Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TELAVIV1628
2006-04-26 14:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:  

REP. SHAYS AND ISRAELI FM LIVNI DISCUSS HAMAS,

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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 001628 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/IPA AND H

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR KWBG KPAL IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GOI EXTERNAL
SUBJECT: REP. SHAYS AND ISRAELI FM LIVNI DISCUSS HAMAS,
CONVERGENCE, AND IRAQ

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Gene A. Cretz; Reasons: 1.4 (B a
nd D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 001628

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/IPA AND H

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR KWBG KPAL IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GOI EXTERNAL
SUBJECT: REP. SHAYS AND ISRAELI FM LIVNI DISCUSS HAMAS,
CONVERGENCE, AND IRAQ

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Gene A. Cretz; Reasons: 1.4 (B a
nd D).


1. (C) Summary: Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told
Representative Christopher Shays April 20 that there is no
Palestinian partner with whom Israel can negotiate. She
described A/PM Ehud Olmert's "convergence" plan, in which
Israel seeks to define a new eastern border after evacuating
isolated settlements and annexing larger settlement blocs
with the support of the United States, as the only way
forward. She praised the United States' role in Iraq, noting
that Iran is now Israel's top concern. Livni was joined in
the meeting by MFA Deputy Director General for North America
Yoram Ben-Zeev, Chief of Staff Yaki Dayan, as well as
staffers Dita Kohl-Roman, Hillel Newman, and Eyal Sela. Rep.
Shays was accompanied by Senior Policy Analyst Nicholas
Palarino, Minority Counsel Michael McCarthy, and military
escort Major Carolyn Walford. End summary.

--------------
Livni: we have no Palestinian partner
--------------


2. (C) In response to a question from Rep. Shays, Livni
described current Israeli-Palestinian relations as
"complicated," saying that Israel is facing problems for
which there are no easy solutions. She complained of the gap
between the desire for an end to the conflict and the reality
of a "terrorist entity" in control of the Palestinian
Authority (PA). She cautioned that elections "cannot be a
laundry for terrorist organizations," and called the
international community's support for elections in which
Hamas was allowed to compete a "mistake." She attributed the
Hamas victory to both anger at Fatah's corruption and support
for extreme Islam among Palestinian voters.


3. (C) Livni described the difficulty of addressing the needs
of the Palestinian people without providing any assistance to
Hamas or the PA, noting that health and education programs in
Gaza and the West Bank are largely controlled by the PA.
Admitting that Hamas, too, faces a complicated situation as

it seeks international legitimacy without relinquishing its
extremist views, Livni urged Rep. Shays to listen to the
different messages coming from Hamas in English and in
Arabic.


4. (C) Livni maintained that President Abbas lends legitimacy
to Hamas. Complaining that Abbas wants to skip to the final
stage of the Roadmap and talk about final status issues, she
advocated the continued isolation of Hamas and the PA. In
response to Rep. Shays' question on whether the GOI would
leave a line open to Abbas, Livni replied "not really." She
explained the GOI's view that the PA is a terrorist entity,
even though the GOI realizes that Abbas is the elected
President and the international community wants to keep
"someone on the bench" in case Hamas fails. She noted that
it is too optimistic to believe that Hamas will fail in the
next few months, unless Abbas confronts the group by calling
new elections and changing the rules on who can run, steps
Livni did not believe he would take.


5. (C) Rep. Shays agreed that the sooner Hamas fails, the
better it will be for the region. He urged Israel to
consider how to ensure that Hamas is blamed for its own
downfall and to prepare to deal with the next Palestinian
government. He cautioned that wide-scale Israeli deployments
into Gaza could worsen the situation and deflect attention
from the failures and intransigence of Hamas. Livni welcomed
the strong U.S. position but expressed concern that the
Europeans may begin to soften their stance once the
Palestinians "provoke an image of a humanitarian crisis."
She agreed with Rep. Shays that Israel must work to avoid
such a crisis, adding that it would work against Israeli
interests and would conflict with Israeli values. Rep. Shays
urged Livni to find ways to maintain economic relations with
the Palestinian people, noting the negative effect of current
limitations on movement in the West Bank.

-------------- -
Convergence plan will set Israel's new borders
-------------- -


6. (C) Livni described the challenge facing the new
government as one of defining the borders of a democratic and
Jewish Israel in the absence of a Palestinian partner. She
insisted that the only way to do so "is with the help of the
United States," which would lead to "the consent of the
international community." She discussed the outlines of A/PM
Ehud Olmert's "convergence" plan, including the evacuation of
isolated settlements and the annexation of the larger
settlement blocs.


7. (C) Rep. Shays asked about the route and permanence of
such borders, as well as the future of religious areas such
as those in Hebron. Livni replied that the line of the
separation barrier could be moved in the future, provided
that the settlement blocs "remain" Israeli. Rep. Shays said
that Israel has the support of the United States, but the
level of this support will depend upon how far Israel extends
its borders into the West Bank. The GOI will also need to
ensure that Palestinians can move freely throughout the West
Bank, unhindered by Israel's possible retention of
transportation corridors through the area. Finally, a
solution would need to be found for Israelis who are forced
to evacuate their homes. Livni replied that the separation
barrier will leave over 90 percent of the West Bank available
for a contiguous and viable Palestinian state. The
evacuation of settlers is a price Israel is willing to pay
for the new border.


8. (C) Livni said that a number of issues would remain for
final status talks, since continued Israeli interests in the
West Bank mean that "we can't just give the Palestinians the
key" after new borders are established. These issues include
refugees, the demilitarization of a future Palestinian state,
and continued Israeli access to holy places, air space, and
water in the West Bank.

--------------
Iraq: "the United States made a difference"
--------------


9. (C) Livni praised the invasion of Iraq for creating
positive changes in the region, saying, "the United States
made a difference." In her view, the move had resulted in
Libya's decision to change its policies and had even caused
Syria and Iran to take the international community seriously.
Livni claimed that the "clash of cultures" is real, and said
Iran is now the most pressing concern for Israel. Rep. Shays
noted the importance of impressing upon the insurgents in
Iraq that coalition forces will remain as long as necessary
to complete the mission, but noted that even when the mission
is accomplished the terrorists are liable to claim "victory."
Livni agreed, noting that Israel had faced the same scenario
when it withdrew from southern Lebanon.

--------------
Bio note: tired but busy
--------------


10. (C) Livni told the CoDel that the first time she was
mentioned in the newspaper was as a 13-year old with a great
future in basketball. She appeared tired during the meeting,
which was not surprising considering the late-night coalition
negotiations, Passover celebrations, heavy visitor load, and
her continued triple-hatted service as minister of foreign
affairs, justice, and immigration absorption.


11. (U) CoDel Shays did not have the opportunity to clear
this cable before departing post.

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