ISRAELI DISTRUST OF ITALIAN CONFERENCE ON

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