FOREIGN MINISTER EMPHASIZES NEED TO REACH OUT TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000404

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/01/2017
TAGS: PREL KPAL BA IS REGION
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER EMPHASIZES NEED TO REACH OUT TO
ISRAELI PUBLIC ON PEACE

CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR WILLIAM T. MONROE FOR
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) THE AMBASSADOR, IN AN APRIL 30 MEETING WITH FOREIGN
MINISTER SHAIKH KHALID BIN AHMED AL KHALIFA, ASKED ABOUT
RECENT ARAB LEAGUE (AL) CONSULTATIONS IN CAIRO ON THE PEACE
INITIATIVE. NORMALLY OPTIMISTIC, SHAIKH KHALID SAID HE WAS
NOT ENCOURAGED BY THE MEETING. THE RESULT, THAT EGYPT AND
JORDAN WOULD FORM A DELEGATION TO MEET WITH ISRAELI OFFICIALS
ABOUT THE INITIATIVE, WAS DISAPPOINTING BECAUSE THOSE TWO
COUNTRIES ALREADY HAVE RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL. HOWEVER,
CONVINCING THE OTHER AL MEMBERS OF THE PEACE INITIATIVE
COMMITTEE, IN PARTICULAR SYRIA, TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL
COUNTRIES IN THE DELEGATION PROVED IMPOSSIBLE, SO SAUDI
FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD AL FAISAL AND EGYPTIAN FM ABOUL GHEIT
FOCUSED ON GAINING APPROVAL FOR THE EGYPTIAN/JORDANIAN
DELEGATION. "EVEN THAT WAS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT," SHAIKH KHALID
SAID.


2. (C) SHAIKH KHALID DECIDED NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE AL
DELEGATION GOING TO MAJOR INTERNATIONAL CAPITALS TO DISCUSS
THE INITIATIVE BECAUSE THE THRUST OF THE COMMITTEE'S WORK
SHOULD BE ISRAEL. TO MAKE THE JOB EASIER IN WASHINGTON AND
BRUSSELS, HE SAID, THE ARABS HAVE TO MAKE MORE OF AN EFFORT
TO REACH OUT TO THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC AND MEDIA.
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMUNICATION AND
NORMALIZATION, HE SAID. AT THIS STAGE, COMMUNICATION IS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN NORMALIZATION. HOWEVER, OTHER AL MEMBERS
EQUATE THE TWO, SAYING COMMUNICATION IS THE SAME AS
NORMALIZATION.


3. (C) THE AMBASSADOR ASKED ABOUT THE VIEWS OF OTHER
COMMITTEE MEMBERS. SHAIKH KHALID SAID THAT HE HAD SPOKEN
WITH QATARI PRIME MINISTER/FOREIGN MINISTER HAMAD BIN JASSIM,
WHO AGREES ON THE NEED FOR COMMUNICATION, BUT THEY THOUGHT
THAT ARAB "POWERS" SHOULD PUSH FOR BROADER ENGAGEMENT. SAUDI
ARABIA, SHAIKH KHALID SAID, WOULD NOT ENGAGE WITH ISRAEL "AT
STAGE ONE," BUT PERHAPS IT WOULD AT LATER STAGES OF THE
INITIATIVE. HE NOTED THAT THE PALESTINIAN REPRESENTATIVE TO
THE PEACE INITIATIVE COMMITTEE HAD PROPOSED A MEETING DURING
THE NEXT STAGE TO INCLUDE JORDAN, EGYPT, SAUDI ARABIA,
MOROCCO, BAHRAIN, THE UAE, PALESTINIANS, AND ISRAEL. BAHRAIN
ACCEPTS, THE FM SAID, BUT ACHIEVEMENTS RESULTING FROM THE
EGYPTIAN/JORDANIAN VISIT TO ISRAEL ARE WHAT CAN MAKE THE
MEETING POSSIBLE.


4. (C) PICKING UP ON AN EARLIER POINT, SHAIKH KHALID SAID
THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A GREAT DEAL OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE
ISRAELI MEDIA. A YEDIOT AHRONOTH CORRESPONDENT HAD COVERED
THE AL SUMMIT IN RIYADH, COMING AS PART OF UN SECRETARY
GENERAL BAN'S DELEGATION. THE ISRAELI PUBLIC SHOULD SEE MORE
FROM ARAB LEADERS. HE SAID HE IS READY TO MEET WITH ISRAELI
MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES TO TALK ABOUT THE INITIATIVE AND HELP
WIN THE CONFIDENCE OF THE ISRAELI PUBLIC.


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MONROE