GOI'S REACTION TO SENDING A COORDINATED U.S. AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000611

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2012
TAGS: ISRAEL'>IS IT KPAL PREL XF EUN
SUBJECT: GOI'S REACTION TO SENDING A COORDINATED U.S. AND
EU MESSAGE TO ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS

REF: A) STATE 23988 B) ROME 489

CLASSIFIED BY: POL MC TOM COUNTRYMAN. REASON:1.5 (B)(D)


1. (C) ON THE EVE OF THE EU FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING IN
SPAIN, POL MC DELIVERED THE POINTS IN REF A TO LUCA
FERRARI, THE MFA OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST.
FERRARI FULLY AGREED WITH THE US MESSAGE AND STRESSED THAT
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THE MFA IS CONVINCED THAT THE ONLY MESSAGE ARAFAT NEEDS TO
HEAR RIGHT NOW IS TO END THE VIOLENCE.


2. (C) HOWEVER, FERRARI PREDICTED THAT MOST EU PARTNERS
WILL THINK DIFFERENTLY. HE BELIEVED THAT FRANCE, GERMANY,
AND SPAIN, TOGETHER WITH SOLANA, HAVE FORMED A BLOC WHICH
WOULD PUSH FOR THE FRENCH PROPOSAL OF ELECTIONS IN
PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES. (NOTE: FERRARI COMPARED THIS BLOC
TO A COUPLE HAVING MARITAL PROBLEMS THAT DECIDES TO HAVE A
BABY TO SOLVE ITS PROBLEMS. END NOTE).


3. (C) THE ITALIAN MFA HAD MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THE FRENCH
PROPOSAL, SAID FERRARI. ON ONE HAND, IT COULD POSITIVELY
CHANGE THE DYNAMICS OF THE PALESTINIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM.
ON THE OTHER HAND, FERRARI KNEW THAT IT WOULD NOT BE
FEASIBLE TO ORGANIZE AND CARRY OUT ELECTIONS IN THE
PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES UNTIL THE SECURITY SITUATION HAD
STABILIZED


4. (C) AT THE FEB 8 MEETING IN SPAIN, FERRARI PREDICTED
THAT ONLY THE UK WAS LIKELY TO SPEAK UP AGAINST THE FRENCH
PROPOSAL. OTHER EU STATES WOULD BE RELUCTANT TO DO SO
SINCE THEY HAD NO COUNTER PROPOSALS. AS FOR ITALY, FERRARI
COULD NOT PREDICT WHAT PM AND ACTING FM BERLUSCONI WOULD DO
SINCE HE FACED THE SAME DILEMMA AS OTHER EU STATES OF
WANTING THE EU TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP BUT NOT HAVING A
CONCRETE SOLUTION TO OFFER. (NOTE: EMBASSY ALSO SHARED
POINTS IN REF A WITH THE PM'S OFFICE BUT DID NOT HAVE A
CHANCE TO DISCUSS THEM DIRECTLY. END NOTE).


5. (C) FERRARI FINALLY PREDICTED THAT THE FEB 8 MEETING
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WOULD NOT RESULT IN AN IMMEDIATE ENDORSEMENT OF THE FRENCH
PLAN AS IT WAS NOT CUSTOMARY FOR SUCH "INFORMAL" MEETINGS
TO RESULT IN THE ENDORSEMENT OF KEY POLICY PLANS.
SEMBLER

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2002ROME00611 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL