ITALIAN PROJECT ON TRACK II DIPLOMACY BETWEEN

UNCLAS ROME 000603 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL IT IS GZ UN SUBJECT: ITALIAN PROJECT ON TRACK II DIPLOMACY BETWEEN ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS ¶1. (U) SENSING THAT THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST HAS REACHED "DESPERATE" MEASURES, THE ITALIAN MFA FUNDED AN INITIATIVE CALLED "MEETING THE OTHER", A FORUM FOR ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN CIVIL SOCIETIES TO DIALOGUE. THE FIRST OF SUCH MEETINGS TOOK PLACE FEB 4. ¶2. (U) AMBASSADOR ANTONIO BADINI, THE MFA'S DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, OPENED THE MEETING BY STRESSING THAT "MEETING THE OTHER" WAS NOT A VENUE FOR POLITICAL DEBATE, BUT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 00603 090715Z AN ATTEMPT TO PROMOTE CIVIL DIALOGUE IN DISCUSSING A POSSIBLE COMMON FUTURE, AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO START A SOCIAL PROJECT THAT WOULD IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE IN THE REGION. THERE WAS CONSENSUS AMONG THE AUDIENCE THAT EDUCATION OUGHT TO BE THE TOPIC DISCUSSED IN THE NEXT MEETING (JUNE 2002). ¶3. (U) MR. DAVID GROSSMAN, A WRITER, REPRESENTED THE ISRAELI SIDE. HE SAID THAT THE MAJOR CURRENT TRAGEDY IS THE ABSENCE OF A LEADER, ISRAELI OR PALESTINIAN, WHO IS TRULY WILLING TO OFFER HIS PEOPLE THE ONLY POSSIBLE SOLUTION: PEACE. WHEN ASKED IF THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT MAY PURSUE "UNILATERAL SEPARATION", HE REPLIED THAT HE HOPED NOT. EVEN THOUGH THE ISRAELI PUBLIC IS TERRIFIED OF TERRORISM, GROSSMAN STRESSED THAT THE HEART OF ZIONISM IS TO "ACHIEVE SOME NORMALITY, TO BE ACCEPTED". HE HOPED THAT THE ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP WOULD OPT FOR THE "MATURE BEHAVIOR": DIALOGUE. ¶4. (U) PROFESSOR SARI NUSSEIBEH, DEAN OF AL QUDS UNIVERSITY, REPRESENTED THE PALESTINIAN SIDE. HE STARTED BY UNDERLINING THAT YASSER ARAFAT IS INDEED THE ONLY LEADER OF THE PA AND THAT HE OUGHT TO BE TREATED AS SUCH. HE SAID THAT ONLY PALESTINE CAN GIVE ISRAEL ITS "LEGITIMATE BIRTH CERTIFICATE", AND THUS BOTH PEOPLE OUGHT TO THINK IN TERMS OF INCLUDING, AND NOT EXCLUDING, EACH OTHER. HE FINISHED BY STATING THAT IT SERVES LITTLE PURPOSE TO TALK ABOUT THE PAST SINCE BOTH PEOPLES ARE VICTIMS OF THE PAST. WHAT MATTERS MOST, STRESSED NUSSEIBEH, IS THE FUTURE AND THE ABILITY OF ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS TO THINK IN TERMS OF "MUTUAL ACCEPTANCE". ¶5. (U) COMMENT: EMBASSY WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW AND REPORT ON UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 00603 090715Z "MEETING THE OTHER". IT FITS WELL THE GOI THINKING: DEEP AND GENUINE CONCERN ABOUT THE VIOLENCE; A WISH TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF USG EFFORTS; AND A BELIEF THEY CAN BE GOOD FRIENDS OF BOTH ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS. SUCH AN INITIATIVE FOR DIALOGUE BETWEEN CIVIL SOCIETIES WILL NOT IN ITSELF SOLVE THE ISRAELI/PALESTINIAN CONFLICT, BUT IT BROUGHT A COMFORTABLE TONE TO AN UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION. "THERE IS MUTUAL TRUST IN THIS ROOM BETWEEN ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS" WAS PERHAPS A SLIGHTLY TOO OPTIMISTIC STATEMENT BY MR. GROSSMAN, BUT THERE WAS CERTAINLY MORE "MUTUAL TRUST" IN THE CIVIL DIALOGUE THAN IN THE CURRENT POLITICAL "DIALOGUE" BETWEEN SHARON AND ARAFAT. END COMMENT. SEMBLER UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME00603 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED