US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV6680

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 006680 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, ECON, KWBG, IS, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS, GOI EXTERNAL, GOI INTERNAL, PEACE PROCESS 
SUBJECT: MFA OFFICIALS ON REGIONAL ISSUES 
 
 
Classified By: CHARGE D' AFFAIRES GENE A. CRETZ, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D 
). 
 
 1. (C) Summary: MFA officials told NEA DAS Danin that there 
are two important questions regarding Middle East peace 
efforts -- how engaged the U.S. can be in the process when it 
is tied up in Iraq and elsewhere, and how to keep Israelis 
engaged when they will be diverted by the upcoming election. 
The MFA officials said that only the international community 
can successfully advance regional efforts to support 
Israeli-Palestinian peace because the two most important 
regional players, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, cannot.  They 
asserted that Egypt opposes Israel becoming a regional 
player, and that Saudi Arabia, while not opposed, is too 
passive.  Muslim countries normalizing relations with Israel 
can promote peace by giving increased financial and political 
support to Mahmud Abbas,s policies of negotiation and 
countering extremism, they said.  End summary. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Questions about Short-term Engagement 
------------------------------------- 
 
2. (C) NEA DAS Robert Danin on November 14 and 16 discussed 
Israeli-Palestinian and regional issues with various MFA 
officials in Jerusalem.  North America Division Deputy 
Director General Ambassador Yoram Ben Zeev said he believes 
that there are two important questions regarding Middle East 
peace efforts -- how engaged the U.S. can be in the process 
when it is involved in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, and 
how to keep Israelis engaged when they will be diverted by 
the upcoming election.  Ben Zeev said that it is important 
for the region to know that the U.S. is, and will continue to 
be, serious about pursuing Middle East peace.  He said that 
no politician will want to take bold initiatives when he is 
concerned about winning elections.  The run-up to the 
election has to be considered "downtime" as far as diplomatic 
efforts are concerned.  Another issue is what the future 
relationship between the U.S. and Hamas would be if that 
organization wins the Palestinian elections or receives a big 
majority.  Ben Zeev said that some Israelis believe 
Washington is sending a mixed message regarding groups such 
as Hamas, labeling them as terrorists, but, at the same time, 
willing to accept their participation in the political 
process.  Ben Zeev pointed out that the Hamas charter still 
calls for the destruction of Israel, which makes it difficult 
for the GOI to accept Hamas participation in the Palestinian 
Authority. 
 
--------------------- 
Fragile Peace Efforts 
--------------------- 
 
3.  (C) Ben Zeev cautioned that progress accomplished to date 
could in a second slip away and lapse into vicious violence. 
He said that it will only take another suicide bomber and an 
Israeli attack in response to harden minds and hearts on both 
sides.  Ben Zeev suggested that the most important thing the 
U.S. could do to promote a regional environment for peace is 
win the war in Iraq.  Moreover, he said, Washington, Israel, 
and the international community should immediately follow 
positive actions and statements by the Arabs and Palestinians 
with "sweet carrots."  Ben Zeev said that in order to 
encourage forward movement, sticks should be painful and 
carrots should be very sweet.  He said that Israel had wasted 
opportunities in the past when it did not treat neighbors 
with generosity and tact. 
 
-------------------- 
Key Regional Players 
-------------------- 
 
4. (C) Officials from the MFA Center for Political Research 
Harry Kney Tal, Benny Dagan, and Yair Even shared thoughts on 
how to best regionalize the Israeli-Palestinian issue.  Kney 
Tal said that there are two major regional players in the 
region -- Egypt and Saudi Arabia.  The Egyptians oppose 
Israel becoming a regional player and therefore are lukewarm 
about resurrecting the multilateral process.  Kney Tal 
described the Saudis as passive.  He said that the only way 
to restart the multilateral process would be if the 
international community intervenes.  He noted that Mahmud 
Abbas is not opposed to renewing the multilateral track, but 
does nothing to help advance it.  Dagan said that the Saudis 
would only do something if given the green light by Egypt and 
Mahmud Abbas.  He added that Mahmud Abbas should be more 
proactive on getting support from the Saudis, including 
greater financial aid.  Yair Even suggested that working 
through the OSCE may be one option for kickstarting the 
multilateral process. 
 
--------------------- 
Looking Down the Road 
--------------------- 
 
5. (C) Kney Tal said the peace process reflects not just 
Israel,s desire for normal relations, but its desire for 
legitimization in the eyes of the Muslim world.  Gradual 
normalization can provide opportunities for some form of 
bilateral relations with Muslim states, he said.  He claimed 
that a number of Gulf countries are discussing some form of 
relationship with Israel, although the Saudis are not 
encouraging them.  The more that Muslim countries, including 
non-Arab Muslim countries, go beyond simply publicizing 
contacts with Israel, the broader the support will be for 
Middle East peace, he said.  Dagan added that Muslim 
countries, gradual normalization with Israel helps to give 
Mahmud Abbas increased support for his policy of negotiation. 
 It would also help Abbas to deal with Hamas and extremist 
elements.  He said that Muslim countries trying to reach out 
to the Israeli public would also help promote peace. 
 
6. (C) Kney Tal said he told Likud party members years ago 
that the occupation should be ended. Holding on to the 
occupied territories would not solve the important problems 
such as the demographic time bomb or WMD that face Israel. 
The occupied territories have lost their strategic value and 
have instead become a problem, he said. 
 
--------- 
U.S. Role 
--------- 
 
7. (C) Kney Tal and Dagan asserted that the U.S. should work 
with Egypt and Saudi Arabia to get them more engaged in 
supporting Israeli-Palestinian peace.  Noting that Egypt, 
which shares a border with Gaza, has a stake in avoiding 
setbacks, Dagan said that Cairo should play a more 
instrumental role than it has in the past.  Kney Tal said 
that the new Saudi ambassador in Washington and the former 
Saudi ambassador to Washington, who is now Riyadh,s new 
National Security Advisor, are both excellent interlocutors 
for the U.S. to engage on these peace efforts. 
 
8.  (C) DAS Danin cleared this cable. 
 
CRETZ 
 
********************************************* ******************** 
Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv 
 
You can also access this site through the State Department's 
Classified SIPRNET website. 
********************************************* ******************** 
CRETZ