SENIOR PA OFFICIALS COMMENT ON ANNAPOLIS MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002374

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE. NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2017
TAGS: KWBG PGOV PREL PTER PHUM KPAL IS
SUBJECT: SENIOR PA OFFICIALS COMMENT ON ANNAPOLIS MEETING


Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. In November 13 meetings with PolChief,
senior PA officials, Minister of Local Government Ziad
al-Bandak, Chief Justice Issa Abu Sharar, and Minister of
Prisoners' Affairs Ashraf al-Ajrami offered support for the
Annapolis meeting, but said the USG must push the GoI for
changes on the ground in order to ensure its success.
Al-Bandak said without a real USG push for concrete results,
the Annapolis meeting will have negative repercussions in the
West Bank and Gaza. Abu Sharar said tangible changes,
especially removing roadblocks, are needed to ensure the
meeting's success. Al-Ajrami stressed that negotiations must
include a timeline for the release of all Palestinian
prisoners. End Summary.


2. (C) PA Minister of Local Government Ziad al-Bandak said
without a real USG effort to push the GoI for concrete
results, the Annapolis meeting will have negative
repercussions. "The key is the hand of the Americans," he
added. Al-Bandak said PM Ehud Olmert's requirement that the
Palestinians recognize Israel specifically as a Jewish state
is "putting the cart before the horse" and negotiations
should focus on permanent status issues. Al-Bandak said the
international community must supervise the fulfillment of
Phase 1 Roadmap obligations and facilitate with permanent
status negotiations. "Otherwise this will be another wasted
effort," warned al-Bandak. He said radical factions in the
West Bank, Gaza, and elsewhere in the region will benefit
from failure.


3. (C) PA Chief Justice Issa Abu Sharar said tangible
changes are needed on the ground to ensure the Annapolis
meeting's success. He said removing checkpoints and
roadblocks will demonstrate to Palestinians GoI support for
PA President Mahmoud Abbas and PM Salam Fayyad. "You can
easily convince a handful of negotiators of the sincerity of
the process, but to convince the Palestinian population is
another story," added Abu Sharar. He said Palestinians need
a timetable to be sure that an "end to the occupation is in
sight."


4. (C) PA Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Ashraf al-Ajrami
said Palestinians are optimistic about Annapolis thanks to
USG seriousness, but the USG must press the GoI to meet
obligations under Phase 1 of the Roadmap. Pointing to GoI
fuel cuts in Gaza, he said Israel is undermining the efforts
of Palestinian moderates and generating support for Hamas.
Al-Ajrami said he expects the GoI to release large numbers of
prisoners from Israeli prisons before Annapolis to show
support for the process. He added that permanent status
negotiations should produce an agreement to release all
Palestinian prisoners and detail a timeline for their release.
WALLES