PALESTINIAN RECONCILIATION MEETING COLLAPSES AMID

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002012

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/PASCUAL/RAMCHAND

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2018
TAGS: KWBG PREL PTER IS PGOV
SUBJECT: PALESTINIAN RECONCILIATION MEETING COLLAPSES AMID
HAMAS BOYCOTT

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. PLO and Palestinian faction leaders told
ConGenOffs that the GOE "postponed" reconciliation talks,
scheduled for November 10 in Cairo, after Hamas indicated it
would not participate. PLO Secretary-General Yasir Abd Rabbo
told press November 9 that Hamas has been creating obstacles
to the talks and Hamas' refusal to participate is part of "a
regional boycott designed to make Egyptian efforts fail."
Fatah leaders and PM Salam Fayyad said Hamas used false
claims of "political detainees" as a pretext to avoid
participating in Cairo talks. Hamas leaders lashed out at PA
President Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen) to shift blame for the
breakdown. End summary.

Hamas Boycotts GOE-Sponsored Conference
--------------


2. (SBU) According to PLO and Palestinian faction leaders,
the GOE "postponed" factional talks scheduled for November 10
in Cairo after Hamas indicated it would not participate. PLO
Secretary-General Yasir Abd Rabbo told press November 9 that
the PLO regrets Hamas' refusal and, from the beginning, Hamas
has created obstacles to prevent the talks from succeeding.
He praised GOE efforts but said Hamas' refusal to participate
is part of "a regional boycott designed to make Egyptian
efforts fail."


3. (C) Independent Gaza-based PLC member Rawiya al-Shawwa, a
member of the independent delegation that included PLC
members Ziad Abu Amr and Mustafa Barghuthi, told POLOFF by
phone November 9 that the GOE "postponement" is in fact a
cancellation. She said independent delegation does not
expect talks to be renewed in Cairo soon and reconciliation
efforts are "dead for now."

Assigning Blame: Fatah, Fayyad Point to
Hamas Refusals; Hamas Lashes Out at Abbas
--------------


4. (U) Senior Fatah Revolutionary Council member Azzam
al-Ahmad told press November 8 that Hamas had long planned a
last-minute boycott, and used false claims of "political
detainees" as a pretext. Al-Ahmad said the lack of internal
Hamas consensus is the real reason for the conference's
cancellation.


5. (SBU) PM Salam Fayyad told press November 8 that the PA
does not have any "political detainees," and the Cairo
document was "prepared as an Egyptian-Arab initiative based
on factional consensus and is a just document." Fayyad said
Hamas demands for release of "political detainees" is an
excuse and an attempt to discredit PA security efforts.


6. (SBU) Gaza-based Hamas leader Mahmud al-Zahar told local
press November 8-9 that President Abbas and the PA security
forces (PASF),under USG pressure, are responsible for the
breakdown, because they carried out "unprecedented political
arrests" of Hamas activists and poisoned the atmosphere.
Amman-based Politburo member Muhammad Nazzal publicly accused
Abbas on November 8 of bad faith in factional negotiations,
and of an agenda "to extend his term as PA President."
WALLES