VZCZCXRO2438
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHEG #2438/01 3351516
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 301516Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0961
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 CAIRO 002438 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2018 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAL IS SY EG
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE SUPPORTS ABBAS; DOES NOT CONDEMN HAMAS 
 
Classified By: MINISTER COUNSELOR WILLIAM R. STEWART 
REASONS: 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
¶1. (C)  Summary.  The Arab League Ministerial meeting of 
November 26 resulted in explicit support for PA President 
Abbas to remain in office until the intra-Palestinian 
conflict is resolved and parliamentary and presidential 
elections are able to be held.  There was no explicit 
reference to Hamas bearing responsibility for the ongoing 
Palestinian political impasse.  The meeting was characterized 
as "tense" and "difficult" by Egyptian MFA and Arab League 
contacts, but with a clear focus on support for Abbas and 
Palestinian reconciliation.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Arab League Secretariat Chief of Staff Hisham Yousef 
briefed local diplomats November 30 on the November 26 Arab 
League ministerial meeting.  Yousef said the meeting focused 
on Palestinian reconciliation, Israeli-Palestinian 
negotiations, and humanitarian conditions in Gaza, which he 
characterized as being "under siege." 
 
¶3. (SBU) Egyptian FM Aboul Gheit briefed the ministerial on 
GOE intra-Palestinian reconciliation efforts.  According to 
Yousef, Aboul Gheit expressed "deep concern" that the 
December 10 reconciliation meeting had been postponed, but 
stressed Egypt's intention to reschedule the meeting in the 
near future.  Yousef told the group of diplomats that the 
Arab League's goal was not to assign blame to any Palestinian 
faction, but rather to return to the negotiating table 
"without delay." 
 
¶4. (SBU) Support for Abbas:  Yousef said the Arab League was 
firm that if Palestinian reconciliation is not achieved 
before January 9 (i.e. the end of Abbas' term in office), 
Abbas will remain as president until the Palestinian factions 
come to agreement.  President Abbas must "shoulder his 
responsibilities to achieve reconciliation and conduct 
parliamentary and presidential elections in the entire 
occupied territories," he said.  "The issue is not whether or 
not to support President Abbas as an individual but rather 
Palestinian interests.  We are not prepared to see a power 
vacuum.  We hope for elections, as does Abbas.  The question 
is how, and we hope that this will not be a contentious 
issue," he said. 
 
¶5. (C) Yosuef reported on Moussa's recent meeting with Hamas 
leader Khaled Mishal in Damascus.  Mishal was extremely 
critical of the Arab League and the Egyptian-sponsored 
reconciliation process.  He said that Hamas would return to 
the negotiating table in a "short period of time," according 
to Yousef, but the issue of Hamas "political prisoners" 
detained by the PA must be resolved.  In addition, Mishal 
told Moussa that Hamas wants PA President Abbas to be present 
at the negotiations.  Yousef commented that "we think Abbas 
is the president of all Palestinians.  They (Hamas) want an 
empowered negotiator at the table.  Fine.  But it doesn't 
have to be Abbas himself." 
 
¶6. (SBU) PA representative Saeb Erekat reported to the 
ministers that there had been "a lot of talk" but not much 
progress on Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.  The Arab 
League ministerial also discussed how to engage the incoming 
U.S. administration.  To that end, Yousef said that AL SYG 
Moussa and Saudi Arabian FM Saud al Faisal will send a letter 
urging President-elect Obama to engage without delay on the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that such engagement would 
have a positive effect on regional dynamics, including Iraq. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Humanitarian situation in Gaza:  Yousef said the 
Arab League decided that humanitarian assistance must be 
delivered immediately to Gaza, and that Egypt (via the MFA) 
and Jordan will coordinate this effort.  The Egyptians will 
facilitate movement of goods via Karem Abu Salem (Kerem 
Shalom) crossing; the Jordanians will work with the Israelis 
to move supplies into Gaza via Israel.  Yousef was testy when 
asked by the German DCM if Hamas would stop rocket attacks in 
order to ensure resumption of humanitarian supplies and fuel. 
 He argued that "stopping supplies of humanitarian assistance 
should not be the response of the 'occupying power,'" and 
that we should neither assume nor expect Hamas to have full 
control of Gaza and the ability to enforce a total cessation 
of rocket attacks. 
 
¶8. (C) Separately, Jordanian and Egyptian contacts reported 
that the meeting, although strained at times, was focused on 
supporting Abbas and the intra-Palestinian negotiations. 
According to MFA Cabinet Advisor for Arab Affairs Mahmoud 
Afifi, the Qataris and Sudanese were less vocal than normal 
on support for Hamas; the main skirmish occurred between 
Syrian FM Moallam and PA representative Erekat over the 
possibility of including Hamas at a future meeting. 
 
