KEY GAZA CONTACTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE ANNAPOLIS

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002381 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2017 TAGS: PGOV KWBG PTER IS PREL SUBJECT: KEY GAZA CONTACTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE ANNAPOLIS MEETING, GAZA POLITICAL SITUATION Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Key Gaza political contacts told PolOff that they have low expectations for the Annapolis meeting and believe it is less relevant to Gazans' lives than Hamas threats or GOI-imposed closures of crossings. Gaza Governor Muhammad al-Qidwa said concrete results on core issues are necessary to counter Hamas' message that the Annapolis meeting will not deliver significant results. Fatah leader/prisoner's advocate Hisham Abd al-Raziq said Annapolis is not relevant to most Gazans, who suffer from the "Israeli and international siege" without hope for the future. PLO Executive Committee (ExComm) member Riyad al-Khudari (Independent) said a strong, specific statement on core issues is necessary to counter rejectionist factions' planned "anti-conference" that will highlight lack of real political progress. PLC member Rawiya al-Shawwa (Independent) said Gazans feel left out of political discussions by the PA and care more about feeding their families than negotiations. End summary. Gaza Governor: Hamas Readying "I Told You So" Campaign if Meeting Lacks Results -------------- ¶2. (C) In multiple November phonecalls, Gaza Governor al-Qidwa told PolOff that Hamas' public message is that the Annapolis meeting and Israeli-Palestinian negotiations will not deliver significant results. Al-Qidwa suggested that any joint statement should state that Gaza is an integral part of the future Palestinian state, but otherwise not mention Gaza. He said a statement that does not specifically address core political issues will damage the PA's support in Gaza, and Hamas' "I told you so" message will resonate. He said concrete details for post-Annapolis political progress will be much more meaningful than a pledge to address Gaza's humanitarian situation. Abd al-Raziq: Closures/Suffering Make Annapolis Irrelevant to Most Gazans -------------- ¶3. (C) Hisham Abd al-Raziq, Fatah leader and Gaza's most prominent prisoner's advocate, told PolOff by phone November 15 that Hamas arrest campaigns and desperate poverty worsened by closures are Gazans' main concerns, not the Annapolis meeting. He said the PA is not providing for Gaza's majority non-Hamas population, who suffer from the "Israeli and international siege" without hope for the future. He said political dialogue in Gaza focuses on immediate, practical concerns; i.e., release of detainees in Hamas custody and rising prices, and is disconnected from Annapolis preparations. PLO ExComm Member: Need Strong, Specific Annapolis Statement -------------- ¶4. (C) In multiple November phonecalls, PLO ExComm member al-Khudari told PolOff that a strong, specific statement on core issues will help counter rejectionist factions' planned "anti-conference," which will exploit perceived lack of progress. He said Gazans increasingly subsist on family support or international humanitarian assistance, see no hope for the future, have no faith in the PA or negotiations, and are uninterested in the agendas of Fatah or Hamas. Independent PLC Member: Gaza's Needs Practical, Not Focused on GOI-PA Dialogue -------------- ¶5. (C) Gaza PLC member Rawiya al-Shawwa (Independent) told PolOff in multiple November phone calls that Gazans feel left out of political discussions by the PA and care more about feeding their families than negotiations. She said "the PA and the international community seem to have abandoned Gaza and accepted Israel's collective punishment regime," which she said allows Hamas to avoid blame for mediocre governance. Hamas, she said, is not weakening, and most Gazans are too poor to consider alternatives to de facto Hamas government, despite opposing the violent takeover. Al-Shawwa said the PA must push harder for students and medical cases to exit Gaza, adding that it will be a "major disaster" if the thousands of Gazans with Hajj visas cannot travel in December. WALLES