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DE RUEHC #2643 1140313
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O 230307Z APR 08
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TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM IMMEDIATE 0000
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE 0000

UNCLAS STATE 042643 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPAL LE IS UNSC
SUBJECT: GUIDANCE FOR APRIL 23 UNSC CONSULTATIONS ON 
MIDDLE EAST 
 
¶1. (SBU) Mission is instructed to draw from the points 
in para 2 below in discussing events in the Middle East 
during the briefing and consultations to be held Wednesday 
morning, April 23, in the UN Security Council. 
 
 
¶2. (U) Begin points: 
 
Mr. President, given the importance of a peaceful 
resolution to the conflict in the region, I hope that 
today's discussion can demonstrate the Council's ability 
to deal in a fair and balanced way with this issue. With 
that in mind, I would like to make the following four 
points today with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian peace 
process and then turn to the situation in Lebanon. 
 
First, achieving a peaceful, two-state solution continues 
to be a top priority for the United States. This week, the 
President will host Palestinian Authority President Abbas 
 
at the White House, and in May, President Bush will make 
his second visit to the region this year to participate in 
the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the 
establishment of Israel. He plans to meet with leaders 
from both sides while in the region. Secretary Rice 
recently returned from her third visit to the region this 
year and National Security Advisor Hadley traveled to the 
region just last week. During the Secretary's trip, she 
held a successful trilateral meeting with Israeli Defense 
Minister Barak and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister 
Fayyad that resulted in commitments by both sides to take 
concrete steps on the ground, including: (1) the 
dismantlement of fifty roadblocks in the West Bank, (2) 
improved security coordination, and (3) increased steps by 
the Palestinian Authority to uphold law and order and 
combat terrorism. Fulfillment of these pledges is 
critical in implementing the Roadmap as well as in 
demonstrating a mutual commitment to the peace process. 
 
We are monitoring the situation closely and have already 
begun to see some progress on the ground in these areas, 
including coordination on the opening of a number of 
Palestinian police stations in the West Bank. For our part, 
we are working with Quartet Special Representative Tony Blair, 
the EU, and other donors to coordinate efforts in support 
of the parties. We are focusing, in particular, on supporting 
efforts in Jenin, where Defense Minister Barak and Prime 
Minister Fayyad agreed during their March 30 meeting with 
Secretary Rice to work to improve the lives of the Palestinian 
 
SIPDIS 
people through better performance of the Palestinian security 
force, the easing of restrictions on movement and access, 
and international support for development projects and 
economic growth. We are committed to the success of this 
effort in Jenin, which we hope can be subsequently 
replicated in other Palestinian cities. 
 
Second, implementation of the Roadmap and achieving a 
two-state solution is a shared responsibility. As the 
Secretary General has said, the international community 
 
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needs to support the efforts of the Israeli and 
Palestinian leadership. This process is too important to 
lose momentum. The commitment of the international 
community, especially in building Palestinian 
institutional capacity and supporting economic growth, 
remains vital to the success of this process. 
 
The Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) will meet in London on 
May 2 and there is an urgent need for donors to follow 
through on their generous pledges from the Paris Donors 
Conference. We would especially encourage members of the 
Arab League, in recognition of their special role in 
supporting this process, to provide robust political and 
financial support for the Palestinian Authority under 
President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad. 
 
The Quartet will also meet on May 2 in London, and we look 
forward to a good discussion of how the process begun in 
Annapolis is unfolding, and how the international community 
can best support the parties' efforts both on the ground and 
in their bilateral negotiations. 
 
Third, we are deeply concerned by continued terrorist 
attacks from Gaza into Israel and the threat they pose 
to the efforts of the parties to achieve the two-state 
solution to this conflict. The United States joins the 
Secretary General in condemning the recent terrorist 
 
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attack that killed two Israeli civilians at the Nahal Oz 
fuel terminal and further condemns the simultaneous 
suicide attacks on Saturday at the Kissufim and Kerem 
Shalom crossings that wounded thirteen Israeli soldiers. 
Attacks like these demonstrate Hamas' focus on its own 
political agenda above the needs of the Palestinian 
people, as well as its continued reliance on violence and 
terror. We should not lose sight of the fact that the 
difficult situation in Gaza is the result of Hamas' 
violent seizure of power there in June. Hamas' recent 
terrorist attacks only exacerbate the plight of the 
Palestinian people by making it more difficult for the 
international community to deliver much needed 
humanitarian assistance and goods to the people of Gaza. 
 
Mr. President, Israel has an unquestionable right to 
defend itself against terrorist attacks and we urge the 
Government of Israel when responding to attacks to take 
all possible steps to avoid civilian casualties and to 
minimize the impact on innocent civilians. The United 
States remains firmly committed to providing essential 
humanitarian assistance to help meet the basic needs of 
the people living in Gaza and we reiterate our call on 
Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza and return it to the 
 
legitimate Palestinian Authority government. 
 
Fourth, we share the international community's concerns about 
the hardships facing the Palestinian people. The United States, 
through its substantial financial contribution to the United 
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the 
Near East (UNRWA), has consistently demonstrated its support fo2 
humanitarian relief efforts for Palestinian refugees. To date 
in FY 2008, the United States has contributed more than $148 
million to UNRWA, which includes $57 million for UNRWA's 2008 
emergency appeal to support life-saving humanitarian assistance 
 
for refugees in the West Bank and Gaza. The United States 
continues to work with the Government of Israel to help support 
the efforts of our partners in the international community to 
provide essential humanitarian support to those living in Gaza. 
We strongly condemn terror attacks against the crossings which 
have killed innocent Israelis, prevent the delivery of essentia 
goods and services, and do not serve the interests of the 
Palestinian people. 
 
With regard to Lebanon, we are deeply troubled that, 
although the Lebanese seem to have reached consensus on a 
presidential candidate, a minority, backed by Syria and 
Iran, both state sponsors of terrorism, are using extra- 
constitutional preconditions to block the constitutionally- 
mandated presidential elections. The Lebanese parliament has 
been closed for over a year, and the presidency has been vacant 
for five months. It is long past time to reopen the 
parliament and elect a president. We condemn the on-going 
interference in Lebanese affairs by Iran and Syria, and express 
our deep concern about reports that both Iran and Syria are 
engaged in activities that violate UNSC resolutions 1559 and 
 
¶1701. 
 
In addition, international support is critical to the 
success of the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon. We urge 
all countries to support the integrity of the Tribunal, 
cooperate with it, and contribute to it financially. The 
Tribunal must pursue justice wherever its investigation 
leads. The United States has contributed $14 
million towards the Tribunal's start up and its first year 
of operations. We expect to remain a significant 
contributor for its duration. We urge those countries 
that have not yet contributed to do so and those that have 
made pledges to follow through quickly on providing those 
 
funds. We thank those countries that have already 
contributed and ask them to advise the Secretary General 
of their intent to continue their support until the 
Tribunal completes its work. 
RICE