 
CAIRO 00002438  002 OF 004 
 
 
UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF TEXT OF ARAB LEAGUE RESOLUTIONS: 
 
¶9. (U) Resolution on Palestinian Developments 
-------------------------------------- 
 
The Arab League Council on the ministerial level in its 
emergency session on 26/11/2008 in Cairo 
 
-After reading the memorandum of the general secretariat. 
 
-Stresses the extreme attention it gives to Palestinian 
National Unity and Unity of the Palestinian Territories and 
on the necessity to protect the Palestinian National Project 
to establish a Palestinian state the capital of which is 
Eastern Jerusalem. 
 
-Reminds all the Palestinian factions and organizations of 
the large challenges that the Palestinian case faces in light 
of a complex international environment. This requires the 
solidarity and unity of all Palestinians to face these 
challenges to the interest of the Palestinian people who want 
to end the occupation and to achieve their legitimate rights. 
 
-Stresses the danger of the situation resulting from the 
continuous Palestinian disagreements and the negative effects 
on the Palestinian case. 
 
-Expresses extreme worry regarding the continuous state of 
current Palestinian disagreement and not holding the 
Palestinian Dialogue Conference that was scheduled for the 
10th of November 2008 in Cairo upon invitation from the Arab 
Republic of Egypt. 
 
-Asks all the Palestinian sides to respond to the efforts 
spent to achieve the Palestinian reconciliation in order to 
evade the dangerous consequences of that on the Palestinian 
case and people. 
 
-Follows with increasing worry the dangerous situation for 
Palestinians in all the occupied Palestinian territories and 
especially in Gaza and ask for an immediate application of 
the international humanitarian law and 4th Geneve agreement 
regarding aiding civilians at the time of occupation. 
 
-Refers to the continuous Arab and international interest and 
support for negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli 
sides to regain the legitimate Palestinian rights and to 
establish the Palestinian state the capital of which is 
Eastern Jerusalem according to the international legitimacy 
resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. 
 
-Stresses its earlier resolutions on the same topic. 
 
-And following listening to the interventions of the 
presidents of the delegations 
 
DECIDES: 
 
- To welcome the announcement of the Arab Republic of Egypt 
to continue its efforts to achieve comprehensive Palestinian 
reconciliation and calls all the Palestinian factions to work 
seriously to regain Palestinian unity and to begin the 
efforts for Palestinian national reconciliation and serious 
and honest participation in the Palestinian National Dialogue 
as soon as possible. 
 
- Respect the Palestinian national legitimacy lead by 
President Mahmoud Abbas, and respect the legitimate 
authorities of the Palestinian National Authority that is 
from the Palestinian Liberation Organization, including the 
elected Palestinian Legitimate Council, and be committed to 
the unity of the Palestinian decision in order to keep the 
rights and privileges of the Palestinian people that are 
vulnerable to danger. 
 
- Stresses that the Palestinian National Reconciliation forms 
the only true guarantee to preserve the geographical and 
political unity for the Palestinian territories, and any side 
that seeks to or is benefiting from the division under any 
name or for any consideration will lose this opportunity. It 
stresses the necessity to direct the Palestinian energy to 
end the occupation and to complete the Palestinian national 
project. 
 
- Asks all the Palestinian factions to immediately stop the 
media escalation and to stop the exchange of negative media 
campaigns. 
 
- Supports the principles of dialogue that were agreed on 
between Palestinian factions with Egyptian sponsorship to end 
the case of division, and these principles are: 
 
 
CAIRO 00002438  003 OF 004 
 
 
- Form a national consensus government with a limited mission 
and term and that will allow for lifting the siege. 
 
- Hold new presidential and legitimacy elections according to 
the Palestinian elections law. 
 
- Restructure the Palestinian security bodies based on 
professionalism and nationalism. 
 
- Activate the Palestinian Liberation Organization according 
to the Cairo Agreement for year 2005 and the Palestinian 
National Consensus document for year 2006. 
 
- Call President Mahmoud Abbas to continue to bear his 
responsibilities as president of the Palestinian National 
Authority in order to complete the reconciliation process as 
soon as possible so as to activate all the forms of 
Palestinian National Action and to unite the Palestinian line 
in the face of all challenges and to conduct Presidential and 
legitimacy elections in all the Palestinian occupied 
territories. 
 
