PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS BAHRAIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000711

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2016
TAGS: PREL KPAL BA REGION
SUBJECT: PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS BAHRAIN

REF: AMMAN 2906

Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe. Reason: 1.4 (B)(D)


1. (C) Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar visited
Bahrain April 24 in a low-key visit that received limited
local press coverage. On the morning of Zahar's visit, the
Ambassador queried Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid about the
visit on the margins of a Bahrain University graduation
ceremony, expressing surprise that Zahar was still coming in
light of the Jordanian cancellation of the visit (reftel).
Responding defensively, Shaikh Khalid said that he had not
wanted to meet Zahar but had been instructed to receive him
in a low-key way, with no television cameras and limited
press coverage. He said that he would deliver a tough
message focusing on three points: the Palestinian government
should recognize all agreements of the previous government;
it should work with President Abbas; and its statement
following the recent terror attack in Israel was
unacceptable. The Ambassador urged that his message include
a reiteration of the three Quartet points.


2. (C) On the evening of April 24, Palestinian Ambassador
Ahmed Abbas Ramadan invited Arab Ambassadors in Bahrain to a
meeting with Zahar at his residence. Jordanian Ambassador
Hussein Majali provided the Ambassador with a readout of the
meeting. He said that Zahar was "not offensive" in his
presentation, stating that the Palestinians were not out to
confront anyone, and especially not the United States. On
Israel, he said that for the time being they consider Israel
"our enemy, and we thank them as they consider us their enemy
too." After discussing difficulties faced by the Hamas
government, including loss of tax revenues from the Israelis,
he said that the government was looking for aid from the
international community, either directly or through such
organizations as the World Bank or Arab League.


3. (C) Majali said that, in the question period, he told
Zahar that it was his duty to ask about the cache of weapons
smuggled by Hamas into Jordan. Zahar denied the allegation.
Majali responded to Zahar that if that were true, either the
Jordanian Government was lying or Hamas leadership has no
control over its people. He doubted Zahar wanted to endorse
either conclusion.


4. (C) Majali said that Palestinian Ambassador Ramadan looked
particularly uncomfortable during the session. Ramadan was
appointed as the new Ambassador just before the Palestinian
elections, is known to belong to the Fatah camp, and is
reportedly worried about his status here.


5. (SBU) We have not yet received a readout of the Foreign
Minister's meeting with Zahar. Press coverage, as the
Foreign Minister had predicted, was unusually sparse, with at
most a picture with a caption saying that the Foreign
Minister received Zahar and "reviewed bilateral relations."
MONROE