PALESTINIAN LEADER GETS UAE HELP FOR ELECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000007

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2011
TAGS: PREL KPAL KDEM AE
SUBJECT: PALESTINIAN LEADER GETS UAE HELP FOR ELECTIONS


Classified By: CDA Martin R. Quinn, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) During his tour of the Gulf countries, Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas met January 1 with Abu Dhabi Crown
Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed (MbZ). The encounter, which
received front-page coverage in both the Arabic and English
press, centered on Palestinian preparations for legislative
elections set for January 25. Abbas apparently secured a
pledge of UAE financial assistance for the elections,
according to Ibrahim al-Abed, senior media advisor to
Information Minister Sheikh Abdullah. "I had heard that he
(Abbas) was coming here looking for money," al-Abed told Pol
Chief. Judging from Abbas' press statements, he received the
support requested. "The UAE officials, as usual, have met
all our demands, without delving into details," Abbas told
the government's official news agency.


2. (U) The Abbas-MbZ meeting also reportedly covered the
prospects for peace in the Middle East, with MbZ reiterating
the UAE's "unequivocal support" for the Palestinians. MbZ
also stressed the importance of working to activate the
roadmap. Abbas thanked the UAE for its support to the
Palestinians, including its financing of the Sheikh Khalifa
City, a residential apartment complex in the Gaza Strip. The
Arabic "al-Ittihad" quoted Abbas as saying that the
reconciliation process must move forward "despite Israel's
many violations." Abbas said it was "to our benefit that the
reconciliation be ongoing so that we can build our country
and revive business activities and let things return to the
way they were." He also said that "those who talk about
violating the reconciliation process are very wrong." As he
left Abu Dhabi for Doha January 2, Abbas issued a statement
emphasizing that Israel's "fait accompli policy" on building
settlements "on our occupied lands is not acceptable."


3. (C) Comment: We are inquiring about the amount the UAE may
have pledged for the Palestinian elections. While in Abu
Dhabi, Abbas met over lunch with Deputy Prime
Minister/Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamdan
bin Zayed, met in the evening with MbZ and other dignitaries,
then concluded the day with dinner hosted by Information
Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, who has held the
Palestine portfolio in recent years and who traveled to Gaza
last October to lay the foundation stone for the Sheikh
Khalifa City project.
QUINN