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Viewing cable 05TELAVIV3672, CODEL KOLBE MEETINGS WITH ISRAEL'S FOREIGN

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
05TELAVIV3672 2005-06-14 05:50 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Tel Aviv
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 003672 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR NEA AND H-SMARCHESE, JCARTER 
 
AID FOR LPA/AA-DLINER 
ALSO AID FOR ANE/MEA-DMCCLOUD, CMORGAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWBG PREL EAID IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT
SUBJECT:  CODEL KOLBE MEETINGS WITH ISRAEL'S FOREIGN 
MINISTER SHALOM AND VICE PREMIER PERES 
 
REF: A) JERUSALEM 02277 B) TEL AVIV 03246 C) IIR 
 
6849057505 USDAO 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
 
1.  THIS IS A JOINT MESSAGE FROM EMBASSY TEL AVIV AND 
CONGEN JERUSALEM. 
 
2.  (U) SUMMARY: DURING A MAY 29-31 VISIT TO ISRAEL AND 
THE WEST BANK, CODEL KOLBE MET WITH ISRAELI FOREIGN 
MINISTER SHALOM AND ISRAELI VICE PREMIER PERES, AMONG 
OTHERS.  MINISTER SHALOM SPOKE ABOUT THE RECENT 
ELECTORAL SUCCESS OF HAMAS AND THE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS 
POSED BY GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, INCLUDING WHAT TO DO WITH 
SETTLER HOUSES IN GAZA.  VICE PREMIER PERES DESCRIBED 
ACTIONS THAT MUST BE TAKEN TO BETTER THE LIVES OF 
PALESTINIANS, INCLUDING WAYS TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMY, 
INCREASE EMPLOYMENT AND PROVIDE A SOCIAL SUPPORT 
NETWORK.  END SUMMARY. 
 
3.  (U) AS REPORTED IN REFTELS A-C, A CODEL LED BY REP. 
JIM KOLBE (R-AZ), CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS 
COMMITTEE'S FOREIGN OPERATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE (HACFO), 
VISITED ISRAEL AND THE WEST BANK ON MAY 29-31, 2005. 
THE CODEL INCLUDED NITA LOWEY (D-NY, HACFO), DAVID 
PRICE (D-NC, HAC), ROGER WICKER (R-MS, HAC), MARION 
BERRY (D-AR, HAC), SUSAN DAVIS (D-CA, HASC), JEFF 
MILLER (R-FL, HASC) AND GARY ACKERMAN (D-NY, HIRC). 
THEY WERE ACCOMPANIED BY COMMITTEE STAFF MEMBERS BETSY 
PHILLIPS AND RODNEY BENT (HACFO), DAVID ADAMS (HIRC), 
AND JENNIFER MILLER (HAC), AS WELL AS STEVE MARCHESE 
(STATE/H) AND DAVID LINER (USAID/LPA). 
 
4.  (U) THE CODEL VISITED SEVERAL USAID PROJECT SITES 
IN THE WEST BANK AND MET WITH PALESTINIAN INTERIOR 
MINISTER NASSER YOUSSEF, PUBLIC WORKS MINISTER MOHAMMED 
SHTAYYEH, AND U.S. SECURITY COORDINATOR GENERAL WARD 
(SEE REFTEL A).  THE CODEL ALSO MET WITH FOUR ISRAELI 
OFFICIALS: FOREIGN MINISTER SYLVAN SHALOM, DEFENSE 
MINISTER SHAUL MOFAZ, VICE PREMIER SHIMON PERES, AND 
PRIME MINISTER ARIEL SHARON.  THE MEETINGS WITH PRIME 
MINISTER SHARON AND MINISTER MOFAZ WERE DESCRIBED IN 
REFTELS (B) AND (C), RESPECTIVELY.  THE MEETINGS WITH 
MINISTER SHALOM AND VICE PREMIER PERES ARE DESCRIBED 
BELOW. 
 
