PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS LISBON

C O N F I D E N T I A L LISBON 000623 SIPDIS STATE DEPT FOR NEA E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/16/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL UNGA KPAL IS PO SUBJECT: PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS LISBON REF: A. LISBON 0595 ¶B. LISBON O568 Classified By: DEPUTY POL/ECON COUNS MARIO FERNANDEZ, FOR 1.4 B AND D. ¶1. (C) Deputy P/E Chief met on December 15 with Joao Neves da Costa, Portuguese MFA Director for Middle East and Maghreb Affairs, at Neves' request. Neves reported that Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado had met with Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki in Lisbon on December 14 to discuss the Middle East peace process. According to Neves, Amado had invited al-Malki to come to Portugal months ago but al-Malki's schedule had not permitted the visit until now. It was a fast trip: al-Malki arrived in Portugal in the morning, met with Minister Amado and then with senior MFA staff, had lunch with a small group of MFA officials, and left Portugal. Neves reported that al-Malki made two major points: 1) the PNA was disappointed by the Obama Administration's lack of action; and 2) the PNA was looking for positive U.S. signs to give Abbas a pretext to return to talks. ¶2. (C) Neves said that al-Malki expressed his disappointment in what he called the Obama Administration's failure to achieve progress in the peace process. President Obama, al-Malki said, had raised expectations to such a degree that the Palestinian people expected immediate action and Palestinian officials were under the gun to meet those expectations. In the absence of concrete results, many disaffected Palestinians were turning to radical elements, namely Hamas. Al-Malki observed that Palestinians in general believe that the U.S. has the power to solve the long-standing problem, but lacks the resolve to stand up to Israeli "intransigence." ¶3. (C) According to Neves, al-Malki indicated that the Palestinians were looking for a clear "delineation" of U.S. support for the PNA that could take the form of a pro-Palestinian UN Security Council resolution. While the Palestinians were not sure exactly what the resolution would say, they expected it would call for a return to the 1967 borders and lay out clear benchmarks for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Such a resolution --a tangible indication of international support-- would give Abbas the cover necessary to fend off radicals and return to the negotiating table. Al-Malki said that, in return, leaders in other Arab countries would be prepared to support U.S. positions on Iran and Afghanistan. ¶4. (C) Comment: Post notes that just last month, Portugal voted in favor of the resolution endorsing the Goldstone Report (ref B),despite MFA officials having previously assured us that Portugal would follow the EU consensus. MFA officials later explained that the decision to support the resolution had been made at the last minute by the "highest levels" and rationalized that because there was no EU consensus, Portugal had been free to vote in favor. For more reporting from Embassy Lisbon and information about Portugal, please see our Intelink site: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/portal:port ugal BALLARD