SECRETARY ALBRIGHT MEETS WITH PALESTINIANS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 002527 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE. NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2017 TAGS: KWBG PGOV PREL PTER PHUM KPAL IS SUBJECT: SECRETARY ALBRIGHT MEETS WITH PALESTINIANS Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. PA President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) told former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright December 6 that the Annapolis conference was a "big success" and that permanent status negotiations, which are scheduled to start December 12, and the December 16 Paris Donors' Conference will further move the process forward. He also reiterated that he will reject dialogue with Hamas. In a separate December 6 meeting, PLO Executive Committee Secretary General Yasser Abed Rabbo told Albright that the USG should assist both sides to implement Roadmap phase one obligations, but negotiations must be bilateral. Abu Mazen and Abed Rabbo urged a strong USG response to the announcement of a tender for 307 residential units by the Israeli Land Authority (ILA) in Har Homa/Jebel Abu Ghneim. Albright also met privately with PM Fayyad. End Summary. After Annapolis -------------- ¶2. (C) PA President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) told former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Toni Verstandig, SIPDIS Director of the Aspen Institute Middle East Strategy Group, on December 6 that Annapolis was a "big success." He said the Palestinians are ready to form up to ten committees for negotiations with Israel scheduled to begin December 12. PLO Chief Negotiator Sa'eb Erekat said the committees should define parameters for each issue, including refugees and Jerusalem. Asked about a USG role in negotiations, he said "America will be the judge." ¶3. (C) In a separate December 6 meeting, PLO Executive Committee Secretary General Yasser Abed Rabbo stressed that negotiations should be bilateral. "We have a feeling of dependency on third parties, and while the Americans can assist us with the Roadmap, we need to do the job ourselves," said Abed Rabbo. Arab and international commitments at the Paris Donors' Conference will help solve the PA's economic problems, he said, and make "our engine of a government move forward." Abed Rabbo suggested the Donors' Conference be a starting point for Special Quartet Envoy Tony Blair. He added that Palestinian civil society reacted negatively to Annapolis, which has undermined popular support for negotiations. �A;Arab Participation Critical -------------- ¶4. (C) Albright said "we ran out of time during the Camp David Accords" and encouraged Abu Mazen to use Annapolis' momentum to move the process forward. He said his relationship with PM Olmert is "good" and the meeting between negotiating committees, scheduled for December 12, and the December 16 Paris Donors' Conference will be key to this process. Albright added that during Camp David, then-PLO Chairman Yasser ARAFAT did not prepare Palestinians and Arab states for compromise. Abu Mazen stressed that Arab participation at Annapolis helped prepare them for compromise, and Erekat said the Arab League Peace Initiative has also helped. Separately, Abed Rabbo told Albright that the Palestinians need Arab support throughout the process and many Arab states want the Arab League Peace Initiative to succeed. No Dialogue with Hamas -------------- ¶5. (C) Abu Mazen said many regional and non-regional parties are pressuring the PA to resume dialogue with Hamas. He said that unless Hamas reverses its June coup, he will reject dialogue. Abu Mazen said the Saudi, Egyptian and Israeli action to allow Gazans to travel through Rafah for Hajj undermined the PA. He insisted that the Israelis should have stopped the Gazans who crossed into Egypt, and he criticized the Saudis for not issuing Hajj visas requested by the PA and the Egyptians for opening Rafah. He said the Saudis demonstrated political support for the Palestinians at Annapolis, but "what happened in Gaza makes me doubt them." ¶6. (C) Abu Mazen said the Egyptians and Israelis must stop Hamas from smuggling through the tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border. Hamas continues to survive, he said, especially due to funding from Qatar. Abu Mazen said PA security forces have pursued Hamas in the West Bank, but not finished the job yet. Erekat said, "Securing an agreement with Israel means survival for us. If Abu Mazen produces an agreement, we'll have Gaza back; if not, we'll be worrying about Jericho." Tender for Residential Housing JERUSALEM 00002527 002 OF 002 at Har Homa/Jebel Abu Ghneim -------------- ¶7. (C) Abu Mazen expressed concern that the Israeli Land Administration issued a tender for 307 housing units at Har Homa/Jebel Abu Ghneim, just days after Annapolis. Abu Mazen said phase one of the Roadmap obliges the GOI to freeze all settlement activity, and this tender suggests the GoI is not serious. Erekat urged a strong USG response. Separately, Abed Rabbo told Albright that the tender was "a disaster" and destroyed any trust gained from the Palestinian public since Annapolis. He encouraged USG involvement to stop the tender. WALLES