PM FAYYAD: PA HAS IMPROVED WEST BANK SECURITY;

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000321 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE. NSC FOR SHAPIRO/PASCUAL. JOINT STAFF FOR LT GEN SELVA E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2019 TAGS: KWBG PHUM ASEC IS PBTS PTER OREP SUBJECT: PM FAYYAD: PA HAS IMPROVED WEST BANK SECURITY; SETTLEMENT FREEZE NEEDED Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. PM Salam Fayyad met with six Congressional delegations February 15-22: Codels Kerry, Lieberman, Cardin, and Waxman, and Staffdels Eltrich and Diamond. PM Fayyad emphasized three common themes in his briefings: 1) the PA has improved West Bank security, and the GOI should cease incursions into Area A; 2) the GOI needs to implement a settlement freeze; and 3) the USG should insist on greater GOI accountability. End summary. ¶2. (C) In six recent meetings with Congressional and staff delegations, PM Fayyad said that the PA has made remarkable strides in meeting Road Map obligations on security in the West Bank, most notably during the recent Gaza conflict, when there was no spillover of violence in the West Bank. Fayyad said the PA is ready to assume full security responsibility for Area A and requested that the IDF cease incursions there. He explained his request that the IDF cease incursions is consistent with the Israeli obligation under the Roadmap to return to "September 28, 2000 positions." ¶3. (C) Fayyad said the GOI has not fulfilled its Roadmap obligations. Most notably, it has failed to freeze settlement activity, undermining the possibility of a viable two-state solution and Palestinian faith in negotiations, he said. He urged the USG to remain engaged while demanding accountability equally from the Palestinians and Israelis. ¶4. (C) Fayyad emphasized to Codel Kerry that "political deliverables" for the PA, such as ending IDF incursions into Area A and freezing settlement activity, will show Palestinians the benefits of improving PASF capacity and the politically risky decision to improve coordination with Israeli security services. He said that a right-wing Israeli government dependent on religious parties will delay implementation of GOI Roadmap obligations and that the USG (notably the Roadmap monitoring mission) should monitor actions by both sides and hold them accountable. ¶5. (C) Fayyad told Codel Lieberman that Israeli-Palestinian cooperation on security is at its "historical highest," saying, "they give us the information, and we take care of it." He said that during the past year, PASF took proactive security measures instead of merely reacting to events on the ground. Referring to the PA's need for budgetary support, Fayyad said he spoke publically about the PA's financial difficulties in order to get the PA,s regional allies to act, but the PA "has not received one cent from them." ¶6. (C) Fayyad told Codel Cardin that the GOI should also ease access and movement in the Palestinian territories. Fayyad told Codel Waxman that the GOI must "enable" the PA, allowing it to exercise greater responsibilities. Fayyad said the PA is beginning to recover some of the political capital it lost during Gaza conflict by developing a recovery and reconstruction plan for Gaza that it will present to donors on March 2 in Sharm al-Sheikh. ¶7. (C) Fayyad told Staffdel Eltrich that he was "glad for the opportunity" to discuss technical financial matters with them. He thanked all Congressional groups for the USG's "generous assistance" in 2008, which "dovetailed seamlessly with PA efforts," and said that any appropriations approved in 2009 would be "well spent," as the budget will be "implemented scrupulously." Fayyad told Staffdel Diamond that he supports Palestinian reconciliation, saying "unless we reunite this country, our efforts will all be in vain." He said elections are "critically important; if we're not good enough to win outright, at least we can work so HAMAS loses." ¶8. (U) Codels Kerry, Lieberman, Cardin, and Waxman, and Staffdels Eltrich and Diamond did not have the opportunity to clear on this cable. WALLES