ISRAELI CONCERNS ABOUT UPCOMING GAERC MEETING ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 000208 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAL AORC KWBG PHUM IS EU FR SUBJECT: ISRAELI CONCERNS ABOUT UPCOMING GAERC MEETING ON THE MIDDLE EAST Classified by Ambassador James B. Cunningham, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) MFA Policy Advisor Tal Becker called the Ambassador to express concern about the upcoming GAERC meeting in Brussels on the Middle East scheduled for Monday, January ¶26. According to Becker, the French are pushing hard to change the GAERC document in ways that will make things more flexible for Hamas -- i.e. by removing references to the 2005 (AMA) agreement and the 2006 Quartet principles (as a precondition for engagement with Hamas). ¶2. (C) On Gaza reconstruction, the French have reportedly removed references to the need for coordination with the Palestinian Authority. FM Livni will take this up with her European counterparts, and Ambassador Sallai Meridor will raise it in Washington. According to Becker, the Germans are cooperating with the French efforts, and the British are not protesting it. ¶3. (C) Becker shared the message the MFA will convey with the EU: choose between Hamas and the peace process. 'We will not negotiate political arrangements with a Hamas- influenced Palestinian Authority.' Furthermore, Becker emphasized that crossings to Gaza were open, and Israel remains committed to expanding assistance, but there will be no regular access without AMA, or AMA-like arrangements in place. Reconstruction and rehabilitation must be through existing mechanism and a Palestinian Authority that accepts the Quartet principles. Reconciliation must be consistent with the terms of UNSCR's 1850 and 1860. Implementation of (reconstruction and reconciliation) requires a Palestinian Authority that does not threaten the peace process. ¶4. (C) Becker also noted that the EU may be looking into monitoring investigations into war crimes. He urged the U.S. to reach out to EU members. CUNNINGHAM