ISRAELI READOUT ON LIVNI-ABBAS MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 002011

SIPDIS

NEA/IPA PLEASE PASS TO AMB. JONES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/23/2016
TAGS: PREL KPAL KWBG EAID EG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: ISRAELI READOUT ON LIVNI-ABBAS MEETING

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gene A. Cretz; Reasons: 1.4 (B and D).


1. (C) Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's chief of staff, Jakub
"Yaki" Dayan, told the Charge May 23 that the GOI's meeting
with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas on May 21
in Sharm el-Sheikh does not represent a change in Israel's
view of Abbas. The GOI nevertheless maintains low-level
contacts with his office, recognizes the importance of "some
sort of dialogue" with him, and has tentative plans for PM
Olmert to see Abbas in June. Dayan said Livni had told Abbas
that he should concentrate on a provisional state instead of
on broader final status issues. Dayan reported that Livni
had reiterated the GOI's willingness to address humanitarian
issues, but that neither side raised specifics. He said the
Egyptians had in a separate meeting expressed a willingness
to transfer weapons and ammunition to Abbas. End summary.

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GOI View of Abbas, Contacts with His Office, and Next Steps
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2. (C) Dayan said the most important aspect of the meeting
between Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres, Livni, and Abbas --
which had only been approved on May 19 -- is that it had
taken place at all. Despite what he described as a "good"
atmosphere at the meeting, Dayan insisted that it does not
represent any change in FM Livni's view of Abbas. Dayan
reiterated that the GOI does not doubt that Abbas means well,
but still questions his ability to take steps he had failed
to take when Fatah was in power. Dayan said Livni sees Abbas
as "an address, not a channel."


3. (C) Dayan admitted that the GOI recognizes "the need to
maintain some sort of dialogue" with Abbas and continues "a
low level of cooperation" with his officials. He revealed
that the PA and GOI continue to coordinate on crossings and
arrangements for Palestinians requiring medical care in
Israel. Such contacts had allowed the rapid transfer to Tel
Aviv of General Intelligence (Mukhabarat) Chief Tariq Abu
Rajab, who was severely injured May 20 during an
assassination attempt in Gaza.


4. (C) Dayan said Livni told Abbas that it would be important
to agree on what discussions would cover "if we talk" about
substantive issues in the future. According to Dayan, Livni
and Abbas had a "philosophical discussion" about the second
phase of the Roadmap, during which Abbas supported an
international conference but was less enthusiastic about
Livni's suggestions that the Palestinians accept a
provisional state and move forward from there. Dayan claimed
Abbas had admitted that "currently I don't have a plan."
Dayan also complained that Abbas had contradicted himself
repeatedly.


5. (C) Dayan claimed that the Palestinians had made their
desire for additional meetings clear. He said that PM Olmert
would visit Egypt next, but that additional steps would be
contingent upon the outcome of Olmert's visit to Washington.
While one of these steps would be an Olmert-Abbas meeting,
Dayan denied that there is any chance of a trilateral
Mubarak-Olmert-Abbas summit. He was interrupted several
times during the meeting in an apparent effort to respond to
the mistaken view that the Egyptians had on this score.

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Humanitarian and Security Assistance
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6. (C) Dayan maintained that humanitarian assistance had only
been discussed in general. Abbas reportedly asked for
assistance funding salaries of Fatah officials, but did not
request any funding for his office or the security forces.
Dayan insisted that Livni had reiterated the GOI's
willingness to assist with humanitarian issues. Dayan added
that Peres had outlined his package of wide-ranging economic
proposals, such as joint industrial parks, coordinated
agricultural exports, and reactivation of copper mining in
the Negev and Sinai.


7. (C) Dayan noted to the Charge that the GOI had been in
touch with the EU about the alternate funding mechanism and
had told them that Israel would be helpful on humanitarian
issues but would not pay salaries for PA officials. He added
that the GOI is still examining the legal difficulties of
disbursing NIS 50 million (approximately USD 10.4 million)
from the PA's tax revenues for medical purchases. He
suggested to the Charge that a letter from Abbas requesting
the disbursement might be necessary, considering that the
revenues legally belong to the Palestinians.


8. (C) According to Dayan, the Egyptians had separately
informed Livni that they are willing to transfer weapons and
ammunition to Gaza, if necessary. He claimed that the
Egyptians are considering closing their side of Rafah, or of
limiting movement by certain individuals if the chaos in Gaza
continues. Dayan told the Charge that Israel would have less
of a problem with ammunition, since the precedent for such a
transfer already exists. He was more skeptical about the
weapons, cautioning that they could both escalate the already
tense situation in Gaza and be used in attacks against
Israelis. Dayan said that the ammunition and weapons issues
were not discussed during the Livni-Abbas meeting.

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