US embassy cable - 03ROME1960

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001960 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FOR NEA A/S WILLIAM BURNS AND NEA DAS DAVID SATTERFIELD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/06/2013 
TAGS: IT, PREL, KPAL, EAID, IS, UN 
SUBJECT: ISRAELI DISTRUST OF ITALIAN CONFERENCE ON 
PALESTINIAN REFORM 
 
REF: A. ROME 1647 
 
     B. ROME 1910 

CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR MEL SEMBLER FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) ISRAELI EMBASSY DCM AMOS RADIAN EXPRESSED TO POL MC ON 
APRIL 30 HIS EMBASSY'S RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE MFA-SPONSORED 
CONFERENCE ON PALESTINIAN REFORM AND ECONOMIC RECONSTRUCTION 
TO BE HELD IN ROME MAY 28-29 (REF A).  RADIAN ARGUED 
VARIOUSLY THAT: 
-- ITALY IS TRYING TO INSERT THE EU INTO A MORE PROMINENT 
ROLE IN ROADMAP IMPLEMENTATION AND NEGOTIATION THAN ISRAEL 
CAN ACCEPT. 
-- THE EU AND OTHERS WILL SEIZE ON THE CONFERENCE TO ARGUE 
THAT ABU MAZEN'S ELECTION MEANS PALESTINIAN OBLIGATIONS UNDER 
THE ROADMAP ARE FULFILLED AND THAT ALL PRESSURE MUST NOW BE 
PLACED ON ISRAEL. 
-- THE CONFERENCE WILL EVOLVE INTO A FORCED NEGOTIATION OVER 
THE ROADMAP. 
POL MC REPLIED THAT HE FOUND NOTHING IN THE INFORMATION WE 
HAD ABOUT THE PROPOSED CONFERENCE TO SUBSTANTIATE ANY OF 
THOSE CONCERNS.  SOMETIMES, A CONFERENCE IS JUST A CONFERENCE. 
 
2. (C) ON MAY 2, ISRAELI AMB. GOL REPEATED SOME OF THE SAME 
ARGUMENTS TO AMB. SEMBLER.  HE SAID THAT THE EMBASSY IS 
RECOMMENDING TO THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT THAT THERE BE NO 
HIGH-LEVEL ATTENDACE FROM ISRAEL.  HE URGED AMB. SEMBLER TO 
DISCOURAGE A/S BURNS FROM ACCEPTING THE ITALIAN INVITATION. 
AMB. SEMBLER SAID HE WOULD REPORT AMB. GOL'S CONCERNS. 
HOWEVER, THE US EMBASSY DID NOT SHARE THE SAME SUSPICIONS 
ABOUT THE ITALIAN MOTIVES, AND CONTINUED TO BELIEVE IT VERY 
VALUABLE FOR A/S BURNS TO CONSULT HERE BEFORE ITALY ASSUMES 
THE EU PRESIDENCY IN JULY. 

3. (C) ON MAY 5, NEA WATCHER MET WITH LUCA FERRARI, THE MFA'S 
OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR ISRAELI/PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS, TO DISCUSS 
THE CONFERENCE.  FERRARI SAID THAT RADIAN HAD JUST EXPRESSED 
HIS RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE CONFERENCE TO HIM BUT ASSURED HIM 
THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL WOULD NOT OPPOSE IT BY DENYING 
THE PALESTINIANS TRAVEL PERMITS.  IN WHAT SEEMED TO BE A MORE 
MEASURED TONE THAN THE ONE USED WITH THE POL MC, RADIAN TOLD 
FERRARI HE UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS CONFERENCE FOR 
THE PURPOSES OF ITALIAN PUBLIC OPINION AND AS A PREPARATION 
FOR ITALY'S PRESIDENCY OF THE EU.  THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL, 
SAID RADIAN, WOULD PROBABLY SEND A SPEAKER, BUT NOT A 
GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL, FOR THE SECOND DAY'S DISCUSSION ON 
RECONSTRUCTION OF THE PALESTINIAN ECONOMY (THE FIRST DAY WILL 
FOCUS ON POLITICAL REFORM OF THE PALESTINIAN NATIONAL 
AUTHORITY).  FERRARI INSISTED TO RADIAN AND TO US THAT THIS 
IS INDEED A "CONFERENCE" ON PALESTINIAN REFORM AND NOT A 
POLITICAL MEETING OR A NEGOTIATION ON THE ROADMAP.  HE 
REITERATED TO RADIAN AND TO US THAT, WITHIN THE QUARTET, 
ITALY INTENDS TO COOPERATE CLOSELY WITH THE US. 
 
4. (C) FERRARI SAID THAT ABU MAZEN WILL NOT ATTEND THE 
CONFERENCE.  HOWEVER, HE EXPECTS OTHER KEY PALESTINIAN 
FIGURES: SALAM FAYAD, HANAN NASR, AL-MASRI (ALL CONFIRMED) 
AND ABD RABO (PROBABLE).  BESIDES MORATINOS, HE HAS 
CONFIRMATION FROM A/S BURNS COUNTERPARTS FROM RUSSIA (DOVIN) 
AND GERMANY (TRAUTWEIN), AND IS HOPEFUL TO GET THE SAME FROM 
THE UK AND FRANCE.  FERRARI WOULD HOPE TO HOLD QUINT 
CONSULTATIONS, IDEALLY INVOLVING A USG REP, ON THE MARGINS OF 
THE CONFERENCE.  AT THIS POINT, TERJE LARSEN'S ATTENDANCE IS 
DOUBTFUL.  IF HE DOES ATTEND, FERRARI SAID THE ITALIAN 
    GOVERNMENT WOULD BE HAPPY TO FACILITATE A MEETING PLACE FOR 
INFORMAL QUARTET DISCUSSION.  ALTHOUGH ROME IS KEEPING THE 
GREEK GOVERNMENT, AS EU PRESIDENT, FULLY INFORMED, HE DOES 
NOT EXPECT GREEK FM PAPANDREOU TO ATTEND. 
 
5. (C) COMMENT: WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO JUDGE THE 
VALIDITY OF THE ISRAELI CONCERNS, BUT REPORT THEM IN CASE 
ISRAEL IS MAKING ITS CASE AGAINST ATTENDANCE DIRECTLY IN 
WASHINGTON.  WE ARE IN A POSITION TO JUDGE THE ITALIAN 
APPROACH TO THE PEACE PROCESS.  WE BELIEVE IT WILL BE MORE 
BALANCED BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS, AND MORE 
CAREFULLY COORDINATED WITH THE USG POSITION, THAN THAT OF ANY 
RECENT EU PRESIDENT.  EMBASSY CONTINUES TO BELIEVE THAT THE 
PARTICIPATION OF A/S BURNS OR OF DAS DAVID SATTERFIELD (WHO 
WE UNDERSTAND COULD BE IN EUROPE IN THIS TIME FRAME) IN THE 
CONFERENCE WOULD BE HIGHLY BENEFICIAL AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO 
CONSULT WITH SENIOR GOI OFFICIALS PRIOR TO ITALY BECOMING THE 
EU PRESIDENT JULY 1. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME01960 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL