAVIR-ABU ALA ROME MEETINGS HAS RECEIVED 
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LITTLE COVERAGE IN THE ISRAELI PRESS. 
 
3. (C) POLOFF ALSO SPOKE WITH PAOLO DIONISI, DEPUTY 
DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR FOR PM AND ACTING FM BERLUSCONI.  DIONISI 
SAID THAT THE MEETINGS BETWEEN SAVIR AND ABU ALA WERE NOT 
OFFICIAL IN NATURE AND THAT THE GOI WAS NEVER INFORMED OF 
THEM.  ROME, ADDED DIONISI, IS A NATURAL CHOICE FOR SUCH 
MEETINGS GIVEN ITS GEOGRAPHICAL PROXIMITY TO THE MIDDLE EAST, 
THE GOOD RELATIONS THAT THE MAYOR OF ROME HAS WITH BOTH SAVIR 
AND ABU ALA, AND THE EASE WITH WHICH SUCH MEETINGS COULD GO 
UNNOTICED IN A CITY THAT SERVES AS HOME AND TRANSIT POINT FOR 
THOUSANDS OF DIPLOMATS AND PUBLIC FIGURES. 
 
4. (C) COMMENT: THE "SECRET" TALKS IN ROME BETWEEN SAVIR AND 
ABU ALA ARE AN EXAMPLE OF TRACK II DIPLOMACY BETWEEN TWO 
PEOPLE WHO WORKED WELL TOGETHER IN OSLO AND ARE REPORTEDLY 
CLOSE FRIENDS.  THE MAYOR OF ROME PROTECTED THE "SECRECY" OF 
THE TALKS TO HONOR SAVIR AND ABU ALA'S WISHES, AND POSSIBLY 
ALSO IN THE HOPE OF EVENTUALLY EARNING DOMESTIC AND 
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION IF THE TALKS BORE FRUIT.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
5. (SBU) BIO NOTE: ROME'S MAYOR WATER VELTRONI IS A LONG-TERM 
CENTER-LEFT POLITICIAN, AND SERVED AS DEPUTY PM IN THE PRODI 
GOVERNMENT (1996).  HE HAS EXTENSIVE INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS, 
INCLUDING THE TWO PARTICIPANTS IN THE TALKS.  HE CONTINUES TO 
HOLD AMBITIONS FOR HIGH-LEVEL NATIONAL OFFICE, SHOULD ITALY'S 
CENTER-LEFT AGAIN BE IN A POSITION TO WIN THE CONFIDENCE OF 
ITALY'S ELECTORATE.  END BIO NOTE. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2002ROME03370 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL