O 251635Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0288
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 000362 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2019 
TAGS: PREL EAID KWBG SA GCC
SUBJECT: PALESTINE EMBASSY NOT CONCERNED ABOUT SEPARATING 
RECONSTRUCTION FROM PA SUPPORT 
 
REF: JHARRIS EMAILS 2/23-24/09 
 
Classified By: POL Counselor Lisa Carle, 1.4(b),(d) 
 
¶1.  KEY POINTS 
 
--  (C) Palestine Embassy in Riyadh Counselor Karaki 
(protect) told Post February 25 that his embassy does not see 
the GCC decision to separate Gaza reconstruction from 
Palestinian Authority (PA) financing as evidence of 
diminished Saudi or GCC support for the PA. 
 
--  (C) Karaki's reasons were:  1) the GCC cannot function in 
Gaza without coordinating with the PA, and GCC members 
including Qatar have said they won't deal directly with 
Hamas;  2) even if reconstruction funds went directly to the 
PA, it couldn't do much in Gaza without a Palestinian unity 
agreement and a truce with Israel; and  3) the PA has an 
overriding interest in starting reconstruction as soon as 
possible. 
 
--  (C) Karaki stressed that PM Fayyad is engaged in direct 
talks with the Saudis and other GCC members on the question 
of support to the PA, though he admitted he did not know 
whether these contacts had resulted in contributions of 
funds. 
 
--  (C) GCC finance ministers will meet February 28 to begin 
discussing implementation of the Gaza reconstruction fund. 
Karaki said the GCC intends to open a "field office" in Gaza 
to facilitate administration of the program.  This office 
will also deal with entry permits for building materials and 
other reconstruction supplies. 
 
¶2.  COMMENT 
 
--  (C) Karaki could have been unwilling to say anything 
negative about Saudi/PA relations, or just out of the loop, 
but on the other hand, the contrast between his views and 
what PM Fayyad said in Washington (Ref emails) could mean the 
Palestinians are playing up concerns about GCC intentions for 
our benefit. 
 
--  (C) If the GCC decision was not intended to undermine the 
PA, then we should consider explaining to the Saudis that it 
has certainly created such an impression, which we would look 
to them to dispel through a gesture of support. 
 
--  (C) Karaki said the GCC has made clear it wants a stable, 
responsible Palestinian unity government, which Karaki 
clearly interpreted to mean a PA-led government. 
 
 
FRAKER