OMANI RESPONSE TO MESSAGE TO THE ARAB LEAGUE:

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000875

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARPI AND NEA/IPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2015
TAGS: PREL ETRD EAID KPAL KBCT XF MU
SUBJECT: OMANI RESPONSE TO MESSAGE TO THE ARAB LEAGUE:
WILLING TO GO BEYOND USG REQUEST, BUT NOT JUST YET

REF: A. SECSTATE 97599

B. 04 MUSCAT 2178

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., William R. Stewart.
Reason: 1.4 (b, d).

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Summary
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1. (C) Defending Oman's forward-leaning track record toward
Israel, and indicating a willingness to go even beyond USG
requests for expanding ties with it, the Omani Foreign
Ministry argued that Israel's delay in matching Palestinian
Authority implementation of Roadmap commitments prevents
Muscat from taking bold initiatives at this time. The
Ministry praised the President's support for the PA, but
needs to see Israeli deeds match positive rhetoric to
overcome growing frustration with perceived Israeli
intransigence. End summary.


2. (U) With the Foreign Minister on regional travel, CDA
delivered ref A demarche May 31 to MFA Under Secretary Sayyid
Badr al-Busaidi. Sayyid Badr was joined by Arab Department
Chief Ambassador Ahmed al-Harthy, Deputy Chief of North
American Department Riadh al-Raisi, and Political Affairs
Director to the U/S Humaid al-Maani. CDA was accompanied by
A/DCM.

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Need to See More Progress on Israel's Part
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3. (C) In response to our demarche, Sayyid Badr stressed the
fact that Oman has always been "open-minded" to the
possibilities of relations with Israel, as proven by its
track record hosting an Israeli trade office (closed in
2000). The Sultanate, he said, may be prepared to go "even
beyond" what we requested in our demarche. But at the
present time, Oman has seen more in the way of statements and
gestures than actual progress on the ground. Israel's delay
in implementing its Gaza withdrawal, the lack of a formal
resumption of bilateral negotiations with the PA, and the
expansion of settlements in the Palestinian territories are
actually building greater frustration, even though "everyone
is saying the right things." The Under Secretary noted that
Oman is not alone in its frustration, but that the PA is
telling Muscat the same things. The Roadmap, he said,
remains "ink on paper," and while the PA -- under difficult
circumstances -- has lived up to its Roadmap commitments,
Israel has made no comparable effort on its part.

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Defending Level of Oman's Israel Links
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4. (C) CDA acknowledged that it takes deeds on both sides to
bring progress in the peace process, but suggested the
Israeli government may find greater room for maneuver with
its domestic constituency were it able to point to broader
engagement with moderate Arab states like Oman. Sayyid Badr
replied that Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf
bin Alawi conferred with his Israeli counterpart in New York
in 2004 and continues to hold periodic telcons with him, and
hosted a bilateral meeting with an Israeli MFA Deputy
Director General on the margins of an Executive Council
meeting of the Middle East Desalination Research Center
(MEDRC) last December (ref B). Similar future meetings are
likely to happen. Sayyid Badr also noted that Oman continues
to play host to the MEDRC, which he described as virtually
the sole remaining vestige of 1990's-era efforts to bring
Israel and Arab states closer together. The Omanis also
noted that, despite the closing of the Israeli Trade Office
during the second Intifada, Oman imposes no boycott on
Israeli goods.


5. (C) Ambassador al-Harthy pointed out that the MFA has a
domestic constituency to answer to as well, and that
improving relations with Israel is a "tough sell" absent
demonstrable progress in the Roadmap. Sayyid Badr rounded
off the discussion by praising President Bush's statements
and support of PA President Abbas. The Omanis did not
respond to our points about Magen David Adom's membership in
the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement.
STEWART