TUNISIA: REACTIONS TO PRESIDENT'S MIDDLE EAST

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TUNIS 000965 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2017 TAGS: PREL KPAL KWBG IS TS SUBJECT: TUNISIA: REACTIONS TO PRESIDENT'S MIDDLE EAST SPEECH GENERALLY POSITIVE, BUT SOME CRITICISM Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Initial GOT reactions to the President's July 16 speech on the Middle East have been largely favorable. Several Embassy contacts also responded positively, in particular to the call for an international conference. Several commentators, have, however offered criticisms about particular aspects of the speech, such as its perceived "antagonistic" tone towards Hamas and Syria. Most interlocutors predict that Tunisia would be prepared to participate in the conference; an MFA contact characterized the speech in a briefing for the Foreign Minister as a "good opportunity for Tunisia." Press coverage, initially straight reporting, has since yielded cynical opinion pieces. Embassy will continue to report on relevant reactions to the initiative. End Summary. -------------- -------------- Initial GOT Reaction: "Very Good, Very Positive" -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Moez Sinaoui, MFA Director for North America, told PolOff on July 17 that in a briefing he had prepared for FM Abdallah earlier that day, he had characterized President Bush's proposal for an international meeting as very good and very positive. He said that, while the GOT would await a formal US demarche before offering an official response, he thought the announcement presented a good opportunity for Tunisia. Sinaoui said he expected more information would become available after the June 19 Quartet meeting in Portugal and Tony Blair's planned visit to the region o/a July 23-25. The Ambassador has requested a meeting with the Foreign Minister and will seek further clarification of GOT views. (Note: FM Abdallah is currently travelling outside of Tunisia. End Note.) ¶3. (C) Roger Bismuth, Member of the Chamber of Advisors and leader of the Tunisian Jewish community, told A/DCM that "of course" he welcomed the speech. He also said that he was certain that it would be met with a favorable response by the GOT. The question, he said, was how the Tunisian public would respond. His sense was that right now, with so many Tunisians on vacation or preparing for summer leave, this issue would not stay on the radar screen. He was less certain about the reaction on the "street" as the conference approaches. -------------- Media Reaction: Straight Reporting With a Dose of Anti-Zionist Cynicism -------------- ¶4. (U) President Bush's June 16 speech was lead story on the national Tunis 7 television evening news the night of the speech, with the initiative described as a "moment of choice" for the Palestinians. Tunis 7 evening news followed up on the previous night's story saying the proposal was "too little, too late and included too many conditions to rally strong Palestinian or Arab support." ¶5. (U) In the print media, the speech received front-page coverage in government French-language daily La Presse on July 17 as a straight wire story and was noted briefly in some other papers. On July 18, the print press weighed in with broad coverage, noting in particular Israeli refusal to discuss borders, refugees and the status of Jerusalem. The tone was generally slightly positive toward the American proposal and strongly negative on the Israeli reaction. ¶6. (U) Editorial commentary so far has been negative: Private Arabic-language weekly As-Sabah asserted that, "Between Palestinian readiness... and the Bush vision for a new strategy in the region... Israel remains determined to limit the discussions to only the legal and economic questions of a Palestinian state." Private, Arabic-language daily Ash-Shourouq, which enjoys the broadest circulation of Tunisia's dailies, was cynical: "The intention of President Bush to convene an international conference for peace in the Middle East is in reality a eulogy for the Quartet and the Roadmap... it is one of the painkillers that the US Administration tries to apply to the region each time it suffers from the region's dark prospects... Now we recognize that the Zionist plan has gained momentum." The piece concluded that, "What remains of the Bush initiative is a beautiful mirage that dazzles and entertains Arabs, but they will wake up to find Israel imposing their own solutions on the ground outside international law." -------------- Retired Diplomat: US Role "Indispensable," But Process Should be Inclusive TUNIS 00000965 002 OF 002 -------------- ¶7. (C) Ahmed Ounaies, a retired Tunisian diplomat and outspoken member of civil society, welcomed the President's July 16 speech, although he made clear that he had strong reservations about certain aspects. He said he believed the initiative could represent a turning point in the peace process, noting that now, the Blair mission, which he heretofore considered "lacking empowerment" could become a "real" mission, with plans and timelines. That said, Ounaies took issue with the speech's "antagonistic" tone vis-a-vis Hamas ("which, you must remember, was democratically elected") and Syria. Instead, he counseled, the USG should try to co-opt them to play a constructive role. He said he believed that the more inclusive the participation on the part of Arab actors, the better the chances of success and sustainability. To this end, he said, it is in the US interest to have all Palestinian deputies freed from Israeli jails, so that they can all participate. ¶8. (C) Asked about possible GOT participation, Ounaies responded emphatically that he hoped and expected Tunisia would participate. He pointed out that Tunisia is a member of the Arab League steering group on Palestine, and that it has long recognized Israel's right to exist. Finally, he offered the gentle criticism that it would have been preferable for the international conference to be held under United Nations auspices. He closed the conversation on a positive note: "US participation in the Middle East Peace Process is indispensable because of just this kind of initiative." -------------- Private Sector Commentators Largely Favorable -------------- ¶9. (C) Several private sector Embassy contacts, in a July 18 conversation with the Ambassador, commented favorably on the initiative to hold an international conference. Some businessmen expressed concern that not all of the many stakeholders in this process would be included. Some were also pessimistic about the prospects for reaching a sustainable solution in the near to mid-term, with one prominent business consultant opining that the building of the West Bank separation wall suggested that the Israelis had long ago given up on a negotiated settlement. Without directly speculating on the guest list for the international conference, one member of the group asserted that "everyone -- even Hamas" has come to terms with Israel's right to exist, even if their public statements suggest otherwise. -------------- -- Unauthorized Green Party Offers Congratulations -------------- -- ¶10. (SBU) Abdelkader Zitouni, National Coordinator of the unauthorized Green Party, sent the following message to the Ambassador (informal English translation): "We have followed with particular attention the declarations of the President of the United States concerning the upcoming Middle East conference. We hope that this conference will give rise to the creation of a Palestinian state, which will bring an end to more than 50 years of war. We ask you to convey our sincere congratulations to the Government of the United States and to President Bush for this initiative, which will overturn all of the political realities in the Middle East and open the path to a true democracy in the Arab world." GODEC