IS THE SARG INFLUENCING HAMAS'S INCREASINGLY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 000783

SIPDIS

LONDON FOR LORD, PARIS FOR NOBLES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2019
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV KPAL SY
SUBJECT: IS THE SARG INFLUENCING HAMAS'S INCREASINGLY
AGGRESSIVE TONE?

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Chuck Hunter for reasons 1.4(b,d)


1. (S) SUMMARY: Hamas distributed a memorandum last week to
some Arab ambassadors in Damascus blasting the Palestinian
Authority (PA) and PA President Mahmoud Abbas for
"obstructing reconciliation efforts." It also condemned
Egypt's role in Palestinian reconciliation and expressed
reservations Hamas holds on the draft agreement resulting
from Egyptian-brokered talks between the PA and Hamas.
Syrian and diplomatic contacts tell us Hamas's harshly worded
memorandum is another example of the increasingly aggressive,
anti-PA tone Hamas and its Damascus-based leadership have
taken following the controversy over the Goldstone Report.
Observers continue to debate, however, whether the SARG has
influenced the change in tone and blessed the more
provocative statements coming from Hamas and its leadership.
A November 6 speech by Khaled Meshaal struck a more cordial
tone toward Abbas, but it continued the steady drumbeat of
calling for the unification of the Palestinians against peace
talks. END SUMMARY.

HAMAS MEMO TAKES SWINGS AT ABBAS, CAIRO


2. (S) A memorandum distributed last week by Hamas to some
Arab ambassadors in Damascus blasted Fatah and Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for "undermining"
Palestinian reconciliation. Post obtained a copy of the
memorandum (e-mailed separately to NEA),which also condemns
the PA for failing to support taking the Goldstone Report to
the United Nations Human Rights Council. Hamas criticized
Egypt's role in Palestinian reconciliation talks between
Hamas and the PA, while accusing Egypt of "refusing any
amendments" to a proposal for reconciliation resulting from
negotiations Egypt brokered between the PA and Hamas.


3. (S) The two "key reservations" to the Egyptian draft
agreement Hamas cites in the memorandum relate to: 1) the
formation of a Palestinian National Council; and 2) the
appointment of an election committee. Regarding the former,
the memo stated that a sentence declaring "the
above-mentioned duties (of the council) cannot be obstructed,
seeing that they constitute national consensus that has been
agreed upon," was deleted from the final version of the draft
agreement.


4. (S) On the second topic, Hamas criticized the draft
agreement for allowing the Palestinian president to form an
election committee based on "the consultations he carries out
and on the basis of proportional representation." Hamas
argued that the election committee must be formed based on
"national agreement," and not consultation or proportional
representation. The memorandum argued both clauses were
modified after consensus on the draft agreement was reached
by the two parties.

EGYPTIAN EMBASSY CLAIMS MEMORANDUM "FULL OF LIES"


5. (S) Egyptian diplomat Marwa Fouad (strictly protect) told
us on November 2 the Hamas memorandum, was "full of lies."
She said the two parties agreed on the draft agreement and
the PA signed it. She agreed the Goldstone Report
controversy subsequently changed the equation, with Hamas
attempting to exploit the issue to the PA's detriment. Fouad
maintained, however, Egypt could not support changing the
text of the draft agreement now "because the talks are over
and the PA signed the agreement." "If Hamas wants to sign
the agreement, they are free to come and do so, but we won't
change the text of the agreement now," she added. "One party
has already signed the agreement, and Egypt cannot
unilaterally agree to any amendments. Amendments would
require the negotiations to reopen, and there are no plans
for that."


6. (S) According to Fouad, Khaled Meshaal issued the
memorandum after secretly visiting IRAN while on a visit to
Qatar. At Tehran's urging, Hamas was using the reservations
expressed in the memorandum as an excuse to justify Hamas's
opposition to the draft agreement. "It is obvious the
Iranians told him to send this memo. Meshaal couldn't say:
'The Iranians said no.' So instead he issued the memo and
blamed Egypt," she concluded. Asserting that other Arab
embassies were not taking the memorandum seriously, she
reported Hamas representatives in Damascus regularly called
the Egyptian Embassy but the Embassy was not responding to
Hamas requests to discuss changes to the draft agreement.
Fouad said she hoped the USG would ask the SARG to put
pressure on Hamas "to play a constructive rather than an
unconstructive role," but she questioned the extent to which
the SARG holds leverage over Hamas. According to Fouad, the
Goldstone Report controversy and Iranian influence may be

DAMASCUS 00000783 002 OF 002


bigger factors behind Hamas's increasingly aggressive anti-PA
rhetoric.

7.(S) Sinaan al-Majali (strictly protect) of the Jordanian
Embassy also questioned the extent of the SARG's leverage
over Hamas. "My Syrian friends inside and outside the
government insist that Hamas is doing these things on their
own, and Syria cannot control them," he said. He also
pointed to Iranian influence over Hamas as a significant
factor in the organization's current rhetoric. Majali
reported his embassy does not believe the memorandum will
affect the position of Arab governments on Palestinian
reconciliation. He expressed concern, however, that the
legitimacy of any upcoming Palestinian elections was being
undermined by the controversy.


8. (S) A recent speech by Meshaal suggests a slight mellowing
toward Abbas (after the latter's announcement he would not
run for re-election). While softer on Abu Mazen, Meshaal's
rhetoric was firmly opposed to pursuing negotiations. "Any
leader who insists on the right of return for Palestinian
refugees and on restoring their land, even to the 1967
borders . . . must know that the way to do this is not
through negotiations or betting on the Americans but through
holy war, resistance, and national unity." Syrian officials
will welcome the "outstretched hand" to Fatah, but it remains
unclear how they view Hamas's rejection of "betting on the
Americans."


9. (S) COMMENT: Saudi King Abdullah's October 7 visit, which
occurred shortly after the Goldstone controversy erupted at
the United Nations, was supposed to have provided an
opportunity to LOBBY the Syrian government to use its
influence to convince Hamas to embrace the Egyptian-brokered
reconciliation deal. According to Egyptian sources here,
however, the Goldstone episode provided Hamas with ammunition
to convince the Syrians and Saudis that proceeding with the
agreement would hurt the Palestinian cause. While Meshaal's
latest rhetoric suggests the SARG may be attempting to ease
its attacks on the PA, Meshaal's focus on resistance seems
aimed at making it more difficult for the PA to return to
negotiations. Though Iran's hand is evident in Hamas's
efforts to influence Arab opinion, Hamas's antics serve
Syria's interest in adding pressure on anyone trying to
pursue peace with Israel without going first through
Damascus. END COMMENT.
HUNTER