VATICAN ENVOY VISITS ISRAEL; ISRAEL/VATICAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 003118 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR: NEA/IAI, EUR/WE FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 83/001 E.O. 12958: DECL 06/07/11 TAGS: PREL PGOV XR VT SUBJECT: VATICAN ENVOY VISITS ISRAEL; ISRAEL/VATICAN RELATIONS DETERIORATE CLASSIFIED BY CDA JOSEPH MERANTE, REASONS E.O. 12958 1.5 (B),(D). CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 VATICA 03118 111552Z ¶1. (C) POPE JOHN PAUL II DISPATCHED PIO CARDINAL LAGHI TO MEET ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER SHARON AND PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY CHAIRMAN ARAFAT ON JUNE 2. VATICAN MIDDLE EAST DIRECTOR MONS. GIOVANNI D'ANIELLO ACCOMPANIED LAGHI. CHARGE CALLED ON D'ANIELLO JUNE 6 FOR READ-OUT OF TRIP. D'ANIELLO SAID THAT SOLE PURPOSE OF THE TRIP WAS TO EXPRESS THE POPE'S DESIRE THAT THE VIOLENCE STOP. D'ANIELLO SAID THAT THE VATICAN DID NOT PROPOSE ANY NEW POLITICAL SOLUTIONS TO THE ARAB/ISRAELI CONFLICT, AND DID NOT RAISE ITS DESIRE TO SEE AN INTERNATIONAL FORCE DISPATCHED TO ISRAEL AND THE TERRITORIES. CHARGE ASKED ABOUT LAGHI'S STATEMENTS WHICH ISRAELI CONTACTS INTERPRET AS JUDGING SETTLEMENT EXPANSION AS THE MORAL EQUIVALENT OF THE SUICIDE BOMBINGS. D'ANIELLO SAID THAT LAGHI'S INTENT WAS TO SAY THAT BOTH THE VIOLENCE, AND THE "PROVOCATION" TO VIOLENCE, MUST END. D'ANIELLO ADDED VERY LITTLE INSIGHT TO THE VISIT, BUT DID SAY THAT THE VATICAN HAD NO PLANS TO UNDERTAKE A SECOND MISSION. ¶2. (C) IN A FOLLOW-UP CONVERSATION, ISRAEL EMBASSY DCM ZVI TAL GAVE A/DCM AN EARFUL OF HIS EMBASSY'S VIEWS ON THE DETERIORATION OF RELATIONS WITH THE HOLY SEE. RECITING A NUMBER OF SLIGHTS DATING BACK TO NOVEMBER 2000, TAL SAID A PATTERN HAS EMERGED OF THE VATICAN BACKING OFF FROM ITS PREVIOUS COMMITMENT TO CATHOLIC-JEWISH DIALOGUE. BEGINNING WITH THE VATICAN'S REFUSAL TO COORDINATE WITH THE ISRAEL EMBASSY A COMMEMORATION OF THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE PONTIFF'S HISTORIC VISIT TO THE HOLY LANDS, THROUGH A SERIES OF MINOR SLIGHTS (LIKE NOT RECEIVING VISITING KNESSET MEMBERS) TO THE QLACK OF BALANCEQ IN LAGHI'S PUBLIC COMMENTARY THIS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 VATICA 03118 111552Z WEEK, TAL ASSERTED THAT THE VATICAN HAS BEEN CLOSING DOORS ON DIALOGUE WITH THE GOI. TAL SHARED WITH A/DCM A COPY OF THE POPE'S LETTER TO PM SHARON (FAXED TO EUR/WE),NOTING THAT EVEN THAT MISSIVE CONTAINED THE QCODE WORD JUSTICEQ, TO REFER TO A PERCEIVED VATICAN TILT TOWARDS THE PALESTINIANS. THE ISRAEL EMBASSY IS NOT AT ALL HAPPY WITH THE STATE OF RELATIONS, AND IF FEARFUL THAT THINGS COULD GET WORSE. TAL SAID HIS SOURCES INDICATE SECRETARY OF STATE CARDINAL SODANO IS THE FORCE BEHIND THESE DEVELOPMENTS. (NOTE: SODANO IS PM EQUIVALENT AND REGARDED BY SOME AS A POSSIBLE PAPAL SUCCESSOR). ¶3. (C) COMMENT: POST TOO HAS NOTED THAT THE VATICAN'S TILT TOWARD THE PALESTINIANS HAS BECOME SOMEWHAT MORE EVIDENT. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS FOR THIS. WE BELIEVE IT REFLECTS IN LARGE PART THE VATICAN'S UNDERSTANDABLE NEED TO MIND THE INTERESTS OF CHRISTIANS IN THE HOLY LANDS. IT MAY ALSO REFLECT A VATICAN POLICY TO SUPPORT ARAFAT ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE EVIL YOU KNOW IS BETTER THAN THE EVIL YOU DON'T. IT MAY REFLECT RESIDUAL ANTI-SEMITIC ATTITUDES THAT STILL EXIST AMONG SOME WITHIN THE VATICAN. IT ALSO MAY REFLECT SODANO'S OWN POLITICAL MANEUVERING TOWARDS GREATER INFLUENCE, PERHAPS EVEN THE PAPACY, IN THE WANING DAYS OF JP II'S PONTIFICATE. MERANTE CONFIDENTIAL > 2001VATICA03118 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL