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Viewing cable 02ROME603, ITALIAN PROJECT ON TRACK II DIPLOMACY BETWEEN

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
02ROME603 2002-02-07 13:27 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Rome
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS ROME 000603 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL IT IS GZ UN
SUBJECT: ITALIAN PROJECT ON TRACK II DIPLOMACY BETWEEN 
ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS 
 
1. (U) SENSING THAT THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST HAS 
REACHED "DESPERATE" MEASURES, THE ITALIAN MFA FUNDED AN 
INITIATIVE CALLED "MEETING THE OTHER", A FORUM FOR ISRAELI 
AND PALESTINIAN CIVIL SOCIETIES TO DIALOGUE.  THE FIRST OF 
SUCH MEETINGS TOOK PLACE FEB 4. 
 
2. (U) AMBASSADOR ANTONIO BADINI, THE MFA'S DIRECTOR GENERAL 
FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, OPENED THE MEETING BY STRESSING THAT 
"MEETING THE OTHER" WAS NOT A VENUE FOR POLITICAL DEBATE, BUT 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  00603  090715Z 
AN ATTEMPT TO PROMOTE CIVIL DIALOGUE IN DISCUSSING A POSSIBLE 
COMMON FUTURE, AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO START A SOCIAL PROJECT 
THAT WOULD IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE IN THE REGION. 
THERE WAS CONSENSUS AMONG THE AUDIENCE THAT EDUCATION OUGHT 
TO BE THE TOPIC DISCUSSED IN THE NEXT MEETING (JUNE 2002). 
 
3. (U) MR. DAVID GROSSMAN, A WRITER, REPRESENTED THE ISRAELI 
SIDE.  HE SAID THAT THE MAJOR CURRENT TRAGEDY IS THE ABSENCE 
OF A LEADER, ISRAELI OR PALESTINIAN, WHO IS TRULY WILLING TO 
OFFER HIS PEOPLE THE ONLY POSSIBLE SOLUTION: PEACE.  WHEN 
ASKED IF THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT MAY PURSUE "UNILATERAL 
SEPARATION", HE REPLIED THAT HE HOPED NOT.  EVEN THOUGH THE 
ISRAELI PUBLIC IS TERRIFIED OF TERRORISM, GROSSMAN STRESSED 
THAT THE HEART OF ZIONISM IS TO "ACHIEVE SOME NORMALITY, TO 
BE ACCEPTED".  HE HOPED THAT THE ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN 
LEADERSHIP WOULD OPT FOR THE "MATURE BEHAVIOR": DIALOGUE. 
 
4. (U) PROFESSOR SARI NUSSEIBEH, DEAN OF AL QUDS UNIVERSITY, 
REPRESENTED THE PALESTINIAN SIDE.  HE STARTED BY UNDERLINING 
THAT YASSER ARAFAT IS INDEED THE ONLY LEADER OF THE PA AND 
THAT HE OUGHT TO BE TREATED AS SUCH.  HE SAID THAT ONLY 
PALESTINE CAN GIVE ISRAEL ITS "LEGITIMATE BIRTH CERTIFICATE", 
AND THUS BOTH PEOPLE OUGHT TO THINK IN TERMS OF INCLUDING, 
AND NOT EXCLUDING, EACH OTHER.  HE FINISHED BY STATING THAT 
IT SERVES LITTLE PURPOSE TO TALK ABOUT THE PAST SINCE BOTH 
PEOPLES ARE VICTIMS OF THE PAST.  WHAT MATTERS MOST, STRESSED 
NUSSEIBEH, IS THE FUTURE AND THE ABILITY OF ISRAELIS AND 
PALESTINIANS TO THINK IN TERMS OF "MUTUAL ACCEPTANCE". 
 
5. (U) COMMENT: EMBASSY WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW AND REPORT ON 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  00603  090715Z 
"MEETING THE OTHER".  IT FITS WELL THE GOI THINKING: DEEP AND 
GENUINE CONCERN ABOUT THE VIOLENCE; A WISH TO BE SUPPORTIVE 
OF USG EFFORTS; AND A BELIEF THEY CAN BE GOOD FRIENDS OF BOTH 
ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS.  SUCH AN INITIATIVE FOR DIALOGUE 
BETWEEN CIVIL SOCIETIES WILL NOT IN ITSELF SOLVE THE 
ISRAELI/PALESTINIAN CONFLICT, BUT IT BROUGHT A COMFORTABLE 
TONE TO AN UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION.  "THERE IS MUTUAL TRUST 
IN THIS ROOM BETWEEN ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS" WAS PERHAPS A 
SLIGHTLY TOO OPTIMISTIC STATEMENT BY MR. GROSSMAN, BUT THERE 
WAS CERTAINLY MORE "MUTUAL TRUST" IN THE CIVIL DIALOGUE THAN 
IN THE CURRENT POLITICAL "DIALOGUE" BETWEEN SHARON AND 
ARAFAT.  END COMMENT. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
> 
 2002ROME00603 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED