NETHERLANDS DEMARCHE: ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT, KHARTOUM

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000649 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2011 TAGS: PREL IZ SU NL SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS DEMARCHE: ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT, KHARTOUM REF: A) STATE 45370 B) THE HAGUE 578 Classified By: Political Officer Ted Burkhalter; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d ). ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche March 23 and 24, to relevant MFA offices. On Sudan, the GONL continues to press Arab League and AU members through its embassies and through the offices of its Special Envoy for Sudan. On Iraq, we are awaiting a response. On Israel/Palestine, the GONL is maintaining Quartet unity, but the MFA Middle East Division is closely watching Egyptian efforts to get Hamas to accept the 2002 Beirut Declaration. On the general topic of Arab reform, we are also awaiting a response from the relevant desk. Sudan -------------- ¶2. (C) Poloff spoke with Security Policy officer Pieter Blusse, who is augmenting the overstretched Sudan Task Force. Blusse verified that the Task Force is continuing to press AU and Arab League members, through Dutch embassies and through the offices of Special Envoy for Sudan WGJM Wessels. Phone calls are no longer being made at the level of the Dutch Foreign Minister. Poloff asked Blusse to relay to Wessels our request that the FM consider making additional calls. Wessels is in Abuja at the moment. Israel/Palestine -------------- ¶3. (C) Deputy Director of the MFA Middle East Division Geert Kampman stressed that the hardened attitude of the Dutch parliament made The Netherlands an unlikely country to split Quartet unity. Moreover, Foreign Minister Bot is firmly against compromise. Kampman said, however, that the Dutch embassy in Cairo had recently approached the Egyptians, to see what line they would take. According to Kampman, the Egyptians seek to persuade Hamas to accept the 2002 Beirut declaration. He said that the GONL has given the Egyptians no indication of its feelings on the matter. Poloff asked whether the Dutch have made their position known to other Arab League nations, and he said they had not. ¶4. (C) According to Kampman, acceptance of the Beirut declaration could open doors within the EU for movement toward discussions with Hamas. He said that he viewed the French as likely candidates to make this argument. The Dutch embassy in Madrid, he added, has indicated that the Spanish may also make such an argument. ¶5. (C) Kampman said he sees the UK, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands as being most solidly against compromise. HUFF