(C) SHARON AND WEISSGLAS ON KARNI TERRORIST

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 000277

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/14/2010
TAGS: IS KPAL PREL PTER ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT COUNTERTERRORISM
SUBJECT: (C) SHARON AND WEISSGLAS ON KARNI TERRORIST
OPERATION


Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) I called Dov Weissglas this afternoon and he reported
on his conversation earlier today with Saeb Erekat.
Weissglas told Erekat:

-- All passages in and out of Gaza have been closed
indefinitely.

-- Without visible and serious action by the PA, all contacts
between Israeli and PA officials have been suspended.

-- If the PA does not take action, Israel will consider
informing the U.S. and other international parties that
Israel will not cooperate in the "game of rebuilding
Palestine."

2. (C) Weissglas said that Israel has intelligence to the
effect that Palestinian security elements in Gaza requested
authorization several days ago from Abu Mazen to operate
against terrorists but the answer came back negative.
Weissglas said that the Karni operation was a sophisticated
and joint operation involving Hamas and Fatah elements. He
stressed that the points he conveyed to Erekat cannot be
answered by a Palestinian public statement. Israel demands
action now against the groups that perpetrated the attack,
and wants the PA to deploy immediately to stop the Qassam
rockets.


3. (C) Sharon then got on the phone and told me that Israel
cannot tolerate what has been happening in the past few days.
Terrorists attacked and killed an Israeli in Morag and, in
addition to the Karni attack yesterday, the IDF intercepted
and destroyed a car filled with hundreds of pounds of
explosives that was being transported to conduct an attack
against Israelis in Gaza.


4. (C) Sharon said that Karni was open last night late in
response to a Palestinian request to help the population.
The terrorists passed through a fenced area that was supposed
to be guarded by Palestinian security. It is not clear if
Palestinian security simply failed or actually facilitated
the terrorist activity.


5. (C) Sharon said he has seen no attempt whatsoever by the
PA to do anything. He said he is tired of telling us and
others that he will not compromise when it comes to terrorism
or Israel's security, but this is the case.


6. (C) Sharon continued that he wanted to meet with Abu
Mazen but will not do so unless Palestinians take immediate
steps, today. Sharon feared that the Palestinians don't take
this seriously, but rather hope that Israel will come under
pressure from the international community in order to
"understand the Palestinians' problems." Sharon said Israel
also has problems, and now has funerals occurring again
almost every day.


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