YASIR ABD RABBO AND HANAN ASHRAWI ON PLO REFORM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001653 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA, NSC FOR SHAPIRO/KUMAR E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS KWBG KPAL KDEM IS SUBJECT: YASIR ABD RABBO AND HANAN ASHRAWI ON PLO REFORM AND OVERSEAS MISSIONS Classified By: CG Daniel Rubinstein for reason 1.4 (d). ¶1. (U) This message includes an action request for the Department -- please see para 9. ¶2. (C) Summary: PLO Executive Committee (PLO/EC) General Secretary Yasir Abd Rabbo outlined plans to reform the PLO in a meeting with the Consul General on September 10. He said the PLO's role was never redefined after the creation of the Palestinian Authority. In his view, the PLO should be the address for issues of strategic policy, such as negotiations, relations with the Palestinian diaspora, and factional reconciliation. Other issues, including management of the PLO's overseas missions, should be left to the PA (notwithstanding the terms of the 1995 Interim Agreement),he said. Newly-elected PLO/EC member Hanan Ashrawi said Abd Rabbo's proposals were well-received and said the PLO/EC plans to meet daily to work out the details of key internal reforms. Post seeks guidance on the proposal to formally shift responsibility for PLO missions to the PA. End Summary. Yasir Abd Rabbo on Defining Roles -------------- ¶3. (C) In a September 10 meeting with the Consul General, Abd Rabbo outlined the way ahead on PLO reform in the wake of the August 27 Palestine National Council meeting. Abd Rabbo began by noting that the role of the PLO was never adequately redefined after the Palestinian Authority's own roles were elaborated. (Note: the 1994 Gaza-Jericho Agreement and the 1995 Interim Agreement ("Oslo II") and its annexes specify most PA functions.) "Up until then," he noted, adding, "the PLO was the only address. It was the parliament, the government, and the (overseer of the) budget." ¶4. (C) Abd Rabbo said the PLO/EC hopes to clarify the roles of the PLO and the PA. "Everyone knows the function of the PA," he noted. "As for the PLO, we believe it should be the address for political and strategic decisions, on issues such as negotiations, refugees, and the (factional reconciliation) dialogue. Defining clear roles, and ensuring close PLO-PA coordination, are his main goals. Abd Rabbo said he planned to table concrete proposals on these issues at a meeting of the PLO/EC later that day. ¶5. (C) Overseas Palestinian missions provide a good example of unclear roles, Abd Rabbo said. During negotiations over the Interim Agreement, the Israelis had insisted that these missions remain attached to the PLO. However, over time a more complex reality evolved, with the PA government paying their budgets and gaining increasing authority over personnel decisions, he noted. "I'm inclined to think all (overseas) missions should report to the PA government," Abd Rabbo said, adding "because they are responsible for daily (routine) and not strategic work." Ashrawi Readout of Initial PLO/EC Meeting -------------- ¶6. (C) In a separate telcon on September 11, newly-elected PLO/EC independent member Hanan Ashrawi provided Polchief with a readout of the previous day's PLO/EC meeting. She said Abd Rabbo's proposals had been well-received, and the PLO/EC plans to meet daily to refine these documents. ¶7. (C) Ashrawi said the agenda before the PLO/EC is long at this stage, and included reforming the PLO's structure and organization, developing a budget, and promulgating bylaws for the committee itself. Regarding PLO missions, she said discussions focused on implementing a 2005 Palestinian law which strengthened the PA's role in personnel and operational decisions. Another topic raised at the meeting was the PLO's need to strengthen its influence in the refugee camp committees to counter growing Hamas influence among the Palestinian diaspora, she said. ¶8. (C) Finally, Ashrawi said the PLO/EC discussed negotiations with Israel. "We are against any resumption of negotiations until all settlement activity ceases," she said. "If any Palestinian, including Abu Mazen, tries to meet with the Israelis under the current circumstances, he will immediately lose credibility," Ashrawi added. ¶9. (C) Action Request: The PLO/EC debate over overseas missions could ultimately affect the status of missions in Washington and New York. Post requests Department guidance as to whether we should express a formal position on these JERUSALEM 00001653 002 OF 002 plans before they develop further. RUBINSTEIN