This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 001628 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/IPA AND H 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR KWBG KPAL IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GOI EXTERNAL
SUBJECT: REP. SHAYS AND ISRAELI FM LIVNI DISCUSS HAMAS, 
CONVERGENCE, AND IRAQ 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Gene A. Cretz; Reasons: 1.4 (B a 
nd D). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told 
Representative Christopher Shays April 20 that there is no 
Palestinian partner with whom Israel can negotiate.  She 
described A/PM Ehud Olmert's "convergence" plan, in which 
Israel seeks to define a new eastern border after evacuating 
isolated settlements and annexing larger settlement blocs 
with the support of the United States, as the only way 
forward.  She praised the United States' role in Iraq, noting 
that Iran is now Israel's top concern.  Livni was joined in 
the meeting by MFA Deputy Director General for North America 
Yoram Ben-Zeev, Chief of Staff Yaki Dayan, as well as 
staffers Dita Kohl-Roman, Hillel Newman, and Eyal Sela.  Rep. 
Shays was accompanied by Senior Policy Analyst Nicholas 
Palarino, Minority Counsel Michael McCarthy, and military 
escort Major Carolyn Walford.  End summary. 
 
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Livni: we have no Palestinian partner 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) In response to a question from Rep. Shays, Livni 
described current Israeli-Palestinian relations as 
"complicated," saying that Israel is facing problems for 
which there are no easy solutions.  She complained of the gap 
between the desire for an end to the conflict and the reality 
of a "terrorist entity" in control of the Palestinian 
Authority (PA).  She cautioned that elections "cannot be a 
laundry for terrorist organizations," and called the 
international community's support for elections in which 
Hamas was allowed to compete a "mistake."  She attributed the 
Hamas victory to both anger at Fatah's corruption and support 
for extreme Islam among Palestinian voters. 
 
¶3. (C) Livni described the difficulty of addressing the needs 
of the Palestinian people without providing any assistance to 
Hamas or the PA, noting that health and education programs in 
Gaza and the West Bank are largely controlled by the PA. 
Admitting that Hamas, too, faces a complicated situation as 
it seeks international legitimacy without relinquishing its 
extremist views, Livni urged Rep. Shays to listen to the 
different messages coming from Hamas in English and in 
Arabic. 
 
¶4. (C) Livni maintained that President Abbas lends legitimacy 
to Hamas.  Complaining that Abbas wants to skip to the final 
stage of the Roadmap and talk about final status issues, she 
advocated the continued isolation of Hamas and the PA.  In 
response to Rep. Shays' question on whether the GOI would 
leave a line open to Abbas, Livni replied "not really."  She 
explained the GOI's view that the PA is a terrorist entity, 
even though the GOI realizes that Abbas is the elected 
President and the international community wants to keep 
"someone on the bench" in case Hamas fails.  She noted that 
it is too optimistic to believe that Hamas will fail in the 
next few months, unless Abbas confronts the group by calling 
new elections and changing the rules on who can run, steps 
Livni did not believe he would take. 
 
¶5. (C) Rep. Shays agreed that the sooner Hamas fails, the 
better it will be for the region.  He urged Israel to 
consider how to ensure that Hamas is blamed for its own 
downfall and to prepare to deal with the next Palestinian 
government.  He cautioned that wide-scale Israeli deployments 
into Gaza could worsen the situation and deflect attention 
from the failures and intransigence of Hamas.  Livni welcomed 
the strong U.S. position but expressed concern that the 
Europeans may begin to soften their stance once the 
Palestinians "provoke an image of a humanitarian crisis." 
She agreed with Rep. Shays that Israel must work to avoid 
such a crisis, adding that it would work against Israeli 
interests and would conflict with Israeli values.  Rep. Shays 
urged Livni to find ways to maintain economic relations with 
the Palestinian people, noting the negative effect of current 
limitations on movement in the West Bank. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Convergence plan will set Israel's new borders 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶6. (C) Livni described the challenge facing the new 
government as one of defining the borders of a democratic and 
Jewish Israel in the absence of a Palestinian partner.  She 
insisted that the only way to do so "is with the help of the 
United States," which would lead to "the consent of the 
international community."  She discussed the outlines of A/PM 
Ehud Olmert's "convergence" plan, including the evacuation of 
isolated settlements and the annexation of the larger 
settlement blocs. 
 
¶7. (C) Rep. Shays asked about the route and permanence of 
such borders, as well as the future of religious areas such 
as those in Hebron.  Livni replied that the line of the 
separation barrier could be moved in the future, provided 
that the settlement blocs "remain" Israeli.  Rep. Shays said 
that Israel has the support of the United States, but the 
level of this support will depend upon how far Israel extends 
its borders into the West Bank.  The GOI will also need to 
ensure that Palestinians can move freely throughout the West 
Bank, unhindered by Israel's possible retention of 
transportation corridors through the area.  Finally, a 
solution would need to be found for Israelis who are forced 
to evacuate their homes.  Livni replied that the separation 
barrier will leave over 90 percent of the West Bank available 
for a contiguous and viable Palestinian state.  The 
evacuation of settlers is a price Israel is willing to pay 
for the new border. 
 
¶8. (C) Livni said that a number of issues would remain for 
final status talks, since continued Israeli interests in the 
West Bank mean that "we can't just give the Palestinians the 
key" after new borders are established.  These issues include 
refugees, the demilitarization of a future Palestinian state, 
and continued Israeli access to holy places, air space, and 
water in the West Bank. 
 
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Iraq: "the United States made a difference" 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Livni praised the invasion of Iraq for creating 
positive changes in the region, saying, "the United States 
made a difference."  In her view, the move had resulted in 
Libya's decision to change its policies and had even caused 
Syria and Iran to take the international community seriously. 
 Livni claimed that the "clash of cultures" is real, and said 
Iran is now the most pressing concern for Israel.  Rep. Shays 
noted the importance of impressing upon the insurgents in 
Iraq that coalition forces will remain as long as necessary 
to complete the mission, but noted that even when the mission 
is accomplished the terrorists are liable to claim "victory." 
 Livni agreed, noting that Israel had faced the same scenario 
when it withdrew from southern Lebanon. 
 
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Bio note: tired but busy 
------------------------ 
 
¶10. (C) Livni told the CoDel that the first time she was 
mentioned in the newspaper was as a 13-year old with a great 
future in basketball.  She appeared tired during the meeting, 
which was not surprising considering the late-night coalition 
negotiations, Passover celebrations, heavy visitor load, and 
her continued triple-hatted service as minister of foreign 
affairs, justice, and immigration absorption. 
 
¶11. (U) CoDel Shays did not have the opportunity to clear 
this cable before departing post. 
 
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JONES