US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV3098

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 003098 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2015 
TAGS: KWBG, PREL, ECON, IS, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT 
SUBJECT: GOI OFFICIALS GIVE READOUT OF RAMON-DAHLAN 
MEETING, DISCUSS COORDINATION OVERALL 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) Summary: Several GOI officials shared their views on 
Tuesday,s meeting between GOI Minister Without Portfolio 
Haim Ramon and PA Civil Affairs Minister Mohammed Dahlan, 
with most interlocutors emphasizing that the Palestinians 
continue to focus on sensitive political issues that slow 
progress on technical discussions.  Director General of the 
Prime Minister's office Ilan Cohen noted that the PA overall 
is "not acting like a partner" in negotiations.  According to 
both Cohen and Vice PM Peres' advisors, unless there is 
significant progress within the next two weeks on discussions 
of the disposition of settlement assets, the GOI will make a 
unilateral decision.  MFA Deputy Director General for 
Economic Affairs Yossi Gal added that he hopes Quartet Envoy 
Wolfensohn will be able to get the joint GOI-PA working 
groups together.  According to Peres staffers Einat Wilf and 
Itzhak Gurvich, Ramon told Dahlan that the GOI will include a 
minister on its negotiation team who will be empowered to 
address Dahlan,s political questions, although there is no 
decision yet as to who this will be.  Wilf and Gurvich also 
noted that Ramon addressed the issues of passages and a West 
Bank-Gaza link -- passages will be up to international 
standards, Ramon reportedly said, and the GOI is ready to 
begin railroad construction immediately between Tarquimyah 
and Erez terminals.  End summary. 
 
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PM's Advisor, MFA Econ Chief: 
PA Is Not Acting as a Partner 
----------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) GOI officials shared their views on Tuesday,s 
meeting between GOI Minister Without Portfolio Haim Ramon and 
PA Civil Affairs Minister Mohammed Dahlan, in which Ministry 
of Defense (MoD) Director General Ya,aron, NSC Director 
Giora Eiland, MoD Military Secretary General Dangot, and 
economic advisor to Vice PM Peres Yitzhak Gurvich also 
participated.  Ilan Cohen, Director General of the Prime 
Minister's office, told the Ambassador May 20 that the 
Ramon-Dahlan meeting did not represent significant progress 
on GOI-PA disengagement coordination.  The PA, according to 
Cohen, is sending mixed signals on the disposition of assets 
and other issues, and has not acted as a partner engaged in 
serious discussions.  Cohen noted that the GoI will make a 
decision on assets unilaterally if there is no progress in 
ongoing GOI-PA discussions regarding the disposition of 
settlement assets, and that a decision will need to be made 
within the next two weeks in order to begin implementation, 
whether the GOI decides to demolish the houses or transfer 
them intact.  In either case, Cohen said, the process will be 
"messy," and will have PR downsides for Israel. 
 
3.  (C) MFA Deputy Director General for Economic Affairs 
Yossi Gal told the Ambassador May 20 that this was the fifth 
GOI meeting with Dahlan, yet the PA continues to take "two 
steps forward and one step back" by insisting on raising 
highly charged political issues, rather than focusing on the 
practical, technical concerns that both sides agree must be 
addressed.  He emphasized that he hopes Quartet Envoy 
Wolfensohn will be able to get the joint GOI-PA working 
groups together for technical discussions soon after his 
arrival in the region. 
 
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Peres Advisors On Technical Progress 
------------------------------------ 
 
4.  (C) Peres advisors Einat Wilf and Itzhak Gurvich 
concurred that the PA seems "only willing to discuss 
politically sensitive issues," but noted that Ramon raised 
several practical items during his meeting with Dahlan, 
including passages, a West Bank-Gaza link, ports, and the 
settlement assets.  On passages, Wilf and Gurvich reported 
that MoD Director General Ya'aron told Dahlan that the GOI's 
goal is to bring the passages up to international standards, 
with people waiting less than three hours to cross and goods 
processed within one day.  On a West Bank-Gaza link, Ramon 
emphasized that the GOI is "not trying to separate the West 
Bank and Gaza," and is ready to begin a Tarquimyah-Erez rail 
link immediately.  Additionally, he said the GOI will 
consider additional discussion of West Bank-Gaza movement in 
the future.  On ports, Ramon reiterated that the GOI is ready 
for construction of a Gaza seaport to begin, but that an 
airport is still off the table. 
 
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PA Lost Its Chance to Coordinate on Settlement Houses 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
5.  (C) The GOI is "past the point" of consulting with the PA 
on the disposition of settlement houses, Gurvich told 
Econoff.  While Ramon asked Dahlan the PA,s view on 
demolition versus intact transfer, Gurvich said, it was only 
for informational purposes -- the GOI has tried and failed 
several times to get a clear position from the PA, and will 
now make a decision on its own.  Gurvich emphasized, however, 
that the meeting augured well for future GOI-PA coordination 
in other areas, with the parties agreeing to meet again in 
two weeks.  Ramon also told Dahlan the GOI will send him a 
paper in the next few days that outlines the GOI,s hopes for 
upcoming negotiations and coordination, Gurvich said, to 
which Dahlan agreed to send an answer. 
 
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KURTZER