GOI ALARMED BY EU DRAFT COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 002577 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV EU KWBG IS SUBJECT: GOI ALARMED BY EU DRAFT COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS ON MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Luis G. Moreno, Reason 1.4 (b) (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. MFA Senior Deputy Director General Barak briefed PolCouns December 1 on the Israel's "alarm" at the Council of the European Union's draft text on the Middle East Peace Process. Barak stressed that the EU draft, if adopted by the EU foreign ministers December 7, would seriously undermine U.S. efforts to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. Barak complained that the EU draft pre-judges the outcome of negotiations, adopts Palestinian positions on borders and Jerusalem while ignoring Israel's security concerns, and by minimizing the GOI's decision to implement a freeze on construction in settlements and by explicitly calling for "further concrete steps" before negotiations resume, would directly undercut the resumption of negotiations. Barak said PM Netanyahu is reaching out to key EU leaders to try to convince them to support adoption of a short, positive statement instead. Barak said Sweden circulated the draft with the full support of the UK, but other major EU states, especially Germany and Italy, are reportedly sympathetic to Israeli concerns. In a subsequent conversation, MFA Director General Gal told PolCouns that the EU council draft is "political dynamite" in Israel and comes at the worst possible time since if the EU adopts it, Netanyahu's critics on the right will use it against the settlement freeze policy, claiming that Netanyahu's "concessions" to the Palestinians have only led to increased pressure on Israel to cede more. End Summary. ¶2. (C) MFA Senior Deputy Director General Rafael Barak briefed PolCouns the evening of December 1 on the EU MEPP Draft Council Conclusions under discussion in Brussels, noting that the Israelis have obtained the Swedish draft with revisions made November 30 (document scanned and e-mailed to NEA/IPA). Barak said the EU Council draft is of "grave concern" to the GOI for a number of reasons, including their view that it pre-judges the outcome of negotiations and does not give sufficient weight to Israeli steps, including the settlement freeze; it adopts Palestinian positions on '67 borders, Jerusalem and other issues but makes no reference to Israel's security; and by explicitly stating in para 7 that "The parties must take further concrete steps in order to enable the resumption of negotiations as soon as possible," it would directly undermine efforts to resume negotiations. ¶3. (C) Barak said they are taking a number of steps on various levels, including calls by Netanyahu to some European leaders while Netanyahu's adviser Isaac Molho is in contact with Senator Mitchell. Their preferred outcome is for the EU to drop the current draft in favor of a short, positive statement that focuses on support for the resumption of negotiations. The second option is to try to get friendly Europeans to change the text to remove Israeli "red lines" on Jerusalem, Palestine and the reference to "further concrete steps" before negotiations can resume. They may also seek U.S. support in the Quartet. Barak said in addition to the Swedes, they believe the UK is fully behind the current draft while Italy, Germany, Holland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Poland and "even Spain" have reservations and may be prepared to be helpful to Israel. Barak did not mention France. He noted that if the EU foreign ministers adopt the draft on December 7, it will almost certainly be endorsed by the EU heads of state on December 10. ¶4. (C) Following a subsequent meeting between visiting U/S Tauscher and MFA Director General Yossi Gal, Gal pulled PolCouns aside to convey his view that the EU council draft is potential "political dynamite" inside for Israel, the timing of which "could not be worse." Netanyahu is already feeling under pressure from the right because of the settlement freeze, and if the EU Council adopts the draft, it will be used by the PM's critics as proof that offering concessions to the Palestinians only generates more pressure on Israel to make further concessions rather than leading to a resumption of negotiations. Gal said Netanyahu will be making a major effort with sympathetic EU leaders to manage the problem, but he strongly implied that they will also be turning to the U.S. for support, particularly if Israeli bilateral efforts with the EU fail. MORENO