VZCZCXRO7384
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #0851/01 2640049
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 200049Z SEP 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4978
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 000851 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KPAL KWBG UNSC IS PA LE
SUBJECT: UNSC: MIDDLE EAST CONSULTATIONS FOCUS MORE ON UN 
BRIEFING THAN MEMBER STATES' REMARKS 
 
REF: STATE 99211 
 
Summary 
-------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) In another low key set of consultations on the 
Middle East on September 18, Special Coordinator for the 
Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry's briefing was the 
main focus.  He lauded the "gradual but systematic process of 
Palestinian self-empowerment" in the West Bank and later said 
that Israel should do more to welcome this process.  He, as 
well as the majority of delegations, decried Israeli 
settlement activity in the West Bank.  In Gaza, he noted that 
the continuing cease-fire was the only positive news to 
report, given the continuing shortages and Hamas efforts to 
divorce Gazan institutions from the PA itself.  On Lebanon, 
he summarized that the security situation remains precarious 
but welcomed the start of the national dialogue process and 
the signing of a reconciliation agreement in Tripoli. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The Libyan representative spoke extensively about 
Israeli settlement activity but did not refer to the Arab 
League Ministerial decision to request a special session of 
the Security Council on Israeli settlements.  Most of the 
other delegations also raised Israeli settlement activity and 
voiced concern for its impact on negotiations.  The South 
African Perm Rep questioned whether everyday problems facing 
Palestinians mattered to the Quartet.  The U.S. and European 
delegations called for Lebanon to implement the Lebanon 
Independent Border Assessment Team (LIBAT) report's 
recommendations and enforce the arms embargo.  End Summary. 
 
UNSCO Briefs Council 
-------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace 
Process Robert Serry briefed the Security Council during a 
meeting on the Middle East, September 18.  (Note: Mission 
e-mailed the text of Serry's remarks to IO/UNP on August 19. 
End note.)  On the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, he 
stressed that, while no agreement has been reached on the 
core issues, there have been substantive discussions which 
must be continued.  He lauded the "gradual but systematic 
process of Palestinian self-empowerment" in the West Bank 
under the leadership of President Abbas and Prime Minister 
Fayyad as the "largely unsung success story."  He referred to 
the real strides by the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the 
implementation of its security plan in the West Bank.  As a 
result, the casualty rate from Israeli-Palestinian clashes is 
at one of the lowest levels in recent years.  He described a 
return to normalcy in Nablus and plans for a further 
improvement of security conditions in Hebron.  He reported 
that the fiscal gap for the last quarter of 2008 remains at 
about USD 400 million. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) While noting the dismantlement of one manned 
checkpoint in the central West Bank enabling 40,000 
Palestinian living in a separation barrier-created enclave to 
access Ramallah without delay, Serry reported that over 600 
obstacles to movement remain across the West Bank.  He 
referred to a woman in premature labor who gave birth to a 
stillborn baby at a checkpoint, September 4, while trying to 
access a Nablus hospital.  He said settler violence had 
increased over the last month and, while acknowledging 
Israeli government condemnation of the violence, said 
credible action to bring perpetrators to justice was lacking. 
 He said settlement construction continues, including a 
further tender for 32 more units in the Gush Etzion bloc.  He 
repeated the Secretary-General's calls that all settlement 
activity is "contrary to the Fourth Geneva Convention and 
Israel's commitments under the Road Map and the Annapolis 
process."  He said that "rectifying this unacceptable 
situation should be the urgent priority of any new Israeli 
government." 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Serry noted that Palestinian institutions in East 
Jerusalem remain closed by Israeli order, contrary to the 
Road Map.  For the first time in recent memory, he referred 
to the Maghrabi Gate in the Old City and said the 
Secretary-General was closely monitoring developments there 
and encourages all parties to cooperate in the process under 
the auspices of UNESCO and to refrain from any unilateral 
measures.  In his comments after Member States' remarks, he 
emphasized that the September 22 Ad Hoc Liaison Committee 
(AHLC) meeting is the opportunity for the international 
community to engage Israel and press it to do more to welcome 
Palestinian empowerment in the West Bank.  He concluded, "We 
will not allow parties to walk away from their Annapolis 
commitments." 
 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000851  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) In Gaza, he said the cease-fire continues to hold 
and only two rockets and one mortar were launched in the last 
month.  He said there were no IDF incursions or air strikes 
On other fronts, he said there was little positive news to 
report.  Imports had decreased by 21 percent as compared to 
the previous four weeks.  UN priority projects remain stalled 
because of a shortage of materials.  Referring to the Hamas 
decision to replace teachers with Hamas-affiliated staff, he 
said Hamas' actions in Gaza are "increasingly divorcing 
Palestinian institutions from the Palestinian Authority 
itself, and interrupting basic service delivery."  With 
Palestinian inter-factional violence resulting in the death 
of 14 people, he said the only way to begin addressing the 
crisis is for Gaza to be peacefully reunited with the West 
Bank within the framework of a legitimate PA in a manner 
which allows the peace process to advance. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) On Lebanon, he noted the start of the national 
dialogue process and the signing of the reconciliation 
agreement in Tripoli.  He said the security situation 
remained "precarious" with the shooting of the LAF helicopter 
and the death of one of the co-pilots and the assassination 
of Saleh Aridi which the Secretary General and the Council 
had both condemned.  While the UNIFIL area of operations 
remained generally quiet, he did note that Israeli air 
violations continued on a daily basis.  He said the LAF 
undertook a temporary redeployment of one light infantry 
brigade from the south to the north in response to security 
concerns around Tripoli, while troops that had been 
previously redeployed north were returned to the south. 
 
