ISRAELIS REJECT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IDEA

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 001653

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2016
TAGS: PREL KWBG KPAL IS POV ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: ISRAELIS REJECT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IDEA
PROPOSED BY ABBAS

REF: A) TEL AVIV 1470 B) TEL AVIV 1628

Classified By: Political Counselor Norman Olsen; Reasons: 1.4 (B and D)
.


1. (U) Reacting to a speech by PA President Mahmud Abbas in
Oslo, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's press spokesperson told
reporters on April 26 that Israel flatly rejects calls for an
international conference to facilitate Israeli-Palestinian
negotiations. "That's a no with a capital 'N'," said the
spokesperson. He added that "the summit is part of the
second phase of the Roadmap. Chairman Abbas has tried
repeatedly to skip the first phase of the Roadmap which
obliges the Palestinians to stop terrorism."


2. (C) The spokesperson's rejection of the proposal is in
line with what Olmert and FM Tzipi Livni have been telling
the USG. In a recent meeting with Senator Lieberman, Olmert
assessed the chances of the Palestinians taking the steps
necessary to restart negotiations as "nonexistent" (reftel
A). Foreign Policy Adviser Shalom Tourgeman told the
Ambassador that the GOI would have no substantive discussions
with Abbas. FM Livni was likely aware of Abbas' plans when
she complained to Representative Shays on April 20 that Abbas
wants to skip to the final stage of the Roadmap and talk
about final status issues, without taking action against
terrorism (reftel B). Livni has repeatedly advocated the
continued isolation of Hamas and the PA.

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