SECRETARY ALBRIGHT MEETS WITH PALESTINIANS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 002527

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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
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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.

Arab Participation Critical
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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
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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

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at Har Homa/Jebel Abu Ghneim
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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