US embassy cable - 05MANAMA1167

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001167 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2015 
TAGS: EAID, EFIN, PREL, KPAL, BA 
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN:  ARAB ASSISTANCE TO THE PALESTINIAN 
AUTHORITY 
 
REF: A. STATE 146261 
 
     B. MANAMA 855 
 
Classified by Charge d'Affaires Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) The Charge August 10 delivered Ref A points 
concerning Bahraini assistance to the Palestinian Authority 
(PA) to Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Shaikh 
Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa in a meeting covering several 
subjects (septels).  Shaikh Mohammed said that King Hamad had 
extended Bahrain's full support for the PA during President 
Mahmoud Abbas' June 14 visit to Bahrain (Ref B).  Abbas needs 
to establish his authority as president in order to make 
progress on relations with Israel, and Bahrain wants to do 
what it can to assist in this process, the ForMin said. 
Bahrain intends to make a "symbolic" pledge of financial 
support for the PA budget at the next Arab League meeting on 
this subject.  "It's only a little," Shaikh Mohammed said, 
"but we must do what we can within our means to contribute." 
 
2.  (C) The ForMin said that some Arabs were concerned about 
making new investments in West Bank/Gaza infrastructure 
because despite previous contributions, the Israelis had 
destroyed so much over the past five years.  Nonetheless, 
Bahrain would make a small contribution and he called for a 
"new momentum" in Israeli-Palestinian relations to break with 
the past and focus on future development. 
 
ZIADEH