US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV5359

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 005359 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KWBG, KPAL, EU, IS, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, COUNTERTERRORISM, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS 
SUBJECT: EU HIGHREP SOLANA PRAISES DISENGAGEMENT, BUT 
DISAGREES WITH ISRAELIS ON HAMAS/HIZBALLAH 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Gene A. Cretz for reasons 1.4 (B 
) and (D). 
 
1. (C) Summary: According to the MFA and the EC delegation, 
High Representative Javier Solana's discussions with Israeli 
officials on August 28-30 focused on using the success of 
disengagement to foster movement on the roadmap.  Despite a 
generally positive atmosphere, Solana made little progress 
trying to change the Israelis' restrictive view of crossings 
on the Gaza-Egypt border and the GOI found little support for 
its suggestion that Hamas should be prohibited from 
contesting the upcoming PA elections.  Solana will return to 
the region in November.  End summary. 
 
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Praise for Disengagement and Discussion of Gaza Crossings 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
2. (C) According to separate readouts from Emanuele Giaufret, 
head of the political and trade section at the EC delegation 
in Israel, and Samuel Revel, director of the Israeli MFA's EU 
office, Solana's main goal was to parlay the success of 
disengagement into positive momentum on the roadmap.  Revel 
described the visit as "low key" and free of EU demands that 
have -- in Israel's view -- sometimes poisoned the atmosphere 
during past discussions with European officials.  He called 
Solana's approach, which focused on practical steps such as 
resuming implementation of the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement, 
"very realistic."  Giaufret said that Sharon spent part of 
his three-hour meeting with Solana praising the GOI-PA 
coordination of civil and security aspects of disengagement, 
but added that Solana's Palestinian interlocutors were "much 
less enthusiastic." 
 
3. (C) Giaufret said Solana found the Israelis to be "not 
very open" on the question of border crossings between Gaza 
and Egypt.  Revel admitted that GOI officials had told Solana 
that they are not amenable to a third-party role in the 
border crossings and intend to maintain "full control for the 
foreseeable future" of all cargo and people entering Gaza. 
Giaufret noted that the GOI had shown flexibility on 
"symbolic issues" such as allowing Rafah to remain open as a 
one-way exit from Gaza, as long as all incoming traffic is 
routed through Kerem Shalom or Nitsana.  Revel said that on 
the margins of several meetings Solana's staff had told 
mid-level GOI officials that the Europeans will continue to 
see Israel as an occupying power as long as the GOI retains 
control over Gaza's borders, future port, and airport. 
 
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Disagreement on Hamas and Hizballah 
----------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Giaufret claimed that Solana was surprised by the 
adamancy with which the GOI -- especially General Security 
Services Chief Diskin and Foreign Minister Shalom -- pushed 
for excluding Hamas from the upcoming elections for the 
Palestinian Legislative Council.  Revel acknowledged that 
this is the issue on which the two sides are farthest apart. 
He protested that the Europeans are treating Hamas like 
Hizballah, and claimed that Solana had argued that 
participation in the elections might have a positive affect 
on the extremists. 
 
5. (C) Revel said the GOI "made no progress" in its efforts 
to convince the EU to list Hizballah as a terrorist 
organization, although Solana -- who traveled to Lebanon on 
August 30 -- had told the GOI that he would not meet with any 
Hizballah members.  Revel added that Solana had expressed 
concern that Iran's support for Hizballah gives Tehran 
unhelpful influence in the peace process.  Both the EC 
delegation and the MFA said that the Iran-EU 3 negotiations 
played little role in their discussions.  Revel speculated 
that Solana is concentrating on other issues where he has 
more influence. 
 
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Solana's Schedule and Planned Return in November 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
6. (SBU) According to the EC delegation, Solana met with 
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, 
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, and General Security Services 
Chief Yuval Diskin while in Israel and Jerusalem.  Solana met 
with PA President Mahmud Abbas, Prime Minister Ahmad Quraya', 
Civil Affairs Minister Muhammad Dahlan, and Egyptian 
Intelligence Chief Omar Suliyman while in Ramallah and Gaza. 
Giaufret and Revel said that Solana will return to Israel in 
mid-November for the memorial service marking the tenth 
anniversary of PM Rabin's assassination. 
 
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