Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TELAVIV359
2007-02-01 12:26:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:  

ISRAELI MADRID PARTICIPANTS ON SAUDI INITIATIVE,

Tags:  PREL POV KWBG KPAL SP IS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5217
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHTV #0359/01 0321226
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 011226Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9168
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0320
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 000359 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2017
TAGS: PREL POV KWBG KPAL SP IS
SUBJECT: ISRAELI MADRID PARTICIPANTS ON SAUDI INITIATIVE,
CONFERENCE, AND SYRIA

REF: MADRID 0078

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gene A. Cretz; Reasons 1.4 (B and D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 000359

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2017
TAGS: PREL POV KWBG KPAL SP IS
SUBJECT: ISRAELI MADRID PARTICIPANTS ON SAUDI INITIATIVE,
CONFERENCE, AND SYRIA

REF: MADRID 0078

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gene A. Cretz; Reasons 1.4 (B and D).


1. (C) Summary and comment: Israeli participants in the
Madrid-plus-fifteen conference held January 10-12 (reftel)
have told the Embassy and the press that they seek "the end
of gradualism" and a focus on final status negotiations as
the best way to reach peace with the Palestinians. To break
what they see as the current impasse in talks, they encourage
adoption of an adapted Saudi/Arab League initiative. They
base this policy on the assessment that moderate Arab states
now share common interests with Israel in fighting extremism
in the region. They advocate efforts to separate Syria from
its allies in Iran, Hizballah, and Hamas, noting that much of
their time in Madrid was spent discussing the possibilities
of an Israeli-Syrian peace. Madrid participants agreed to
form a "semi-permanent roundtable" to continue the process.
All support some sort of international conference to advance
the cause of Middle East peace. Although these views play a
role in GOI policy making through Labor's membership in the
coalition, few of them track with those held by PM Ehud
Olmert, FM Tzipi Livni, or others with real decision-making
authority for Israeli policy toward peace with the Arabs.
End summary and comment.


2. (C) Former FM Shlomo Ben-Ami, the primary force behind
Israeli track-two participation in Madrid, told the press
that "the two-state solution is still on the table, but the
peacemakers need to be advised ... time is running out."
Labor parliamentarian Ophir Pines-Paz was more to the point
when he told the Ambassador that the Palestinians are
involved in a civil war and that "Israel cannot accept it if
Hamas wins." He argued that the Roadmap is "dead, not
because it was not good, but because it was not laid out in
the right order or deployed at the right time." Labor
parliamentarian Colette Avital told poloff that most Madrid
participants agreed on the importance of final status
negotiations, believe that the idea of a Palestinian state
with provisional borders is "out of the question," and

therefore advocate an "end to gradualism." Several of the
Israeli participants -- all from the Israeli left -- told the
Embassy that they also believe that PM Ehud Olmert and
President Mahmud Abbas are politically weak and unable to
maintain drawn-out peace negotiations without the support of
regional states as well as that of the U.S. and Europe.

-------------- ---
Accepting the Saudi (Arab League) Initiative ...
-------------- ---


3. (C) To break what they see as an impasse, the Israeli
Madrid participants advocate reconsideration of the Saudi
initiative. Pini Meidan, a retired Mossad officer who served
as foreign policy adviser to Ehud Barak, told PolCouns that
the Saudi plan -- with unspecified modifications -- could
form the "basis for a new overall approach." Pines-Paz
suggested that the Quartet adopt the main principles of the
plan, "painting it a different color," to lend it legitimacy
inside Israel, where any Arab plan would face opposition.
Meidan, who noted that Israeli delegates had met with the
Saudi Ambassador (Prince Saud Bin Naif Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud)
to Spain, stressed the importance of a plan already accepted
by "all the Arab states" that implicitly accepts Israel's
right to exist and security needs.


4. (C) A new strategic perception underlies the Israeli
delegates' renewed interest in the Saudi plan. Avital told
the press that "the recent war in Lebanon, Islamic
radicalization and the threat posed by Iran to all have
created a realignment in our area. Today we share common
interests with the moderate Arab states." She added, "we
have an opportunity to team up with the Arabs versus the
extremists, but there is a price," which she described as an
agreement with the Palestinians. Pines-Paz and Meidan echoed
these views in separate meetings.

-------------- --------------
... and the Utility of an International Conference
-------------- --------------


5. (C) Meidan said that participants had agreed to form a
number of "semi-permanent round tables." The Israeli effort
will be led by Ben-Ami and focus on track II issues,
especially on how to adopt parts of the Saudi initiative.
The Israelis generally agreed on the utility of a follow-on
international conference to advance peace efforts as
advocated by Spanish FM Miguel Angel Moratinos (reftel),but
disagreed among themselves on the format. Pines-Paz called
for a regional conference including the Quartet plus the
Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, Egyptians, and possibly

TEL AVIV 00000359 002 OF 002


the Saudis. Avital told the press she supports "a meeting of
top Israeli politicians with members of the Arab League to
discuss the Arab initiative." She later told poloff that the
conference proposed by Spain would only be a "starter" and
not "a means not an end." Avital also noted that most Madrid
participants had agreed on the importance of some sort of
international presence to monitor any agreement.

--------------
Breaking the Syria-Iran-Hizballah-Hamas Axis
--------------


6. (C) Israeli participants said they spent much of their
time in Madrid discussing the possibilities of peace with
Syria. Pines-Paz told the Ambassador that we are "close to
the point where we cannot bring Syria back" from its alliance
with Iran, Hizballah, and Hamas. In his view, Israel can
only withdraw from the Golan Heights in return for a break in
this alliance, a message he said he conveyed directly to
Syrian representatives in Madrid (Riad Dauoudi and Bushra
Kanafani). Their reply was that these issues could be
discussed during negotiations, but should not be
preconditions to talks. Meidan maintained that the Syrians
in Madrid were under orders not to speak with the Israeli
delegation, but he said the Syrians listened carefully when
Israelis spoke at the plenary sessions. Pines-Paz expressed
surprise that the Europeans appear to be focused on the
Palestinian track and have thus far proven relatively immune
to the Syrians' offer to talk.


7. (C) Comment: The Israeli participants in Madrid were
primarily from Labor; former Justice Minister Dan Meridor
added the appearance of center-right balance. Although their
views play into GOI policy through Labor's membership in the
coalition, few of these ideas -- except perhaps for the
concept of shared interests with moderate Arab states --
currently track with those held by PM Olmert, FM Livni, and
the other decision makers in the cabinet. We would welcome
Embassy Riyadh's comments on Prince Saud bin Naif's
participation in a high-profile meeting with Israelis. End
comment.

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