US embassy cable - 02VATICAN5938

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 005938 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR S-CKELLY, NEA, AND EUR/WE-MENNUTI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2012 
TAGS: IS, IZ, PREL, IZ, PREL, VT, VTIS, religious freedom 
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE CALLS IN AMBASSADOR TO CONVEY CONCERNS ON 
MIDDLE EAST AND BETHLEHEM 
 
CLASSIFIED BY:  AMBASSADOR JIM NICHOLSON.  REASONS:  1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
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SUMMARY 
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                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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1.  (C) HOLY SEE FOREIGN MINISTER ARCHBISHOP JEAN-LOUIS 
TAURAN CALLED IN AMBASSADOR NOVEMBER 27 TO CONVEY THE POPE'S 
CONCERNS ABOUT THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, PARTICULARLY 
THE ISRAELI REOCCUPATION OF BETHLEHEM.  WITH THE CHRISTMAS 
SEASON APPROACHING, TAURAN SAID THE CURRENT CURFEW IN 
BETHLEHEM -- PROJECTED TO LAST THROUGH DECEMBER 30 BY SOME 
ISRAELI AUTHORITIES -- WOULD HAVE VERY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES. 
HE INDICATED THAT IF THE CURFEW WAS NOT LIFTED AND ACCESS TO 
THE HOLY SITES GUARANTEED, THE POPE WOULD BE COMPELLED TO 
MAKE A STATEMENT SHARPLY CRITICAL OF ISRAEL FOR RESTRICTING 
THE FREEDOM OF RELIGION.  TAURAN WELCOMED THE PROPOSAL FOR A 
QUARTET MEETING IN WASHINGTON DECEMBER 20, ADDING THAT IT WAS 
TIME TO MOVE FROM ANALYSIS TO CONCRETE STEPS ON THE GROUND. 
HE ALSO APPLAUDED PRESIDENT BUSH'S DECISION NOT TO MOVE THE 
U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM, WHICH HE SAID WOULD HAVE BEEN A 
CAUSE OF "GREAT DISTURBANCE."  ON IRAQ, TAURAN TOLD THE 
AMBASSADOR THE HOLY SEE HAD SENT A MESSAGE TO THE IRAQI 
GOVERNMENT REITERATING THEIR BELIEF THAT SADDAM MUST MEET HIS 
UN COMMITMENTS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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POPE WANTS END TO CURFEW, ENSURE CHRISTMAS ACCESS TO HOLY 
SITES 
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2. (C) ARCHBISHOP TAURAN TOLD THE AMBASSADOR NOVEMBER 27 THAT 
THE POPE WAS PERSONALLY DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE MOST 
RECENT ISRAELI INCURSION INTO BETHLEHEM AND THE IMPLICATIONS 
OF THE ONGOING CURFEW THERE FOR THE UPCOMING CHRISTMAS 
SEASON.  WHILE RECOGNIZING THAT ISRAEL HAD PULLED BACK ITS 
TANKS FROM AROUND THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY, TAURAN SAID 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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BETHLEHEM REMAINED UNDER A STRICT CURFEW THAT HAD SERIOUS 
IMPLICATIONS FOR TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS EVENTS AT THE HOLY 
SITES.  HE UNDERSTOOD THAT SOME ISRAELI AUTHORITIES HAD 
SUGGESTED THE CURFEW COULD LAST UNTIL DECEMBER 30. 
RHETORICALLY ASKING, "WHAT ABOUT CHRISTMAS," TAURAN SAID THAT 
IF THE CURFEW WERE TO CONTINUE THROUGH THAT TIME, THE POPE 
WOULD FEEL COMPELLED TO ISSUE A STATEMENT CRITICAL OF THE 
ISRAELIS FOR "RESTRICTING FREEDOM OF RELIGION."  THE HOLY SEE 
RECOGNIZED THAT SUCH A STATEMENT WOULD BE LIKELY TO PROVOKE A 
POINTED ISRAELI REACTION, AND WOULD STRONGLY PREFER THAT 
STEPS BE TAKEN TO AVOID THIS SCENARIO.  TAURAN SAID HE HOPED 
THE U.S. COULD WORK WITH ISRAEL TO AVOID ANY PROBLEMS DURING 
THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON. 
 
3. (C) THE AMBASSADOR AGREED TO CONVEY TAURAN'S CONCERNS TO 
WASHINGTON.  HE NOTED THAT ISRAEL WAS CERTAINLY SEEKING TO 
AVOID A REOCCURRENCE OF THE OCCUPATION OF THE CHURCH OF THE 
NATIVITY, AND ASKED TAURAN WHETHER THEY PERCEIVED A RISK THAT 
THE PALESTINIANS MIGHT SEEK TO CREATE TROUBLE IN THE HOLY 
SITES.  TAURAN SAID HE DOUBTED THE PALESTINIANS WOULD OCCUPY 
THE CHURCH AT THIS TIME, BECAUSE THE INTERNATIONAL BACKLASH 
WOULD BE TOO GREAT. 
 
