EU'S SOLANA ON PALESTINIAN SECURITY CONCERNS

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000206 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2017 TAGS: KPAL KWBG PGOV PREL PTER IS SUBJECT: EU'S SOLANA ON PALESTINIAN SECURITY CONCERNS Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: EU High Representative Javier Solana told U.S. Security Coordinator (USSC) LTG Keith Dayton on January 21 that he wants to discuss EU COPPS assistance to Palestinian Civil Police at the February 2 Principals Quartet meetings. He said he supports placing the Police under governors' command authority, a proposal known as the "oil spot" plan. He said this alignment would enable international support for the police, which currently fall under the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Interior (MOI)'s legal authority. He asked USSC Dayton to ensure that international security assistance deters rather than promotes intra-Palestinian conflict. End Summary. EU COPPS and Palestinian Police -------------- ¶2. (C) Javier Solana told USSC Dayton on January 21 that he wants EU COPPS to resume assistance to the Palestinian Civil Police and will add this issue to the February 2 Quartet meeting agenda. Solana said police are critical in any society and Palestinians want to see international support to the Civil Police. He said he does not think the USSC Security Sector Transformation (SST) plan should include police assistance, since the EU has the lead in the donor community for assistance to the police. He acknowledged that the police fall under the legal authority of the Hamas-controlled MoI, but said he doubts police allegiance to Hamas. Solana agreed that EU COPPS will need Israeli buy-in before its restarts operational assistance, but said the time is ripe and the international community is well-positioned to restart EU COPPS' police support. ¶3. (C) Solana said he supports the Palestinian Technical Team for Reform (TTR) proposal to allow international assistance to the police. He said the TTR's "oil spot" concept, in which the Police would be put under regional governors' legal authority, with governors in turn answering to the President, should allow the Quartet to work with the police. Avoiding Palestinian Infighting -------------- ¶4. (C) Solana said he wants the international community to deter, not encourage, intra-Palestinian conflict in providing assistance to PASF. He said Fatah-Hamas fighting would be "a catastrophe.8 WALLES