Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PARIS4360
2006-06-23 14:41:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:
(C) MFA OFFICIAL ASSAILS EU LACK OF SOLIDARITY ON
VZCZCXRO8907 OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHFR #4360/01 1741441 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 231441Z JUN 06 FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8939 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0789
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 004360
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/14/2016
TAGS: PREL SY IS PGOV FR
SUBJECT: (C) MFA OFFICIAL ASSAILS EU LACK OF SOLIDARITY ON
SYRIA, ELYSEE FOR BEING TOO SOFT ON ISRAEL
REF: PARIS 4173 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 004360
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/14/2016
TAGS: PREL SY IS PGOV FR
SUBJECT: (C) MFA OFFICIAL ASSAILS EU LACK OF SOLIDARITY ON
SYRIA, ELYSEE FOR BEING TOO SOFT ON ISRAEL
REF: PARIS 4173 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary and comment: MFA DAS-equivalent for
Egypt/Levant Herve Besancenot (protect throughout),during a
June 22 farewell chat with poloff, criticized other EU
members -- Spain and Austria in particular -- for going soft
on Syria, and offered similar criticism of the Elysee for its
more accommodating stance towards Israel, which he viewed as
driven by internal politics. Besancenot offered his comments
while reviewing the outcome of a regional conference of
French ambassadors which took place in Amman earlier this
week, and included French envoys from Egypt, Levant
countries, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq. Besancenot's
comments point to a real shift in French policy towards the
Israeli-Palestinian issue, and one which is clearly difficult
for many MFA diplomats to swallow. End summary and comment.
2. (C) On Syria, Besancenot noted that French Ambassador to
Syria Jean-Francois Girault had told conference participants
that France was totally isolated among EU embassies in
Damascus with its tough stance towards the Asad regime.
Besancenot assailed the lack of solidarity among other EU
embassies in Damascus, and noted with chagrin that the
Austrian ambassador in Damascus, currently representing the
EU presidency, had recently set up a lunch with Syrian
Military Intelligence Chief Asif Shawkat without telling any
other EU ambassadors. The lunch did not take place, but only
due to a last minute cancellation on Shawkat's part.
Besancenot described the Spanish ambassador in Damascus as
leading a charge among EU embassies to upgrade contacts and
dialogue with the SARG; according to Girault, the same
Spanish ambassador had criticized the GoF for pursuing a
personal vendetta against the Syrian government, driven by
President Chirac.
3. (C) Highlighting the Amman conference discussion on
Israel, Besancenot reported that French Ambassador to Israel
Gerard Araud caused a minor outcry by making a short
presentation highlighting Israel's overwhelming military
advantage over its neighbors, and the need to recognize the
historical truth that territorial disputes are decided by the
victors. Besancenot, clearly aghast, noted with approval
that Araud was rebutted by French Ambassador to Iraq Bertrand
Bajolet and French Ambassador to Lebanon Bernard Emie, who
assailed Araud's thesis as contrary to international law and
decades of French foreign policy. Emie added that while the
Palestinians would have to accept whatever partial
withdrawals Israel offered, this did not mean that France
should recognize unilateral Israeli declarations of its
border in contravention of international law and multiple UN
resolutions. Besancenot confided that he was preoccupied by
rumors that Araud is a contender to replace MFA Political
Director Stanislas de Laboulaye -- part of an expected
reshuffling of several high-level posts in coming months,
including possibly Berlin, Washington, and New York. If
Araud did take over the Political Director slot, Besancenot
confided, this would be "disastrous" for his issues, as, in
Besancenot's view, Araud lacked knowledge about the region
and approached the region's issues from a perspective very
different from that of most officials in the bureau.
4, (C) Besancenot heaped additional criticism on what he
described as a softening GoF line towards Israel, driven by
the Elysee. He reported that during the preparations for the
recent visit of Israeli PM Olmert (reftel),the Elysee had
deleted wholesale from Chirac's briefing package a number of
MFA-drafted talking points bringing up contentious issues,
such as Israeli withholding of PA tax revenues and Israel
security actions in Gaza. On the latter point, Besancenot
confirmed that the Presidency had watered down language in
MFA-drafted press statements in response to Israeli actions
in Gaza, removing references to "condemnation" and making the
texts more balanced towards Israel. Besancenot summed up
his personal view that the Elysee actions were "deplorable"
and driven by French internal politics, specifically Chirac's
desire to win support of France's Jewish community for his
center-right UMP party in April 2007 presidential elections.
Besancenot added that his views were shared by the majority
of his MFA colleagues, with exceptions like Ambassador Araud
in Tel Aviv.
5. (C) Comment: Besancenot is a classic MFA Arabist, and his
deep dismay points to a real evolution in the GoF approach to
Israeli-Palestinian issues. We found utterly unconvincing
Besancenot's thesis that Chirac's shift was due to a desire
to help his UMP party win the 2007 presidential elections;
given that Chirac's longtime political nemesis, Nicolas
PARIS 00004360 002 OF 002
Sarkozy, is nearly certain to win the party nomination, it
remains an open question whether Chirac even wants his party
to prevail in 2007. Instead we see the improving GoF stance
towards Israel as due to a number of factors over the past
few years: the death of Arafat and the end of a personal bond
between Chirac and the Palestinian leadership, Gaza
withdrawal and the late-in-life reconciliation between Chirac
and Sharon; the increasingly Islamist character of
Palestinian nationalism, especially after Hamas' election
victory; and the perception that France and Israel have
common cause against Islamic extremism, especially vis-a-vis
Iran. It is clear that these changing realities are
difficult for many MFA stalwarts to accept, but they point to
a potential for greater cooperation between the U.S. and
France in the NEA region, beyond Lebanon, for the long term.
