Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05TELAVIV5359
2005-08-31 14:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:  

EU HIGHREP SOLANA PRAISES DISENGAGEMENT, BUT

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 005359 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2015
TAGS: PREL KWBG KPAL EU IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT COUNTERTERRORISM ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: EU HIGHREP SOLANA PRAISES DISENGAGEMENT, BUT
DISAGREES WITH ISRAELIS ON HAMAS/HIZBALLAH

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Gene A. Cretz for reasons 1.4 (B
) and (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 005359

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2015
TAGS: PREL KWBG KPAL EU IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT COUNTERTERRORISM ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: EU HIGHREP SOLANA PRAISES DISENGAGEMENT, BUT
DISAGREES WITH ISRAELIS ON HAMAS/HIZBALLAH

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Gene A. Cretz for reasons 1.4 (B
) and (D).


1. (C) Summary: According to the MFA and the EC delegation,
High Representative Javier Solana's discussions with Israeli
officials on August 28-30 focused on using the success of
disengagement to foster movement on the roadmap. Despite a
generally positive atmosphere, Solana made little progress
trying to change the Israelis' restrictive view of crossings
on the Gaza-Egypt border and the GOI found little support for
its suggestion that Hamas should be prohibited from
contesting the upcoming PA elections. Solana will return to
the region in November. End summary.

-------------- --------------
Praise for Disengagement and Discussion of Gaza Crossings
-------------- --------------


2. (C) According to separate readouts from Emanuele Giaufret,
head of the political and trade section at the EC delegation
in Israel, and Samuel Revel, director of the Israeli MFA's EU
office, Solana's main goal was to parlay the success of
disengagement into positive momentum on the roadmap. Revel
described the visit as "low key" and free of EU demands that
have -- in Israel's view -- sometimes poisoned the atmosphere
during past discussions with European officials. He called
Solana's approach, which focused on practical steps such as
resuming implementation of the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement,
"very realistic." Giaufret said that Sharon spent part of
his three-hour meeting with Solana praising the GOI-PA
coordination of civil and security aspects of disengagement,
but added that Solana's Palestinian interlocutors were "much
less enthusiastic."


3. (C) Giaufret said Solana found the Israelis to be "not
very open" on the question of border crossings between Gaza
and Egypt. Revel admitted that GOI officials had told Solana
that they are not amenable to a third-party role in the
border crossings and intend to maintain "full control for the
foreseeable future" of all cargo and people entering Gaza.
Giaufret noted that the GOI had shown flexibility on
"symbolic issues" such as allowing Rafah to remain open as a
one-way exit from Gaza, as long as all incoming traffic is
routed through Kerem Shalom or Nitsana. Revel said that on
the margins of several meetings Solana's staff had told
mid-level GOI officials that the Europeans will continue to
see Israel as an occupying power as long as the GOI retains
control over Gaza's borders, future port, and airport.

--------------
Disagreement on Hamas and Hizballah
--------------


4. (C) Giaufret claimed that Solana was surprised by the
adamancy with which the GOI -- especially General Security
Services Chief Diskin and Foreign Minister Shalom -- pushed
for excluding Hamas from the upcoming elections for the
Palestinian Legislative Council. Revel acknowledged that
this is the issue on which the two sides are farthest apart.
He protested that the Europeans are treating Hamas like
Hizballah, and claimed that Solana had argued that
participation in the elections might have a positive affect
on the extremists.


5. (C) Revel said the GOI "made no progress" in its efforts
to convince the EU to list Hizballah as a terrorist
organization, although Solana -- who traveled to Lebanon on
August 30 -- had told the GOI that he would not meet with any
Hizballah members. Revel added that Solana had expressed
concern that Iran's support for Hizballah gives Tehran
unhelpful influence in the peace process. Both the EC
delegation and the MFA said that the Iran-EU 3 negotiations
played little role in their discussions. Revel speculated
that Solana is concentrating on other issues where he has
more influence.

-------------- ---
Solana's Schedule and Planned Return in November
-------------- ---


6. (SBU) According to the EC delegation, Solana met with
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom,
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, and General Security Services
Chief Yuval Diskin while in Israel and Jerusalem. Solana met
with PA President Mahmud Abbas, Prime Minister Ahmad Quraya',
Civil Affairs Minister Muhammad Dahlan, and Egyptian
Intelligence Chief Omar Suliyman while in Ramallah and Gaza.
Giaufret and Revel said that Solana will return to Israel in
mid-November for the memorial service marking the tenth
anniversary of PM Rabin's assassination.

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