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QUARTET:  TIME FOR CONCRETE STEPS 
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4. (C) THE AMBASSADOR TOLD TAURAN THAT THE QUARTET WOULD BE 
MEETING IN WASHINGTON DECEMBER 20 TO CONTINUE WORKING ON A 
ROADMAP TOWARD ACHIEVING THE PRESIDENT'S VISION OF A 
TWO-STATE SOLUTION.  HE NOTED THAT CONTINUED VIOLENCE 
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THREATENED TO DERAIL THESE EFFORTS, AND THAT PALESTINIAN AND 
ISRAELI RESTRAINT WAS NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE SECURITY 
SITUATION, ACHIEVE REFORMS, AND ALLEVIATE THE HUMANITARIAN 
SITUATION.  TAURAN WELCOMED THE CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT OF THE 
QUARTET, BUT SAID "THE TIME HAD ARRIVED TO MOVE FROM ANALYSIS 
TO CONCRETE STEPS."  HE ALSO REPEATED HIS LONG-STANDING VIEW 
THAT AN INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING OR MONITORING PRESENCE ON 
THE GROUND IS NEEDED TO END THE SPIRAL OF VIOLENCE.  ONLY 
SUCH A PRESENCE, HE EXPLAINED, WOULD BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHO 
WAS VIOLATING AGREEMENTS.  PRESSED ON THE COMPOSITION OF SUCH 
A FORCE, TAURAN SAID THAT WAS NOT A MATTER ON WHICH THE HOLY 
SEE COULD COMMENT.  TAURAN ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER A 
RECENT STATEMENT OF PM SHARON DENYING THE POTENTIAL FOR TWO 
STATES. 
 
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JERUSALEM:  PRAISE FOR PRESIDENT'S POSITION 
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5. (C) TAURAN APPLAUDED THE PRESIDENT'S DECISION NOT TO SHIFT 
THE U.S. POSITION REGARDING JERUSALEM AS CALLED FOR IN THE 
RECENT CONGRESSIONAL ACTION.  HE NOTED THAT WHEN THE HOLY SEE 
HAD HEARD THE INITIAL REPORTS OF THAT ACTION, THE POPE HAD 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ6627 
 
PAGE 01        VATICA  05938  02 OF 02  111712Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    VC-00    H-01 
      TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NEA-00 
      NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00 
      ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SSO-00   SS-00    TRSE-00  T-00 
      USIE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00  DRL-02   G-00     SAS-00     /007W 
                  ------------------16203B  111712Z /75 
O 111521Z DEC 02 
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 005938 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR S-CKELLY, NEA, AND EUR/WE-MENNUTI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2012 
TAGS: IS, IZ, PREL, VT 
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE CALLS IN AMBASSADOR TO CONVEY CONCERNS ON 
MIDDLE EAST AND BETHLEHEM 
 
BEEN "UPSET AND PERPLEXED."  TAURAN NOTED THAT THIS "WOULD 
HAVE BEEN A REASON FOR GREAT DISTURBANCE IN THE REGION." THE 
AMBASSADOR POINTED OUT THAT THE PRESIDENT'S DECISION WAS MADE 
IN THE FACE OF CONSIDERABLE CONGRESSIONAL PRESSURE. 
 
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PAGE 02        VATICA  05938  02 OF 02  111712Z 
IRAQ:  HOLY SEE TELLS SADDAM TO FLY RIGHT 
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6. (C) TURNING TO IRAQ, TAURAN SAID THE HOLY SEE WAS VERY 
PLEASED THAT WAR APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN AVOIDED FOR THE TIME 
BEING.  RECOGNIZING THAT THE NEXT STEP WAS UP TO IRAQ, THE 
HOLY SEE HAD RECENTLY SENT A MESSAGE TO IRAQ MAKING CLEAR 
THEIR BELIEF THAT SADDAM NEEDED TO ABIDE BY THE UN 
RESOLUTIONS AND ALLOW THE INSPECTORS FULL ACCESS TO POTENTIAL 
WMD SITES.  THE AMBASSADOR ASSURED TAURAN THAT THE U.S. DID 
NOT WANT WAR, BUT THAT IT WAS UP TO IRAQ TO ASSURE THE WORLD 
THAT IT HAD DISARMED AS REQUIRED.  TAURAN ACKNOWLEDGED THIS, 
BUT STRESSED THAT WAR WOULD HAVE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES FOR 
THE REGION, AND WOULD LIKELY INCREASE THE "APPETITE FOR 
TERROR" AMONG RADICALS IN THE REGION. 
 
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COMMENT 
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7. (C) FOLLOWING THE DISASTROUS OCCUPATION OF THE CHURCH OF 
THE NATIVITY LAST SPRING, THE HOLY SEE IS DETERMINED TO 
ENSURE THAT THE CHURCH DOES NOT AGAIN BECOME CAUGHT IN THE 
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CROSS-FIRE.  EVER CONSCIOUS OF THE 
SYMBOLIC IMPORTANCE OF THE HOLY SITES, THE POPE WOULD SEE 
ISRAELI RESTRICTIONS THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON AS A SYMBOL OF 
CONTINUED HIGH-HANDEDNESS AND CAN BE EXPECTED TO BE SHARPLY 
CRITICAL IF THE CURFEW WOULD MAR THE HOLY SEASON.  ANY 
ASSURANCE WE COULD PROVIDE THE HOLY SEE THAT WE ARE 
ENCOURAGING ISRAEL TO ENSURE A PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS IN 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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BETHLEHEM WOULD BE WELCOMED AS A SIGN OF GOOD FAITH, AND A 
MUCH-NEEDED GLIMMER OF HOPE AT A TROUBLED TIME. 
 
NICHOLSON 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2002VATICA05938 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL