US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV3246

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 003246 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2015 
TAGS: IS, KPAL, OREP, PREL, XF, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS, U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONS, GOI EXTERNAL 
SUBJECT: (S)  CODEL KOLBE: SHARON DISSATISFIED WITH U.S. 
SUPPORT FOR ABU MAZEN 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (S)  During a 75-minute meeting May 30 with Codel Kolbe, 
attended also by the Ambassador, Prime Minister Sharon 
described several reasons why he is not happy with current 
developments.  In familiar terms, Sharon said that his and 
Israel's willingness to move forward in the peace process 
after Gaza disengagement will be dependent on whether 
Palestinians take steps against terrorism.  So far, the 
Palestinian track record is poor, Sharon said.  He noted that 
a rocket had landed at the entrance of the packing house in 
his own farm the previous evening, and that Israel had 
prevented at least two other attempted rocket launches from 
Gaza.  Sharon said Abu Mazen had made a "major mistake" in 
signing an agreement with the terrorists. 
 
2,  (S)  Sharon insisted that he will implement disengagement 
despite the hard internal situation in Israel.  He also said 
that he is making efforts to fulfill Israeli commitments from 
the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, citing the release of prisoners. 
However, he said, he has not seen similar steps by 
Palestinians to fulfill their commitments.  Sharon continued 
that, for Israel to enter the roadmap after disengagement, 
there needs to be Palestinian reforms, dismantlement of 
terrorist organizations and a beginning of "education for 
peace."  The major problem, Sharon said, is that the Arab 
world does not recognize the birthright of the Jews to 
establish an independent state in the birthplace of the 
Jewish people.  Even Arab states which have treaties with 
Israel do not encourage peace between their people and 
Israelis.  Sharon said that Israel enjoys a kind of 
"strategic cooperation" with Jordan, but this is between 
Israeli and Jordanian leaders.  In Egypt, Israel faces a 
boycott by academics and the unions.  In both Egypt and in 
Jordan, incitement in schools and mosques continues.  Sharon 
said this proves that Israel needs to be careful in the peace 
process.  In the Middle East, declarations and even peace 
agreements are usually meaningless; the commitment of other 
parties can be judged only by their actions. 
 
3.  (S)  Sharon said that he remains ready to make painful 
compromises for a genuine and durable peace but he will make 
no compromises regarding security, now or in the future.  "I 
stand with my back to the wall."  Sharon said that continued 
terrorism has an impact on the Israeli people.  The short 
period of quiet since January has been disrupted by the 
resumption of Palestinian Qassam and rocket attacks.  This 
has caused the Israeli people to distrust Sharon, as 
evidenced by reduced support for his policies in the polls. 
Sharon said that his internal situation is exacerbated by 
every act of terror.  The polls show a drop in support from 
70 to 54 percent. 
 
4.  (S)  Equally important, Sharon said, his position has not 
been helped by the results of Abu Mazen's visit to Washington 
and the perception created that the President's April 14, 
2004 letter to Sharon is no longer valid.  Sharon cautioned 
that the U.S. needs to be more careful regarding 
announcements and promises it makes to Abu Mazen.  People in 
Israel now doubt Sharon when he refers to U.S. support for 
Israel's holding on to the major settlement blocs as noted in 
the Bush letter.  "Every time someone says something, it has 
an impact and increases doubts about the President's letter." 
 Sharon asked for a period of quiet so that he can conclude 
the disengagement. 
 
5.  (S)  Sharon noted that he is not "jealous" of Abu Mazen 
and said he recognized it is not easy to be a Palestinian. 
In this respect, he knows it was important for Abu Mazen to 
visit Washington.  However, U.S. statements not only have 
increased doubts within Israel about Sharon's policies, but 
they have also resulted in an impression among Palestinians 
that the U.S. will not exert pressure on them to take steps 
against terrorism.  Sharon reiterated that a clear message 
must be sent to the Arabs that Israel will not move in the 
roadmap unless terrorism stops.  "It is wrong to think that I 
will move straight to the roadmap after disengagement unless 
the Palestinians take steps against terrorism.  The roadmap 
does not work according to a timetable and there is no 
bypass.  Rather, it provides for a solution in stages which 
need to be fully implemented in order to move to the next 
stage."  Sharon said Israel is a "tiny, small country" and 
the only democracy between the Atlantic Ocean and India. 
Israel will not take risks unless there is a full cessation 
of terrorism. 
 
6.  (S)  Sharon also offered two additional pieces of advice 
to the U.S.  First, he said, that nothing will happen if 
external assistance to Palestinians is provided without 
reforms.  We have seen in the past that money provided to the 
Palestinians has been wasted.  Second, Sharon cautioned that 
the Europeans may consider removing Hamas from the terrorism 
list once Hamas contests the upcoming elections.  He said he 
realizes the U.S. understands the dangers posed by Hamas, but 
he is not sure Europe has the same understanding. 
 
7.  (S)  Asked about Iran, Sharon said that Israel is 
cooperating closely with the U.S. and others but does not 
want to be the "spearhead" of efforts to stop the Iranian 
nuclear weapons program.  The key, in his view, is when Iran 
will reach a point of no return after which they will be able 
to build nuclear weapons.  Right now, international 
monitoring of the Iranian nuclear program makes it harder for 
them to work on the weapons program; the Iranians also have 
technical problems they have not yet solved.  Sharon said the 
Iranians are very concerned that the nuclear issue will be 
referred to the U.N. Security Council, and Sharon advocated 
that that is exactly what should be done.  If Iran is under 
pressure, he said, it will increase the possibility of 
internal change and the possibility of curbing the nuclear 
weapons program.  Sharon said it is vitally important that 
the Europeans maintain responsibility for dealing with this 
problem and that the Europeans should not believe that Israel 
will take care of it. 
 
8.  (S)  The following Codel members attended: Reps. Jim 
Kolbe, Nita Lowey, David Price, Roger Wicker, Marion Berry, 
Susan Davis, Gary Ackerman and Jeff Miller.  The Codel did 
not clear this cable before departure. 
 
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