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DE RUEHDK #0023/01 0071742
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P 071742Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1665
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0101

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 000023 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SG IS
SUBJECT: SENEGAL CONDEMNS ISRAELI ACTIONS IN GAZA 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary. The Government of Senegal has firmly and 
repeatedly condemned the recent actions of the government of Israel 
in the Gaza strip.  On January 3, President Abdoulaye Wade, current 
Chairman of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), 
condemned the Israeli incursion into Gaza and called for the 
immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces.  On December 28, 2008 Wade 
issued a statement condemning the Israeli defense forces' bombing of 
targets in Gaza (see para 6 for unofficial translation of 
statement).  Also on December 28, Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane 
Gadio issued a press release describing Wade's telephone 
conversation with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal regarding the 
President's proposals for bringing about a ceasefire (see para 7). 
On December 30, Foreign Minister Gadio told Charge and Political 
Counselor that the United States has an obligation to stop the 
violence.  On January 4, Wade announced his intention to travel to 
the Middle East to attempt mediation of the Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict.  End summary. 
 
Wade Condemns Israeli Actions and Announces Peace Efforts 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶2.  (U) President Wade, who serves as the titular head of the 
Islamic ummah as a result of hosting the most recent OIC Summit, 
said that the Israeli incursion was "completely unjustified and 
unacceptable."  Moreover, "Senegal and the OIC insist that Israel 
withdraw immediately and without condition from the Palestinian 
territory putting an end to the invasion and air raids," he added. 
 
¶3.  (U) On January 4, President Wade announced that he is planning a 
mediation trip to the Middle East in reaction to the Israeli actions 
in the Gaza Strip.  According to Wade, he has "longstanding 
invitations" from the government of Israel and the Palestinian 
authorities.  In addition to visiting Israel and the occupied 
territories, he said his trip will take him to Amman to engage in 
talks with the King of Jordan. 
 
Foreign Minister: USG Must Accept Burden of Leadership 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On December 30, during a meeting with Charge and Political 
Counselor, Foreign Minister Gadio vigorously condemned the Israeli 
bombing of Hamas targets in Gaza as a disproportionate response to 
the threat of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel.  While 
acknowledging that Israel has a right to defend itself and averring 
that "We understand Israel's problem," he said Israel's actions and 
the U.S. response were unacceptable to Senegal and the Islamic 
ummah.  Gadio criticized the U.S. call for Israel to "avoid civilian 
casualities."  Asking rhetorically if we knew how such a statement 
sounds to Muslim and Arab ears, the Foreign Minister suggested that 
it amounted to little more than a green light for Israel.  Gadio 
called on the USG to work toward stopping the violence, saying the 
United States has the benefits of being the leader of the world and 
must also accept the burdens of that leadership. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Comment: President Wade has for some time now been 
attempting to become more involved in the Middle East peace process. 
 While it appears that the Palestinians might welcome such a move, 
it is less clear that the government of Israel would do the same. 
End comment. 
 
¶6.  (U) Statement by President Wade: 
 
Begin text: 
 
President  Abdoulaye Wade 
Chair of The Islamic Conference Organization 
and President of the Republic of Senegal 
December 28, 2008 
 
The indiscriminate  air strikes conducted by Israel against the 
population of Gaza, without sparing children an women, killing 260 
people and causing several hndred casualties are unprecedented in 
regional cnflicts and cannot be justified by rocket launchesby 
Hamas across the border. These strikes are simly unacceptable as 
stressed by all capitals of te world. 
 
Israel is threatening to conduct a lan invasion of the Palestinian 
territory of Gaza, his has no legal basis in International Law, it 
ould go beyond responding to rocket launches and would simply and 
clearly be an invasion that would lead to more deaths and wunded as 
well and massive destruction. 
 
The incmbent Chair of The Islamic Conference Organizationdemands 
that Israel ends immediately theair strikes and refrains from 
launching any new attacks against the Palestinian territory. 
 
He also appeals to the International Community, to the Secretary 
General of the United Nations and to the Security Council to demand 
from Israel an immediate end of the indiscriminate air bombing 
 
DAKAR 00000023  002 OF 002 
 
 
against the people of Palestine, and calls for the two parties, 
Israel and Hamas, to immediately observe a cease-fire. 
 
He calls for the Group of member states of the Islamic Conference 
Organization in Geneva to request from the Human Rights Council to 
convene immediately a special session on the grave situation 
prevailing in Gaza. 
 
He calls upon Egypt to open the Rafah corridor for fast delivery of 
the humanitarian and medical assistance that are urgently needed by 
the people of Gaza. 
 
The incumbent chair requests the Secretary General of the Islamic 
Conference Organization to call a meeting in Jeddah, as soon as 
possible, of all Ambassadors of member states with the agenda to 
prepare an immediate meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs. 
 
End text. 
 
¶7.  (U) Statement by Foreign Minister Gadio: 
 
Begin text: 
 
Press release by the Minister of Foreign Affairs 
 
Re: Telephone conversation between President Wade and Khaled Meshaal 
(Leader of Hamas) 
 
On Sunday, December 28, during a telephone conversation that took 
place at 21:00 GMT, President Abdoulaye Wade, Chair of the Islamic 
Conference Organization, made a proposal to bring about an immediate 
end of the ongoing crisis.  Mr. Khaled Meshaal, Leader of Hamas 
deemed the proposal balanced and welcomed it favorably. 
 
The proposal consists in obtaining a definitive truce between Israel 
and Hamas through the signing of an agreement that commits Hamas to 
immediately observe a cease fire and in return Israel would observe 
a cease fire coupled with an ending of the blockade of Gaza. 
 
The Leader of Hamas expressed his willingness to sign such an accord 
at a place to be commonly determined by the two parties. 
 
Dakar, December 28, 2008 
 
The Press and Information Office 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the 
Republic of Senegal 
 
BERNICAT