ARAB LEAGUE ON ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000873

SIPDIS

NEA FOR IPA AND RA; USUN FOR SCHEDLBAUER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/13/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAL IS EG
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE ON ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT AND
GAZA "FACT FINDING" REPORT

Classified By: Counselor Catherine Hill-Herndon
Reasons: 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (C) Key points:

-- In a May 11 meeting, Arab League (AL) Chief of Staff
Hisham Yousef told us that AL SYG Moussa was very encouraged
by the Administration's early position on Middle East peace.
He said that the AL had agreed to resume Israeli-Palestinian
negotiations only if Israel satisfactorily halts settlement
activity, but told us that some Arabs may agree to a more
pragmatic Arab approach.

-- Yousef warned that opening the Arab Peace Initiative up
for discussion at the AL now would be "disastrous," given
that several Arab states want to scuttle the initiative.
That said, he understood the need for creative thinking on
options for "operationalizing" the API.

-- In a separate May 10 briefing for local diplomats, Yousef
reported that the AL May 7 ministerial had focused on "steps
to revive the peace process," addressing Israeli settlement
activity in and around East Jerusalem, and the AL
fact-finding report on Gaza. The Arab League wants the U.N
Security Council to address Israeli "violations of
international law."

-- Yousef argued in both meetings that Iran should not be
used as a "diversion" to Israeli-Palestinian core issues, and
ongoing Palestinian discord is "no excuse" for inaction.


2. (C) Arab League COS Hisham Yousef told us May 11 that the
Arab League consensus (as publicly stated) was that "concrete
steps" by Israel on settlements is a pre-condition for Arab
support of resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
The general Arab view is that the Israelis should make a
strong, convincing announcement on settlement policy that
could be verified on the ground. However, he told us
privately that some (unspecified) Arab leaders would be
willing to adopt a more flexible approach, driven largely by
their confidence in the Administration's early position on
Middle East peace.


3. (C) Yousef offered his personal concern that Arab pressure
for Israeli action on settlements would result in the process
bogging down, as Israel and the U.S. would end up haggling on
terms and conditions ad infinitum. He said he understood the
idea of using the API as a foundation to base Arab steps
toward recognition of Israel, but warned that opening the API
for discussion on the Arab League floor would be
"disastrous," given the bloc of states (led by Qatar and
Syria) that would seek to cancel, or expedite expiration of,
the API. For now, Yousef said that the plan is for the AL to
evaluate the API by the end of 2009.


4. (C) Yousef said that Arab leaders believe that Israel is
using Iran as "leverage" in the Israeli-Palestinian context,
and opined that while progress on the Iran file would have a
positive impact on the environment for Israeli-Palestinian
negotiations, the converse was not true, i.e. progress on
Israeli-Palestinian negotiations would not positively impact
the international community's impasse with Iran.


5. (U) In the May 10 briefing with local diplomats, Yousef
reported that the AL May 7 ministerial had focused on "steps
to revive the peace process," addressing Israeli settlement
activity in and around East Jerusalem, and the AL"
independent" fact-finding report on Gaza, entitled "No Safe
Place". This report had determined that both Israel and
Hamas had engaged in indiscriminate attacks on civilians
(note: The 250 page report can be found in English on the
Arab League website at www.Arableagueonline.org). However,
the bulk of the report's conclusions were focused on Israeli
transgressions.

6. (U) Yousef told the local diplomats that the Arab League
would present the report to the U.N. and call on the Security
Council to address "violations of international law" during
the Gaza crisis. Yousef said that the report suggested
various forums for legal action against Israel, including the
International Court of Justice, the International Criminal
Court and/or within justice systems of individual states
under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
SCOBEY