ISRAELI EMBASSY READOUT OF MAY 10

S E C R E T VATICAN 002292

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/WE (MENUTTI)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2012
TAGS: IS IT PGOV PHUM PREL VT
SUBJECT: ISRAELI EMBASSY READOUT OF MAY 10
PEREZ/TAURAN/SODANO MEETING

CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JIM NICHOLSON FOR REASONS 1.5 (A) AND (D).


1. (S) ZWI TAL(PROTECT),DCM OF THE ISRAELI EMBASSY TO THE
HOLY SEE, GAVE DCM HIS EMBASSY'S PERSPECTIVE OF THE MAY 10
MEETING AMONG ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER PERES, VATICAN FOREIGN
MINISTER-EQUIVALENT TAURAN, AND VATICAN PRIME
MINISTER-EQUIVALENT SODANO. TAL'S VIEWS ARE BASED ON A
READ-OUT OF THE MEETING HE RECEIVED FROM HIS AMBASSADOR,
YOSEF LAMDAN, WHO ATTENDED THE MEETING.
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2. (S) ACCORDING TO TAL, MEETING WAS MORE OF A BRIEFING ON
THE PART OF PERES, THAN AN ACTUAL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS. THE ONE
ISSUE OF ACTUAL DISCUSSION WAS THE ROLE OF ARAFAT AS A
PARTNER IN THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. PERES SAID THAT ARAFAT
STILL HAD TO PROVE HE IS A SERIOUS PARTNER AND COULD CONTROL
THE VIOLENCE; PERES SAID THAT THE GOI WAS WILLING TO GIVE HIM
A CHANCE. SODANO INSISTED, HOWEVER, THAT ARAFAT IS THE
LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, AND AS
SUCH MUST BE THE INDIVIDUAL WITH WHOM THE ISRAELIS ENGAGE.

3.(S) THE ISRAELI SIDE WAS MOST SURPRISED THAT THE VATICAN
RAISED THE SITUATION IN BETHLEHEM ONLY IN PASSING. TAL
REPORTED THAT SODANO "EXPRESSED SATISFACTION" THAT THE
SITUATION HAS BEEN RESOLVED, BUT "TRUE TO FORM" OFFERED NO
WORDS OF THANKS TO THE ISRAELIS. SODANO "REHASHED" THE
VATICAN POSITION ON "TWO PEOPLES/TWO STATES", AS WELL AS THE
NEED FOR DISCUSSIONS ON JERUSALEM. TAL SAID, "TO BE FAIR"
NEITHER SODANO NOR TAURAN EXPRESSED SERIOUS ANNOYANCE WITH
THE ISRAELI MILITARY ACTION, AND ALLOWED PERES TO EXPLAIN HOW
THE ACTION HAS SUCCEEDED IN DISMANTLING MUCH OF THE TERRORIST
INFRASTRUCTURE.

4.(S) TAL SAID THAT IN THE RIDE BACK FROM THE MEETING, PERES
TOLD LAMDAN THAT ISRAELI/VATICAN RELATIONS ARE "NOT AS BAD"
AS EVERYONE BELIEVES.

5.(S) POST WILL REPORT ON VATICAN'S PERCEPTION OF MEETING
SEPTEL. NICHOLSON

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2002VATICA02292 - Classification: SECRET