EGYPT PRESSING PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP TO BETTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 002640

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM KPAL EG IS
SUBJECT: EGYPT PRESSING PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP TO BETTER
MANAGE DOMESTIC SITUATION AHEAD OF ITS JULY ELECTIONS


Classified by Charge Gordon Gray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) MFA Chief of Staff Sameh Shukry telephoned the Charge
April 4 under instructions to convey that the Government of
Egypt had communicated its "deep concerns" to Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) regarding the
struggle for authority among Palestinians and particularly
over the role Hamas is playing. Skukry also said that Egypt
had raised with Abu Mazen its growing concerns regarding the
"Palestinian Authority's management style" - a concern Shukry
said the GOE understood was shared by Washington. Egypt had
encouraged Abu Mazen to "take steps to contact Israel to
discuss and coordinate the Gaza disengagement plan." The
conversation with Abu Mazen, Shukry pointed out, was part of
Egypt's ongoing dialogue with the Palestinians. Egypt is
"trying to be helpful" in achieving the goals of the Roadmap,
he noted, before requesting the Charge to convey the message
to Washington.


2. (C) Subsequently on April 4, the Charge spoke with
Presidential Spokesman Soliman Awad, who raised the subject
of Palestine. Without reference to the earlier contact by
Shukry, Awad shared that President Mubarak had called Abu
Mazen immediately after last week's shooting incident in
Ramallah. The Egyptian President argued forcefully to Abu
Mazen, Awad said, that the latter must "strike while the iron
is hot" in order to "end the chaos among the Palestinian
factions."


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GRAY