STAFFDEL DIAMOND, GOJ OFFICIALS DISCUSS REGIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 000552 SIPDIS FOR H/RGF AND NEA/ELA E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV JO SUBJECT: STAFFDEL DIAMOND, GOJ OFFICIALS DISCUSS REGIONAL ISSUES Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d). ¶1. (C) Summary: In separate meetings February 16-17, Foreign Minister Salah Al Bashir and Advisor to the King Ayman Safadi told Staffdel Diamond that to obtain peace in the Middle East the U.S. administration needed to pursue immediate negotiations, not a protracted process. It also needed to prepare to pressure the new Israeli government on settlements and other issues. Safadi likened an Israeli cabinet including Beitenu Leader Avigdor Lieberman to a Palestinian government that included Hamas and stressed that Lieberman's inclusion would make it difficult to justify to the Palestinians excluding Hamas from negotiations. Bashir suggested the U.S. exercise caution in considering whether to engage with Syria and Iran and stressed the importance of not allowing the administration's focus to drift from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the central problem in the region. (Note: Al Bashir was replaced February 23rd as Foreign Minister in a general cabinet re-shuffle. End Note.) End Summary. Time to Negotiate -------------- ¶2. (C) Foreign Minister Bashir told Howard Diamond and David Beraka of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a February 17 meeting that the U.S. should advance "negotiations rather than a process" as soon as possible and that he was encouraged by the current level of U.S. engagement. He pressed for bolstering the stature of PA President Mahmoud Abbas by providing him deliverables to present to the Palestinian people. It was not sufficient, he added, to insist that "only Abbas" be the Palestinian leader but then not let him deliver. Israel undermined him by increasing settlements and checkpoints after Annapolis and by letting 2008 end without an agreement, he said. Asked for his thoughts on pursuing a Palestinian unity government rather than an "Abbas or nothing approach," Bashir responded reconciliation talks were ongoing but that we should not wait for a result. Palestinian unity would come from support of a negotiated outcome, he said. Diamond asked Bashir what the minimum time requirement was for the administration to achieve results. Bashir replied that the question made him "extremely nervous" because it suggested to him that the U.S. might not take immediate action. Hamas and Lieberman -------------- ¶3. (C) Safadi expressed concern over the prospect of an Israeli government that would include Beitenu's Lieberman and likened Lieberman's position on a negotiated settlement to that of Hamas. If Lieberman can be in government, people will ask, "Why not Hamas?" he claimed. Safadi said that Hamas will be strengthened if Palestinians see no hope for a resolution due to a Netanyahu government. Safadi said Palestinians and Arabs at large will be watching closely to see how President Obama handles the new Israeli government and that "people need to see that he can be critical of Israel," he asserted. Bashir separately stated that Lieberman's reported comments about Israeli Arabs were "unacceptable" and equivalent to espousing ethnic cleansing. Syria and Iran -------------- ¶4. (C) When asked for his views on possible U.S. engagement with Syria, Bashir responded that the Israel-Palestinian track remained the central issue and that Syria needed to be convinced that it had an interest in supporting a Palestinian deal. Syria had to be presented with benchmarks for good behavior if it was engaged, such as supporting Palestinian reconciliation, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the PA/PLO structure. Syria used each of these issues as tactical cards, which needed to stop, Bashir declared. Safadi said that the key to Syria was to watch its relationship with Iran. Despite the outward appearance of a close relationship, Safadi declared that Syria was jealous of Iran's growing power in Lebanon relative to its own and would not risk losing power there by making a deal with Israel. ¶5. (U) STAFFDEL Diamond did not have an opportunity to clear this message before departing Jordan. Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman Beecroft