EGYPT HOSTS PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT AND ISRAELI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 000646

SIPDIS

NSC STAFF FOR SINGH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KPAL EG IS MEPN
SUBJECT: EGYPT HOSTS PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT AND ISRAELI
FOREIGN MINISTER


Classified by ECPO Minister Counselor Michael Corbin for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

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Summary
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1. (C) Playing a central role in post-Hamas victory
diplomatic contacts, Egypt hosted Palestinian President Abu
Mazen and Israeli Foreign Minister Livni in Cairo February 1.
Livni met one-on-one with Mubarak for nearly 2 hours, and
was hosted by Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit for a joint press
conference and lunch. The Israeli FM met Egyptian
Intelligence Chief Omar Soliman before departing for Tel
Aviv. According to the Israeli Embassy, Livni's
"unprecedented" meeting with Mubarak included efforts to
deepen ties in a number of areas to be followed up during
visits to Israel by the MFA Chef du Cabinet in February and
by Aboul Gheit in March. Palestinian President Abu Mazen
also met with Mubarak February 1, as well as with Prime
Minister Nazif, Intelligence Chief Soliman, and FM Aboul
Gheit the previous evening. Egypt pressed Abu Mazen to
insist Hamas publicly accept ending violence toward Israel
and adherence to international agreements between
Palestinians and Israel before allowing it to form a
government. Abu Mazen sought assistance from Arab League
Secretary General Amre Moussa to convince Arab leaders to

SIPDIS
provide emergency funding to the Palestinian Authority. We
have no indications that Abu Mazen met with any Hamas figures
while in Cairo. End summary.

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"unprecedented" Israeli visit
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2. (C) In her first trip outside Israel as Foreign Minister,
Tzipi Livni met privately in Cairo February 1 with President
Mubarak, and attended a lunch hosted by Foreign Minister
Aboul Gheit and joined by Egypt's Trade and Oil Ministers, as
well as Presidential advisor Dr. Osama al Baz. FM Livni and
a senior GOI MFA delegation met last with Intelligence Chief
Omar Soliman before returning to Israel. After the visit,
Israeli Ambassador Cohen shared with the Ambassador that the
Israeli side was "very pleased" with Egypt's handling of the
visit, with respect to both substance and tone. Livni's
morning meeting with Mubarak (originally scheduled for an
hour) lasted two hours. The Aboul Gheit-hosted lunch was
preceded by a "very warm" joint press briefing, and the
atmosphere of the lunch itself was extremely cordial.
Before the meetings began, Intelligence Chief Soliman briefed
the Israeli media. Cohen characterized the treatment as
"unprecedented", and said the GOI was very pleased with the
results.


3. (C) Israeli Emboff offered additional details on FM
Livni's visit, noting that as the one-on-one meeting with
Mubarak continued and the planned expanded meeting did not
occur, Livni's delegation and the Egyptian Foreign Minister
realized the significance of such an "unprecedented" welcome
by Mubarak. The Egyptian President, related Emboff, had made
a "huge gesture" in getting to know the new Israeli minister.
While uncertain of details of that private conversation, the
Emboff suggested that Mubarak had counseled Israel to "take a
deep breath" regarding Hamas' electoral victory and let Egypt
take a stab at settling things down among the Palestinians.


4. (C) According to the Emboff, the Israeli Foreign Minister
discussed expanding the bilateral "Common Dialogue Committee"
(CDC) with Egypt to touch on topics other than agriculture,
QIZs, and security. The Egyptian MFA Chef du Cabinet,
Ambassador Wafaa Bassim, would travel to Israel at the end of
February to address this issue, and Minister Aboul Gheit
would follow in March to "launch" the expanded CDC. Livni
had also proposed that the Israeli MFA begin sending its
"cadets" to Egypt for short training seminars, as it had once
done. Livni also pressed Egypt to tone down its rhetoric and
negativity toward Israel in multilateral fora. The Emboff
also noted Aboul Gheit's remark during the joint press
conference that "the Roadmap cannot be executed under fire" -
something she said had not been said in public before by a
senior Egyptian official.


5. (C) Egyptian Intelligence Chief Soliman reportedly
implored Israel to "not close the door" on the Palestinians,
and let Egypt use its influence to calm the situation.
Soliman shared that he had insisted with Abu Mazen that Hamas
be given three ultimatums: stop the violence, respect
international agreements, and recognize Oslo. These were the
conditions that Hamas must meet before forming a government,
Soliman reportedly had counseled Abu Mazen.

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Visit by President Abu Mazen
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6. (C) Palestinian President Abu Mazen, in Cairo January 31
- February 1, met with President Mubarak, Prime Minister
Nazif, Intelligence Chief Soliman, and Foreign Minister Aboul
Gheit, among others. Arriving late in the afternoon of
January 31, Abu Mazen was hosted at a dinner by Prime
Minister Ahmed Nazif, joined by Intelligence Chief Soliman
and Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit. The following morning, Abu
Mazen met with President Mubarak before heading to Jordan.
According to Soliman (septel/notal),Mubarak and senior
ministers encouraged Abu Mazen to apply certain core
conditions to Hamas before allowing it to form a new
government. Those conditions, as Soliman told the Israeli
media ahead of the President's meeting with FM Livni,
included recognition of Israel, an end to violence, and a
commitment to all international agreements signed with Israel.


7. (C) Abu Mazen stayed at the Andalous Palace where he met
shortly after his arrival with Palestinian Ambassador Dajani,
Arab League Assistant Minister for Palestinian Affairs
Mohamed Subeih, and former Arab League Assistant Minister for
Palestinian Affairs Said Kamal. Kamal told poloff February 2
that Abu Mazen believes he has a "three month window" in
which to test a Hamas government. During this time, Hamas
must assure that its ministers are working together with its
Israeli counterparts, and must collect weapons from its
members. If not, Kamal said, Abu Mazen would dissolve the
Cabinet. This three month window, he said, would also allow
the PA to see the results of the expected Israeli elections.


8. (C) President Mubarak invited Arab League Secretary
General Moussa to join for part of the meeting with Abu
Mazen. Abu Mazen briefed Moussa on the latest political
developments and described the PA's desperate financial
situation. Abu Mazen sought Moussa's intervention with
League members to quickly increase financial support to the
PA, in order to meet its immediate budgetary needs. Moussa
said in a press conference following the meeting that he
would undertake to elicit financial support for the PA.
Contrary to some media reports, we have no indication Abu
Mazen met with either Hamas representatives or with any of
Livni's party during his time in Cairo.
RICCIARDONE