UAE FM on Middle East Peace

S E C R E T ABU DHABI 001133 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP AND NEA/IPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/12/10 TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAL KWBG IS AE SUBJECT: UAE FM on Middle East Peace CLASSIFIED BY: Richard Olson, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (S) Summary: UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (AbZ) told D/SEMEP David Hale on December 7 bold steps were needed to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and again proposed a donors conference in support of East Jerusalem. AbZ said he expected Abu Mazen to remain in power but that everyone needed to be prepared for succession scenarios. End Summary. ¶2. (S) AbZ outlined what he said PA President Abbas had conveyed to him, in connection with the internal Palestinian crisis: there would be no surprises, no resignations, and no dissolution of the Palestinian Authority. AbZ stated his personal view that Abu Mazen should enter negotiations immediately, but said the settlement moratorium announcement made such a move harder rather than easier because it excluded East Jerusalem. Discussing what he called an "exit strategy" on the issue of Jerusalem, AbZ stressed that concrete steps on the ground --- and under the ground --- were needed to move toward negotiations. Israelis must stop condemning property, demolishing homes, confiscating identity cards, and most importantly "digging under the mosque" as Muslims worldwide still believe that excavation beneath Al Aqsa is intended to bring the mosque down. ¶3. (S) AbZ inquired about forthcoming financial support for the PA and reiterated his proposal for a donors' conference to support Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem and preserve the identity of the city. He said such an event would appeal to the generosity of Muslim countries and "corner some countries into doing something big." OLSON