DJIBOUTI'S MINISTER OF COOPERATION COMMENTS ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000974

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/E, NEA, AND IO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2014
TAGS: PREL IS KPAL DJ ICJ
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI'S MINISTER OF COOPERATION COMMENTS ON
ISRAELI SECURITY BARRIER AND ICJ ADVISORY OPINION DEMARCHE

REF: STATE 152014

Classified By: AMBASSADOR MARGUERITA D. RAGSDALE.
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Ambassador delivered reftel demarche 7/15 to Minister
of Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mahmoud
Ali Youssef. She went over the points provided in reftel,
tracking them by line item, while Youssef listened and took
notes. At the end of her presentation, the Ambassador said
she would also provide a non-paper for the Government of
Djibouti's use with its United Nations representative as we
expected the vote on the proposed resolution to take place as
early as the following day, 7/16.


2. (C) Youssef then asked Ambassador what was her personal
view, "as a human being," of the wall that Israel is
constructing. Ambassador responded that she preferred to view
the issue of Israel's security wall in terms of the parties
most affected by it and in terms of the response the United
States has already made to it. For Israel, she said, it is
its view that the wall offers the best protection for its
citizenry from the probability of suicide bombers. Since the
wall's construction began, the number of incidences of
suicide bombings has decreased. Constructing the wall to
prevent such attacks is a judgment that Israel has made,
based on its perceived needs. The Palestinians, she
continued, view it as disproportionately burdensome on them
on humanitarian grounds and as a "land grab" by Israel of
occupied territory. Some Palestinians take the position that
if the wall should be created at all, it should be created on
land that is Israel proper, and not part of the West Bank.
From the U.S. perspective, the Ambassador continued, there
are continuing concerns about the route the wall is taking,
and we have made known those concerns to Israel.


3. (C) Youssef responded that he wanted to speak very frankly
about this issue. He recalled a statement attributed to
Benazir Bhutto, former President of Pakistan, on the practice
of the veiling of women. "The only veil that truly exists,"
Youssef quoted Bhutto, "is the one that is in the eyes of
individuals." Applying this to the conflict between Israelis
and Palestinians, he said he is convinced that there is a
mindset in that region now that is becoming very closed --
both on the part of Israelis and Palestinians. He fears that
mindset more than anything else because it could mean the
eventual impossibility of future dialogue. He said he was
convinced that Israel could build another wall if it wished,
and perhaps five more, but it will never achieve security for
itself in the process. The only way that Israel can have
security, he stated, is to have a dialogue, not build walls.
To continue to blame the lack of dialogue on the Palestinians
is not accurate.


4. (C) Youssef continued that the United States has to take
the lead role in making this dialogue happen. To constantly
endorse the actions of Israel, regardless of the nature of
the action, and whether that position is right or wrong, is
not helpful to this process. The U.S., he went on to say,
has put forward a very interesting proposal called the Middle
East Partnership Initiative, which raises some very
interesting possibilities for our region. Yet it will be
impossible for the U.S. to move forward on that issue until
the problem between Palestinians and Israelis is resolved.
Moreover, constantly taking positions that are clearly
one-sided and imbalanced with respect to Israel, he
continued, undermines U.S. moderate partners such as Egypt
and Jordan. Youssef said he failed to see, "as a human
being," the sense sometimes in the positions the U.S.
government is taking.


5. (C) Youssef also said that it does not matter in the end
whether Djibouti votes for the resolution calling for General
Assembly endorsement of the International Court of Justice
advisory opinion or abstains. This resolution will be voted
in the affirmative by the vast majority of U.N. members.
This will leave, he said, the U.S. in the position of having
to veto, which will ultimately be unhelpful for the U.S. and
the eventual resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli problem.


6. (C) Comment: Djibouti has avoided taking public stances
in its mainstream news media on the Palestinian-Israeli
issue. However, sympathy for the Palestinian plight is
revealed in official remarks, most recently in President
Guelleh's speech on June 27 commemorating Djibouti's National
Day. In that message, Guelleh said "Djibouti will never
accept the destructive policy aimed at failure, which guides
Mister Sharon in leading the Palestinian conflict. He has
anchored himself into a unilateral vision, excluding
completely the Palestinian people, with his firm will to
install an Israeli state within Palestinian territory."


7. (C) Comment continued: Minister of Cooperation Youssef,
one of the most thoughtful and respected officials in
Djibouti's government, has lived and served as Djibouti's
diplomat in several countries and speaks five languages
fluently -- French, English, Afar, Arabic, and Somali. In
his remarks, he attempted to convey a perspective that is
deeply-felt and personal. Yet it is also quite
representative of the general position of Djibouti, an Arab
League member, and its largely Muslim citizenry. End comment.


8. (U) Khartoum minimize considered.
RAGSDALE