- Support the Palestinian leadership in all its intensive 
efforts to reach a fair negotiationed settlement, according 
to the basics mentioned in the international legitimacy 
resolutions, and that end the Israeli occupation and put a 
limit to the suffering and tragedy of the Palestinian people 
and regain the national legitimate rights to empower the 
Palestinians to establish their independent state the capital 
of which is Eastern Jerusalem. 
 
- Stress the commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative as a 
basis to end the Arab Israeli conflict and thank the 
international sides that supported the initiative and call on 
these sides to continue their efforts. 
 
- Hold Israel -- the occupation authority -- responsible for 
the deterioration of the situation in the occupied 
Palestinian authorities and ask Israel to immediately stop 
its hostile practices including attacks in the Christian and 
Muslim places which are done in a direct challenge to the 4th 
Geneva Agreement and international laws and international 
humanitarian law. 
 
- Condemn the Israeli siege imposed on the Palestinian people 
and especially in Gaza Strip which lead to a huge 
deterioration in the humanitarian situation and stress the 
necessity to quickly lift the siege immediately and to 
promise to work to lift the siege and help the Palestinian 
people by all available means. 
 
- Call the international community to bear its 
responsibilities regarding this collective punishment that 
Gaza is subject to, including forcing Israel to lift the 
siege, and support international relief institutions, lead by 
the UNRWA, to perform its responsibilities regarding the 
Palestinian citizens especially in the Gaza Strip in light of 
the Israeli violations of international humanitarian law. 
 
- Condemn the dangerous violations practiced by Israel in 
Jerusalem and the digging in the area of Bab El Maghareba 
door and below the Jerusalem Mosque and its area and which 
threat to destroy the mosque and ask Israel (the occupation 
authority) to immediately stop all these procedures and apply 
its commitments according to international law and Geneva 
Agreements to preserve the Islamic and Christian Holy places 
in Jerusalem and ask the UNESCO to bear its responsibilities 
in this regard, especially noting that Israel resumed the 
digging and demolishing in the way leading to Bab El 
Maghareba and approved the new plan to construct the bridge 
on the way leading to Bab El Maghareba, and deepening the 
digging and directing it towards Bab El Selselah, one of the 
doors of the Blessed Jerusalem Mosque. 
 
- Ask the international community to spend its efforts to 
stop the Israeli settlements activity in the occupied 
Palestinian territories and implement the international 
resolutions related especially the two United Nations 
Security Council resolutions number 465 for the year 1980 and 
number 497 for the year 1981 and which stress on the 
illegitimacy of settlement and the necessity to dismantle the 
current settlements. These settlements are a violation of 
international law and international legitimacy and related 
United Nations resolutions and take procedures to prevent any 
products from the Israeli settlements from benefitting from 
any facilitations or customs exemptions in international 
markets. 
 
- Condemn Israeli continuation in constructing racist 
double-lane roads which lead to the confiscation of 
additional Palestinian territories and cuts the links for the 
West Bank which renders it impossible to establish an 
 
CAIRO 00002438  004 OF 004 
 
 
independent Palestinian state that is geographically 
communicative and able to sustain and ask the international 
community and especially the International Quartet Committee 
which always stresses on the importance of establishing a 
sustainable Palestinian state, pressure Israel to stop these 
violations and racist practices, to preserve the unity of the 
Palestinian lands. 
 
- Keep this meeting open to follow up on the developments in 
the Palestinian area. 
 
- Ask the Secretary General to follow up on the 
implementation of this resolution and present and report on 
this regards to the council in its next session. 
 
¶10. (U) Resolution on "The Cruel Israeli Siege on the Arab 
Occupied Territories and Especially the Gaza Strip and Taking 
Appropriate Procedures to Lift this Siege and Help the 
Palestinian People:" 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
The Arab League Council on the ministerial level in its 
emergency session on 26/11/2008 in Cairo 
 
-After reading the memorandum of the general secretariat 
 
-And following listening to the interventions of the 
presidents of the delegations 
 
-Condemns the cruel Israeli attack and practices of 
collective punishment by the Israeli Occupation Authorities 
on the Palestinian People in the occupied territories and 
especially in the Gaza Strip. 
 
DECIDES: 
 
-The Arab countries will send food products and medical 
equipment to the Gaza Strip immediately as well as receive 
medical patients from the Palestinian people. 
 
-Assigns the Arab League General Secretariat to coordinate 
with the Egyptian and Jordanian concerned authorities to 
ensure the entry of food products, medicine and medical 
equipment to the Strip. 
SCOBEY