ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER OLMERT'S VISIT TO BERLIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 003517 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2016 TAGS: PREL IS LE SP SY XF GM SUBJECT: ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER OLMERT'S VISIT TO BERLIN Classified By: M/C John K. Bauman for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) (Summary) During Israeli Prime Minister Olmert's visit to Berlin on December 11-12 he held extensive discussions with Chancellor Merkel and met more briefly with Foreign Minister Steinmeier and President Koehler. Most of the discussions with Merkel took place without any other staff present. Readouts we have received from German officials and the Israeli Embassy emphasized that both sides were pleased with the visit, and that if discussions were "frank" and "tough" at times, this did not disturb the overall positive atmosphere. Olmert was particularly impressed with Merkel's gesture of visiting him in his hotel for three hours on the night before the scheduled formal meetings. Main discussion topics were Iran, Lebanon and the Middle East Peace Process. The meetings did not lead to dramatic new initiatives or breakthroughs, but did demonstrate agreement on the basic outlines of the way forward on these issues. Much of the early press coverage of the visit focused on Olmert's misstep in a television interview where he listed Israel among the nuclear states. (End Summary) Iran ¶2. (C) According to Israeli Embassy Political Counselor Jonathon Miller, Olmert was pleased with the extensive discussions he had with Merkel on Iran. He believes Merkel will continue to push hard for sanctions and is doing all she can to keep the P-5 together on this. (Miller said that Olmert had spoken with Russian president Putin about this on the phone last week and felt that Putin was prepared to support some kind of sanctions. The view of the Israeli mission in NY, Miller said, is that the Russians will, at worst, abstain on sanctions.) ¶3. (C) According to German Chancellery Mideast Director Ludger Siemes, Olmert stressed that German economic interests in Iran should not overshadow Germany's international responsibilities toward Israel and as part of the EU-3. Olmert also made this point publicly in advance of his trip, which was widely reported. Merkel outlined what Germany was doing, and said that further measures were difficult in the absence of internationally agreed sanctions. ¶4. (U) In the press conference, Merkel said that the EU3 3 had made a good offer to Iran, and that Iran "has not responded." She said it was time to work on sanctions. The international community had to do everything possible to stop Iran's "nuclear option." Military options were not on the table, in her view, but that made it all the more important to try every diplomatic possibility and to win as many partners around the world as possible. "We support the resolution text that is under discussion right now," she said. Lebanon and Syria ¶5. (C) Regarding Lebanon, according to Miller of the Israeli Embassy, Merkel stressed that the Germans will use their EU presidency to build as much support as they can for the Siniora government. Both the Germans and the Israelis, he said, are worried that if the Siniora government falls UNIFIL would have to leave because it serves at the request of the Lebanese government. Merkel also raised the overflights issue. Olmert told her that the overflights continue but are strictly focused on operational issues (to gather evidence on weapons moves) and are not devised to send political signals that they are "watching how UNIFIL is doing." According to Miller, UNIFIL has found some weapons caches (sometimes with help of information from Israelis),and the Israelis continue to see evidence of weapons being smuggled into the country. ¶6. (C) According to Chancellery advisor Siemes, Olmert said that Israel would not stand in the way if there were a determination that Shebaa Farms were Lebanese territory. But it is "Syria's move," he said. (Miller told us that the Israeli government had done some behind the scenes checking on the possibility of a changed Syrian policy on Shebaa farms but had not received any new signals.) ¶7. (C) Merkel reiterated in the press conference that Syria had to show positive steps before further engagement would be warranted. Rather than repeat her fairly direct statement from December 10 that Foreign Minister Steinmeier's recent trip to Damascus did not bring evidence that Syria is ready to be constructive (which could be interpreted, upon repetition, as criticism of FM Steinmeier),Merkel simply said Steinmeier's trip was useful in establishing whether there was any interest in Damascus in being constructive. As with other visits to Damascus, "the result does not give us any positive signals," she said. ¶8. (C) When Olmert met with Steinmeier, he told the foreign minister that Syrian officials will not give a clear answer, much less a concession, at this time so there is no point in having dialogue at high political levels with them. At first the Israelis had "scheduling difficulties" which made it look like a meeting of Olmert with Steinmeier would not be possible. Israeli Political Counselor Miller claimed that the scheduling difficulties were real, and were not intended as a rebuke to Steinmeier for his trip to Syria. In any case, according to Miller, the Israelis did not want to look as if they were getting in the middle of the domestic German debate on this issue, and eventually an evening Olmert-Steinmeier meeting was arranged. ¶9. (C) According to Miller, Steinmeier said that a major reason he felt he had to make the trip to Damascus was that he is getting pressure from other European countries to do so in anticipation of Germany taking over the EU presidency. (Miller said the Israelis fear that Steinmeier will continue to stress during the Germany presidency that Germany must be a "neutral broker" on Mideast issues among competing EU views.) Middle East Peace Process ¶10. (C) Merkel told Olmert that she is looking for ways to reinvigorate the Roadmap process, but didn't bring any big new ideas to the table, according to Miller of the Israeli Embassy. Merkel stressed providing support to President Abbas. Chancellery Advisor Siemes also downplayed speculation about a German "initiative" on the Middle East Peace Process during its EU presidency. They had nothing so grand in mind, he said. Instead, they wanted to take a step-by-step approach. While the German ideas are not yet fleshed out, they will involve getting the EU to speak a common language in support of the Quartet principles and engaging with the U.S. to "revive" the Quartet. ¶11. (C) According to the Israeli Embassy, Olmert said he is ready to meet with Abbas as long as Abbas has something important he could deliver (perhaps a prisoner release). Aides to Olmert are in touch with aides to Abbas on a weekly basis, according to Miller. But Miller expressed skepticism about what Abbas could deliver because of lack of support for him among Palestinians. He said Olmert was pleased with Merkel's strong support for strict conditions for talking to a Palestinian government such as recognizing Israel's right to exist. The Israelis believe Merkel will resist efforts by other European countries like Spain to water these conditions down. TIMKEN JR