LEBANON: REACTION TO PM NETANYAHU'S JUNE 14 SPEECH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000668 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA ALSO FOR IO A/S BRIMMER P FOR DRUSSELL, RRANGASWAMY PARIS FOR RWALLER USUN FOR WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER NSC FOR SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT DOD/OSD FOR FLOURNOY/KAHL/DALTON DRL/NESA FOR WHITMAN, BARGHOUT OVP FOR HMUSTAFA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC LE IS SUBJECT: LEBANON: REACTION TO PM NETANYAHU'S JUNE 14 SPEECH REF: A. BEIRUT 662 ¶B. TEL AVIV 1295 Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Lebanese reaction to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's June 14 speech was mostly negative (Ref A). President Sleiman termed the Netanyahu speech as "hard lined" in a statement issued June 15, while PM Siniora termed it "extremely dangerous." The only positive acknowledgment noted by Lebanese interlocutors was Netanyahu's recognition of the eventual existence of two states. Lebanese interest in Arab-Israeli peace is heavily focused on avoiding permanent Palestinian resettlement in Lebanon ("tawteen"). We expect the GOL to continue to coordinate its position with other Arab states. End summary. PRESIDENT AND PM CALL FOR MORE ARAB UNITY -------------- ¶2. (C) Lebanese interlocutors, including the most senior levels of government, reacted negatively to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's June 14 policy speech -- Ref B. President Michel Sleiman, in a statement issued June 15, called Netanyahu's comments "hard lined" and urged his Arab counterparts to strengthen their unity to pose an effective challenge to Netanyahu. In a press statement the same day, Prime Minister Siniora called the speech "extremely dangerous" and said it "ignored" the status of Jerusalem, the rights of Palestinian refugees, and the Arab Peace Initiative. Siniora's senior advisor, Rola Noureddine, told the DCM the same day that that the GOL would coordinate its response with other Arab countries to reach an "Arab position." The PM said the speech was "not positive" and complicated matters, Noureddine reported. MPs AND POLITICAL OBSERVERS ALL REACT NEGATIVELY -------------- ¶3. (C) March 14 MP Boutros Harb told Polstaff June 15 that Netanyahu's speech was a clear indication that Israel "did not want a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict" and that the Arabs could not accept Israel's conditions of recognition and demilitarization (Ref B). Closer to home, Harb said he was most worried about the resettlement of Palestinians in Lebanon. Netanyahu's reference to Israel "as a Jewish state" implied that Arabs who reside in Israel would "gradually leave" but would have to go somewhere. Minister of State Nassib Lahoud echoed these comments, and added that it would be "difficult" for Arabs to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. ¶4. (C) MP-elect Alain Aoun, a member of opposition Christian leader Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM),said Netanyahu's position on Palestinian resettlement outside of Israel would give more credibility to FPM's arguments against "tawteen" (permanent Palestinian resettlement) in Lebanon. Aoun conjectured that Netanyahu had set a high bar in his speech to eventually make space for Israeli acceptance of a "two-state solution." Akram Shuhayyeb, an MP and advisor to March 14 Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, called Netanyahu's recognition of a two-state solution the only positive aspect of the speech. Riad Tabbara, a former Ambassador to the United States and advisor to assassinated former PM Rafiq Hariri, assessed that Netanyahu's vision of a Palestinian state outlined in the speech as unrealistic. However, it could lead to the initial steps of future negotiations, he said. ¶5. (C) Ministry of Finance Director General Alain Bifani called the speech "worrying" because, he said, it rejected BEIRUT 00000668 002 OF 002 the Palestinians' "right of return" and supported expansion of Israeli settlements. Economic Advisor to Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, Dr. Ghazi Wazni, called on Arab states to reject the speech and believed Netanyahu had rejected UNSC resolution 194 which calls for the "right of return." COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (C) Lebanese viewed Netanyahu's public recognition of a "two-state solution," although flawed in the Lebanese view, as the only positive component of the speech. Lebanese interest in the Arab-Israeli conflict focuses first on the question of Palestinian resettlement and avoiding resettlement in Lebanon. We expect the GOL to continue to call for implementation of the Arab Peace Initiative and to coordinate its position vis-a-vis Israel with the Arab League. End comment. SISON