A NEW BURST OF FRENCH ACTIVISM ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001377 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAL PBTS KWBG FR IS SUBJECT: A NEW BURST OF FRENCH ACTIVISM ON ISRAELI/PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATIONS BEFORE SUMMER VACATION REF: PARIS 1329 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Kathleen Allegrone for reas ons 1.4. (b),(d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Immediately following the July 13 Paris summit on the Mediterranean, French FM Kouchner has called on the EU to reflect at an early September meeting in Avignon (informal EU FM meeting or "gymnich")on how it can play a more active role in Middle East peace negotiations. He claimed not to seek to displace or run counter to USG-led efforts but to give Europe its due political weight so that it was not just "signing checks." Much of this rhetoric harkens back to the open letter from Kouchner and other Mediterranean EU FMs to then newly appointed Quartet envoy Tony Blair last summer pressing him to be more active. Conversations at the MFA and French presidency underscored how this renewed push for activism, especially with a change of U.S. administration in prospect later this year, has not necessarily been fully coordinated. Israeli emboffs provided some explanation of what we have heard variously as "guarantees" or "incentives" to deal with thorny subjects like Palestinian refugees and access to Jerusalem's holy sites. With most of the principal players in developing this scheme on summer vacation, it will likely be mid to late August before we will be able to seek further clarification. End summary ¶2. (U) Even as workers dismantled the reviewing stands for the July 14 military parade and French officials continued to trade high fives for a successful summit devoted to the fledgling Union for the Mediterranean, French FM Kouchner was articulating an ambitious vision for the EU's role in Israeli/Palestinian peace negotiations. In remarks before the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee July 15 (which we have informally translated from the original French),Kouchner stated: (U) Perhaps we can go still further. While we take on the final phase of the Annapolis process, I will commit my European colleagues, at the "Gymnich" 5-6 September in Avignon, to undertake a reflection with the aim of defining the guarantees that the Europeans could provide for the implementation of a peace accord, deployment of an international force, protection of access to the holy sites, treatment of the refugee question, and einforcement of the European economic presence. ¶3. (U) According to media sources, Kouchner also called for a European "road map" that would be drawn up in the "first months of the French EU presidency for the Middle East peace process in order to give Europe greater weight in its activities. "This is not about coming up with proposals against the Americans," Kouchner asserted, but "there will be a place for these European proposals" during the change of U.S. administrations. He complained that the EU's role was not merely to "sign checks" in support of peace efforts, and he attributed part of the problem to Europe not carrying "sufficient weight." ¶4. (C) Before reading reports of Kouchner's remarks, we met July 15 with French presidency NEA adviser Boris Boillon regarding the Paris summit of the previous weekend (partially reported in septels). Boillon repeated his oft-stated mantra that French President Sarkozy has no desire to upstage or supersede the USG in the Middle East peace process. In that context, the Sarkozy/Olmert/Abbas meeting July 13 was principally intended to provide the Israeli and Palestinian leaders an opportunity to make further progress while in Paris if they so desired. (Comment: The photo-op of the three smiling and hugging while Olmert proclaimed Israel and Palestine have never been closer to a settlement was, in our view, something else Sarkozy clearly wanted from this encounter. End comment) Boillon said no one was disappointed by the lack of any breakthrough given the parties' disinclination to discuss technical details of their negotiations. The quick review of progress to date, he went on, left the Elysee with the impression of two swimmers on the verge of jumping into the pool but not yet convinced to do so. ¶5. (C/NF) We asked Boillon (protect) about signs of increasing activism by the MFA, at least with respect to the question of Israeli settlements (this was in the context of recent critical statements issued in the name of the GOF and the EU presidency as well as the ongoing discussion of a draft UNSCR in New York). Boillon reacted with a bit of irritation to the statements on settlements, claiming that they had not been cleQd with the Elysee. He was not fully PARIS 00001377 002 OF 002 in the loop on the diplomatic activity in New York and did not like hearing that French actions might inadvertently precipitate a U.S. veto of the draft resolution. This exchange prompted another mini-tirade by Boillon over Kouchner's occasional tendency to freelance. He did, however, underline the seriousness of Sarkozy's remarks to the Knesset recently about Israel's settlements and security policies in Palestinian territories and the need to abide by its commitments for the sake of peace. ¶6. (C/NF) After we asked for Boillon's take (per reftel) on French notions of guarantees or incentives that France and/or the EU might offer the parties, Boillon responded that these ideas are entirely the MFA's brainchild. He specifically cited DAS-equivalent Ludovic Pouille as the progenitor of many of these notions. Boillon, who professed to like and respect Pouille as a colleague, called Pouille extremely ambitious and active in terms of developing and pushing his ideas about supporting the Annapolis process. ¶7. (C) We did not have a chance to discuss Pouille's ideas in great depth later in the day during a meeting that dealt mostly with the Mediterranean summit and the state of play in New York on the draft UNSCR. He did claim that France harbored no desire to take the peace process away from the USG, but he did indicate that the GOF was worried about maintaining momentum as the U.S. begins the transition process later this fall. Israeli emboffs, however, on July 17 shared with us highlights of their post-summit conversation with Pouille at which he expounded on French ideas of what the EU should do vis-a-vis the Annapolis process. They described a strategic vision of the region that placed a great emphasis on a fundamental and positive change of Syria's attitude as well as an inevitable Hamas/Fatah reconciliation. ¶8. (C) Most interestingly, the Israelis described a bit the concept of the "guarantees" Kouchner and others have mentioned publicly and in private. The Israelis said that Pouille preferred to describe the guarantees more as "incentives," partly to move beyond the idea conjured up by guarantees of a peacekeeping force or series of structured accords to govern the behavior of the negotiating parties (although Pouille told the Israelis some sort of multinational security force was unavoidable). He was apparently vague on how "guarantees" or "incentives" could secure equal access to Jerusalem's holy sites, but he did explain that the real point of the exercise was to get at defining East Jerusalem's special status, i.e., not necessarily being under exclusive Israeli sovereignty. With respect to refugees, Pouille told the Israelis some sort of international compensation mechanism -- to include financial payments, likely immigration to other countries, and jobs -- for the vast majority of Palestinians who will not be allowed to return to Israel. ¶9. (C) Comment: Kouchner's sudden activism is not surprising although the timing of his announcement -- as Pouille, Boillon, and others leave for vacation until mid-August -- suggests a determination to get out of town before we or anyone else can ask too many questions. There is a certain continuity in terms of Kouchner's idea about Europe having a "weightier" political role in peace talks that goes back to the open letter he and other EU FMs on the Mediterranean sent then newly appointed Quartet Envoy Tony Blair encouraging him to be more active than his mandate allowed. As we have reported, Kouchner's frustration over what France considers Israel's disregard of the Roadmap commitments on settlements and application of overly restrictive security measures in the occupied territories. The good part of this is that French commitment to the Annapolis process and its goals remains strong. Pouille and his bosses at the MFA continue to fret, however, about Palestinian Authority President Abbas losing more ground in the face of Israeli intransigence. Elysee concerns are tempered by Sarkozy's desire to maintain what he considers an exceptionally strong relationship with Israel. We will have to wait until mid-August to learn more about Kouchner's bright ideas for the informal EU FM meeting in Avignon and whether the Elysee fully supports them. End comment Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Fran ce STAPLETON