VZCZCXRO4943
PP RUEHBZ RUEHROV
DE RUCNDT #0717/01 2422220
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 302220Z AUG 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2526
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 000717 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PTER UNSC KPKO KPAL KWBG SY LE IS
SUBJECT: MONTHLY UNSC MIDEAST DEBATE: CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM FOR 
FALL INTL MEETING 
 
REF: USUN 685 
 
¶1. (U) Summary.  During a seven-hour monthly UNSC debate on 
the Middle East on August 29 featuring over 30 speakers, 
UNSCO Michael Williams professed "guarded optimism" about 
recent developments in the Arab-Israeli peace process but was 
decidedly downcast about the reality on the ground.  Amb 
Wolff led several other delegates in calling for 
establishment of the rule of law in the Palestinian 
territories and in calling for the full implementation of all 
UNSC resolutions, including those on Lebanon.  Most 
delegations expressed cautious optimism about the 
U.S.-sponsored international meeting in the fall of 2007, but 
warned that it must register meaningful progress on final 
status issues and be as inclusive as possible.  Delegates 
were split on whether to push for Hamas-Fatah reconciliation. 
 Israel, Lebanon, and the Palestinian Observer exchanged 
familiar attacks but also evinced hope for the Abbas-Olmert 
dialogue and the upcoming international meeting.  Israel took 
exception to Indonesia's reference to the "Isreali invasion 
of Lebanon" in 2006 and to the Lebanese PR's attempt to draw 
an equivalence between abducted IDF soldiers and Lebanese 
prisoners in Israel.  Iran and Syria, joined at times by 
Cuba, excoriated Israel for its "war crimes" and directly 
criticized the U.S. for supporting Israel in the UNSC.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) The UN Security Council held a monthly debate on the 
Middle East on 29 August 2007.  UN Special Coordinator for 
the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) Michael Williams 
briefed on the situation in Israel, the Palestinian 
territories, and Lebanon.  Following interventions by all 
fifteen Council members, Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon 
delivered statements.  Eleven other UN delegations, including 
Syria, Iran, Portugal (as the EU President), Yemen 
(representing the Arab Group), Algeria, Vietnam, Pakistan (on 
behalf of the OIC), Cuba (representing the NAM) and Japan, 
also spoke.  At the request of Qatar, this month's meeting 
was open to all interested delegations.  A summary and full 
transcript of the meeting can be found on the UN website at: 
www.un.org/news/press/docs//2007/sc9108.doc.h tm 
 
UNSCO Williams Says Farewell 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) In his final briefing before leaving his UNSCO post in 
September 2007, Michael Williams professed "guarded optimism" 
about recent developments towards peace in the Middle East, 
including the Abbas-Olmert talks, the appointment of Tony 
Blair as Quartet representative, and President Bush's call 
for an international meeting in the fall.  While welcoming 
discussions between Abbas and Olmert, Williams said the talks 
"should shift gear to obtain concrete assurances" on final 
status issues, and expressed hope that the international 
meeting in the fall would feature "meaningful discussion" of 
these same issues.  Encouraging the "widest possible 
attendance" at the international meeting, Williams noted 
Syrian commitments to the Middle East peace process and the 
Arab League peace initiative.  Turning briefly to Lebanon, 
Williams reiterated points from the Secretariat's August 16 
briefing (reftel).  He underscored the SYG's support for 
presidential elections in conformity with Lebanon's 
constitution, noted modest reductions in Israeli overflights 
but called on the GOI to end the practice altogether, and 
reiterated the UN's request to Israel for strike data on its 
use of cluster bombs in Lebanon. 
 
¶4. (U) In contrast to his optimism about developments in the 
peace process, Williams was downbeat when describing the 
reality on the ground.  Although PA Prime Minister Fayyad had 
registered initial progress instituting much-needed reforms, 
the ongoing split between the West Bank and Gaza remains a 
cause for "deep concern."  Williams emphasized that Hamas was 
operating in Gaza outside the rule of law and cited credible 
reports of human rights abuses there.  But he said continued 
closure of crossing points into the coastal strip had brought 
the economy there to a near halt.  Underscoring the 
"essential" need to ease the closures, Williams said UN 
policy in Gaza is to oppose collective punishment, address 
suffering in Gaza as a means to combat extremism, and work 
towards a political reunification of the West Bank and Gaza. 
Turning to security responsibilities of the Palestinians, 
Williams bemoaned continuing rocket fire into Israel and 
smuggling of arms into Gaza.  He also decried continuing 
Israeli settlement activity and noted the GOI had taken "no 
credible action" to remove settlement outposts. 
 
U.S. Leads Call to Build PA Institutions 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) Several delegations joined USUN in calling for 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000717  002 OF 003 
 
 
increased focus on ensuring the rule of law and security in 
Gaza and the West Bank.  Underscoring that the Abbas/Fayyad 
government can be a partner for peace, Amb Wolff noted U.S. 
assistance to the PA to reform its security services, and 
condemned Hamas for its illegal occupation of Gaza and 
provision of safe haven to fellow terrorist organizations 
there.  Recalling President Bush's July 16 speech, he 
described U.S. plans for an international meeting in the fall 
of 2007 of countries that support a two-state solution, 
reject violence, recognize Israel's right to exist, and 
commit to all previous agreements among the parties.  He 
welcomed continuing dialogue between the parties, the Quartet 
and Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meetings in New York in 
September, and recommendations from Tony Blair following his 
visit to the region on the economic and institutional agenda 
for the Quartet.  Amb Wolff also briefly touched on Lebanon, 
calling for full implementation of UNSCR 1701 and on Syria 
and Iran to honor their commitments under that resolution. 
The new UK PermRep, John Sawers, focused on Blair's role in 
building Palestinian institutions and economy.  The French 
DPR called on the PA to exercise its authority throughout its 
territory and to "mercilessly" combat terrorism.  Even the 
Russian DPR called on the PA to uphold its obligations by 
fighting terror. 
 
