UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 005022

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: IS KPAL PREL XF GAZA DISENGAGEMENT GOI INTERNAL PEACE PROCESS
SUBJECT: SHARON: DISENGAGEMENT IS "COMPLICATED, PAINFUL AND
HARD" BUT IT CAN PAVE THE WAY BACK TO THE ROADMAP



1. Prime Minister Sharon met August 14 with an
AIPAC-sponsored Congressional delegation headed by
Congressman Steny Hoyer and comprised of 10 Democratic
Members of the House. AIPAC board members and staffers
attended. Ambassador Kurtzer also joined the meeting.
Sharon was relaxed and voluble, telling the delegation that
he valued the time spent with them when his phone would not
be ringing with calls from disengagement opponents.

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Disengagement
--------------


2. Sharon said that Israel's disengagement plan is "very
complicated, painful and hard" but there is no better plan
available to solve problems and pave the way back to the
roadmap. Sharon said Palestinians know there must be a full
cessation of terrorism, violence and incitement, and there
must be security reforms in order to return to the roadmap.
Israel is a peace-seeking and courageous country, Sharon
said, and it is the only place where Jews have the right and
the power to defend themselves by themselves. Sharon
continued that he is ready for painful compromises for a
genuine and durable peace, but he made equally clear that
Israel will make no compromises on security. Sharon
emphasized that only Israel can decide what security it
requires.


3. Sharon told the delegation that Palestinian terror
continues even now, and that terrorism is causing a decline
in the support of the Israeli people for disengagement.
Sharon and his senior advisor, Dov Weissglas, noted the press
conference given the evening before by the leadership of
Hamas in Gaza in which Hamas promised brazenly to resume
terrorism against Israel as soon as the disengagement is
completed.


4. Sharon said that Israel wants the Palestinian Authority,
not Hamas, to control Gaza after disengagement. He told the
delegation that, if terrorists attack during disengagement,
Israel's reaction will be "very, very hard." He predicted
that the disengagement process will take several weeks to
finish, because of the 4-5,000 "radical youngsters" who
infiltrated Gaza in recent weeks.

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Palestinian Security
--------------


5. Weissglas told the delegation that Palestinians have the
ability to enforce security, and there are two detailed plans
(Tenet and Zinni) that specify how to dismantle terrorist
organizations. Whereas the PA has a significant manpower
advantage to get the job done, whether this is done is a
question of will.


6. Sharon pointed to President Bush's interview, aired on
Israeli television August 13, as proof that the U.S. is
trying to pressure President Abbas to clamp down on security.
Sharon said that Abbas recognizes the danger that terrorism
poses for Palestinians, but the question is whether he is
ready to act. Sharon termed it a "major mistake" that Abbas
signed an agreement with the terrorist organizations in which
he committed the PA not to act against them. Sharon said
that the PA has a greater ability to act than they claim.
The problem is will and whether the PA is eager to take hard
steps. Sharon repeated that Abbas seems to prefer to reach
agreements with terror organizations, even when they announce
publicly their intention to continue terrorism.


7. Asked whether the PA has the mechanisms to act against
terror, Weissglas responded that Palestinians live in a
"tribal society" in which every villager knows whose doing
what. The PA thus would not have a problem collecting
intelligence against terrorists. Sharon said that Israel
cannot be responsible for organizing the way Abbas deals with
terrorism. If Hamas does continue to engage in terrorism,
Sharon said he hopes the PA will act, but if not Israel will
find a way to stop the terrorism. "We are not going to live
under terror."

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Iran
--------------


8. Asked about Iran, Sharon said he sees no change in Iran's
intention and plan to have nuclear weapons. Sharon said Iran
should be brought to the U.N. Security Council, and
diplomatic and economic pressures should be brought to bear
on Iran. Sharon continued that Iran is the "center of world
terrorism" and he pointed to Iranian support for Hizbollah in
Lebanon. Sharon noted that Hizbollah has becoming involved
increasingly in terrorism against Israel with the assistance
of some Israeli-Arabs.

--------------
Egypt
--------------


9. Sharon said that relations with Egypt are improving and
that several long-standing problems (such as the Azzam Azzam
case) had been resolved. The Egyptians are making an effort
to help, Sharon said, but they could do more. After
explaining the issue of the Philadelphi Strip, Sharon said
that he looks forward to Egypt's deployment on the Gaza
border, but, in fact, will not rely on anyone else to defend
Israel. He noted that the Israel-Egypt peace treaty remains
intact, but Egypt is still active in trying to secure support
for a boycott of Israel. Sharon said you cannot find a map
of the Middle East in Egyptian schools which shows Israel.
In this regard, Sharon said, the main problem in the region
is that the Arabs have never recognized the birthright of the
Jews to have an independent Jewish state in the homeland of
the Jewish people.

--------------
U.S. Assistance
--------------


10. Weissglas explained the background to Israel's request
for more than $2 billion in assistance. He said that the
assistance is not directly related to disengagement, but
rather would be a sign of U.S. support as Israel withdraws
from Gaza. Sharon added that Israel very much wants to
develop the northern and southern parts of the country and
would use U.S. assistance in support of this development.
Weissglas asked the delegation for public statements of
support in order to show the Israeli people that positive
things will emerge from disengagement.

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Fence and Outposts
--------------


11. Asked about the security fence, Weissglas said the fence
is being constructed for purely security reasons. He noted
that "85 percent" of Israeli casualties resulted from suicide
bombs, car bombs, and roadside shootings, and the fence would
help stop prevent these. At the same time, he admitted,
Israel has tried to include in the fence those settlement
blocs whose "life fabric" is west of the fence, while not
separating Palestinians from their livelihood. Weissglas
suggested to the delegation that the fence be named for
Yasser Arafat.


12. On outposts, Weissglas said, Israel has an obligation in
the roadmap to dismantle outposts. The GOI has found it much
more complicated legally to do so than initially anticipated.
He predicted that the dismantling of the outposts would
start soon after the disengagement.

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