DEMARCHE: ARAB LEAGUE MINISTERIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 000691 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA, NEA/IPA ALSO FOR IO A/S BRIMMER P FOR DRUSSELL, RRANGASWAMY DRL/NESA FOR WHITMAN, BARGHOUT LONDON FOR TSOU PARIS FOR RWALLER USUN FOR WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER NSC FOR SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT OVP FOR HMUSTAFA DOD/OSD FOR FLOURNOY/KAHL/DALTON E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAL EAID XF LE SUBJECT: DEMARCHE: ARAB LEAGUE MINISTERIAL REF: STATE 062909 Classified By: AMBASSADOR MICHELE J. SISON FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Lebanon will take a moderate position at the AL ministerial and advocate for the Arab Peace Initiative, as it has in the past, the diplomatic advisor to President Michel Sleiman (Naji Abi Assi) and chief aide to Prime Minister Fouad Siniora (Rola Noureddine) told DCM in separate conversations on June 19. They said we should expect there will be strong criticism of the Netanyahu speech by the Arab League and not the more balanced view advocated in the USG demarche. ¶2. (C) Lebanon's position likely will track with the June 18 Lebanese cabinet statement in reaction to the Netanyahu speech, both advisors said. The cabinet statement called on the United States and Europe to exert greater pressure on Israel "to accept fair peace initiatives." The statement called for preserving the "spirit of the resistance" to face Israeli threats. It rejected naturalization of Palestinians in Lebanon and emphasized the Palestinians' right of return to their homeland. The statement also asserted that the Arab Peace Initiative provided the best opportunity to achieve a comprehensive and fair peace. ¶3. (C) Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh will represent Lebanon at the Ministerial, and DCM asked if he would go uninstructed. Salloukh is close to March 8 opposition figures who would be highly critical of Israel. The two advisors assured that their offices collaborate to provide Salloukh instructions that reflect the views of the President and Prime Minister, and Salloukh would follow those. SISON