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