ONGOING FATAH-HAMAS DISCUSSIONS ON PRISONERS'

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002442 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/LOGERFO E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2016 TAGS: KPAL KWBG PREL PGOV IS SUBJECT: ONGOING FATAH-HAMAS DISCUSSIONS ON PRISONERS' INITIATIVE Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: President Abbas (Abu Mazen) reportedly agreed to continue discussions with the PA government on the prisoners' initiative during a June 13 meeting with PM Isma'il Haniyyah in Gaza. Fatah officials report that HAMAS is insisting on modifying the prisoners' document to include language on restructuring the PLO, and conditioning their acceptance of previous PLO commitments and the 2002 Arab League initiative. PLO Executive Committee member Yasser Abed Rabbo called for an "independent government" led by a prime minister not affiliated with any faction. PLC Speaker Aziz Dweik responded with a public statement accusing the U.S. of interfering in internal Palestinian affairs and working to prevent an agreement between the factions. END SUMMARY. -------------- Ongoing Fatah-HAMAS Discussions in Gaza -------------- ¶2. (C) Media sources reported that Abu Mazen agreed to continue discussions regarding the prisoners' initiative for another week during a June 13 meeting with members of the National and Islamic Factions. According to Fatah sources, Abu Mazen reiterated to PM Haniyyah during the June 13 meeting that reaching an agreement on the prisoners' document would obviate the need for a referendum. ¶3. (C) Gaza-based PA presidential staffer Nadir al-Khatib told POL FSN during a June 13 telcon that HAMAS has agreed with "95 percent of the prisoners' document," but an agreement has been held up by HAMAS' refusal to compromise on two key issues. Al-Khatib reported that HAMAS is pushing to introduce language into the text that conditions their recognition of the PLO as the sole representative of the Palestinian people on restructuring of the organization to include HAMAS and PIJ. According to Al-Khatib, PM Haniyyah is also demanding that clauses regarding acceptance of previous PLO commitments and the 2002 Arab League initiative be conditioned on "Israeli acceptance." Al-Khatib discounted the likelihood of an agreement in these areas, noting intransigent statements on these issues emanating from HAMAS leaders in Beirut and Damascus. -------------- Abed Rabbo Proposes Unity Government -------------- ¶4. (SBU) PLO-EC member Yasser Abed Rabbo proposed June 13 in a press conference that an "independent government" be formed, led by a prime minister that is not affiliated with any political faction. Abed Rabbo cited clause 6 of the prisoners' initiative, which calls for a national unity government, as the basis for this move. Negotiations and foreign policy would remain the domain of the PLO and the president, Abed Rabbo said. ¶5. (SBU) In response, PLC Speaker Aziz Dweik told al-Jazeera television that the U.S. is "interfering in internal Palestinian affairs" and working to prevent the two factions from reaching an agreement. Dweik continued that some Palestinians are working with the U.S. and Israel to topple the PA government and complained that the government has not been given a chance to implement its program. WALLES