HOLY SEE COMMENTS ON ISRAELI/PALESTINIAN CONFERENCE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000071

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/3/2017
TAGS: PREL IS VT
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE COMMENTS ON ISRAELI/PALESTINIAN CONFERENCE,
FUNDAMENTAL AGREEMENT

REF: (A) MARTIN-LARREA MARCH 27 EMAIL, (B) MARTIN-LARREA MARCH 29 EMAIL

CLASSIFIED BY: Christopher Sandrolini, Deputy Chief of Mission,
EXEC, State.
REASON: 1.4 (d)

1. (C) Summary. Ambassador and DCM discussed the Holy
See-Israel Fundamental Agreement during a meeting with Holy See
deputy FM Parolin, and also discussed the Holy See's
participation in a recent UN event in Rome addressing
Palestinian rights. Parolin said the recently postponed plenary
session of the FA would likely be rescheduled in May, and that
the Holy See hopes for progress at that time; everything depends
on political will in Israel. Holy See negotiator David Jaeger
still hopes to travel to Israel in April to work on a legal
issue of particular importance to the Fundamental Agreement.
Concerning the rights conference, Parolin sought further
information about the USG stance on the sponsoring UN
organization. End summary.


2. (U) See action request para 8.

Fundamental Agreement
--------------


3. (C) During an April 3 call on Monsignor Pietro Parolin, the
Holy See's Undersecretary for Relations with States (i.e.,
deputy foreign minister),Ambassador asked Parolin how soon the
postponed plenary session of negotiations on the Fundamental
Agreement (ref a) might be rescheduled. Parolin said the Holy
See could not reschedule in April due to prior commitments
including Holy Week observances and obligations of some
essential participants. He expected the session to be
rescheduled in early May (ref b).


4. (C) Parolin noted that while the Holy See had not been happy
about the last-minute postponement, it had nevertheless accepted
the Israeli explanation. The Vatican quickly issued a statement
to this effect, in order to forestall negative press reports
(ref b).


5. (C) Ambassador told Parolin that senior USG officials had
weighed in twice in recent days with high-ranking Israeli
officials to encourage them to move forward with the Fundamental
Agreement (FA). Parolin appreciated this support and said the
Holy See considers the matter to be fundamentally one of
political will by the Israelis. If that will is present, the
plenary session can help resolve outstanding issues; if not,
technical questions will continue to obstruct progress
indefinitely. For the moment, Parolin expressed cautious hope.


6. (C) Separately, Holy See negotiator Father David Jaeger told
us April 4 that he had not yet scheduled travel to Israel, but
hoped that the GOI would make good on its offer for experts to
meet with him before May to work on a legal issue of particular
importance to the FA (ref b). Jaeger told us previously that he
and his counterparts had worked out a formula for the
adjudication of Holy See claims covered by the FA, only to see
it rejected by GOI officials just before they cancelled the
March plenary session. (In fact, some Vatican officials suspect
that this issue played a role in the cancellation.) Jaeger
hopes to hear from the Israelis after Passover.

Palestinian Conference
--------------


7. (C) At an earlier meeting, Parolin had asked DCM about US
non-participation in a March 22-23 conference in Rome sponsored
by the UN Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights
of the Palestinian People. Parolin had represented the Holy See
at the event and delivered remarks, citing those made in January
by Pope Benedict XVI, on the right of Palestinians and Israelis
"to live in peace in their own state" and on the vital role of
Christians in the Middle East. DCM relayed to Parolin that the
US had avoided the event on several grounds, including the
linkage of one speaker to a proscribed organization and the
overall US view that the Committee is outdated and biased.
Parolin asked that the US take note that the Holy See had sought
to make the event more balanced, and requested more detailed
information from the US as to its stance on the Committee.
Parolin also noted that he had been careful to speak at an
opening meeting during the session on inter-religious dialogue.
He expressed surprise that the event had not received much
attention in the press.


8. (C) Post would appreciate further guidance from Department
concerning this Committee, which we could pass on to the Holy
See per Parolin's request.

ROONEY