UAE AID TO PALESTINIANS UNCERTAIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000951 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE PASS TO NEA/FO, NEA/RA, NEA/IPA, AND NEA/ARPI NSC PASS TO ABRAMS AND RAMCHAND E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2016 TAGS: PREL KPAL WE GZ IS QA AE SUBJECT: UAE AID TO PALESTINIANS UNCERTAIN REF: A. ABU DHABI 814 ¶B. ABU DHABI 779 ¶C. 05 ABU DHABI 3475 ¶D. 05 ABU DHABI 917 ABU DHABI 00000951 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly telephoned UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al-Nahyan March 9 to request UAE assistance in paying overdue February salaries. HbZ reportedly agreed to contribute $40 million, which would cover some of the salaries, according to Palestinian ambassador-designate, Dr. Khairi Aloridi. However, it is not clear if this is the UAE's actual intent. Both Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince aide Yousef al-Otaiba were unable to confirm such a commitment in conversations with the Ambassador in recent days. Aloridi, a Fatah loyalist, further expressed doubt that Hamas would ever be able to reconcile its positions with those of Mahmoud Abbas. He said Fatah would not participate in the new government, and predicted that Palestinians would become disaffected with Hamas in six months' time and demand new elections. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Palestinian Ambassador-designate Khairi Aloridi told PolChief March 11 that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had telephoned UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al-Nahyan (HbZ) two days earlier to request the UAE's assistance in paying civil service salaries. Palestinian civil servants have not been paid their February salaries and Abbas is seeking outside help by March 15, Aloridi said. HbZ reportedly "promised" $40 million. ¶3. (C) Although HbZ's "promise" appeared to the Palestinian ambassador-designate to be a firm commitment, Aloridi said Palestinians have much experience with other Arab states making promises they can't keep. With the exception of Saudi Arabia, which usually disburses all or most of the money it pledges, "other Arab states" only disburse 20 to 30 percent of their pledges, he explained. The UAE still owes $85 million of the amount it pledged at an earlier Arab League summit, he continued. When Abbas met with HbZ in Abu Dhabi in December 2005, he reportedly asked about the remaining $85 million. "You know the Emiratis," Aloridi said. "They promise you that they will help you, but they always add inch, Allah.,8 (Comment: The UAE has provided substantial assistance to the Palestinian people. In general, it prefers to channel its assistance through projects via its semi-governmental organizations, rather than provide cash directly to the Palestinian Authority. The UAE has built Sheikh Zayed City at a cost of $62 million, and is building a $100 million housing complex (Sheikh Khalifa City). In addition, the UAE Red Crescent provided Palestinians with $88 million in humanitarian assistance from 2000 to 2003. Last February, the UAE told us that they had paid $40 million in assistance to the PA in 2002 and 2003. End Comment.) ¶4. (C) On March 9, Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince aide Yousef al-Otaiba both told Ambassador that they were not aware of a new commitment being made to Abbas. (Note: The Abbas telephone call to HbZ may have taken place after Ambassador's conversations with the UAEG. End note.) Regarding Hamas, Aloridi noted that Hamas has two weeks to announce that it is going to cooperate with Abbas and form a new government. While Hamas still has some time, Aloridi expressed pessimism about Hamas' chances of reconciling with the positions of the Quartet and Abbas. Switching to Arabic, he repeated three times, "they need to recognize Israel, they need to renounce violence, and they need to adhere to the Arab League position," referring to the "Beirut Declaration" issued by the Arab summit in Beirut in March 2002. Aloridi said Fatah would not participate in the new government, but would take a wait-and-see approach. "We cannot work with Hamas," he said of Hamas, reiterating a point he made to PolChief March 1 (ref B). ¶5. (C) Aloridi had not heard anything further about a Hamas delegation visiting the UAE. He told PolChief that a Hamas delegation was visiting Saudi Arabia, and that depending on the outcome of their meetings in Riyadh, they might also consider asking for a meeting in the UAE. ¶6. (C) Aloridi also complained about the meager salaries he and his staff receive, and how this made it difficult to ABU DHABI 00000951 002.2 OF 002 conduct normal diplomatic activities in the UAE. He shared that he earns $4,000 a month as ambassador, his deputy receives $2,000 a month, and the remaining Palestinian diplomats only $1,000. Diplomats in the Palestinian Mission have not received their February salaries, and it is not uncommon for Palestinian diplomats in the UAE and elsewhere not to get paid for up to three, four and even five months. He told PolChief that he plans to ask UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan for his government's financial assistance to operate the Embassy in Abu Dhabi, "the way our embassies are paid for in Qatar and Oman." ¶7. (C) The UAE hosts between 200,000 and 250,000 Palestinians, representing all Palestinian confessions and political persuasions, including Hamas, Aloridi told PolChief. Palestinians work in different jobs, and some are very wealthy, he said. Most send remittances home to support families in the Palestinian territories, he added. He said he was not aware of any political organizing taking place among the Palestinian population. "They don't want to jeopardize their employment status here," he said. SISON