Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05TELAVIV6886
2005-12-12 12:58:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:  

MOJ LIVNI WANTS ELECTION OBSERVERS TO ENCOURAGE

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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 006886 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM KPAL KWBG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GOI EXTERNAL
SUBJECT: MOJ LIVNI WANTS ELECTION OBSERVERS TO ENCOURAGE
PALESTINIAN ADHERENCE TO A CODE OF CONDUCT

Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones 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 006886

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM KPAL KWBG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GOI EXTERNAL
SUBJECT: MOJ LIVNI WANTS ELECTION OBSERVERS TO ENCOURAGE
PALESTINIAN ADHERENCE TO A CODE OF CONDUCT

Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).



1. (C) Summary: Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni raised
concerns about the role of Hamas in the upcoming Palestinian
elections with A/S Welch on December 8. Livni said she fears
Hamas will get more legitimacy from these elections, which
will weaken PA President Abbas and damage the concept of
democratization. Pressed by A/S Welch for specific ideas to
address the challenge posed by Hamas participation, Livni
suggested that international observers could demand that
parties/candidates participating in monitored elections
commit to abide by a code of conduct obliging parties to
forswear violence and racism. Livni claimed that President
Abbas is looking for an excuse to postpone January elections,
and may use disagreement with Israel over the issue of
Jerusalem voting to this end. End Summary.


2. (C) Livni shared with A/S Welch and DCM Cretz the
"nightmare" scenario she envisions unfolding after
Palestinian elections: Hamas will take on the legitimacy
that comes with the status of a political party that does
well in an election. Once Hamas is part of the system,
President Abbas will not have the legitimacy he needs to
dismantle the party's terrorist infrastructure. In Livni's
view, Hamas will have a major role in determining who serves
as the next Palestinian prime minister and the era when the
international community influences Palestinian behavior will
come to an end. In turn, this will lead to stagnation on
roadmap implementation and a return to a cycle of violence.


3. (C) Livni argued that postponing the imposition of
demands on Hamas will weaken, not strengthen, President
Abbas. The absence of a code of conduct governing Hamas
participation in Palestinian elections bodes ill for the
concept of democratization we seek to advance, Livni added.
She cited Israel's banning of racist political parties (i.e.
Meir Kahane's organization) and EU bans on terrorist
organizations in countries such as Spain as examples that the

Palestinians should emulate. "Hamas is a racist party and
its participation (in elections) will lead to violence,"
Livni assessed. She acknowledged the downsides should Israel
make demands on the Palestinians, but urged the U.S. to act
now to encourage an international position articulating what
constitutes a democratic election.


4. (C) Pressed by A/S Welch for specific ideas, Livni
suggested that international observers/monitors could be
instrumental in this endeavor as they have a mandate to
demand that institutional counterparts (e.g., Palestinian
electoral commissions, and political parties) uphold
international standards regarding the requirements candidates
must fulfill in order for the electoral process to be judged
"free and fair." Electoral assistance providers such as the
National Democratic Institute (NDI) can shed light on what is
legitimate behavior for a democratic party, what is
acceptable in a democratic party platform. If it is not too
late, such engagement on the meaning of democracy and the
rule of law could lead to a process that will help strengthen
President Abbas (vis a vis Hamas) before elections. (Note:
NDI did provide model codes of conduct to Palestinian civil
society organizations. Hamas has not yet signed the code of
conducted drafted by these organizations. End Note.)


5. (C) Citing the example of Sinn Fein, Livni expressed the
view that a symbolic renunciation of terrorism by political
actors participating in elections constitutes an important
step in a democratization process. A/S Welch noted that
groups such as NDI could not be asked to legislate something
that the Palestinians themselves have not done. In fact,
they have decided to allow Hamas to run. Livni stressed that
the international community does have control over how an
election is perceived in the world, and she agreed with
Welch's assessment that strong Quartet and EU statements of
position had advanced this objective.


6. (C) Livni said she believed that President Abbas intends
to postpone Palestinian elections because of internal Fatah
divisions, an analysis that other Israeli interlocutors also
shared with A/S Welch (septels). Livni said she would
welcome postponement, but does not want Israel to be blamed
for it as that could engender violence. She claimed Abbas
would use the issue of elections in Jerusalem as the excuse
for postponing elections. Livni acknowledged Israeli
obligations under the Interim Agreement to help with
Palestinian elections, but she focused on the message that
the PA also has obligations now.


7. (U) NEA A/S Welch cleared this message.

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