Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PARIS2555
2005-04-14 17:35:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

FRENCH AGREE ON NEED TO SUPPORT GAZA

Tags:  PREL KPAL KWBG IS GZ FR WB 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 002555 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2015
TAGS: PREL KPAL KWBG IS GZ FR WB
SUBJECT: FRENCH AGREE ON NEED TO SUPPORT GAZA
DISENGAGEMENT, BUT WANT TO MAINTAIN PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT
HAPPENS AFTER

REF: STATE 68083

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 002555

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2015
TAGS: PREL KPAL KWBG IS GZ FR WB
SUBJECT: FRENCH AGREE ON NEED TO SUPPORT GAZA
DISENGAGEMENT, BUT WANT TO MAINTAIN PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT
HAPPENS AFTER

REF: STATE 68083

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) We discussed reftel talking points on President Bush's
April 11 meeting with Israeli PM Sharon and the need for the
U.S. and EU to send similar messages supporting Gaza
disengagement with FM Barnier's Middle East Advisor
Christophe Guilhou and MFA DAS-equivalent for the Levant
Christian Jouret April 14. Guilhou listened carefully to
reftel points and said that FM Barnier had understood the
same message on the need to focus on Gaza withdrawal and not
jump ahead to final status issues from Secretary Rice, during
their April 13 telcon. Guilhou assured us that the GoF
agreed on the importance of Gaza disengagement and the need
to support it and encourage the Palestinians to take up the
Israeli offer on coordinating implementation. The GoF also
supported the U.S. proposal to appoint former World Bank
President Wolfensohn as Quartet Special Envoy for Gaza
Disengagement. While the GoF agreed with us on the
importance of Gaza withdrawal, Guilhou affirmed that France
would continue to "maintain a perspective" on what happens
after Gaza withdrawal, particularly in the West Bank. He
repeated familiar French points on the fragility of President
Abbas, whom he said needed to be seen obtaining benefits from
dialogue with Israel, which so far had not been forthcoming.
On the April 15 discussion between EU FM's, Guilhou said the
subject of Gaza withdrawal was likely to come up among other
topics, though no declaration would be issued given the
informal nature of the meeting. Guilhou reaffirmed that the
GoF would continue to put forth positive statements on the
courageous nature of the Gaza withdrawal and the opportunity
it represents. (Note: President Chirac, in an April 13
speech at a dinner in honor of visiting Saudi Crown Prince
Abdullah, described Gaza withdrawal as "the occasion for a
relaunch of the roadmap to arrive at a Palestinian state
living side by side with Israel in peace and security." End
note.)


2. (C) MFA DAS-equivalent Jouret, in a separate discussion
with poloff, said FM Barnier appreciated the Secretary's
April 13 briefing on the President's meeting with PM Sharon
and understood the U.S. message on the need to focus on Gaza
disengagement. He reaffirmed that the GoF agreed on the need
to help PM Sharon on Gaza disengagement, which France had
lauded publicly as "courageous." Jouret added, however, that
we needed to help President Abbas as well, not just by
throwing more money at the Palestinians, but by offering
political support. The GoF shared the view that the
Palestinians needed to engage more on Gaza withdrawal and
that there had been a lack of Palestinian energy on the issue
until now. In Jouret's view, the Palestinian lack of action
could also be explained by a lack of coordination so far on
the Israeli part and the dwindling confidence among the
Palestinians that an independent state was possible. When
reminded by poloff that the Israelis had offered to
coordinate on implementation, Jouret agreed that the
Palestinians should seize the opportunity to do so. He
expressed regret, nonetheless, that we can't give the
Palestinians more in terms of reassuring them that a
political horizon exists beyond Gaza. He summed up that the
GoF agreed on the need to support Gaza withdrawal and the
first step it represented, but the GoF nonetheless remained
worried about President Abbas' declining popular support and
that PM Sharon had not done enough to help him. Jouret
described Israeli gestures on prisoner releases as
insufficient and the Israeli pull-out from Jericho as a
"joke," noting that French diplomats on the ground had
verified that Israeli checkpoints were still there with
Israeli army units just a short distance away.
LEACH