Settlements - a common theme but 
no Arab call for a special session 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) In consultations that followed Serry's public 
presentation, the Libyan representative did not raise the 
Arab League Ministerial decision to have Saudi Arabia request 
a special session of the Security Council to discuss Israel's 
settlement activities.  (Note: The Burkinabe President of the 
Security Council received a letter, after consultations, from 
the Saudi Charge requesting such a meeting.  Mission e-mailed 
letter to IO/UNP, September 18.  End note.)  The Libyan 
representative spent most of his remarks discussing specific 
Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and quoting 
reports from Israeli NGOs Peace Now and Beit Salem. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Most other delegations also raised Israeli 
settlement activity.  Per reftel, Ambassador Khalilzad 
reiterated our deep concern at continuing settlement activity 
and called on Israel to freeze this activity and dismantle 
outposts erected since March 2001, consistent with Road Map 
obligations, given that such activity has a negative 
atmosphere for negotiations with the potential to harm them 
going forward.  He noted recent internal Israeli government 
deliberations on future compensation for settlers who leave 
settlements voluntarily.  The French Perm Rep said there 
would be no peace without a total cessation of settlements. 
The British DPR said that settlement activity is illegal and 
should stop.  The Belgian Perm Rep said that continuing 
settlement activity is a major danger for Annapolis and 
raised settler violence against Palestinians.  The Costa 
Rican Perm Rep said that addressing illegal settlements 
should be the first priority of any new Israeli government. 
 
South Africa questions Quartet's 
interest in everyday issues 
facing Palestinians 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) The South African Perm Rep dedicated more than 
half of his intervention to four paragraphs of Serry's 
statement which he described as "big issues for everyday 
Palestinians" -- checkpoints and other obstacles to movement, 
settler violence, and settlement activity.  He (and the 
Panamanian representative) also noted that while Israel had 
released 198 prisoners, 11,000 remained in prison.  He asked 
rhetorically if everyday issues matter to the Quartet.  He 
again raised the question of the sewage system in Gaza and 
asked why spare parts were so difficult to get into Gaza.  At 
the end of the session, Serry replied that Quartet 
Representative Tony Blair continues to work to get the pipes 
into Gaza.  In response to the South African Perm Rep's 
musings on the Quartet, Serry specifically said, "The Quartet 
is the only game in town and that is why it is important the 
UN is part of it."  The Indonesian Perm Rep said he looked 
forward to the meeting of the Security Council and Quartet 
representative Tony Blair next month.  (Note: While the 
Council has invited Blair to speak in October, it has 
received no confirmation of his availability.  End note.) 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000851  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
Calls for Lebanon to implement 
LIBAT report recommendations; 
enforcement of arms embargo 
------------------------------ 
 
¶11.  (SBU) The US and the European delegations referred to 
the August 25 report of the Lebanon Independent Border 
Assessment Team (LIBAT).  Ambassador Khalilzad said that the 
report shows no progress over the past two years on 
interdicting arms smuggling across the border and concluded 
that the overall situation renders Lebanon's borders as 
penetrable as was the case over a year ago during the first 
assessment.  He called for regional parties maintaining ties 
with Hizballah and other groups in Lebanon to respect and 
abide fully by the arms embargo on Lebanon.  The Italian Perm 
Rep said the issue of disarming all militias remains 
fundamental in Lebanon and that the LIBAT report worriedly 
underlines the limited progress made on securing the borders. 
 The British DPR called on the Lebanese government to swiftly 
act to implement the LIBAT report's recommendations.  The 
Croatian Perm Rep underscored the insufficient rate of 
implementation of the LIBAT report's recommendations.  The 
French Perm Rep commended the LIBAT report.  The Russian 
representative specifically called on all parties to follow 
the embargo. 
 
Russians appear to 
downplay Moscow meeting 
----------------------- 
 
¶12.  (SBU) The Russian representative referenced the 
international meeting on the Middle East in Moscow and 
appeared to downplay it, referring to it as a "meeting," not 
a "conference," to "help corroborate the progress."  He said 
the Quartet, at its upcoming meeting, would determine the 
"timelines" for the Moscow meeting. 
Khalilzad