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 002011 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA/IPA PLEASE PASS TO AMB. JONES 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/23/2016 
TAGS: PREL KPAL KWBG EAID EG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: ISRAELI READOUT ON LIVNI-ABBAS MEETING 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gene A. Cretz; Reasons: 1.4 (B and D). 
 
¶1. (C) Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's chief of staff, Jakub 
"Yaki" Dayan, told the Charge May 23 that the GOI's meeting 
with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas on May 21 
in Sharm el-Sheikh does not represent a change in Israel's 
view of Abbas.  The GOI nevertheless maintains low-level 
contacts with his office, recognizes the importance of "some 
sort of dialogue" with him, and has tentative plans for PM 
Olmert to see Abbas in June.  Dayan said Livni had told Abbas 
that he should concentrate on a provisional state instead of 
on broader final status issues.  Dayan reported that Livni 
had reiterated the GOI's willingness to address humanitarian 
issues, but that neither side raised specifics.  He said the 
Egyptians had in a separate meeting expressed a willingness 
to transfer weapons and ammunition to Abbas.  End summary. 
 
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GOI View of Abbas, Contacts with His Office, and Next Steps 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Dayan said the most important aspect of the meeting 
between Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres, Livni, and Abbas -- 
which had only been approved on May 19 -- is that it had 
taken place at all.  Despite what he described as a "good" 
atmosphere at the meeting, Dayan insisted that it does not 
represent any change in FM Livni's view of Abbas.  Dayan 
reiterated that the GOI does not doubt that Abbas means well, 
but still questions his ability to take steps he had failed 
to take when Fatah was in power.  Dayan said Livni sees Abbas 
as "an address, not a channel." 
 
¶3. (C) Dayan admitted that the GOI recognizes "the need to 
maintain some sort of dialogue" with Abbas and continues "a 
low level of cooperation" with his officials.  He revealed 
that the PA and GOI continue to coordinate on crossings and 
arrangements for Palestinians requiring medical care in 
Israel.  Such contacts had allowed the rapid transfer to Tel 
Aviv of General Intelligence (Mukhabarat) Chief Tariq Abu 
Rajab, who was severely injured May 20 during an 
assassination attempt in Gaza. 
 
¶4. (C) Dayan said Livni told Abbas that it would be important 
to agree on what discussions would cover "if we talk" about 
substantive issues in the future.  According to Dayan, Livni 
and Abbas had a "philosophical discussion" about the second 
phase of the Roadmap, during which Abbas supported an 
international conference but was less enthusiastic about 
Livni's suggestions that the Palestinians accept a 
provisional state and move forward from there.  Dayan claimed 
Abbas had admitted that "currently I don't have a plan." 
Dayan also complained that Abbas had contradicted himself 
repeatedly. 
 
¶5. (C) Dayan claimed that the Palestinians had made their 
desire for additional meetings clear.  He said that PM Olmert 
would visit Egypt next, but that additional steps would be 
contingent upon the outcome of Olmert's visit to Washington. 
While one of these steps would be an Olmert-Abbas meeting, 
Dayan denied that there is any chance of a trilateral 
Mubarak-Olmert-Abbas summit.  He was interrupted several 
times during the meeting in an apparent effort to respond to 
the mistaken view that the Egyptians had on this score. 
 
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Humanitarian and Security Assistance 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶6. (C) Dayan maintained that humanitarian assistance had only 
been discussed in general.  Abbas reportedly asked for 
assistance funding salaries of Fatah officials, but did not 
request any funding for his office or the security forces. 
Dayan insisted that Livni had reiterated the GOI's 
willingness to assist with humanitarian issues.  Dayan added 
that Peres had outlined his package of wide-ranging economic 
proposals, such as joint industrial parks, coordinated 
agricultural exports, and reactivation of copper mining in 
the Negev and Sinai. 
 
¶7. (C) Dayan noted to the Charge that the GOI had been in 
touch with the EU about the alternate funding mechanism and 
had told them that Israel would be helpful on humanitarian 
issues but would not pay salaries for PA officials.  He added 
that the GOI is still examining the legal difficulties of 
disbursing NIS 50 million (approximately USD 10.4 million) 
from the PA's tax revenues for medical purchases.  He 
suggested to the Charge that a letter from Abbas requesting 
the disbursement might be necessary, considering that the 
revenues legally belong to the Palestinians. 
 
¶8. (C) According to Dayan, the Egyptians had separately 
informed Livni that they are willing to transfer weapons and 
ammunition to Gaza, if necessary.  He claimed that the 
Egyptians are considering closing their side of Rafah, or of 
limiting movement by certain individuals if the chaos in Gaza 
continues.  Dayan told the Charge that Israel would have less 
of a problem with ammunition, since the precedent for such a 
transfer already exists.  He was more skeptical about the 
weapons, cautioning that they could both escalate the already 
tense situation in Gaza and be used in attacks against 
Israelis.  Dayan said that the ammunition and weapons issues 
were not discussed during the Livni-Abbas meeting. 
 
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