End comment.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
STAPLETON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/14/2016
TAGS: PREL SY IS PGOV FR
SUBJECT: (C) MFA OFFICIAL ASSAILS EU LACK OF SOLIDARITY ON
SYRIA, ELYSEE FOR BEING TOO SOFT ON ISRAEL
REF: PARIS 4173 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary and comment: MFA DAS-equivalent for
Egypt/Levant Herve Besancenot (protect throughout),during a
June 22 farewell chat with poloff, criticized other EU
members -- Spain and Austria in particular -- for going soft
on Syria, and offered similar criticism of the Elysee for its
more accommodating stance towards Israel, which he viewed as
driven by internal politics. Besancenot offered his comments
while reviewing the outcome of a regional conference of
French ambassadors which took place in Amman earlier this
week, and included French envoys from Egypt, Levant
countries, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq. Besancenot's
comments point to a real shift in French policy towards the
Israeli-Palestinian issue, and one which is clearly difficult
for many MFA diplomats to swallow. End summary and comment.
2. (C) On Syria, Besancenot noted that French Ambassador to
Syria Jean-Francois Girault had told conference participants
that France was totally isolated among EU embassies in
Damascus with its tough stance towards the Asad regime.
Besancenot assailed the lack of solidarity among other EU
embassies in Damascus, and noted with chagrin that the
Austrian ambassador in Damascus, currently representing the
EU presidency, had recently set up a lunch with Syrian
Military Intelligence Chief Asif Shawkat without telling any
other EU ambassadors. The lunch did not take place, but only
due to a last minute cancellation on Shawkat's part.
Besancenot described the Spanish ambassador in Damascus as
leading a charge among EU embassies to upgrade contacts and
dialogue with the SARG; according to Girault, the same
Spanish ambassador had criticized the GoF for pursuing a
personal vendetta against the Syrian government, driven by
President Chirac.
3. (C) Highlighting the Amman conference discussion on
Israel, Besancenot reported that French Ambassador to Israel
Gerard Araud caused a minor outcry by making a short
presentation highlighting Israel's overwhelming military
advantage over its neighbors, and the need to recognize the
historical truth that territorial disputes are decided by the
victors. Besancenot, clearly aghast, noted with approval
that Araud was rebutted by French Ambassador to Iraq Bertrand
Bajolet and French Ambassador to Lebanon Bernard Emie, who
assailed Araud's thesis as contrary to international law and
decades of French foreign policy. Emie added that while the
Palestinians would have to accept whatever partial
withdrawals Israel offered, this did not mean that France
should recognize unilateral Israeli declarations of its
border in contravention of international law and multiple UN
resolutions. Besancenot confided that he was preoccupied by
rumors that Araud is a contender to replace MFA Political
Director Stanislas de Laboulaye -- part of an expected
reshuffling of several high-level posts in coming months,
including possibly Berlin, Washington, and New York. If
Araud did take over the Political Director slot, Besancenot
confided, this would be "disastrous" for his issues, as, in
Besancenot's view, Araud lacked knowledge about the region
and approached the region's issues from a perspective very
different from that of most officials in the bureau.
4, (C) Besancenot heaped additional criticism on what he
described as a softening GoF line towards Israel, driven by
the Elysee. He reported that during the preparations for the
recent visit of Israeli PM Olmert (reftel),the Elysee had
deleted wholesale from Chirac's briefing package a number of
MFA-drafted talking points bringing up contentious issues,
such as Israeli withholding of PA tax revenues and Israel
security actions in Gaza. On the latter point, Besancenot
confirmed that the Presidency had watered down language in
MFA-drafted press statements in response to Israeli actions
in Gaza, removing references to "condemnation" and making the
texts more balanced towards Israel. Besancenot summed up
his personal view that the Elysee actions were "deplorable"
and driven by French internal politics, specifically Chirac's
desire to win support of France's Jewish community for his
center-right UMP party in April 2007 presidential elections.
Besancenot added that his views were shared by the majority
of his MFA colleagues, with exceptions like Ambassador Araud
in Tel Aviv.
5. (C) Comment: Besancenot is a classic MFA Arabist, and his
deep dismay points to a real evolution in the GoF approach to
Israeli-Palestinian issues. We found utterly unconvincing
Besancenot's thesis that Chirac's shift was due to a desire
to help his UMP party win the 2007 presidential elections;
given that Chirac's longtime political nemesis, Nicolas
PARIS 00004360 002 OF 002
Sarkozy, is nearly certain to win the party nomination, it
remains an open question whether Chirac even wants his party
to prevail in 2007. Instead we see the improving GoF stance
towards Israel as due to a number of factors over the past
few years: the death of Arafat and the end of a personal bond
between Chirac and the Palestinian leadership, Gaza
withdrawal and the late-in-life reconciliation between Chirac
and Sharon; the increasingly Islamist character of
Palestinian nationalism, especially after Hamas' election
victory; and the perception that France and Israel have
common cause against Islamic extremism, especially vis-a-vis
Iran. It is clear that these changing realities are
difficult for many MFA stalwarts to accept, but they point to
a potential for greater cooperation between the U.S. and
France in the NEA region, beyond Lebanon, for the long term.
End comment.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
STAPLETON