Cautious Optimism for Fall 2007 Int'l Meeting 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Most delegations expressed cautious optimism about the 
U.S.-sponsored international meeting in the fall of 2007. 
(Note: Several referred to it as a conference. End Note.) 
Most delegations, however, warned that the meeting must 
register meaningful progress on final status issues between 
the parties and should be as "inclusive" in its guest list as 
possible.  Qatar said it expected real results from the 
meeting, "unlike previous ones."  Russia cautioned that the 
event should "not relaunch the Middle East Peace Process," 
whose terms of reference are already clear, and should 
include Lebanon and Syria.  France called for the meeting to 
launch an "authentic process" through which the international 
community would give guarantees to secure agreements between 
the parties.  Italy said it looked forward to details of the 
conference, but welcomed it as a sign of U.S. commitment to 
the MEPP.  Calling on the UNSC to play a "more active role" 
in the MEPP, China said it also expects new initiatives from 
the Quartet to advance the peace process.  Syria maintained 
that any international conference ought to be clearly defined 
with precise terms of reference and objectives.  The event 
would also need to provide the necessary guarantees of 
respect for international resolutions and the recovery of 
Arab land. 
 
Hamas-Fatah: Conciliation or Confrontation? 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) Delegates were split on whether the international 
community ought to shun Hamas for its takeover of Gaza and 
support Fatah wholeheartedly or to encourage rapprochement 
between the two Palestinian groups.  While the U.S., UK, 
Portugal (on behalf of the EU), and Peru joined the 
Palestinian delegate in calling for full support for the 
Abbas/Fayyad government, other delegates adopted a more 
cautious tone.  Arguing that dialogue between Fatah and Hamas 
is "critical to moving forward," Indonesia warned that 
international support "should not broaden" the split between 
the two groups.  Russia lamented the "de facto" dual 
authority that exists in the Palestinian territories and 
emphasized there could be "no alternative" to Palestinian 
unity.  Norway, while supporting PM Fayyad's efforts to 
normalize the situation on the ground, argued that 
comprehensive and lasting peace "cannot be achieved through 
isolating a major popular movement."  Cuba, speaking on 
behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), surprised some 
delegates by condemning the "criminal actions that were 
carried out in the Gaza strip" and calling for the 
restoration of the situation in Gaza that existed prior to 
recent events.  Iran noted Hamas's victory in "free, fair, 
and democratic elections" to argue that "efforts by any 
faction in Palestine" to exclude it are doomed to fail. 
 
Parties Hopeful Amid Mutual Recrimination 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) Although they engaged each other in a rancorous 
debate, Israel, Lebanon, and the Palestinian Observer also 
interspersed their interventions with hope for the future 
based on recent developments in the peace process. 
Palestinian Observer Riyad Mansour excoriated Israel for its 
"continued violations" of international law through military 
raids, settlement building, and the construction of the 
separation barrier in the occupied Palestinian territories. 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000717  003 OF 003 
 
 
But he also welcomed the Abbas-Olmert talks, plans for an 
international conference -- which "could be tranformed to be 
under the auspices of the UN" -- and the relaunching of the 
Arab Peace Initiative.  Lebanese PR Nawaf Salam lambasted 
Israel for its overflights of Lebanon, "continuing violation 
of UNSCR 425 through its occupation of the Sheba'a Farms," 
and its unwillingness to settle the "long-standing issue" of 
Lebanese prisoners detained in Israel.  He passionately 
decried Israel's refusal to provide cluster bomb strike data 
and announced his government's support for efforts to ban 
cluster bombs worldwide.  Israeli PR Gillerman praised recent 
talks between Abbas and Olmert and described Israeli efforts 
to bolster the PA, but castigated the continuing terror 
attacks from "Hamastan."  He took exception both to 
Indonesia's reference to "Israel's invasion of Lebanon," 
noting that Hizballah had started the war by abducting two 
Israeli soldiers, and to the Lebanese PR's attempt to draw an 
equivalence between the IDF captives and Lebanese prisoners 
in Israel. 
 
Iran and Syria Strike Discordant Notes 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) Iran and Syria, joined at times by Cuba in its 
capacity as NAM Chair, delivered speeches starkly at odds 
with the majority of hopeful, forward-looking interventions 
given by other delegates.  Iran criticized the "Israeli war 
machine" for its ceaseless "crimes" against the "defenseless 
Palestinian people" and lamented the UNSC's failure to 
address these issues because of the "unqualified support" 
rendered to Israel by the U.S.  Syria leveled similar 
accusations against Israel, and charged that it continues its 
"terror campaign" with the support of "powers that promote 
democracy."  Syria and Iran both paid particular attention to 
reports of an Israeli nuclear weapons capability.  Recalling 
PM Olmert's statement to this effect to a German TV station 
in December 2006, Iran called on the UNSC to take "urgent and 
decisive action" to pressure this "state terror" regime to 
relinquish its nuclear weapons and submit to international 
monitoring.  Syria also decried recent IDF manuevers in the 
Golan Heights, testifying to Israel's interest in "provoking 
a new war" and increasing tensions along the border. 
WOLFF