SALEH CALLS FOR ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT ON GAZA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000107 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2018 TAGS: PREL KPAL KSUM PGOV IS YM SUBJECT: SALEH CALLS FOR ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT ON GAZA REF: A. SANAA 100 ¶B. SANAA 65 Classified By: Ambassador Stephen A. Seche for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) On January 21, President Saleh called for an emergency Arab League summit to discuss the blockade of Gaza. While his Party endorses his idea, at least one opposition figure dismisses it as an empty gesture. End Summary ¶2. (U) On January 21, According to Yemen's official news agency, President Ali Abdullah Saleh called for the Arab League to hold an emergency summit to discuss the Israeli lockdown of the Gaza. In a phone call to the organization's Secretary General, the President reportedly called for a SIPDIS ministerial level meeting in early February. Earlier, Foreign Minister al-Qirbi broached the issue of Gaza with the Ambassadors of Germany and the United States and the Japanese DCM (ref A). ¶3. (C) Mohammed Qahtan, former head of the Political Department of the opposition Islah Party and current member of that party's Supreme Council, told the embassy on January 22 that he heard of the President's call but said the Islah Party had no official position on it. Speaking for himself he dismissed it as a political stunt. He noted that there had been no response from other Arab leaders and said that the lack of response indicated the call was intended for Yemeni internal consumption. As for the idea of a summit itself Qahtan said, "if it were held by someone other than the people we know (meaning the current crop of Arab leaders),it might be important." He went on to say if it were held by "the same old people" it would be meaningless. ¶4. (C) Mohammed Abulahoum, head of the Foreign Relations Committee of the ruling General People's Congress was more positive about both the President's call and the idea of a summit. Where Qahtan had dismissed it as a political stunt, Abulahoum told PolOff, "he (President Saleh) is always serious about Gaza and helping the Palestinians." Abulahoum went on to note that a Summit would be a good time to form a unified Arab League position on the Hamas government. He also said that he thought Secretary General Amr Moussa needed to be "nudged" on Palestine and that the Summit would be a good opportunity to do so. Comment -------------- ¶5. (C) Already feeling pressure for his inability to achieve results on key issues like the return of GTMO detainees and Sheikh al-Moayed (ref B),Saleh is in no position to be seen as inactive on as hot an Arab issue as the situation in Gaza. Qahtan's view that his call was intended for domestic political consumption rings true. On the GPC side, while Abulahoum fancies himself a firebrand who revels in criticizing his government and his party, it is unsurprising that he would close ranks with his President on this issue. End Comment. SECHE