5.  (SBU) THE CODEL MET WITH FOREIGN MINISTER SYLVAN 
SHALOM ON SUNDAY, MAY 29.  MINISTER SHALOM'S COMMENTS 
INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING POINTS: 
      A MAJOR SHIFT IS UNDERWAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST AWAY 
     FROM POLITICAL EXTREMISM TOWARDS MODERATION AND 
     DEMOCRACY.  EXAMPLES INCLUDE ELECTIONS (PAST AND 
     PLANNED) IN IRAQ, THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES, EGYPT, 
     LEBANON AND KUWAIT.  THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY NEEDS 
     TO EMBRACE MODERATES AND ISOLATE EXTREMISTS, INCLUDING 
     IRAN, SYRIA AND THE TERRORIST GROUPS. 
    HAMAS HAS BECOME A POTENT POLITICAL PARTY, AS 
SHOWN BY RECENT MUNICIPAL ELECTION RESULTS.  LIKE 
HIZBALLAH, HAMAS IS PURSUING POLITICAL POWER WHILE 
CONTINUING MILITARY ACTIVITIES. 
    REGARDING GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, THE PROCESS MUST BE 
CONTROLLED BY PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMUD ABBAS, NOT 
BY HAMAS AND OTHER TERRORIST GROUPS.  ABBAS MUST 
DISMANTLE TERRORIST INFRASTRUCTURE. 
    A MAJOR DILEMMA POSED BY GAZA DISENGAGEMENT IS 
WHETHER ISRAEL SHOULD DEMOLISH THE HOUSES NOW OCCUPIED 
BY SETTLERS.  DEMOLISHING THEM WOULD CREATE SPACE TO 
HOUSE MORE PALESTINIANS, BUT DEMOLITION IS OPPOSED BY 
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. 
    ANOTHER DISENGAGEMENT QUESTION IS WHAT TO DO WITH 
THE PHILADELPHI CORRIDOR NEAR RAFAH, BECAUSE THE 
CORRIDOR HAS BEEN USED TO SMUGGLE WEAPONS FROM EGYPT. 
    THE SEPARATION BARRIER IS A TEMPORARY MEASURE. 
ISRAEL HAS MOVED TEMPORARY BORDERS WITH NEIGHBORS IN 
THE PAST AND COULD DO SO AGAIN. 
AIN. 
    IRAN IS STALLING FOR TIME TO DEVELOP ITS NUCLEAR 
CAPABILITY. 
 
6. (SBU) THE CODEL MET WITH VICE PREMIER SHIMON PERES 
ON SUNDAY, MAY 29.  THE VICE PREMIER EMPHASIZED SEVERAL 
THINGS THAT SHOULD BE DONE IN THE RUN UP TO GAZA 
DISENGAGEMENT AND ITS AFTERMATH: 
      FACILITATE MORE RAPID PASSAGE OF GOODS AND PEOPLE 
     BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES. 
     ECONOMIC NEEDS MUST BE BALANCED AGAINST SECURITY NEEDS. 
    CREATE AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE SOCIAL SUPPORT 
NETWORK PROVIDED BY HAMAS.  PERES SUPPORTS THE IDEA OF 
THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY ESTABLISHING A PALESTINIAN 
FUND FOR SOCIAL WELFARE WITH FUNDING OF $10 MILLION PER 
MONTH. 
    TO INCREASE EMPLOYMENT, PROMOTE AGRICULTURE, WHICH 
IS THE MOST PROMISING SECTOR OF THE PALESTINIAN 
ECONOMY, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE GREENHOUSES IN THE 
GAZA SETTLEMENTS BE PRESERVED AND HANDED OVER TO 
PALESTINIANS INTACT. 
    ENCOURAGE TOURISM. 
    "PRIVATIZE PEACE" - THAT IS, USE PRIVATE SECTOR 
TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT TO PROMOTE PEACE, SUCH AS 
CH AS 
DEVELOPING QUALIFIED INDUSTRIAL ZONES AND BUILDING 
INDUSTRIAL PARKS. 
  THE VICE PREMIER ALSO COMMENTED THAT ISRAEL MADE A 
  MISTAKE BY INVESTING IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES 
  (I.E., BUILDING SETTLEMENTS), WHILE OVERLOOKING 
  PROBLEMS AT HOME, INCLUDING UNDERDEVELOPMENT IN THE 
  NEGEV AND THE GALILEE.  ISRAEL NEEDS TO CORRECT 
  THESE MISTAKES BY PROMOTING HIGH TECH IN THE NEGEV 
  AND TOURISM IN THE GALILEE.  PERES CLOSED BY 
  REITERATING HIS CONTINUING GRATITUDE FOR AMERICAN 
  COOPERATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST.  HE STATED THAT 
  WHILE EUROPE TALKS, AMERICA ACTS. 
KURTZER