US embassy cable - 05MUSCAT875

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000875 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARPI AND NEA/IPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2015 
TAGS: PREL, ETRD, EAID, KPAL, KBCT, XF, MU, International Organizations 
SUBJECT: OMANI RESPONSE TO MESSAGE TO THE ARAB LEAGUE: 
WILLING TO GO BEYOND USG REQUEST, BUT NOT JUST YET 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 97599 
     B. 04 MUSCAT 2178 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., William R. Stewart. 
Reason: 1.4 (b, d). 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) Defending Oman's forward-leaning track record toward 
Israel, and indicating a willingness to go even beyond USG 
requests for expanding ties with it, the Omani Foreign 
Ministry argued that Israel's delay in matching Palestinian 
Authority implementation of Roadmap commitments prevents 
Muscat from taking bold initiatives at this time.  The 
Ministry praised the President's support for the PA, but 
needs to see Israeli deeds match positive rhetoric to 
overcome growing frustration with perceived Israeli 
intransigence.  End summary. 
 
2. (U) With the Foreign Minister on regional travel, CDA 
delivered ref A demarche May 31 to MFA Under Secretary Sayyid 
Badr al-Busaidi.  Sayyid Badr was joined by Arab Department 
Chief Ambassador Ahmed al-Harthy, Deputy Chief of North 
American Department Riadh al-Raisi, and Political Affairs 
Director to the U/S Humaid al-Maani.  CDA was accompanied by 
A/DCM. 
 
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Need to See More Progress on Israel's Part 
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3. (C) In response to our demarche, Sayyid Badr stressed the 
fact that Oman has always been "open-minded" to the 
possibilities of relations with Israel, as proven by its 
track record hosting an Israeli trade office (closed in 
2000).  The Sultanate, he said, may be prepared to go "even 
beyond" what we requested in our demarche.  But at the 
present time, Oman has seen more in the way of statements and 
gestures than actual progress on the ground.  Israel's delay 
in implementing its Gaza withdrawal, the lack of a formal 
resumption of bilateral negotiations with the PA, and the 
expansion of settlements in the Palestinian territories are 
actually building greater frustration, even though "everyone 
is saying the right things."  The Under Secretary noted that 
Oman is not alone in its frustration, but that the PA is 
telling Muscat the same things.  The Roadmap, he said, 
remains "ink on paper," and while the PA -- under difficult 
circumstances -- has lived up to its Roadmap commitments, 
Israel has made no comparable effort on its part. 
 
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Defending Level of Oman's Israel Links 
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4. (C) CDA acknowledged that it takes deeds on both sides to 
bring progress in the peace process, but suggested the 
Israeli government may find greater room for maneuver with 
its domestic constituency were it able to point to broader 
engagement with moderate Arab states like Oman.  Sayyid Badr 
replied that Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf 
bin Alawi conferred with his Israeli counterpart in New York 
in 2004 and continues to hold periodic telcons with him, and 
hosted a bilateral meeting with an Israeli MFA Deputy 
Director General on the margins of an Executive Council 
meeting of the Middle East Desalination Research Center 
(MEDRC) last December (ref B).  Similar future meetings are 
likely to happen.  Sayyid Badr also noted that Oman continues 
to play host to the MEDRC, which he described as virtually 
the sole remaining vestige of 1990's-era efforts to bring 
Israel and Arab states closer together.  The Omanis also 
noted that, despite the closing of the Israeli Trade Office 
during the second Intifada, Oman imposes no boycott on 
Israeli goods. 
 
5. (C) Ambassador al-Harthy pointed out that the MFA has a 
domestic constituency to answer to as well, and that 
improving relations with Israel is a "tough sell" absent 
demonstrable progress in the Roadmap.  Sayyid Badr rounded 
off the discussion by praising President Bush's statements 
and support of PA President Abbas.  The Omanis did not 
respond to our points about Magen David Adom's membership in 
the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement. 
STEWART