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RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHTV #0359/01 0321226
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
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FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9168
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0320

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 000359 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2017 
TAGS: PREL POV KWBG KPAL SP IS
SUBJECT: ISRAELI MADRID PARTICIPANTS ON SAUDI INITIATIVE, 
CONFERENCE, AND SYRIA 
 
REF: MADRID 0078 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gene A. Cretz; Reasons 1.4 (B and D). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary and comment:  Israeli participants in the 
Madrid-plus-fifteen conference held January 10-12 (reftel) 
have told the Embassy and the press that they seek "the end 
of gradualism" and a focus on final status negotiations as 
the best way to reach peace with the Palestinians.  To break 
what they see as the current impasse in talks, they encourage 
adoption of an adapted Saudi/Arab League initiative.  They 
base this policy on the assessment that moderate Arab states 
now share common interests with Israel in fighting extremism 
in the region.  They advocate efforts to separate Syria from 
its allies in Iran, Hizballah, and Hamas, noting that much of 
their time in Madrid was spent discussing the possibilities 
of an Israeli-Syrian peace.  Madrid participants agreed to 
form a "semi-permanent roundtable" to continue the process. 
All support some sort of international conference to advance 
the cause of Middle East peace.  Although these views play a 
role in GOI policy making through Labor's membership in the 
coalition, few of them track with those held by PM Ehud 
Olmert, FM Tzipi Livni, or others with real decision-making 
authority for Israeli policy toward peace with the Arabs. 
End summary and comment. 
 
¶2. (C) Former FM Shlomo Ben-Ami, the primary force behind 
Israeli track-two participation in Madrid, told the press 
that "the two-state solution is still on the table, but the 
peacemakers need to be advised ... time is running out." 
Labor parliamentarian Ophir Pines-Paz was more to the point 
when he told the Ambassador that the Palestinians are 
involved in a civil war and that "Israel cannot accept it if 
Hamas wins."  He argued that the Roadmap is "dead, not 
because it was not good, but because it was not laid out in 
the right order or deployed at the right time."  Labor 
parliamentarian Colette Avital told poloff that most Madrid 
participants agreed on the importance of final status 
negotiations, believe that the idea of a Palestinian state 
with provisional borders is "out of the question," and 
therefore advocate an "end to gradualism."  Several of the 
Israeli participants -- all from the Israeli left -- told the 
Embassy that they also believe that PM Ehud Olmert and 
President Mahmud Abbas are politically weak and unable to 
maintain drawn-out peace negotiations without the support of 
regional states as well as that of the U.S. and Europe. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
Accepting the Saudi (Arab League) Initiative ... 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶3. (C) To break what they see as an impasse, the Israeli 
Madrid participants advocate reconsideration of the Saudi 
initiative.  Pini Meidan, a retired Mossad officer who served 
as foreign policy adviser to Ehud Barak, told PolCouns that 
the Saudi plan -- with unspecified modifications -- could 
form the "basis for a new overall approach."  Pines-Paz 
suggested that the Quartet adopt the main principles of the 
plan, "painting it a different color," to lend it legitimacy 
inside Israel, where any Arab plan would face opposition. 
Meidan, who noted that Israeli delegates had met with the 
Saudi Ambassador (Prince Saud Bin Naif Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud) 
to Spain, stressed the importance of a plan already accepted 
by "all the Arab states" that implicitly accepts Israel's 
right to exist and security needs. 
 
¶4. (C) A new strategic perception underlies the Israeli 
delegates' renewed interest in the Saudi plan.  Avital told 
the press that "the recent war in Lebanon, Islamic 
radicalization and the threat posed by Iran to all have 
created a realignment in our area.  Today we share common 
interests with the moderate Arab states."  She added, "we 
have an opportunity to team up with the Arabs versus the 
extremists, but there is a price," which she described as an 
agreement with the Palestinians.  Pines-Paz and Meidan echoed 
these views in separate meetings. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
... and the Utility of an International Conference 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶5. (C) Meidan said that participants had agreed to form a 
number of "semi-permanent round tables."  The Israeli effort 
will be led by Ben-Ami and focus on track II issues, 
especially on how to adopt parts of the Saudi initiative. 
The Israelis generally agreed on the utility of a follow-on 
international conference to advance peace efforts as 
advocated by Spanish FM Miguel Angel Moratinos (reftel), but 
disagreed among themselves on the format.  Pines-Paz called 
for a regional conference including the Quartet plus the 
Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, Egyptians, and possibly 
 
TEL AVIV 00000359  002 OF 002 
 
 
the Saudis.  Avital told the press she supports "a meeting of 
top Israeli politicians with members of the Arab League to 
discuss the Arab initiative."  She later told poloff that the 
conference proposed by Spain would only be a "starter" and 
not "a means not an end."  Avital also noted that most Madrid 
participants had agreed on the importance of some sort of 
international presence to monitor any agreement. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Breaking the Syria-Iran-Hizballah-Hamas Axis 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Israeli participants said they spent much of their 
time in Madrid discussing the possibilities of peace with 
Syria.  Pines-Paz told the Ambassador that we are "close to 
the point where we cannot bring Syria back" from its alliance 
with Iran, Hizballah, and Hamas.  In his view, Israel can 
only withdraw from the Golan Heights in return for a break in 
this alliance, a message he said he conveyed directly to 
Syrian representatives in Madrid (Riad Dauoudi and Bushra 
Kanafani).  Their reply was that these issues could be 
discussed during negotiations, but should not be 
preconditions to talks.  Meidan maintained that the Syrians 
in Madrid were under orders not to speak with the Israeli 
delegation, but he said the Syrians listened carefully when 
Israelis spoke at the plenary sessions.  Pines-Paz expressed 
surprise that the Europeans appear to be focused on the 
Palestinian track and have thus far proven relatively immune 
to the Syrians' offer to talk. 
 
¶7. (C) Comment: The Israeli participants in Madrid were 
primarily from Labor; former Justice Minister Dan Meridor 
added the appearance of center-right balance.  Although their 
views play into GOI policy through Labor's membership in the 
coalition, few of these ideas -- except perhaps for the 
concept of shared interests with moderate Arab states -- 
currently track with those held by PM Olmert, FM Livni, and 
the other decision makers in the cabinet.  We would welcome 
Embassy Riyadh's comments on Prince Saud bin Naif's 
participation in a high-profile meeting with Israelis.  End 
comment. 
 
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