UNSC: JULY MIDDLE EAST BRIEFING/CONSULTATIONS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 000618 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC SUBJECT: UNSC: JULY MIDDLE EAST BRIEFING/CONSULTATIONS REF: STATE 102876 ¶1. Summary: In his July Middle East Security Council briefing, UN Special Coordinator (UNSCO) Michael Williams highlighted both the positive and negative developments in the region over the past month. Positive developments include the release of BBC journalist Alan Johnston, renewed contact between Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas, the release of Palestinian prisoners and tax revenues, the appointment of Tony Blair as Quartet Representative and President Bush's proposal for an international conference. Negative developments included increased violence, intra-Palestinian political paralysis, and looming humanitarian problems in Gaza. Williams implored Israel, Egypt and the entire international community to "explore all possible options to operate the crossings" in Gaza, particularly the Karni crossing, failing which he asserted would send Gaza into a "downward economic spiral" leading to "extensive hardship." ¶2. In the closed consultations that followed the briefing, nearly every delegation expressed satisfaction with the positive developments in his report, voiced concern at the negative elements, and stressed the need to build on current momentum. Russia and Qatar, however, warned that excluding Hamas from the political scene would be "counterproductive," and Indonesia stressed the importance of not taking sides in internecine Palestinian political disputes, while South Africa called the economic boycott of Hamas "collective punishment" of the Palestinian people. On Lebanon, UNSCO Williams stressed the need for member states to help Lebanese parties to reach consensus to end political deadlock there, and for Israel to cease its overflights of Lebanese airspace. End Summary. Williams: Positive and Negative Developments -------------- ¶3. In noting positive regional developments, Williams called attention to the recent meetings between Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas, Israel's release of Palestinian prisoners and tax revenues, and Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad's recent payment of salaries to 160,000 PA employees. He also praised the appointment of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as the Quartet Representative to the Middle East, and President Bush's July 16 address on the Middle East, specifically lauding the President's proposal to hold a conference this fall. Williams welcomed Norway's proposal to re-convene the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee to meet on the margins of the General Assembly meeting in New York in September. And he reaffirmed the government of President Abbas and PM Fayyad as the only legitimate government of the Palestinian people. ¶4. On a less positive note, Williams also discussed the continuing problems plaguing the region: Hamas' violent persecution of political opponents in Gaza, Israel's arrest operations in the West Bank, and the Palestinians' continued rocket attacks, many of them claimed by Hamas, against both Israel and the crossings into Gaza. Williams called on Israel specifically to release the 45 Hamas MPs that it has arrested over the past several months. ¶5. On the humanitarian front, Williams stressed the need to reopen the Gaza crossings so as to prevent a complete collapse of the Gaza economy. He said that while 88 per cent of the basic needs of the Gaza population were being met, the situation had the potential to deteriorate very quickly, and that although there was not yet a humanitarian disaster, it is possible for one to develop extremely rapidly. Moreover, he said, the closure of the Karni crossing -- and the attendant inability to import industrial raw materials into Gaza -- has led to tens of thousands of lay-offs, and the stagnation of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of UN and privately-funded factories and construction projects. ¶6. On Lebanon, Williams noted the protracted instability there, and called on the Lebanese to embrace French and Arab League mediation efforts, and attempt to come to a consensus to move the political process forward. He also called on Israel to stop its overflights of Lebanese territory. Council Consultations: Humanitarian Issue, Peace Initiatives -------------- -------------- ¶7. In the closed consultations that followed, all delegations supported Williams' concerns about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Delegations generally expressed satisfaction that the humanitarian lifeline was functioning effectively, but feared that the devastating impact of the Karni closure on Gaza's export industries (agriculture, textiles, etc.) could soon lead to a USUN NEW Y 00000618 002 OF 003 collapse of the economy there. Italy worried that since Williams reported that only 88 per cent of the basic needs of the Palestinians were being met, that 12 per cent of the population was without their basic daily requirements. The general consensus that the crossings need to be functioning was underscored by South Africa, Ghana, and China, all of which noted the need to implement the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA). Additionally, Qatar and Slovakia emphasized that the Palestinian people should not be "punished" for the actions of Hamas, while South Africa argued that the international boycott of Hamas amounted to "collective punishment" of the Palestinian people. ¶8. Most delegations, including Russia, Belgium, France, Slovakia, Peru, the UK, and China explicitly expressed their support for all three peace initiatives currently on the table -- Tony Blair's mission on behalf of the Quartet, the Arab League initiative, and President Bush's proposal for a conference this fall, though many expressed a desire to know more specifics about President Bush's proposed agenda. Italy, supported by Belgium stressed the importance of working simultaneously on two tracks: the long term discussion of the "political horizon," the content of which everyone is aware, and the short term effort on the "building blocks" that are necessary to implement the long term vision for Israel and the Palestinians. In this regard Belgium noted the promise of the Arab peace initiative, specifically called for further engagement on this front, and expressed its desire to see Saudi Arabia pulled into the process. Indonesia added that any conference should include "all parties" to the conflict. Engagement with Hamas -------------- ¶9. Almost all delegations expressed support for a solution to the intra-Palestinian conflict that maintains the unity of the West Bank and Gaza, with Abbas as the legitimate head of the Palestinian Authority. France, Belgium, Russia, Ghana, and Qatar explicitly stressed the need to work for "Palestinian unity". They were joined by Indonesia, who not only expressed support for Palestinian unity, but also called the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the "mother of all conflicts" in the Middle East, whose solution would do much to advance the cause of regional peace. France also noted that it would like to examine the concept of an international force "at the appropriate moment." ¶10. However, in addition to the calls of support for the government of Mahmoud Abbas, some delegations either implicitly or explicitly called for engagement with Hamas. In this vein, Congo, while supporting Abbas, also noted that the international community shouldn't necessarily exclude Hamas, which "has support" in the population. Russia also argued that maintaining the economic boycott and exclusion of Hamas from the government would be "counterproductive" because Hamas continues to remain an "influential political force" and has the support of much of the population. Meanwhile, South Africa and Indonesia argued that the international community should not take sides in an internal political dispute, and joined Qatar in its assertion that Palestinian violence against Israel was a natural response to occupation, which in the South African and Qatari view is the root cause of the conflict. The US and UK noted they are now providing Abbas' government with direct assistance of $144 million and $6 million respectively. China was the only country that explicitly called upon Israel and Syria to resume negotiations with a mind towards peace. ¶11. Per Department guidance, Amb. Khalilzad related the substance of President Bush's speech from July 16. He called upon Israel to implement its Road Map commitments, and upon the Palestinians to choose the way of peace and independence represented by President Abbas and PM Fayyad rather than the way of violence and war represented by Hamas. He commented that the Arab peace initiative was a positive development, and that we supported immediate efforts to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Amb. Khalilzad further stressed the need to turn the current opportunities for progress into realities. Lebanon -------------- ¶12. On Lebanon, most delegations referenced the comments they made last week during Security Council consultations on UNSCR 1701 and the report of the LIBAT commission. Qatar explicitly condemned Fatah al Islam's actions in the Nahr al-Bared camp, and denounced any attempts to undermine the stability of Lebanon. Other countries, including Indonesia and China, joined in these sentiments, calling for a return to the process of national consensus-building, while France USUN NEW Y 00000618 003 OF 003 deplored efforts to instigate a "war of others" on Lebanese soil, and Peru articulated its concern with the proliferation of armed groups there. KHALILZAD